Trunity Engineering & Management

Perform and Communicate are Success Principles for Triunity Engineering & Management. Triunity Engineering & Management is a national firm headquartered in Denver. But it began as a dream for Jonnie Thomas long before he joined the U.S. Air Force and before he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, KS.

When he completed his military service, Thomas joined TriMet, Portland's transit agency, as a communications engineer where he learned about rail systems and structures. He then moved to LTK Engineering Services in Portland with the idea he would be able to transfer closer to his home state of Kansas. That opportunity materialized when LTK sent him to Denver where the company pursued contracting on the T-REX project, which involved widening interstate highways in the metro area. LTK soon promoted Thomas to National Communications Engineer.

As he grew into his new position, Thomas built relationships with other construction firms and with RTD. As a result, people noticed his stellar performance, experience and determination on the projects he was responsible for, and they encouraged him to start his own company. He discussed the idea with his brother Marvin, who also held a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from KSU, as well as a degree in systems management from the Air Force's Institute of Technology.

When he declared his intention to leave and to form his own business, he was given a better offer to stay, one his employers hoped he could not afford to turn down. But he did. He says, "It was something I just needed to do."

In 2003, Triunity Engineering & Management became a reality. Today, the company has offices in Denver, Seattle, and Boston and employs 35. Since its beginning, it has grown from three employees, a DBE/SBE subcontractor, to a national prime contracting firm.

Thomas says he is committed to performance and communication and operates on the "3C" principles of "Confidence," meaning know your stuff; "Character" which means do what you say you are going to do and follow through; and "Customer Focus" to understand and identify your customer's needs.

Triunity currently works on several RTD FasTracks projects including Denver Union Station, Eagle P3, (East Corridor and Gold Line) and a segment of the Northwest Rail Corridor and the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility. Triunity advises on program management strategies and trains project managers on the scope, schedule, budget, cost and contract control practices and executive summary reporting.

Thomas said, "We owe much appreciation to Jacobs Engineering, LTK, RTD and the RTD Small Business Office." He added that once he accomplishes his goals, he plans to spend time teaching and mentoring second through fifth grade inner-city students. "I want to inspire and build a foundation for children in their formidable years."