A successful metal fabricating job shop requires employee commitment

Barnes MetalCrafters' new facility nearing completion. Photo taken February 2019.

Like most shops, ours has a “culture.” The dynamic of how things work often is unspoken and can’t be explained. A lot goes on to make products successfully, so being committed to that culture or process is what makes small shops like ours succeed. Having or finding the right people to make this happen is one of the biggest keys to our success.

More is involved than just being an employee or co-worker who shows up and works until it is time to go home. If you don’t show some pride in your company or work, chances are you won’t be around forever.

I’ve seen so many people come and go since I’ve been working at Barnes MetalCrafters. You can pretty much write your own ticket around here, but the tribe can vote you off the island if you aren’t committed to the culture.

I would like to think that every employee is committed to bettering the company, but that is often not the case. I’ve seen commitment in our shop at 50 to 60 percent. Sounds terrible, but it’s the truth. Currently we have nearly 100 percent commitment, and we are on the way to a new and improved facility and business. Granted, there were a lot of decisions along the way, mostly made by my dad and owner Tim Martin, that have affected this move. But for the most part, I’ve seen the greatest strides in improvement when our employees are on the right track.

Most of our employees have been here for several years. Since we first began talking about building a new shop, a few have come and gone. I told them all that things are looking up for us, and we are going to grow. They would tell me that was cool, and quickly go back to what they were doing. I feel as though I’m a good judge of character, but when people blow me off when I talk about making things better, it really opens my eyes to what kind of person they are. Their lack of caring often brings down the whole team, which can lead to scrapped parts and rework.

When a part or several parts get screwed up, and I see an employee not get upset that they made a mistake, it really cuts right through me. Shrugging your shoulders and saying, “Oh, well,” is probably the easiest way to piss me off. Not only does it make me mad, it makes the whole team mad. We all suffer when someone doesn’t take pride in their work.

If you just want to settle with what you are doing, that is fine with me. You will get passed by and brushed out the door of our shop. There’s no room for complacency. We strive to continue learning and growing so that we can stay ahead of the game. Technology is always on the move; our products and commitment to improvement need to be as well. When you push workers to be better, the company follows and grows.

I’m not telling my co-workers or anyone reading this that they need to devote their life and happiness to “the Man” or their workplace. I’m saying that if you commit to being a better person and fabricator, life in and around the workplace can and will be much better. Keeping your co-workers happy goes a long ways toward advancing your company, so why not start with a little commitment.

In a job shop you are around the same people day in and day out. In my opinion, job hoppers and noncommitted employees don’t have a role in anyone's vision of a better workplace. Commitment is clearly the way for a better future. I have some more commitment to fulfill as well. The new building is going to be a great place to continue the process.