The Fabricator

As its employees have grown their skills, Texas-based Special Products & Mfg. (SPM) has grown its business. Meet The Fabricator's 2025 Industry Award winner. SPM has created an environment that is helping it to grow successfully with its customers and tackle jobs in new industries, all while growing its revenue over the last several years while its number of employees decreased. “Today, we are doing more with less,” says Nora Harding, SPM executive VP. Harding attributes that growth to the employees and the next generation of leaders at SPM. Over the years, documentation has improved, and automation has helped to overcome lost institutional knowledge. But people at SPM are contributing in ways they never have before, writes Editor-in-Chief Dan Davis. Is that the secret ingredient for success in metal fabricating? “It is employee engagement for me. That’s what makes the wheels turn. You can only be as fast and good as what your employees are engaged in doing,” Harding adds. ???? https://lnkd.in/ggMbcsPH Special Products & Mfg., Inc. (SPM) | Sheet Metal Fabrication, Laser Cutting, Powder Coating #metalfabrication #manufacturing #sheetmetal #industryleader

Gina Cutts, industrial systems and manufacturing instructor at Big Bend Community College, started in the trades when women were still a rarity. It’s changed for the better, she says in her most recent column in The Welder, but obstacles remain for tradeswomen to be fully accepted and valued. ? “Capable women—those with skills, expertise, and leadership qualities—often encounter resistance,” she writes. “These challenges, though, reveal opportunities for creating more inclusive and supportive workplaces.” ? Cutts says this isn’t just about equity—it’s about driving innovation and excellence. ? “Women in these fields don’t need to dim their light to belong. Instead, we can create workplaces where everyone shines together.” ? ?? https://lnkd.in/gJGbEnhM Staying safe on the job is another challenge for tradeswomen, but strides are being made. Check out Darla Welton's latest episode of the Still Building America podcast highlighting efforts to improve standards for women's PPE. ?? https://lnkd.in/gPXbuAvJ #welding #womenintrades #manufacturing

??????♂????? "Companies shouldn't just be looking for a pink and shrink option." On the latest episode of the Still Building America podcast, two founders of?AWSAM (Alliance of Women's Safety Apparel Manufacturers), Kelly Franko of?Seraphina Safety Apparel?and Emily Soloby, MA, JD of?Juno Jones Safety Boots, joined Darla Welton to talk about AWSAM's efforts to improve standards for women's PPE. ?? Listen to the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/gPXbuAvJ #stillbuildingamerica #skilledtrades #ppe #womenintrades

It’s not often you run into an 18-ft.-tall robot, but in Brooklyn’s Columbus Park, your chances are pretty good. ? The sculpture, based on the Eric Orr’s 1980s comic book character “Rappin’ Max Robot,” is the inaugural project of Welder Underground, a unique six-month apprenticeship that launched in spring 2024. Led by Marc Levin and Adina Levin, founders of NYC’s COLLAB: Fabrication Lab & Innovation Studio, the apprenticeship teaches young adults how to weld and fabricate through the building of large-scale public art that can be admired for years to come. ? “The concept of building something that can stand and live in the world, that these young people can point to for the rest of their lives and say to themselves and others that ‘I built that’—it’s very meaningful,” Marc Levin said. ?? ??https://lnkd.in/gdMgqbAn #welding #metalart #metalfabrication #skilledtrades ESAB

According to recent statistics from OSHA, more than 30,000 fork truck accidents resulting in serious injury occur annually in the United States. ? "Most industrial accidents are forklift related,” said Nevzat Atakl?, CEO of Trio Mobil. "And globally, the number is even greater. People are dying, and too many get seriously injured. This is a tragic fact that we need to address." Certified fork truck drivers should know the safety fundamentals—yet accidents still happen. But having the right equipment and technology on a metal fabrication shop floor can help, writes Senior Editor Tim Heston. One option is pedestrian equipment, or "walkie" products. "When you operate a walkie piece of equipment, you're much more aware of your surroundings," said Paul Short, president, North America, at Combilift. "The operator can walk alongside a heavy load and move it through the facility very safely." And with developments in sensing and location-tracking technologies—including GPS for outdoor use and ultrawide-band technology and AI cameras for inside the plant—smooth, safe operation is within reach. ?? https://lnkd.in/eTxjcmYj #metalfabrication #materialhandling #safety

Senior Editor Tim Heston writes how metal fabrication consumption report from Fabricators and Manufacturers Association shows what technologies shops are turning to when preparing to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. ??

Discover the innovative solutions from KALTENBACH in hot blasting and surface preparation, delivering quality and performance for every industrial need.?

Does a zoo have—and need—welders? Yes, it does. ? Welders at the Saint Louis Zoo are a critical link to keeping both animal residents and visitors safe, writes The Welder Editor Rafael Guerrero. ? “[The zoo] is a unique place to work for as a tradesperson,” said Tom Sehnert, maintenance director. “[Our] jobs have a bigger meaning. ‘I'm going to go weld this door.’ Well, you’re going to weld this door so the rhinoceros doesn't push through it and get to where it's not supposed to.”? ? Recently, they’ve even taken their expertise to a zoological park in Madagascar in need of metal fabrication and repair work. ? “It seems like no matter where you are in the world, construction-minded individuals think the same,” said Derek Strunk, manager of special construction and welding at the Saint Louis Zoo. “If they're over there trying to weld, and I see that they're almost out of welding rods, as soon as they lift their hood up, I'm standing there holding a pile of welding rods. They would just laugh—you don't have to speak the language to have that working relationship.” ? ?? https://lnkd.in/gpkrsa3f ? #welding #welder #metalfabrication Fronius USA

???????? "The perfect combination of art and engineering." On the most recent episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Mike McCarthy talks about his career path to working for DCL (Design Communications Ltd.) ... 25 years and counting. ?? Check out this full episode of The Fabricator Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gp6iz6PC Dan Davis | Lincoln Brunner | Gareth Sleger | Griffin Hammond | Dana Wiker | Sara Spring | Paperless Parts #thefabricatorpodcast #fabrication #design #engineering #art

Tariffs worked for bolstering domestic steelmaking, but will the same approach work for returning manufacturing to U.S. shores? Michael Cowden of Steel Market Update takes another look at the everchanging tariff front. "I don’t think a carousel is the right metaphor anymore. Some days it feels more like the carousel has turned into a roller coaster. You can’t see where the next drop or turn is going to be." ?? https://lnkd.in/gBFy46Rt' #tariffs #steel #manufacturing #sheetmetal