Staying sharp: Welders battle for supremacy

Welding companies such as Valencia Welding in Santa Clarita, CA, compete with other companies in Southern California that provide similar services.  Not only can company president, Rick Montoya, and his team provide welding services in aluminum and copper but, as his “resume” shows, in more exotic materials like titanium, as well.  What can up-and-coming welders of today do to build a skill set and impressive clientele list as detailed as Mr. Montoya’s?

A good head start would be to take part in FABTECH 2010, North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, finishing and welding event, which takes place in Atlanta, GA, from November 2-4, 2010.  While around 22,000 attendees are expected to descend on Georgia World Congress Center and visit the 1,000 exhibiting companies during the three-day conference and trade show, the event that attendees should not miss is the American Welding Society-sponsored 2010 Weld-Off Competition.  Out of 24 student welders that competed in SkillsUSA Championships 2009 and 2010, six will face off in a series of contests and only three will advance to the WorldSkills Competition in 2011, in London.

Armed with contest drawings that conform with the latest editions of American Welding Society standards, student welders are tested on the following aspects of welding:

• measuring weld replicas using weld measuring gauges
• laying out a plate and using oxyacetylene equipment to cut several holes checked for accuracy and quality
• gas metal arc welding on steel making welds in various positions using short circuiting transfers
• flux cored arc welding using a shielding gas, making welds in various positions
• using a combination machine capable of providing the correct welding current for shielded metal arc and gas tungsten arc welding.

Welding competitions and trade shows will make sure that North America remains competitive in the welding industry on a global scale, particularly by producing high-quality welders that can complement Valencia Welding.

Francis M. Unson

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Valencia Welding Repairs McDonalds’ Brass Statue

While Rick Montoya, president of Valencia Welding in Santa Clarita, California, receives jobs from phone calls or emails asking for his assistance, he sometimes gets a weld repair job by being at the right place at the right time.

One afternoon, when Rick brought his daughter to McDonald’s at the Pavilion Shopping Center for lunch, he glanced at a bronze statue of a child skiing downhill inside the restaurant.  The statue suffered some damage with part of one of the skis broken off.  Rick immediately contacted Mr. Schutz, owner of a number of McDonald’s franchises throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, including the aforementioned franchise.  Rick offered to repair the ski, and Mr. Schutz was more than happy to oblige.  Rick and Bobby Alatorre, one of Rick’s welding apprentices, brought the statue to Valencia Welding’s workshop and spent the next two days repairing the broken ski.  After they completed the weld repair, they brought back the statue to McDonald’s and returned it to its location inside the restaurant.

Francis M. Unson

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Valencia Welding: Interview with Rick Montoya, President (part 3)

1. Are you looking to hire in the coming year?
   Yes, I would like to start hiring once students graduate from the welding program at COC.  They will join the Valencia Welding team to do welding and fabricating services and make repairs on site at local restaurants.  Also, we were invited to participate in the second annual business expo/job fair, which will be held at the OLPH campus in Santa Clarita.
2. Going the extra mile for our customers.
   On one occasion, I was clear across the Santa Clarita Valley when one of our customers called and needed a weld repair on a critical stainless steel mold.  Without this weld repair, they would not be able to proceed with the production of their products.  Plus, the customer was at their facilities waiting to see the production of their product get back online.  So I got a call at 7:00AM in the morning and had to go across town and be at my customer’s facility within the hour to perform the weld repair.  I arrived within the hour, completed the weld repair, and my customer and their customer were very happy with the results and the production went back on track.

Francis M. Unson

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Valencia Welding: Interview with Rick Montoya, President (part 2)

1. What niche are you serving with your business?
   The niche of Valencia Welding is a quick turnaround to work closely with our customers to get their product completed.
2. What products and/or services do you offer?
   We offer welding and fabricating services.
3. What kind of promotions do you have?
   N/A
4. What do you like about working in the Santa Clarita Valley?
   I love working in the Santa Clarita Valley.  The people and businesses are great.  We are like a big family.
5. In terms of your business, what are you looking forward to in the coming year?
   I am looking forward to expanding the business into the Antelope and San Fernando Valleys as well as working together with the Welding Department at the College of the Canyons (COC) to train welders for this type of welding.

   (to be continued…)

Francis M. Unson

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Valencia Welding: Interview with Rick Montoya, President (part 1)

1. What is your name?
   Rick Montoya.
2. What is the name of your business?
   Valencia Welding, Inc. (VWI)
3. What year did you establish your business?
   1994
4. How did you go about getting your business started?
   I saw a need for commercial welding services in the Santa Clarita Valley, so I launched Valencia Welding to serve machine shops and manufacturing companies in Valencia’s industrial parks.  We started off doing repairs on aluminum injection molds, welding hardware for our customer’s products and fabricating steel tables and storage racks.Now, VWI has launched a new service, specializing in restaurant weld repairs, fabrication and installation of stainless steel and aluminum kitchen equipment.

   (to be continued…)

Francis M. Unson

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Valencia Welding Inc.

Small businesses were hit severely by the economic downturn towards the end of 2008 and throughout the rest of 2012.  I am looking forward to a reprieve in 2013.

Valencia Welding Inc. of Valencia, CA, and Santa Clarita Enterprise Zone business, is looking forward to helping local restaurants make kitchen repairs and keep costs down in lieu of replacing kitchen appliances with on-site repairs.  The company specializes in aluminum and stainless steel welding.  If your restaurant needs that kitchen sink repaired, contact Valencia Welding today!

Valencia Welding of Santa Clarita, California

Rick Montoya, President of Valencia Welding

25136 Anza Drive

Valencia, CA 91355

Phone: 661.312.6596

Email: ValenciaWelding@aol.com

Francis M. Unson

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