Magnum Welding has been around for some of Owensboro’s most changing times, and owner Scott Lingle is excited about where the team-focused fabrication company can go next within the city.
Lingle said starting in the 1980s, the growth of Magnum tracked steadily alongside the growth of the city — and projects took them into every corner of Owensboro.
“We got into doing bigger-scale projects, structural steel projects. We built the Best Western hotel behind Texas Roadhouse, some of the banks, The Springs additions. We just kind of grew just organically with what Owensboro needs us to do,” Lingle said.
The average week entails working on different projects each day. Some days they could be working on a new construction building, while others they could be going somewhere in town servicing a food processing facility.
Most of Magnum’s projects revolve around structural steel fabrication and custom fabrications. And while doing the jobs, it’s important to Lingle that the employees work as a team. Since he came on staff approximately 11 years ago, he has wanted to contribute to an environment that is beneficial to not just the company, but also to the community they serve.
He prides himself in saying the work environment feels like that of a traditional barbershop — except it’s steel that they’re cutting and not hair.
Lingle also said they must always work collaboratively on projects. While he knows his opinion carries the most weight as the owner, Lingle lets employees at all levels speak on the decisions on how to accomplish the mission ahead.
For example, he said there was recently a set of stairs they were installing that, on paper, would’ve been nearly impossible to install properly. In a matter of time, the team had to regroup and find a way to provide the best service possible to their client.
“They built some rigging and they were able to accomplish something that looked like it wasn’t going to be accomplishable,” Lingle said. “I can’t speak highly enough about the team I have in place.”
Much like other industries, Lingle said that while the team has been a successful, there is a shortage in the industrial field. He cited that the push for trade school, specifically in the welding industry, isn’t as much of a priority anymore.
Nonetheless, he notes that it is ultimately about the quality of the work the employees put out. And to him, things are only looking up for the company in the future.
“We’re really trying to push to compete with some of your large-scale companies and also provide just a more quality component or project, whatever the project is,” he said.
