Today we’d like to introduce you to AJ Howland.
Hi AJ, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Twisted Iron has been an extended effort of the last 15 years. Everything started when a friend of mine, Jason Kemerer, gave me the opportunity to try welding for the first time. He has always built off road vehicles and has fabricated his own parts so he gave me a chance to try it out. From there I decided to attend Beaver County CTC in high school for the Welding Program. This is where I learned the technical skills to all of the different welding processes. In high school I joined the robotics program. They asked for my assistance with the battle bot program. We were fortunate to be granted access to the maintenance department at Veka Inc. I was given the opportunity to work with Bill Simon who was a long time welder and fabricator for the duration of that project. Veka then offered me an apprenticeship summer position working with Bill on many complicated projects which gave me a great insight on the full scale of metal fabricated projects. I then decided to pursue my own business in 2017. A few months in I was offered a part time teaching position at a local high school votech as a welding instructor. I have always enjoyed the concept of teaching and it was a great experience. In 2018 I stopped teaching to focus more strongly on my business. It has been a wild ride for the past 10 years. I have met some great people and learned even better lessons over this last decade and would not change a thing. We have progressed from a single owner/operator business to a multi-employee business and scaled from a welding business to a full service fabrication and powder coating shop.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been about as bumpy as a road can get. Learning the “in’s” and “outs” of daily operations including; job organization, employee retention, and steady growth for the business has been a rollercoaster. I have had some great advice from some very veteran businessmen in the recent years that have adapted my perspective in a much more positive direction which has helped immensely.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Twisted Iron we specialize in the fabrication of steel, aluminum and stainless steel. We are a full service manufacturer including, shop drawings/drafting services, CNC Plasma Cutting, Press Brake Bending, Welding/Fabricating and Powder coating. This ensures a controlled timeline and quality outcome from our projects. We will perform as much or as little of the projected scope as you would like. Start to Finish? We have it handled. Just need to Cnc cut or press bent parts? No big deal. All the way to finishing your fabricated parts in our powder coating process. We will keep your project up to speed and on schedule.
What were you like growing up?
My teenage years are really what formed what I do today. The hobbies that my friends and I had, which started with dirt bikes and progressed to jeeps and off road vehicles are what showed me a slight path for a potential business. I had friends that needed help building certain parts for their jeeps and a lightbulb clicked on a potential career. I guess I would say I’ve always had a motivation to help people and that motivation sprouted into a business where I have the opportunity to not only make a living for myself but others around me including my employees and great subcontractors. All while solving a problem or making a vision come to reality for our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://twistedironfab.com
- Instagram: https://accountscenter.instagram.com/profiles/17841402376045315/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwistedIronFabrication
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@twistedironfabrication5723
