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.

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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.

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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.

Jamie McMillan, founder of Made in the Trades and Kick Ass Careers, is a Canada-based advocate for the skilled trades industry. She discusses her journey in the trades, her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the industry, and her work in schools and communities across Canada.

Jamie also talks about her coloring book project that aims to educate children about different career opportunities in the trades, including ironworkers, boilermakers, construction workers, and welders. The conversation also touches on various topics such as the challenges faced by women in the trades, the importance of authenticity, the need for a change in workplace culture, and recognizing workers who struggle with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. Jamie also mentions her plans to travel and promote the trades in different communities.

At the top, co-host and Canadian Fabricating & Welding Editor Rob Colman, talks about his family connection to the late Bill Kobayashi, who is credited with modernizing bubble/table hockey.

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

Diane Reko, CEO of Reko International and Concorde Precision Machining, joins us to chat about her father starting the business in 1976, her taking over the company, implementing automation processes, and her thoughts on maintaining a strong manufacturing base in Canada. She also talks about her family's Hungarian roots, the automotive industry, the construction sector, developing skilled trades in Canada, the importance of business leaders walking the shop floor, and maintaining livable wages for people working in the trades.

Reko International specializes in automation equipment and machining, serving various industries such as automotive, aerospace, and mining.

At the top, Joe Thompson, Editor of Canadian Metalworking, talks about celebrating the publication's 120th anniversary in 2025 and it being one of the longest-standing trade magazines in Canada.

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

Max Ceron, the director of the CWB Association, discusses his role in supporting the welding and fabricating industry in Canada. He emphasizes the importance of upskilling the current workforce and creating opportunities for the next generation of welders and fabricators.

Ceron also talks about the need for better communication between welders and engineers, as well as the growing trend of entrepreneurialism among young welders. He shares his own experiences as a welder and educator, and highlights the importance of community and networking in the industry. Ceron also mentions his side hustle as a podcaster and radio show host, and his plans for expanding the CWB Association's reach internationally.

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

Desirée Guzmán, a welding instructor with Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), joins us to talk about her full-circle career as welder.

She talks about how she was inspired by a metal artist she met during a trip to Puerto Rico to start her own jewelry-making business. She also explains how that piqued her interest in learning how to weld.

Desirée discusses how after enrolling in CWIT's welding program, it led to her working at number of Chicago-area fab shops. The after a few years of working in industry, her career came full circle when she accepted an open welding instructor position at CWIT.

She also talks about the mission behind CWIT and its work to not only get more women to work in the trades, but empowering them with confidence and a community.

At the top, we call back to a conversation in an episode with Michael Bennett about a toy plastic welder. We compare and contrast Mattel's Spin Welder and Mindware's Spin-Gineer.

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Matt Brunner, co-founder and co-owner of Manitowoc, Wis.-based Brunner Fabrication joins us to talk about how he transformed his family's autobody shop into a successful metal fab shop focused on high-volume production.

Brunner talks about launching his fabrication business in 2018, growing the shop footprint to 12,000 sq. ft., finding a niche in high-volume sheet metal part production, partnering with TRUMPF, working with snow equipment manufacturer Ariens Co., training a workforce without any fabrication experience, and developing an apprenticeship program.

At the top, we introduce the newest member to the podcast team, Griffin Hammond, and talk about the documentary "Sriracha" that he wrote and produced. We also feature Clayton Deputy, a fabricator out of Santa Barbra, Calif., who went designed and fabricated an octopus sculpture. Deputy owns and operates Gnarwhal Creations, which mostly focuses on off-road and aftermarket fabrication.

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