FAMILY FINDS SMALL TOWN FEEL EVEN AS TEA GROWS UP AND OUT

By Bob Fitch

Tom and Amanda McKnelly moved to Tea in 2007 Back then, “You could walk or drive down the street and you knew everybody,” said Amanda In the years since, Tea has grown so much that it’s tough to know everyone, but it still has a “small town feel.”

“People still show up for small town events such as the Easter egg hunt or the Junior Achievement Bacon Run It’s important that people continue to get out and meet their neighbors,” she said “Even though the town is growing, it still feels safe I know that if my kids want to go off and play pickleball at the park, I know they’ll be safe.”

Their sons have all been active in various sports from a young age up to high school Ethan is just finishing his first year at the University of South Dakota He still holds the Tea High School track record for the high jump at 6-foot-3-inches (which happens to be his own height) . He is studying anesthesia at USD and has a goal of becoming a CRNA.

Daylen will be a 10th grader He has a passion for soccer Grant, who will be an eighth grader in fall 2024, still takes part in multiple sports (football, basketball and track) Basketball will probably win out as his favorite sport Tom said, “The coaches here do a great job of really pushing the team aspect I think that approach to teamwork has been good for all of our kids ”

Giving Back To The Community

The couple believes in volunteering and giving back to the community; and they drive that philosophy home with their three sons, Ethan, Daylen and Grant “There’s a food distribution that I’m part of that we do once a month, and all of my kids have helped with that and enjoyed it,” she said.

Tom joked that maybe his wife volunteers a little too much because she can’t even remember all the organizations and events The Tea Chamber for Development recognized her as the 2023 Community Member of the Year Her volunteer activities include Junior Achievement, church council, confirmation mentor and community food distribution One of her greatest accomplishments was the establishment of tLINK, a community group designed to build relationships, plus provide education and service to the entire community.

Among the many activities organized and/or promoted by tLINK are the Christmas Lanes in the city; collecting items for the Angel Tree; developing the Jingle Boxes program; hosting the Homecoming Kickball Tournament and BBQ; hosting a S’mores party in the city park; installing a learning trail at the city park; Titan Swap; and presenting numerous community educational events (drug awareness, Alzheimer’s resources, social media safety) Social activities tLINK is looking to host include a movie night in the park; a father/daughter dance and a mother/ son dance tLINK also sponsors open gym for families during the winter.

One of the biggest events of the year is the Annual Community Clean-up, where volunteers of all ages spend the day cleaning up trash and other unsightly elements after a long South Dakota winter Tom’s company, RBS Sanitation, volunteers to haul the day’s refuse away Also in cooperation with tLINK, RBS Sanitation sponsors an annual scholarship for a high school senior who is a devoted volunteer and a community leader Tom also gives back to the community by supporting various teams and events; and major purchases such as the football scoreboard He also quietly supports a few more local nonprofits by providing sanitation services.

Amanda also is a confirmation class mentor at Trinity Lutheran Church . “I think our church does an amazing job for the community Our pastor and deacon do a great job of being involved and present in the community,” she said.

A Safe Haven

Amanda and her business partner, Maria Piacentino, own and operate Midwest Health Management Services Under a contract called the Health Professionals Assistance Program, the company provides services to health professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists or pharmacists who are facing a mental health or substance use disorder; along with a wellbeing program from the licensed physicians in the state of South Dakota.

“Health professionals are humans just like everybody else; and they face significant – sometimes life or death –stressors,” said Amanda “Our program is a safe haven place which gives them an opportunity to seek help have gotten worse in recent years as these professionals are working to the max and some don’t take care of themselves So a lot of individuals are really struggling now.

The company operates under contract to 36 statute-created boards that oversee various health care fields management helps to ensure implementation of the appropriate treatment, counseling, psychiatry or random toxicology “We really stress early intervention so people get help and get well before it affects their jobs If treatment is necessary, we help ensure they’re going to treatment, be it counseling, psychiatry or random toxicology . We make sure they’re keeping themselves well, so they’re able to either practice or return to practice.”

RBS Sanitation

Tom owns and operates RBS Sanitation, a company he purchased in 2007 Starting with himself, two employees and four trucks, RBS now has 30 employees and 40 trucks, providing residential trash and recycling collection in Salem, Bridgewater, Parker, Worthing, Chancellor, Lennox, Tea, Harrisburg and Sioux Falls Roll-off dumpster services span an area in a 50-mile radius.

He had experience with a corporate sanitation firm, but running his own business was “a baptism by fire,” especially in 2008 and 2009 when fuel shot up to $5 a gallon during the onset of the housing crisis and Great Recession . “It was good It helped me learn faster,” he said The company also needed significant re-organization and improved route management.

RBS was an early adopter of automated trucks wherein the driver can operate an arm which grabs, lifts and dumps residential trash and recycling containers “It was a learning curve We didn’t have anybody to teach us, so we just taught ourselves We first tried them in Worthing and, boy, it was ugly at first We were dropping cans everywhere But we worked through it.”

Automated trucks help with the longevity of employees and decrease the chances of injury and developing carpal tunnel syndrome “The automated system allows us to get done in 20 minutes what might take other companies an hour It’s a fraction of the time and a fraction of the people, which is a great thing because finding labor is tough .” RBS is perhaps the biggest locally-owned company with this type of service Staying on the forefront is a big investment.

BUSINESS GROWTH MATCHES CITY’S EXPANSION

The RBS recipe for consistent, controlled growth in operations matches the growth philosophy of the city of Tea Tea’s busy-ness is driven by population growth, but it’s also powered by a growing retail sector Rather than being just a bedroom community, Tea has rounded out a vision of becoming a more well-rounded, self-sustaining city What was blank space a few years ago is now auto repair, restaurants, convenience stores, boutiques, personal and pet services, and much more, according to Tom and Amanda.

Even as companies with national footprints step into Tea, residents are reminded to be mindful of locally-based businesses who – year-in and year-out – underwrite schools and scoreboards and park and rec programs, said Tom.