Next-Gen Metal Fab

On this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, The Fabricator Senior Editor Tim Heston and business advisor Mark Ernst, a longtime member of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) and its Management Advisory Council, examine one of the biggest challenges facing growing metal fabrication shops: developing the people and management structure needed to keep up with the business.

They discuss management training, evolving org charts, automation, career paths, and performance expectations as shops grow and change.

For more on this subject, check out Mark’s FMA webinar, Managing Difficult People, on Nov. 4, focused on handling behavioral and performance issues before they damage morale and workplace culture.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions.

Why is so much new investment flowing into metal fabrication? Tim Heston of The Fabricator, Caleb Chamberlain of OSH Cut, and Lance Thrailkill of All Metals Fabricating discuss venture capital, automation, consolidation, digital manufacturing, and whether new tech-driven business models are a threat or an opportunity for traditional fab shops.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions.

Estimating and quoting are no longer just about pricing parts. They're strategic tools that help metal fabricators and other manufacturers win the right work, improve profitability, and build more efficient operations.

In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, Tim Heston talks with Jason Ray, co-founder of Paperless Parts, about defining an ideal part profile, improving costing accuracy, activity-based costing, prototype versus production pricing, process mapping, and where AI fits into the future of estimating and quoting.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions. And learn more about Paperless Parts.

Jonathan Sessa of Fabworks joins Tim Heston and co-host Caleb Chamberlain of OSH Cut to discuss how online manufacturing platforms are reshaping sheet metal fabrication.

Fabworks grew out of Ventura, Calif.-based Sessa Manufacturing, a third-generation family fab business founded in 1980. Inspired in part by the success of OSH Cut and SendCutSend, Sessa shares how his family business transformed into a highly automated, software-driven operation focused on instant quoting, rapid turnaround times, and exceptional customer service. The conversation explores AI, automation, software development, and the changing economics of modern manufacturing.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions. And learn more about Paperless Parts.

Learn more about Fabworks and Sessa Manufacturing.

In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, host Tim Heston talks with Jay Phillips of Fresno, Calif.-based Valley Iron Inc. about the future of workforce development, shop culture, and technology in metal fabrication.

Phillips explains why modern fab shops can no longer rely solely on tribal knowledge as experienced workers retire and manufacturing becomes more software-driven. The conversation covers hiring and onboarding, leadership development, cross-training, lean manufacturing, shop-floor communication, safety culture, and the growing need to connect programmers and machine operators.

They also discuss how fabrication companies can better engage younger workers through digital tools, simulation, mentorship, and hands-on problem-solving, while still preserving the practical knowledge that keeps shops running.

As chairman of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA), Phillips also shares how initiatives like SparkForce are helping attract and develop the next generation of manufacturing talent.

Comments, questions, or sponsorship opportunities: [email protected].

Learn more about FMA and SparkForce.

In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, Tim Heston talks with Cody Lee and Lance Thrailkill about quoting, estimating, and costing in modern sheet metal fabrication. They break down how shops are using software, data, and work center–based costing to improve accuracy and consistency, while navigating challenges like material volatility, PPAP requirements, and scheduling constraints. The conversation also touches on AI, automation, and how estimating connects everything from pricing to production strategy.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions. And learn more about Paperless Parts.

In this episode of the Next-Gen Metal Fab Podcast, host Tim Heston speaks with Sunny Han, FMA member and founder of Fulcrum, about the role digitized information plays in preparing fabrication shops for adopting AI.

Tim and Sunny discuss how many job shops still rely on spreadsheets, paperwork, and institutional knowledge that lives in people’s heads, and why before AI can deliver meaningful insight, that information must be digitized and accessible.

Sunny also talks about how faster information flow and real-time analysis could reshape how shops quote work, schedule production, analyze profitability, and respond to changing market conditions. The conversation also explores the risks of information loss as experienced workers retire and why improving data visibility may become a key competitive advantage for fabrication companies.

In this episode:

Comments, questions, or sponsorship opportunities: [email protected].

Learn more about FMA memberships.

In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, Tim Heston is joined by Caleb Chamberlain of OSH Cut and Lance Thrailkill of All Metals Fabricating to talk production scheduling, software investments, and growth strategy. They break down what a recent Fabricators and Manufacturers Association survey says about automation trends, why scheduling and ERP tools are becoming critical, and how shops are tackling WIP, queue times, and real-world bottlenecks. The conversation also covers using Monte Carlo simulation to model scheduling outcomes, the growing role of AI-driven tools in programming and planning, and what’s ahead for 2026 in terms of capacity, technology, and expansion.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions.

In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, host Tim Heston is joined by special guest Matthew Nix of Nix Companies, along with OSH Cut co-founder Caleb Chamberlain, for a wide-ranging discussion on how very different fabrication business models can succeed.

Nix, an FMA member and fifth-generation leader of Nix Industrial, shares how a traditional family-owned manufacturer scaled through acquisitions, systems, and leadership development. Chamberlain explains how OSH Cut was built as a software-first fabrication company designed to handle high-mix, low-volume work at scale.

Together, the group compares approaches to growth, customer onboarding, talent development, metrics, and culture, offering practical insights for fabricators navigating change and uncertainty.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions.

In this year-end episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, Tim Heston sits down with All Metals Fabricating’s Lance Thrailkill and OSH Cut CEO Caleb Chamberlain to unpack a wildly unpredictable 2025 in metal fabrication.

Lance shares how a flat year suddenly surged in Q4 (driven by data centers, telecom, and a surprise spike in WIP) while investing in five-axis machining, automation, and AI-driven programming. Caleb explains OSH Cut’s record-breaking growth, the balancing act of running an on-demand model, and why capacity, lead times, and recession planning all collide in ways most shops underestimate.

The conversation dives into scheduling pitfalls, tube-bending innovation, lights-out realities, ERP limitations, tooling shortages, and how both leaders think about resilience heading into 2026. It’s a candid look at strategy in a volatile market—and why breaking old models might be the smartest move for the year ahead.

Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions.