It's just me.

I was having a chat with an acquaintance recently and they related an event where another person made condescending remarks about a few different occupations. This really got me fired up over the disparity that many folks see in character based on one's chosen line of work.

Just a farmer?!!!

Just a housekeeper?!!!

Next time some one uses that you could tell them it's better than being...

wait for it

...just an a-hole!

Yeah I know that's probably not showing our best side, but the idea that money or education makes you better than anyone else is ludicrous!

All it means is you spent more time in school, or have more dollars.

A persons character is difficult, nay impossible, to judge or quantify with any material standard.

I totally agree that farmers, and many others, as a group, are being ridiculously de-valued as people, and as providers who for centuries have done nothing but the tireless and endless job of providing nourishment for countless hordes of thankless people.

I mean I guess eating just isn't important anymore is it?

(GRRRRRRRRR) Now you've done it, you got me all fired up.

The most memorable event similar to what she described that I can recall wasn't directed at me and still raises my hackles when I think about it.

I was at my mother's second husband's home on a weekend visit. I've never been able to call him my step father and here's why.

My folks split up when I was about 2, and my dad had custody of us 3 boys from the git go, this happened in 1968, so we weren't exactly the "typical" household back then.

So I'm maybe 10 years old or so, and eating breakfast at their table (in his very big, very nice, lavishly furnished, blah blah blah, you get the idea, home) I don't remember what the conversation was about but it came to a point where he very derisively replied to my mom, about my dad, (right in front of me!)

"...well he probably showed up to your wedding in his coveralls..."

It was a rude and almost pointless remark that I eventually concluded was probably intended to show me "my place".

All it really did was make me lose almost all respect for the man, which is sad because he really was a pretty good guy, and did treat my mom and us kids very well, aside from his need to affirm himself by pointing out his supposed superiority to us.

Well his plan backfired, because it made me look at my dad in a new found light. I grew more and more proud of the fact the he was "just a hayseed farmboy".

I began to appreciate the fact that I could directly identify myself with people of the land.

I learned that I was lucky enough to be part of a long family history, whose endeavors in the new world dated back to the late 17th century, on the same piece of ground where I grew up, who were directly responsible, like it or not, for dramatically increasing in wealth of a small colonial community. And whose hard work, thought and skill helped it become a valuable part of something much much larger than they ever dreamed.

If my father and his father are any indication, these were people unafraid of hard work, unacquainted with guile or deceit, who neither looked up nor down at anyone, but could, without arrogance, look anyone in the eye and feel no shame.

Now when I think about the trades, and the rich history each and every trade has built upon for generation after generation, I think of how hard it is to be "just a farmer" or "just a" housekeeper, plumber, mechanic, welder, or any one of the countless invisible people who find their place in a harsh world and add their labors to help our society function. I can't help but feel a sense of awe and gratitude to God, or providence, or karma, or whatever term you want to name the dumb luck that brought me to this place and time.

How dare anyone label another as "just" anything!

For crying out loud we're all "just" people and none, absolutely none, is better than another simply because of a job title.

The early 18th century home my family built, ca. 1950. This will always be my home, no matter where I live

                                                    

I've heard it preached from many pulpits: Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Along with you can have what you say. Well I believe I must have grown into a man of great faith.

Faith in my bad luck, that is.

Some examples:

One evening while repairing my broken down work truck,
on the side of the road,
in the middle of nowhere,
on way home from a railing job.
"Well tomorrow I can come back to finish up a little detail in my Cherokee"...
(then I added, sarcastically)
.."watch, it'll blow up tomorrow."
It did.

One day recently while working at the shop,
outside because there's no where near enough room inside.
(Spoken dripping with sarcasm)
"I wish it would rain and we could do this in a mud puddle."
It did.

"And I'd like it to be hot, too."
It was.
2 degrees shy of a new record.

"Plus wouldn't it be really great if we were working in a big tin can."
We were.
It really wasn't great.

It seems to work for the good, too. I've wished for lots of work.
Now there's a ton of work in the shop that all has to be done now.
Right now.

But that's not a complaint.

Maybe I should try less sarcasm and more good, happy thoughts.

Ah, who am I kidding.

Stability of markets vs. job security.

Recently Myself and a few others were asked this question at one of the skilled trades related forums I've spent some time at.   

Q:

"I'm fresh out of trade school and have my certificate.  Do you think guys should go in the direction of a fab shop or try to get on with pipefitters union, construction, etc. for stability?

Thanks man."


I  replied with more questions, mostly about what conditions and locations this person would prefer. Then the topic turned to stability.

A:
"The thing about whether to try fab and job shops, over pipeline, over high steel, over shipyard, over the next big thing, is that the next big thing is always changing.


Stability is dependent on markets to a degree. Right now construction is still slow, and it seems like pipeline and rig work is starting to ramp up a little, but all that can change in an instant.


Another way to look at stability is to make it personal. Create your own stability where ever you end up. When a problem arises, they always do, be proactive in helping solve it. Learn to work well in a team environment, have a good attitude, give a lot more than just enough to get buy. Care about what you do and how well you do it, never stop learning.


Look at things from everyone’s perspective. Finishing projects accurately ahead of schedule, or at least on schedule, help your employer and you become more profitable, thus more likely to be around to do it all again next year."

To expand a little I would add a couple of points. I'll try not to be too long winded.

There's a lot of things a person can do to create job security, but what happens when markets change. The answer to that is not a simple one. Good people lose good jobs for many  reasons. 

The thing is to keep working to do better at whatever you're doing, what ever the situation. Even if you do end up losing your job it's not the end of the world, even though it may feel like it. If you're alive there's always a chance things will be better today than yesterday.

"No matter the job climate, quality help is always in demand somewhere. The key to getting and keeping good work is being there and being quality." 

There is honor in the doing of any task, no matter how menial, to the best of your abilities. 

 

So you want a gate, huh?

When you're making the decision to have an entry gate added to your property there are many details to consider before making any choices. Often folks don't understand or consider what makes any entry system a valuable part of a property's security package or what makes it nothing but a nuisance or worse, a liability. 

Here's a few tips.

Safety.
Automated access gates can carry large liabilities for the property owner, manufacturers and installers. Always follow all local building codes and recommendations. In the U.S.A. most locations require all automated access systems to adhere to UL325 recommendations for automatic gates. Even where it's not required following these guidelines is smart money spent, potentially saving you from costly litigation. For more on this check out DASMA's website, here, http://www.dasma.com/safetygate.asp. They have a lot of good info in tech data sheets #'s 351-377 here, http://www.dasma.com/pubtechdata.asp. 

Zoning and Code compliance.
This should be the first thing you check. Restrictions are usually based on safety, liabilities, aesthetics. In many locales for example restrictions prohibit sub-divisions from having entry gates at all. There may be variances and/or fee's required as well. Once past the zoning issues you'll need to find out if your governing building inspector's office requires permits and inspections, and related fees.

Landscaping and paving.
The time to begin your gate installation is BEFORE any grading, paving, and landscape work commence. Often there will be electric, phone and data connections that are best installed in trenches before the road surface, or land scaping is completed.

Access.
Who needs access? There will be different needs for any property that will necessitate the use of certain types of equipment. For example a single family residence could potentially only use a remote control similar to a garage door opener's. However a commercial location may need a timer to open and close the gate at a certain time, as well as a keypad and intercom to allow multiple users access. Programmable keypads, intercoms, and telephone interface systems come in many shapes and sizes. Find someone well versed in automated access to help in selecting what's right for your property.

Budget.
This is the one that causes problems. Simply put automatic gates and systems are not cheap. So if you decide to spend the money, take the time to find out how to spend wisely. Quality is usually tied pretty tightly to cost, generally the better systems will cost more. Budgeting realistically for a quality system installed by an experienced, ethical professional installer usually is cost effective when compared to having to make changes or additions after the fact.

Hiring a gate contractor.
Many of the same things you'd consider in hiring any pro apply here, too. Are they insured, look for general liability and workers compensation or the property owner in at risk during any work performed. Are they licensed, if required. Most states have licensing required for any job over a certain dollar amount, or for certain types of work performed. In my state, NC, any work over $30,000, and certain types of work regardless of cost, require the persons doing the work to be a licensed contractor. However these laws are updated regularly so check with your state's licensing board for requirements.

I hope this helps, and good luck in selecting your gate projects.

-Brian-

How do you define success?

First let apologize for the long winded diatribe. I had a meeting with a customer that got rained out so I had a little too much time to kill.

So back in Dec. '08 I left a good job, nope I didn't get laid off, I chose to leave the security of a regular paycheck to open my very own welding/ fabricating shop. This is the realization of a life long dream to own my own business, and be my own boss. Of course, as you contractors and subs know, all I really did was trade one boss for many bosses.

This decision was driven by, among other things, my independent nature. I've always been a self starter, and tend to motivate myself with little outside influence. Through the start up phase of this venture I found lots of resources to help make sound choices. Of course there's lots of stuff out there to help formulate a business plan, figure out start up and operating costs, etc. There are also several sources of self evaluation questions that help you look honestly at yourself to see if you have what it takes to run the show on your own. One subject that came up several times, and several ways is "success". Questions like "how would you define success for your business?" or "what would your business need to accomplish before you considered it a success?"

At first my answers were simple ones like, "uh, make money" or "support my family". But as I traveled down this rocky, rutted, washed out road to self discovery I noticed a subtle, but fundamental shift in my attitudes and answers to this question. Things like independence, security for me and my family, the need to be top dog began to take on a smaller part of my mindset. It was these soul searching times that began to make me look at the bigger picture, which made my pieces to this puzzle a smaller percentage of what drives me to leave the security of employment for the challenges of entrepreneurship.

To really explain this I need to share a little background. I have lived in Madison County, NC for a little over 10 years now. We're in the western NC mountains not far from Asheville, which is in, adjacent, Buncombe county. If you've ever been to this lovely region you'll probably have noted a couple of things. First; this is God's country, stunning scenery and good people are the norm. Second; economically, and culturally Asheville and Buncombe county dominate western NC. For example Asheville's population in city limits is around 70,000. Buncombe county holds about 230,000 people. Compare this to Madison county's total population of around 20,000. In square miles the two counties aren't very different, about 450 sq. miles to 650 sq. miles, Buncombe being the larger. Madison county only has 3 incorporated towns, none of which have over 1200 residents inside town limits. The U.S. census even lists Asheville as the major metro area for Madison county. I can't find my sources, but I remember reading that out of our total work force, estimated at 16,000, almost half leave the county for employment.

These numbers do bear witness to my own observations. While I'm no demographer, after a couple of years working at 2 of only 4 retail auto parts stores in our county, I've had plenty of exposure to a large part of our work force. I believe these estimates are pretty close. Those facts and figures are part of what precipitated this shift in attitude that I mentioned earlier. Couple that with the fact that I've been fortunate enough to stay employed in the county for most of my time here. So living here, and working here, as well as the nature of some of my employment has allowed me to get to know a large part of our population, even if only by face. I have become very rooted here.

So all these numbers aren't just facts and figures, they are faces and people I know. People who have struggled, like so many of us, to tough it out in the face of a dwindling economy. Even before the current recession hit we have lost large numbers of good jobs to offshore manufacturing. For example when a large electrical component manufacturer closed operations near Mars Hill (one of the 3 incorporated towns) the number of jobs lost equaled almost half the population of the town, that's just one plant closing. And there have been at least 2 other major closings that I can recall, all of them happened well before the current down turn.

All of these facts are the major source of the change in attitude about my definition of success. So here's where the rubber hits the road. What will my business need to accomplish for me to consider it a success. Simple, very simple, it has to support my community.

If, through hard work, perseverance, pride of craftsmanship, quality of service and some good luck too, I can grow this little seed of a business into the vision that I can't get out of my head, the idea that waits for me every morning when I get up and kiss my girls goodbye, the goal that awaits for me, then Appalachian Ironworks L.L.C. can be a good influence for my community. I see no reason that it can't become a major player in the economics of my (adopted) home county.

Let me go deeper to show why I do not believe this is just a pie in the sky dream. The only job I've had out of the county, since moving here, was in Asheville at a successful family owned fab shop. It was started by one man in 1924. It, to the best of my knowledge, is still a successful, viable business. They are one of 4 or 5 major players in the metals industry in WNC. During my employ with them, a staff of as little as 4, and as many as 6 fabricators and that many office staff had monthly gross sales of over $300k on average. That number was split, pretty close to 50/50 between steel sales, and drainage product sales. That means 4 to 6 skilled metal tradespeople were producing near $125k a month. Of course this was a few years ago, so I'm sure the numbers are down, but I know they're not rolling over and playing dead, even today. And credit needs to go to the sales/admin staff, too. Without them there'd be no fab jobs to turn out. So to bring this home I see no reason my shop couldn't do the same thing.

Yeah I know baby steps, first let's get established and profitable. then let's grow. Grow smart. With the right people, and the right resources why couldn't my shop grow to employ that many. 4 or 5 trades people equals 4 or 5 families that get to earn a good living using a skill set that will always be in demand. You cannot, and I will not, outsource custom steel work very easily. It's not practical.

Now stop and think of how many different places and ways welding and metal joining technology are used. Think about it on your next drive to work, or to the store. How many examples of metal products did you just drive by, or drive over, or under? It's everywhere. By no means am I trying to belittle any other trade, but I find it impossible to not to feel a great sense of pride and awe to be a part of this industry.

So take those 4 or 5 families and look at the impact they can have here. What's the average family now? 2.7 to 3.5 persons? So my staff of 5 could support, lets say 15 to 20 people directly. Those people will be able to go out and do business in my community and help support 10 times that many. And those 150 to 200 people do the same. before long my little dream could become a driving force in my local economy. We've hypothetically already hit 1 % of my county's population. And that is not even taking into account the suppliers my shop buys from. This is my idea of multi-level marketing.

Well do you reckon it'll stop at those 200? Ideally, of course it wouldn't. It would continue to snowball. Sort of like the old double a penny every day for 30 days and see how much $$$ you'd end up with in a month. Or how about this example from way back that sort of ties to my beloved trade, In ancient times samurai swords were made from folded and forge welded steel. It wasn't unusual for a master sword maker to take a month per blade. Heat, fold, forge weld, repeat 30 times and you'd end up with a blade with a million layers, less than 1/4" thick.

That is how I define success.
How about you?

it's not just about the money.