CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Garland Company Inc. has awarded a $12,600 scholarship to an employee’s child pursuing higher education. This scholarship was inaugurated in 2020 for the company’s 125th anniversary. Beginning at $12,500 last year, the scholarship will increase by $100 every year to reflect the age of the company.

Employees with children either entering or already enrolled in a college, university, or trade school were invited to submit for this one-time scholarship. Students submitted essays detailing their career aspirations and how this scholarship would help them achieve those goals. The winner was chosen by a third-party team of panelists and the team at Garland has been amazed by the responses.

For the second annual granting of this scholarship, Tommy Barch, son of Garland’s Director of Recruiting and Training Wally Barch, was chosen for the award. Tommy, a 2020 graduate of Highland High School in Medina, Ohio, will be a sophomore at Bowling Green State University in the fall and is majoring in finance.

Tommy’s drive made him the ideal recipient of this year’s award.

“This scholarship is more than just a dollar amount to me,” Tommy told Garland Industries’ President David Sokol. “This scholarship will pave the path for my future and motivate me to see that anything is possible in life.”

Garland continues to make history for its employee-owners, including being recently named the “Company of the Year” for the OH/KY Chapter of The ESOP Association. As a 100% employee-owned company, Garland prides itself on building a team that provides every employee with ample opportunities to succeed. 

“It’s amazing how many of our employees have children who are just as dedicated as they are,” said Sokol. “This scholarship has been a wonderful opportunity to see the bright minds nurtured by our employees and Tommy is a stellar example of that. As employee-owners, we are always on each other’s team and this is a great chance for us to help out our own in a substantial way.”

Tommy was invited to receive the award at the Garland Industries headquarters. His father remarked on the lasting impact of this award. 

“I’ve always told my children to be proud of their name and live with integrity," Barch said. "I couldn’t be prouder of Tommy and the Garland name. This company is life-changing for all of us at Garland and this scholarship will be life-changing for Tommy.”