Welding joins the world. From ice skate blades to supersonic planes, welding forms a bond between two materials strong enough to keep an ice skater balanced and an airplane flying faster than the speed of sound. And in the U.S., small welding companies continue to thrive, with employment up 7% year-over-year according to a recent IndustryNet report. Today we'll examine some of those flourishing operations.
Welding companies generated over $47 billion in sales last year, representing a modest increase from the previous year, with two-thirds of all producers located in the Midwest or the South.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, welders perform a broad range of tasks from interpreting blueprints to determining the correct process to create the strongest bond. Overall, the industry is expected to grow approximately 4 percent over the coming years, with welders scoring an average annual salary around $40,000 per year.
IndustryNet analyzed the 3,500 welding companies operating in the U.S. and found the following at the top of the sector in employee growth and sales growth:
Top 10 welding suppliers by employee growth
It is interesting to note that 70 percent of these companies are considered small businesses. The following added the most employees over the previous 12 months, ranked by number of employees at each location.
1. Lincoln Electric, Inc.; Euclid, Ohio; 2,000 employees
2. Capweld, Inc.; Jackson, Mississippi; 700 employees
3. Comau, LLC; Southfield, Michigan; 600 employees
4. TLC Plumbing and Utility; Albuquerque, New Mexico; 500 employees.
5. CB&I; Clearfield, Utah; 380 employees
6. Topre American Corp.; Smyrna, Tennessee; 160 employees
7. Henry Contracting Inc.; Albany, Georgia; 80 employees
8. Welders & Presses, Inc.; Chesterfield, Michigan; 75 employees
9. KBCM, Inc.; Baltimore, Maryland; 70 employees
10. SMGF, LLC; Petersburg, Indiana; 70 employees.
Top 10 welding suppliers by sales growth
Also noteworthy, all of the top 10 companies by sales growth are small businesses.
1. LaserStar Technologies Corporation; Riverside, Rhode Island; 80 employees
2. K/C Welding; Essexville, Michigan; 44 employees
3. ELCo Enterprises, Inc.; Jackson Michigan; 42 employees
4. Thomas Door Controls, Inc.; Columbus, Ohio; 36 employees
5. Axenics; Nashua, New Hampshire; 34 employees
6. CM Industries, Inc.; Lake Zurich, Illinois; 25 employees
7. Horizon Metal, Inc.; Berea, Ohio; 25 employees
8. Reliable Welding and Appliance; Tampa, Florida; 20 employees
9. Poland Machine, Inc.; Jamestown, North Dakota; 18 employees
10. Engel Welding; St. Albans, West Virginia; 15 employees
Top five welding establishments by number of employees
1. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.; Cleveland, Ohio; 3,350 employees
2. The Electrode Division of Lincoln Electric, Inc.; Mentor, Ohio; 3,000 employees
3. Lincoln Electric, Inc.; Euclid, Ohio; 2,000 employees
4. Adient; Lexington, Tennessee; 1,500 employees
5. Capweld, Inc.; Jackson, Mississippi; 700 employees
Top five welding suppliers by square footage
Not surprisingly, three of the five physically largest welding providers also have the highest number of employees.
1. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.; Cleveland, Ohio; 2,200,000 square feet
2. Adient; Lexington, Tennessee; 1,200,000 square feet
3. Weldbend Corp.; Argo, Illinois; 500,000 square feet
4. Merrill Fabricators, Inc.; Alma, Michigan; 390,000
5. The Electrode Division of Lincoln Electric, Inc.; Mentor, Ohio; 370,000 square feet
For more information
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