On this episode of the Fabricator Podcast, Blake Hamar, the founder of Cali Raised LED and Apex Fabworks, joins us to talk about starting a manufacturing business in high school, growing it into a successful aftermarket and job shop operation, and implementing an unconventional management structure.

Hamar started his business in high school while attending boarding school in California, selling LED light bars for trucks. He then expanded into manufacturing brackets and other truck accessories, eventually moving the operation to Texas. Hamar's company, which has an average employee age of 23, has embraced automation and a non-traditional, non-hierarchical management structure.

The company focuses on rapidly developing new products for the truck aftermarket, with a particular emphasis on Toyota vehicles. Despite his young age, Hamar has demonstrated a knack for growing the business and leveraging technology to increase productivity and efficiency.

This episode is brought to you by MC Machinery Systems, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2024 in Orlando, Fla.

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

Metal artist Sarah Stork joins The Fabricator Podcast to talk about creating intricate, lifelike sculptures using welding techniques.

The Texas-based artist discusses how she stumbled into sculpting through a welding class and has since honed her skills to produce detailed dozens of works like a blue heron with thousands of individually welded feathers, large intimidating cassowary, endless amounts of stingrays. Stork also chats about how she relies on hand tools, hammers, and welding processes like MIG and TIG to capture the organic forms of her animal subjects.

Stork expresses her passion for sharing her knowledge and encouraging young people, especially women, to explore welding and metalworking as creative outlets. She views events like FABTECH as valuable opportunities to connect with other artists and continue learning.

At the top, Jordan Yost of Precision Tube Laser joins us again to talk about his own venture into metal art, including a piece he created for our podcast studio.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2024 in Orlando, Fla.

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

Nate Bowman and Kyle Worzala join Dan Davis and Josh Welton to talk about 3M Clash of the Grinders, a student-based competition sponsored by 3M that teaches proper grinding techniques and safety. It features 12 contestants who receive hands-on training from industry experts.

Bowman, known as the Weld Scientist, hosted Season 2, and Worzala, a welding instructor at Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wis., served as one of three judges.

They look behind the scenes and talk about how the competition aimed to teach contestants the importance of proper abrasive selection, tool angle, and pressure control when grinding.

The guys also talk about learning from mistakes, the power of a trade school education, and the Power Rangers.

This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2024 in Orlando, Fla.

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

BlueForge Alliance Chief Strategy Officer Tim Shinbara joins The Fabricator Podcast to talk about how BFA serves as a neutral integrator for the U.S. Navy, focusing on improving the capability and capacity of the submarine industrial base.

The conversation delves into BlueForge's outreach and workforce initiatives, including Build Submarines campaigns and partnerships with organizations like Major League Baseball, NASCAR, and the WNBA, aimed at raising awareness and inspiring new talent. Tim describes the challenges small businesses face in joining the defense supply chain, noting that many lack awareness of how their work impacts defense projects. He emphasizes BlueForge’s role in offering “free consulting” to help smaller companies address pain points and improve processes, ultimately increasing capacity within the submarine supply chain.

Tim also reflects on his early career in the Navy and how he later developed an appreciation for the intricacies of manufacturing.

At the top, Dan and Gareth highlight metal artists Christina and Darren Thompson of New Jersey-based Thompson Craft. They created a metal sculpture of a hammerhead shark named "Sledge."

This episode was recorded at IMTS 2024 in Chicago.

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

Drew Crowe shares his inspiring journey from a teenage felon to a leading manufacturing advocate and speaker to creating The New American Manufacturing Renaissance.

Crowe stumbled into the metalworking industry by chance, finding a job at a machine shop that put him on a path to success that he never expected. He now travels the country inspiring the next generation to embrace modern manufacturing careers, emphasizing the limitless possibilities available. Crowe also discusses his work developing a workforce recruitment and retention app to help manufacturers connect with qualified candidates and support their career development. His story highlights the transformative power of manufacturing and the importance of investing in people to build a robust, diverse talent pipeline.

Crowe also talks about his time as an instructor of advanced manufacturing technology at Ranken Technical College, how his "MFG" moniker came about, creating jewelry and grills, and the importance of true industry advocacy that goes beyond just talk and LinkedIn clout.

And stay around for Dan's rendition of "Stick 'Em" by The Fat Boys.

This episode was recorded at IMTS 2024 in Chicago.

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

Emily Wilkins, founder of Marketing Metal, helps job shops, machine shops, metal fabricators, custom equipment builders, and other small manufacturing businesses build their brands and tell their stories. She returns for her second appearance on The Fabricator Podcast, and provides comprehensive marketing services, including website development, content creation, and social media management.

Wilkins emphasizes something she calls "Specific Human Optimization" (or SHO, similar to SEO strategy), which is the importance of authenticity and creating an emotional connection with customers through a company's online presence. She also highlights the value of networking and industry partnerships for driving business growth. Wilkins will be presenting a workshop on "Marketing Doesn't Have to Suck" at the upcoming FABTECH trade show in Orlando, Fla.

This episode was recorded at IMTS 2024 in Chicago.

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

Sharon Cobb, the associate program manager for NASA's Space Launch System, discussed the innovative technologies and manufacturing processes being used to build the massive rocket that will enable this new era of space exploration. Cobb is one of the forces behind NASA's Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years and develop plans for a sustained presence and future exploration of Mars.

Cobb highlighted the critical role that small businesses and diverse teams of engineers and technicians across the country are playing in contributing to this national effort. She emphasized the importance of inspiring the next generation and providing mentorship opportunities to encourage more young people, including international partners, to pursue careers in STEM fields and be part of humanity's journey to the moon and beyond.

This episode was recorded at IMTS 2024 in Chicago.

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

Jay Lockett of Kansas City-based Jay Fabwerks joins us to talk about how he made the jump from a hobby welder working on cars to creating a metal fabrication business that serves everything from working on custom railings to structural fab projects, and how he did it in a non-traditional way without formal welding education.

Jay also chats about embracing an entrepreneurial mindset, hiring workers, his love of cars, dropping a V8 engine into an BMW 3 Series, how he almost chose a career as chef, his thoughts on welding schools, designing and building rose and crypto art, the importance of mental health and nutrition in the trades, the most difficult project he ever worked on, making orange juice cake, and more.

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

Jason and Miranda Chiasson, owners of Chiasson Smoke based in Blue River, Wis., discuss their journey developing their metal fabrication business. They share how they went from creating custom spurs to expanding a product mix focused on rocket stoves, grills, smokers, fire pits, custom signs, and more.

They share the growing pains of running a small business on their family homestead, the role social media and digital marketing has played in their success, and their focus on efficiency and continuous improvement. They also talk about their experience working together as a husband and wife team, work-life balance, upgrading their shop's machines, and their plans for the future.

Jason and Miranda also talk about their previous lives working on a ranch, Miranda's father inventing the Chopper Spotter, making a proper gumbo, and Wisconsin fish fry.

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

Adam Fullerton is a Toronto-based metal fabricator who specializes in creating railings, doors, and other accent pieces for commercial and residential settings. The wanderlust tradesman talks about his career working in different trades (like car restoration and masonry) around the world, from England to Australia to Canada, and how it all led to him starting his own small business, Fullerton Metal Fab.

Fullerton also talks about experience in upcycling found objects and scrap metal into furniture and lighting fixtures. He also speaks about his plans to moving his shop to a larger space, acquire more equipment to enhance his capabilities, the process of hiring employees and focusing his marketing efforts on Instagram.

This is the fourth of four episodes recorded at FABTECH Canada in Toronto. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.