Advice for starting a small manufacturing and fabrication business from scratch

Lisa Wertzbaugher joins us on the podcast this week to talk about small business management in manufacturing and her strategies behind developing a metal fabrication shop in Iowa. Lisa discusses how growing up around manufacturing and helping run her parents' tube fabrication business led her to small business consultation in the industry. She also opens up about how, after several years away from manufacturing and working for large corporations, her and her husband decided to start their own fabrication and welding shop, Wertzbaugher Services, in 2012. Lisa talks about how their shop began with a focus on commercial trailer repairs for local companies, but has expanded to building structures, ag implement repairs, truss work, large freight, and custom fabrication, as well as trucking haul services. Lisa also writes a column for The Tube and Pipe Journal and thefabricator.com on strategies for business development called Executive Perspectives: https://www.thefabricator.com/author/... Jump to 09:51 for our conversation with Lisa. At the top, the guys chat about all things Iowa: Wrestler Dab Gable, Field of Dreams in Dyersville, the Hawkeyes' and Caitlin Clark's recent run in the Women's NCAA Tournament, the comedy Cedar Rapids, and more. Email us at podcast@thefabricator.com with any comments, questions, or suggestions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Precision Tube Laser: https://www.ptlmfg.com/ Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs' GOLF4MFG South: https://golf4mfg.nutsandboltsfoundati... Stamping in an EV World Conference: https://www.fmamfg.org/events/3542620... ABOUT THE FABRICATOR PODCAST Every Tuesday, The Fabricator Podcast, presented by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, brings you conversations with people who make things with metal. We speak with manufacturers, metal fabricators, welders, job shop owners, artists, marketers, educators, engineers, and more. Host Dan Davis and crew also go beyond discussing just manufacturing and the skilled trades, chatting about pop culture, current events, food, music, movies, comedy, and, of course, robots. Where to listen to The Fabricator Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6W58W1c... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3U8loCg Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-fab... Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OLLB8Q Audible: https://adbl.co/3ijIbOl Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-f... Follow The FABRICATOR: Website: https://www.thefabricator.com Facebook:   / thefabricator   Instagram:   / thefabricator_magazine   LinkedIn:   / the-fabricator-magazine   Twitter:   / fabricating   #thefabricatorpodcast #metalfabrication #construction #welding #metalfab #welder #fabrication #metalworking #metalwork #skilledtrades #fabshop #jobshop #metal #fabtech #steel #sheetmetal #sheetmetalfabrication #metalforming #steelfabrication #bendingmetal #workingwithmetal #thefabricator #customfabrication #sheetmetal #sheetmetalfabrication #lasercutting #tubefabrication #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinessideas #metalmanufacturing