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From being told he would fail without college to welding pure gold for GE Aerospace and running a nation-wide fabrication business, Josh Wolfe’s story is a masterclass in blue-collar grit.

In this episode of the Welding Business Owners Podcast, Josh Wolfe (host of the Speaking of Skilled Trades podcast) sits down with Kevin to share his journey from an ADD high schooler struggling to fit into standard classrooms to building a successful career in high-stakes TIG welding and metal fabrication.

We dive deep into taking pay cuts to chase experience, surviving the absolute rock-bottom moments of business ownership, passing the trade down to his three kids, and a candid, unfiltered discussion on how AI, automation, and robotics are coming for small-town fab shops.

If you are a welder, fabricator, trade student, or blue-collar business owner looking to scale, this conversation is packed with real-world advice you can't afford to miss.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

Finding Peace in Chaos: How struggling with ADD in traditional high school led Josh straight into career-technical education and welding.

Experience Over Dollars: Why taking a $3/hr pay cut early on unlocked massive opportunities in aerospace TIG welding for GE.

The $10 Turning Point: Putting his last $10 into his Ford Focus to beg for a job while struggling to heat his house.

Passing the Torch: How Josh trained his kids to become aerospace welders making top-dollar right out of high school.

The AI Threat to Fab Shops: A real debate on automation, $100k welding robots, and what small shop owners need to do to survive.

📌 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro & The Reality of Skilled Trades
1:30 - Struggling with ADD & Finding Welding in High School
6:42 - My First Production Job & "Chasing Experience, Not Dollars"
9:30 - Taking a $3 Pay Cut to Master TIG Welding
12:55 - Landing a GE Aerospace Welding Job (Welding Pure Gold)
17:41 - Stepping Out on My Own: Starting a Miscellaneous Steel Business
23:33 - Down to My Last $10: The Turning Point in Business
35:20 - Leaving Business to Become a Welding Instructor
45:35 - Flying Across the Country & Losing Passion for the Game
55:00 - Raising 3 Aerospace Welders & Reopening the Shop
1:17:40 - Has Social Media Helped or Hurt the Trades?
1:23:00 - AI & Robotics: Is Automation Coming for Your Fab Shop?
2:12:10 - The Value of Human Craftsmanship & Advice for Young Welders

🔗 CONNECT WITH JOSH WOLFE:
Instagram & TikTok: @wolf_cte
Podcast: Speaking of Skilled Trades (Available on Spotify) 📲 SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THE SHOW:
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel for weekly welding business advice!
Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://www.weldingbusinessownerspodcast.com/
Follow on Instagram: WeldingBusinessOwnersPodcast

#WeldingBusiness #SkilledTrades #Welder #Fabrication #TIGWelding #AerospaceWelding #BlueCollar #AIinTrades #BusinessOwner #CareerTechEd

www.FabricatorOlympics.com

www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com

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The rules of metal fabrication are changing faster than ever. Between AI estimators, computer vision for welders, and cobots running production lines, traditional shops are facing a massive crossroads: adapt now or get left behind.

In this episode, Adam Heffner (Hero Machine Co. & Maker Table) breaks down what’s coming next for fabrication, why plasma cutting is losing the battle to fiber lasers, and how smart shop owners are using AI to scale their output without adding massive overhead.

⏱️ Video Chapters

• 00:00 - The 3-Second Reality Check on Automation
• 01:30 - Trade Show World Tour: FabTech & Ag Fair Plans
• 06:40 - Why Hero Machine Co. Paused in 2020 (And the Comeback)
• 15:20 - Laser vs. Plasma: The Brutal Financial Math
• 20:20 - Importing Machinery: Scams, Tariffs, & Support Traps
• 34:30 - What Overseas AI & Robotics Labs are Building Right Now
• 42:00 - Computer Vision, Weld Puddle Tracking, & Cobots
• 56:00 - How Adam Trained ChatGPT to Do the Work of 3 Estimators
• 01:01:30 - SEO Secrets: Why Gemini Beats Chat GPT for Website Traffic
• 01:05:00 - Building Custom CAD Plugins & In-House AI Data Centers
• 01:16:00 - What the Modern 3-Man Fabrication Shop Will Look Like

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What happens when the dream of owning your own welding business starts feeling more like a nightmare?

This week, Kevin sits down with Scott, owner of Yellowstone Metal (formerly Splice Welding & Design), to talk about the realities of entrepreneurship that nobody posts on social media. After building a successful architectural metal business, Scott made the rare decision to leave business ownership and become an employee—only to discover he simply couldn't do it.

The conversation dives into burnout, rebuilding from scratch, moving fabrication shops, pricing custom work, and why being a welding business owner is equal parts problem-solving and perseverance.

Whether you're growing your shop, feeling overwhelmed, or wondering if the grass is greener somewhere else, this episode offers an honest look at what it really takes to build—and rebuild—a business.

In This Episode:

• Why Scott moved his fabrication shop six different times
• The hidden costs of relocating a welding business
• Leaving entrepreneurship to become an employee—and why it didn't last
• Lessons learned from rebuilding a business from scratch
• How marketing has changed over the past decade
• Why specializing too much can actually hurt your business
• The biggest mistakes shop owners make when pricing work
• Dealing with customers who think every repair is "just a five-minute weld"
• Why custom fabrication will never compete with mass-produced products
• Managing cash flow during major business transitions
• The mindset every welding business owner needs to survive the ups and downs

If you've ever questioned your pricing, your business decisions, or whether you're the only one dealing with these challenges, this conversation will remind you you're not alone.

Connect with Scott:
Instagram: @salvation_garage
YouTube: Salvation Garage
Facebook: Yellowstone Metal

🎙 The Welding Business Owners Podcast is dedicated to helping welding and fabrication shop owners build more profitable businesses through real-world conversations, practical advice, and lessons learned from people who've been in the trenches.

www.FabricatorOlympics.com

www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com