Creating weldments in excess of 100,000 pounds does not come easy. Weldall Manufacturing, founded in 1974, began welding materials “you can pick up and carry in your hands,” says President Dave Bahl Sr.; since its inception, this picture has drastically changed. Incremental Growth Successfully welding the heaviest metals available takes time and practice. When Bahl’s former employer warned him the future of the company “didn’t look good,” he was convinced, with some encouragement from his peers, to start a business of his own. With his first shop smaller than his current office, the seeds for Weldall were planted. As business improved, more space was needed to weld and lift heavier weldments, which generated a move from their original 200 square-foot space to a 2,500 square-foot building. Welcomed by more growth, Weldall currently operates in 144,000 square feet of state-of-the-art space designed for efficiency and improved workflow; raw materials come in one end and move expeditiously until finished products are shipped. With 140 employees, Weldall has annual revenue of approximately $30 million, and is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Weldall takes customer service seriously with a focus on quality workmanship, reliability, and advanced technology. Welders are American Weld Society (AWS) certified and their certified weld inspectors (CWI) ensure adherence to each customer’s requirement and drawings with “in process” and “final” inspections taking place throughout. To ensure complete customer satisfaction, Weldall invested in ISO 9001:2000 certification in March of 2002 - an investment which has paid dividends ever since. Both plants are equipped with 50-ton overhead cranes designed for moving monster weldments with ease and safety in mind. Weldall’s experience includes products made from carbon steel, stainless steel, bronze, aluminum, and monel, to name just a few. That’s Some Heavy Machinery Having worked in various markets, from the food industry to mining, Weldall is currently working heavily for power generation, mining, and construction machinery. “There is always something going on in the shop with one of these,” says Bahl. Weldall does a lot of work directly for power generation facilities, supplying a variety of products, up to 140,000 pounds. For the mining industry, the work often involves excavating and conveying products used to mine minerals. Work for the construction industry is somewhat diverse and includes crane manufacturing, concrete pumps and conveyers, and tower cranes. Weldall’s products are shipped worldwide. One of the more impressive was used to build a hydro dam in Mexico. The Three Gorges Dam in China, which also happens to be the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, is also benefiting from Weldall’s products. Completing such impressive feats requires heavy-duty machinery and Weldall is prepared for these projects. Kinetic Cutting Systems, based in New Zealand, provided Weldall with a burning machine equipped with four fuel gas torches and two beveling plasma torches. This burning machine can plasma cut up to two-inch material. “It also has a machining center head on it with a 44-horse power motor, that can drill a one-fourth inch to three inch diameter hole in a three inch plate in less than a minute,” explains Bahl. Weldall enjoys long-term relationships with many of its vendors, one of which is Aqua-doc, Int., who does blasting and painting for Weldall. “They have been a very reliable supplier for almost 30 years,” says Bahl. On the Inside Weldall is well known in its community and benefits from word-of-mouth recommendations when looking for new employees. The company uses Eagle Technology Group as one of its primary employment agencies, who Bahl describes as “very customer oriented.” In fact, Weldall has hired at least 50 percent of the employees the agency has sent the company. “They screen employees with Weldall’s specific needs in mind much better than others,” he adds. To keep track of inventory and operations, Weldall has a robust business system that utilizes bar code technology for data collection. This allows Weldall and its customer’s real time visibility of labor and material on the shop floor. Through investments in new equipment, up-to-date technology, and a highly skilled workforce, Weldall continually raises the bar with its customers’ expectations. Weldall is committed to going green by installing a dust collection system, which completely cycles the air four times every hour, making the atmosphere clean and healthier for employees. The business also replaced its lights with all energy-efficient lighting. In 2007, Weldall even instituted a tobacco-free policy on its grounds. Just prior to this policy change, the company offered smoking cessation programs to employees to ease the process. Most recently, Weldall transitioned to a four, 10-hour day schedule so employees don’t spend as much time and money commuting, which decreases gas emissions into the atmosphere. Through Weldall’s contribution and participation in many non-profit organizations in the area, the company maintains a constant commitment to what it believes is a responsibility to the community at large. As Weldall maneuvers the rocky economic terrain, the company is looking for new accounts that will garner long-term relationships. Bahl doesn’t mince words: “I am concerned moving forward, it’s still ugly as far as the world economic picture goes. “We feel fortunate, we didn’t feel a slowdown until this spring,” says Bahl. Weldall does, however, have a decent backlog going forward. In anticipation of this economic hit, Weldall is reaching out to past business partners and ramping up its marketing, hoping to pick up the slack. “What brought us to where we are today are our employees and surrounding ourselves with excellent people,” says Bahl. “I have my two oldest sons working for me and we really work well together,” he adds. Though concerned with the overall state of the marketplace, Weldall is strategic in its movements; positive and strong enough to rise above whatever challenges lie ahead. For more information, log onto their website at www.weldallmfg.com.