Show Notes
In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, host Tim Heston is joined by special guest Matthew Nix of Nix Companies, along with OSH Cut co-founder Caleb Chamberlain, for a wide-ranging discussion on how very different fabrication business models can succeed.
Nix, an FMA member and fifth-generation leader of Nix Industrial, shares how a traditional family-owned manufacturer scaled through acquisitions, systems, and leadership development. Chamberlain explains how OSH Cut was built as a software-first fabrication company designed to handle high-mix, low-volume work at scale.
Together, the group compares approaches to growth, customer onboarding, talent development, metrics, and culture, offering practical insights for fabricators navigating change and uncertainty.
Email Tim at [email protected] with any comments or questions.
More from Next-Gen Metal Fab
On this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, The Fabricator Senior Editor Tim Heston and business advisor Mark Ernst, a longtime member of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) and its Management Advisory Council, examine one of the biggest challenges facing growing metal fabrication shops: developing the people and management structure needed to keep up with the business.
Why is so much new investment flowing into metal fabrication? Tim Heston of The Fabricator, Caleb Chamberlain of OSH Cut, and Lance Thrailkill of All Metals Fabricating discuss venture capital, automation, consolidation, digital manufacturing, and whether new tech-driven business models are a threat or an opportunity for traditional fab shops.
Estimating and quoting are no longer just about pricing parts. They're strategic tools that help metal fabricators and other manufacturers win the right work, improve profitability, and build more efficient operations.
Jonathan Sessa of Fabworks joins Tim Heston and co-host Caleb Chamberlain of OSH Cut to discuss how online manufacturing platforms are reshaping sheet metal fabrication.
In this episode of Next-Gen Metal Fab, host Tim Heston talks with Jay Phillips of Fresno, Calif.-based Valley Iron Inc. about the future of workforce development, shop culture, and technology in metal fabrication.