Flinner starts as employee, becomes owner

Many employees have joked to a co-worker, “I’m going to own this company one day.”

In the case of Ed Flinner, he actually made good on that long-forgotten comment.

Flinner bought Frontz Drilling in 2023 from Steve Frontz, whose family founded the company in 1938.

After meeting with employees on the day he took over, Flinner was reminded of his remark by since-retired Brian Torrence.

“(Torrence) walked up to me after the meeting and he said, ‘Remember when you said you’re going to own the company someday?’” Flinner said. “He said, ‘You were right, you do.’”

The memory of how much Frontz Drilling meant to Flinner and his family never faded one bit.

“It was kind of a joke, but I always thought that I would someday have my own company,” the 54-year-old said. “I knew I would love to own my own company because I love this industry. I like to see nice, clean water — quality water. I’m just passionate about it.”

Today, it’s a great honor for Ed and Lori Flinner and their sons Eddie and Hunter to have the longtime area business under their name.

Flinner Drilling, located at 2031 Millersburg Road in Wooster, has continued the three-generation tradition of Frontz Drilling by providing well drilling, pump installations, water treatments and more for residential and commercial customers.

Ed Flinner was hired by Frontz Drilling in 1995 and will always be grateful for the training he received before leaving in 2006.

While he loved the job, Flinner received a job offer from the City of Wooster as a utilities equipment operator that he simply couldn’t pass up.

However, Flinner had built such a good reputation in the well-drilling and treatment field that he continued to receive calls after going to work for the City of Wooster. He provided advice and did some side jobs.

In 2015 Flinner started a side business: Flinner and Sons Water Treatment.

In 2021 Steve Frontz brought Flinner back into the fold by subcontracting some jobs to him.

Flinner was getting ready to make his part-time business a full-time endeavor when Frontz asked to meet.

“Steve said he was planning to retire and asked me if I’d be interested in buying Frontz Drilling,” Flinner said. “After talking it over with Lori, we knew it was the right move for our family.”

Flinner Drilling has 14 full-time employees and four part-timers.

Eddie Flinner is proud to be one of those employees, working for his dad.

“It’s rewarding being able to work toward something for my whole family,” said Eddie Flinner, who, along with Hunter, was a state-qualifying wrestler for Triway. “It’s really nice to spend time together and further our father-son bond together.”

The elder Flinner said, “It feels good that we get to see each other every day. Eddie’s a definite asset to the company. He’s very good with dealing with the customers. He does all the well estimating and does all the well-staking for everything that comes in new and also replacement wells.”

Ed Flinner said no two wells are the same.

“You can move 10 feet and the well can be different,” Ed Flinner said. “Some areas are more consistent. Northern Wayne County is touchier. You can get saltwater shallow. In Holmes County we just drilled one down by Sugarcreek that was 650 feet deep. Prior to that, the deepest well we ever drilled was about 500 feet.”

Eddie Flinner said wells in Deerfield have ranged from 45 feet deep to 205 feet within a quarter-mile range. And they were all at the same elevation.

Flinner Drilling has equipment for all types of jobs, Ed Flinner said.

The business has kept the same longtime employees, policies and standards established by the Frontz family.

“Employees like Bob Yoder, Heath Flinner, Shawn Franks, Josh Franks and Dave Bender were here when I was here before,” Ed Flinner said. “Most of those guys have around 30 years of experience or more.”

The Flinners have added a wider net of water treatment solutions for existing and new customers while staying up to date on EPA codes and certifications. They provide 24/7 on-call services.

Out of all the utilities, Ed Flinner believes water is the most precious.

“People always hear about clean water and all that stuff, but most people don’t realize how important it is not to dump something on the ground,” Flinner said, “whether it’s oil, gas or whatever.

“This is our livelihood, and I feel it’s the No. 1 utility that we need in life to thrive. We can live without gas, and we can live without electricity. You can’t live without water. Doug Frontz did a very good job of training me, and just watching his passion for clean water just rubbed off on me. It’s a great honor to now own the company, and we will continue to strive for perfection in everything we do.”