The Fabricator Podcast

Metal fabrication needs more people who understand how automation actually works, not just how to run the equipment. Mark Giertych of Chicago-area Gakuto Club, which works in partnership with automation integrator ICR 247 and GennFlex, discusses how hands-on training in robotics, engineering, welding, laser cutting, vision systems, and problem solving can help close the gap between classroom education and the skills modern metal fabricators need.

Gakuto Club also held a manufacturing camp this past summer through SparkForce, the charitable foundation of FMA, to give students hands-on experience with CAD, laser cutting, metal forming, and fabrication.

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Tube bending can still feel like black magic, especially when tooling, material, setup, and operator experience all come into play.

Randy Krickeburg of Sharpe Products, which has operated in the Milwaukee, Wis., area since the early 1990s, joins The Fabricator Podcast to talk about high-mix, low-volume tube bending, faster setups, operator training, tube laser technology, and why specialization still matters.

He also shares which popular athlete inspired the Sharpe Products name.

This episode was recorded in partnership with BLM Group. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Dave Emrich of Emtek Processed Alloys joins The Fabricator Podcast to discuss how the third-generation Southern Ontario job shop evolved from aging CO2 lasers to high-powered fiber laser cutting, waterjet cutting, and a growing range of metal fabrication capabilities. He also talks about using AI and internal software to improve quoting and organization, taking on difficult materials and unusual jobs, and succession plans and preparing the family business for its next generation.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH Canada 2026 in Toronto in partnership with AMADA Canada and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Andrew Llewellyn has spent his career welding and managing some of North America's largest power, infrastructure, and nuclear construction projects.

In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, the UA pipefitter, Red Seal welder, and Kiewit welding manager discusses his path from field pipe welding into welding leadership. He explains how advanced wire-fed processes, phased-array ultrasonic testing, and collaborations with Lincoln Electric Canada and its Application Resource Centre (ARC) are changing industrial welding. Llewellyn also shares his perspective on workforce shortages, automation, cobots, and why communication between engineering and the field has become as important as technical welding skills.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH Canada 2026 in Toronto in partnership with Lincoln Electric Canada and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Ted Redlarski, founder of Mississauga, Ontario-based Noram Enterprises, joins The Fabricator Podcast to discuss automation, entrepreneurship, and the leadership principles behind one of Canada's leading architectural metal fabrication companies. He explains how Noram grew from a small glazing contractor into a vertically integrated manufacturer by investing early in automation, embracing change, and building a culture centered on trust and long-term relationships.Redlarski also reflects on his remarkable journey from communist Poland to Canada and how those experiences shaped his approach to business, people, and manufacturing.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH Canada 2026 in Toronto in partnership with Salvagnini and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Ian Johnson has worn a lot of hats throughout his career: automotive technician, high school shop teacher, television host, and now founder of Big Tire Garage and Digital Lug.

In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, he shares how storytelling, video, and social media can help fabrication and welding businesses build lasting brands, connect with customers, and stand out in a crowded marketplace. He also discusses the evolution of off-road fabrication, what separates effective content from forgettable marketing, and why creating value for your audience matters more than chasing short-term metrics.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH Canada 2026 in Toronto in partnership with Canadian Fabricating & Welding. Learn more about Quotara and FABTECH 2026. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Milan Popik, owner of Metal Tronics in Mississauga, Ontario, joins The Fabricator Podcast to discuss transforming a family-run prototyping shop that started in his parents' basement 40-plus years ago into a highly automated metal fabrication business.

After growing up in the shop and learning fabrication at an early age, Popik eventually purchased the company from his parents and began modernizing its operations through investments in laser cutting, robotic bending, laser welding, automated finishing, and digital manufacturing technologies.

The conversation explores family business succession, automation, AI-enabled equipment, continuous improvement, and the people-first culture that has helped Metal Tronics grow while maintaining its family roots. Popik also discusses the company's "AIM Forward" philosophy, its side business manufacturing traditional Italian spiedini grills, and its plans for future growth.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH Canada 2026 in Toronto in partnership with

Bolu Ojo joins The Fabricator Podcast to discuss SparkDefy, a startup developing fire-resistant welding head coverings for people with long or thicker hair.

She shares how a welding job inspired the idea, the challenges of bringing a new PPE product to market, and her mission to make welding safety more inclusive with more products. Ojo also discusses launching the business, learning how to sew, and honing her welding skills while studying industrial design at Iowa State University.

Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Learn more about SparkDefy and the 2026 FAB 40.

Wisconsin-based metal artist David Groenjes joins The Fabricator Podcast to discuss building detailed wildlife sculptures from scrap metal, turning a side hobby into a full-time business, and finding inspiration in conservation, welding, and the outdoors.

He also talks about what it takes for a metal artist to break into galleries, participating in the Tadweer (Recycling) International Art Exhibition Invitational in Doha, Qatar, and building a 10-foot-tall mosquito sculpture for the Anastasia Mosquito Control District in St. Augustine, Florida. Along the way, Groenjes shares how social media unexpectedly helped grow his audience and why birds, reptiles, and other wildlife have become some of his most popular subjects.

Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Learn more about BLM Group.

Jake LeGrand of Missouri-based LeGrand Metal Works balances a full-time structural engineering career while growing a fabrication business focused on handheld plasma cutting, custom metal art, welding, and fabrication projects.

A graduate of the University of Kansas architectural engineering program, Jake shares how he first learned welding while working in university research labs and why fabrication became a creative outlet beyond engineering. The conversation covers rural fabrication culture, entrepreneurship, early-morning shop work, and the realities of growing a fabrication business while raising a family.

Jake also talks about using social media to grow LeGrand Metal Works, building an audience around fabrication content, and the business side of online creators, including brand partnerships and sponsored content within the manufacturing industry.

Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.