Owen Industries/Paxton & Vierling Steel Hosts Westside High School Welding Program Students

by Owen | May 15, 2017 | Company, Company Culture/News, Industry News, PVS Metals, PVS Structures

Owen Industries/Paxton & Vierling Steel hosted a day long tour for eight Westside High School Welding Program students.

The students met with several different departments to learn the full process of steel fabrication; from raw material to final product.

Students met with Estimating learning how the project process is started, moving on to Drafting where the customers design is detailed and brought to life and Project Management on the importance of keeping the plan on a specific timeline.

The students toured the PVS Metals Shop where they were educated on stretcher leveling, laser design, CNC punching, tube laser and water jet cutting.

In the Structures Shop the students met with experienced welders discussing girders and welding specifics. They also visited the bridge bay learning about design and construction. The students had the opportunity to meet with staff and discuss issues and ask questions.

The tour was led by President, Tyler Owen, WHS graduate. He discussed the Owen Industries Apprenticeship Program and his personal experiences with welding and working in the steel industry.

It was a great day of education and welding for both staff and students at Owen Industries!

Owen Industries Apprentice Program

by Owen | May 8, 2017 | Company, Company Culture/News, Industry News, PVS Metals, PVS Structures

Owen Industries Welder Apprentice Program

Apprentice Interview: Aaron Gunn

Carter Lake, Iowa-based Owen Industries (an AISC member) is now an official registered apprenticeship sponsor and offers a three-year, competency-based welder apprenticeship program. In August the company began an interview and selection process, seeking four welder apprentices to offer on-the-job training as well as worksite classroom training, in partnership with Iowa Western Community College, at no cost to the apprentice.

Aaron Gunn started as one of four apprentices in the program in September 2016.

Aaron worked several jobs prior to the welding apprentice program; flooring, customer service, National Guard, security….jack of many trades. Aaron had a friend who encouraged him to apply and when he moved from Florida to the Midwest, he found the program listed on-line.

Aaron has worked in many different areas of the Structures building, he recently started welding in the bridge bay. This has become one of his favorite projects.

Aaron has learned many things in his 6 months with the program, he enjoys learning all the diverse happenings in the operation. He states asking questions is the best way to acquire important needed information.

Aaron has really enjoyed the people he works with here at Owen Industries/PVS Structures. His co-workers in the Bridge Bay have been helpful and have taught him many valuable lessons. The apprentices have classroom time on Tuesdays from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The instructor from Iowa Western comes to the training area. The program is 3 years long, and at the end each apprentice will be a certified journeyman. Nick Bristol, the PVS Structures Plant Manager has been a favorite mentor for Aaron.

Owen Industries’ welder apprenticeship program is an ongoing program and open to anyone who applies at their Carter Lake, Iowa, location, regardless of where they live. For questions or more information about the program, please contact Ronald D. DeBord, Owen Industries Vice President of Human Resources, at 712.347.5500 or rdebord@owenind.com.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst tours Paxton & Vierling Steel Structures Building

by Owen | Apr 21, 2017 | Company, Company Culture/News, Industry News, PVS Metals, PVS Structures

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst toured Owen Industries on Thursday, April 20^th. Senator Ernst visited both the PVS Metals Service Center and PVS Structures Division. She met with a group of staff in the Bridge Bay, asking questions and learning more about the company. The tour was facilitated by The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC).

Check out the article from the Omaha World-Herald:

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/ernst-lends-support-to-infrastructure-spending-during-carter-lake-tour/article_561c9ff6-2655-5508-ac82-7564c495ce05.html

Check out the article from The Daily NonPareil:

http://www.nonpareilonline.com/news/local/ernst-lends-support-for-infrastructure-spending-during-tour-of-carter/article_3833b6e8-27a8-11e7-ad36-8fb84f332dda.html

Owen Industries Welding Apprentice Program

by Owen | Mar 27, 2017 | Company, Company Culture/News, Industry News, PVS Structures

Owen Industries Welder Apprentice Program

Apprentice Interview: Brad Dittman

Carter Lake, Iowa-based Owen Industries (an AISC member) is now an official registered apprenticeship sponsor and offers a three-year, competency-based welder apprenticeship program. In August the company began an interview and selection process, seeking four welder apprentices to offer on-the-job training as well as worksite classroom training, in partnership with Iowa Western Community College, at no cost to the apprentice.

Brad Dittman started as one of four apprentices in the program in September 2016.

Brad worked as a truck driver delivering construction supplies prior to working at Owen Industries. His grandfather had been a welder and Brad was really looking to have a solid technical skill he could make a career of. He had done some welding in high school, and was enrolled in the welding program at Metro Community College. Brad saw the Apprenticeship Program on line and applied.

Brad states the program has been interesting; he’s enjoyed the more complex welds he has learned here. He, along with the other apprentices, has enjoyed welding columns for the nuclear site jobs, he enjoys being a part of a large project and projects that are located all over the country.

Brad values the expanded knowledge he has learned in the welding apprentice program, and appreciates the willingness he gets from his more experienced co-workers. They are always willing to go above and beyond to help and share information that can only be obtained through work and experience.

Brad feels that this is the place he has always been looking for. He likes the day hours, and that fact that he is close to home and able to be with his friends and family every night. Having a regular work schedule is an additional perk to having a valuable and solid career skill.

Owen Industries’ welder apprenticeship program is an ongoing program and open to anyone who applies at their Carter Lake, Iowa, location, regardless of where they live. For questions or more information about the program, please contact Ronald D. DeBord, Owen Industries Vice President of Human Resources, at 712.347.5500 or rdebord@owenind.com.

Owen Industries Welding Apprentice Program

by Owen | Mar 9, 2017 | Company, Company Culture/News, Industry News, PVS Structures

Carter Lake, Iowa-based Owen Industries (an AISC member) is now an official registered apprenticeship sponsor and offers a three-year, competency-based welder apprenticeship program. In August the company began an interview and selection process, seeking four welder apprentices to offer on-the-job training as well as worksite classroom training, in partnership with Iowa Western Community College, at no cost to the apprentice.

Thomas Stalbosky started as one of four apprentices in the program in September 2016.

Thomas had taken some welding classes in high school, this included mostly simple welds. His high school class was incorporated with Metro Community Colleges welding program which initiated his interest in welding.

Thomas worked as a shift supervisor at a car wash prior to applying for the welder apprentice program. Owen Industries working with Iowa Community College combines both on-the job and classroom education. During classroom training, Thomas has worked completing some stands that hold wire and conduit and has turned out to be one of his favorite projects.

Thomas has enjoyed working on seventy-one foot columns that will be placed in a Georgia nuclear plant. These will be the supporting columns for containment for this plant. This is a project that is cherished by many of the apprentices.

Thomas stresses consistency in welding as an importance for all welding projects.

Thomas likes the atmosphere at Owen Industries, the great people he works with and good mentors. He has several co-workers who have gone above and beyond to make sure he is trained and educated properly and have shared their experiences with him to help make him successful.

Owen Industries’ welder apprenticeship program is an ongoing program and open to anyone who applies at their Carter Lake, Iowa, location, regardless of where they live. For questions or more information about the program, please contact Ronald D. DeBord, Owen Industries Vice President of Human Resources, at 712.347.5500 or rdebord@owenind.com.

Owen Industries Apprentice Program

by Owen | Feb 24, 2017 | Company, Company Culture/News, Industry News, PVS Structures

Owen Industries Welder Apprentice Program

Carter Lake, Iowa-based Owen Industries (an AISC member) is now an official registered apprenticeship sponsor and offers a three-year, competency-based welder apprenticeship program. In August the company began an interview and selection process, seeking four welder apprentices to offer on-the-job training as well as worksite classroom training, in partnership with Iowa Western Community College, at no cost to the apprentice.

Apprentice Interview: Nick Ciurej

Nick Ciurej started as one of four apprentices in the program in September 2016.

Nick worked at a local car dealership with plans to go to school to be a mechanic. Changes at his dealership pushed him to look at other career options. After seeing the size of the Owen Industries campus, his interest in working at Owen Industries grew. In his first 6 months, he has become close with many of his co-workers and enjoys the broad spectrum of experience that has been shared with him by his co-works who have knowledge that ranges from newly hired welders to many decades of welding expertise. His current journeyman has taught him many valuable things that cannot be learned in a classroom, only from working on projects with a skilled and accomplished welder.

Nick has enjoyed working on columns that will be placed in a future nuclear plant. These will be the supporting columns for containment for this plant.

Nick learned quickly that the proper attire is critical for welding, he had a “nice sunburn” on his arms the first day, he’s always sure to wear long sleeves to work now. And he stressed the importance of following procedures by the book.

Owen Industries’ welder apprenticeship program is an ongoing program and open to anyone who applies at their Carter Lake, Iowa, location, regardless of where they live. For questions or more information about the program, please contact Ronald D. DeBord, Owen Industries Vice President of Human Resources, at 712.347.5500 or rdebord@owenind.com.