US Executive Journal

Page 12

Manufacturing concerned moving forward, it’s still ugly as far as the world economic picture goes."

“What brought us to where we are today are our employees and surrounding ourselves with excellent people.” ― Dave Bahl Sr.

“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. 

Nelson Stud Welding

Leaving a Global Footprint Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Hallie Seltzer When standing atop the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, most people think about the amazing sights they are staring at below. It’s doubtful that they are wondering how the structure (one of the tallest in the world, towering to 1,483 feet) is actually standing. Nelson Stud Welding, the leading global manufacturer and distributor of weld stud fasteners and application equipment, and the company who did the welding on the magnificent structure, knows all too well the intricacies of such labor.

During World War II, there was a national effort to build military ships, necessary to partake in the tragedy of the times. In a shipyard near San Francisco, Ted Nelson began developing ways to perform the welding duties more effectively. His idea was to pre-drill the wood and then weld a threaded stud from above deck, which proved to be a 300 percent faster process than drilling the steel and wood, inserting a bolt from below deck, and nutting the assembly from topside. This single application earned the Army-Navy E citation for

saving 20 million man-hours during the war effort. Nelson Specialty Welding Equipment Company was incorporated in 1938 as a result of this invention. Ultimately, however, Nelson was an inventor, not a businessman, and he sold the rights to his company, which ultimately became Nelson Stud Welding Inc. Global Footprint Now, over 70 years later, Nelson Stud Welding has 450 employees with average annual revenue in excess of $200 million and locations all over the world. There are two manufacturing plants in Ohio; and the company also manufactures products in Europe and Asia. The company has 18 regional service centers throughout the world. While Nelson Stud Welding serves a broad range of markets including automotive, construction and industrial markets, its real niche is providing a full-service solution to manufacturing problems. The art of stud welding is literally an anchor for components to the basic framework of a structure that serves without piercing the framework. It is superior to traditional welding methods. Power Generation is another area where the company is well established. This is not to say it has lost its roots, though, as they are still working in shipbuilding, and have a strong relationship with the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA). Guiding the Uncharted Sea ASA is the most well-established shipbuilding organization, with its shipyards representing 90 percent of all workers engaged in shipbuilding in the United States. It also represents over 100 partner companies that are involved in

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