Lisa Wertzbaugher of Iowa-based metal fabrication shop Wertzbaugher Services returns to the podcast to discuss the realities of running a small manufacturing business and offer practical advice for shop owners.

She shares lessons on planning, investing in equipment, building a sales strategy, training a workforce, and using data to evaluate risk.

Wertzbaugher also discusses the value of hiring younger workers and knowing when to move on from approaches that aren’t working.

Her company specializes in custom welding, steel fabrication, equipment repair, and material-handling products such as racks and baskets, along with trailer and farm equipment repair.

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

We’re joined by Chicago-based metal artist Eric W. Stephenson, founder of LunaBurn Studio and a fifth-generation craftsman. In addition to his own extensive career creating metal sculpture, Stephenson spent the final 23 years of Richard Hunt’s life working alongside the legendary artist, helping bring ambitious abstract metal sculptures to life.

Stephenson talks about how Hunt’s career spanned more than 70 years and helped shape American metal sculpture, from his early civil rights–era work—including his response to the murder of Emmett Till—to major public commissions. His work appears in collections at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Stephenson reflects on the craft, the collaboration, and what it means to help carry forward Hunt’s life’s work today through the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation.

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

Jeanette Vecchio Smith and Ken Pecho from Chicago Metal Rolled Products join us on our 100th episode to talk about CMRP’s role in shaping the Las Vegas Sphere. Ken, lead project engineer at Chicago Metal Rolled Products, and Jeanette, a manager at CMRP, walk us through what it took to bend and form massive tube and beam sections and how that capability put their shop at the center of a world-class project.

Ken also shares how his love of art led him to a career in fabrication engineering, along with stories from some of his favorite projects, including the Royal Caribbean headquarters in Miami and the Nashville International Airport expansion. Jeanette dives into CMRP’s family history, which began in 1908, and explains how the company continues to set the standard for major structural fabrication projects.

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

Colin Cosgrove, president and CEO of Laystrom Manufacturing in Chicago, returns to The Fabricator Podcast to discuss how a mid-sized fabrication shop can plan for growth intentionally while maintaining flexibility, culture, and operational focus.

Cosgrove shares lessons from his time at a larger manufacturer, how Laystrom collaborates with customers on design for manufacturability and cost reduction, and how the company is navigating tariffs and market uncertainty. He also discusses where artificial intelligence may fit in small manufacturing environments, workforce development challenges, how Laystrom uses book clubs as a leadership and development tool, and why manufacturing roles should be viewed as knowledge work.

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

Learn more about Tube Düsseldorf 2026, coming in April.

In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Maxwell Keeler of Electro-Mechanical Integrators (EMI) explains how modern tube plasma cutting systems handle multiple material profiles, enable tab-and-slot construction, and remove much of the math and layout work from the process.

He also talks about how, once a niche capability, tube plasma cutting has become a practical entry point for automation in tube fabrication, especially for shops moving beyond manual layout and cutting.

The conversation focuses on what these capabilities mean for miscellaneous metals, agricultural, and OEM fabrication, and why tube cutting automation is increasingly helping shops maintain consistency as experienced fabricators retire.

Learn more about Lantek, provider of CAM software for CNC programming and nesting.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Rod Galbreath, president of CenMac Metalworks, discusses how the Ohio-based company evolved from a small metal stamping operation into a laser-focused fabrication business.

Galbreath explains why CenMac has prioritized investing in new equipment, including lasers, press brakes, and robotic welding cells, instead of adding multiple shifts. He outlines how this approach has increased capacity and productivity while supporting work-life balance for employees. He also describes a sales philosophy rooted in relationships, word-of-mouth, and long-term trust rather than a formal sales strategy.

Throughout the conversation, Galbreath points to people as the foundation of CenMac’s success, crediting company culture and long-tenured employees for the firm’s stability, including the fact that it has lost only one customer in nearly 30 years.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago in partnership with MC Machinery. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, guest host Nate Bowman (aka Weld Scientist) joins us as we speak with 3M abrasives application engineers Matt King and Kaeleigh Wilkins about the everyday realities of grinding, from why welders depend on it to how newer abrasive technology is improving weld prep and finishing.

They also discuss surface-prep tools that remove coatings without damaging the base metal and why shops may want to rethink the abrasives they’ve used for years. We also touch on the third season of Clash of the Grinders, the student competition that’s helping bring new welders into the trade. Nate also talks about his involvement with SparkForce manufacturing camps.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Marc Levin joins us to talk about the Welder Underground, the New York City–based apprenticeship program he and his wife, Adina, launched in 2024 to help young people enter welding and fabrication.

Supported by ESAB, the program builds technical skills, work habits, and real-world experience through large-scale public art projects like the Rappin’ Max Robot. Marc explains why hands-on, creative training is essential for bringing new talent into the trades.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Discover how Knapheide, a sixth-generation family-owned company in Quincy, Ill., evolved from building wagons in 1848 to designing highly customized service trucks today. Greg Schutte, director of fabrication, shares insights on managing over 2 million SKUs, modernizing the shop floor with automation and precision equipment, and attracting a new generation of problem-solving talent. Learn how a company with deep roots in agriculture became a leader in custom fabrication, all while maintaining rapid lead times and embracing innovation.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago in partnership with Salvagnini America. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

CEO John Axelberg has led General Stamping & Metalworks for more than 30 years, guiding the century-old metal manufacturer, headquartered in South Bend, Ind., through major shifts in technology and industry demands in metal fabrication. He joins The Fabricator Podcast to discuss the company’s evolution and what it takes to stay relevant in modern manufacturing.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago in partnership with Paperless Parts. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.