“I’m proud to be where we are today and see Woody’s passion for our
state come to life through our work. That vision won’t be going away any
time soon. Thrasher is in it for the long haul to help improve West Virginia
communities every way we can.”
- Chad Riley, CEO, The Thrasher Group
in 1983. The business originally had
just three employees and focused
solely on the public utility world.
That’s where the father-son duo felt
they could make the most impact,
and they managed to leave a mark
that continues today.
“Utility work is still a large com-
ponent of The Thrasher Group’s
footprint,” say Riley. “We still work
with our very first public utility
client—the City of Mannington—
and we have grown our services to
better provide for its needs and the
needs of cities and municipalities
across the state.”
When The Thrasher Group first
started working in Mannington,
the company was providing fairly
limited utility services. After 36
years in business, though, Thrasher
has not only mastered the essential
components of water and waste-
water projects but has grown its
utility capabilities exponentially.
One of the clients that has bene-
fited from those expanded services
is the Malden Public Service Dis-
trict (PSD). Located in a suburb of
Charleston, the PSD was originally
constructed in the 1980s. In the
last several years, it began experi-
encing severe issues with sewage
overflow that were impacting the
health of a nearby creek and the
overall efficiency of the plant.
Thrasher was hired to make the
necessary improvements for what
ultimately ended up being another
multidisciplinary project. The plant
had six new buildings constructed
on-site with Thrasher’s archi-
tecture division helping with the
venture. Additionally, the Thrasher
environmental team played a role
as it helped address compliance
mandates from the West Virginia
Department of Environmental Pro-
tection. Ultimately, the work on
this project led to a more effective
treatment plant and national recog-
nition from the American Council
of Engineering Companies.
This growth hasn’t been limited
to the utility sector. Thrasher has
worked hard to become a full-ser-
vice architecture, engineering and
field services firm that can support
all of its clients’ needs. Whether
providing aerial imagery and GIS
services for West Virginia county
assessors or working with the state’s
Division of Highways as it tackles
work produced from the road bond,
Thrasher has the capability to serve
West Virginia in infinite ways.
Scaling these services has not only
helped grow infrastructure in the
state, but it’s been a way to create
jobs, too. Today, The Thrasher
Group stands approximately 700
people strong, employing a wide
range of expertise and career levels.
The survey division, for example, is
now the largest in the state and has
given a vast number of entry-level
employees big opportunities, pro-
viding important experience and
allowing for career growth.
“I’m proud to be where we are
today and see Woody’s passion for
our state come to life through our
work,” says Riley. “That vision
won’t be going away any time soon.
Thrasher is in it for the long haul to
help improve West Virginia com-
munities every way we can.”