Employee Spotlight – Tony Ballard

Swanton Welding Company is its people, and we are ready to spotlight Tony Ballard, one of our fabricators who has been with the company for 13 years in the main facility. Tony has shown his skills in both fabrication and leadership and has fabricated nearly everything that can be fabricated. With this experience and expertise, Tony is a valuable member of the Swanton Welding family. With a passion for excellence and a wealth of knowledge and experience, Tony is willing to take on any challenge and makes our company stronger.

From a Temp to a Valued Member of the Team

Tony initially came to Swanton Welding Company as a temp. He wasn’t sure if fabrication work was right for him and if he had the necessary skills to do the job. Rather than back down from the challenge, Tony decided to play it by ear and see if he liked the work and if the work liked him. As his time with Swanton progressed, Tony moved from smaller fabrication projects to larger ones. Gradually, as Tony’s skills grew, his responsibilities increased, as did Tony’s love and passion for the work he did. Now he loves the variety of the work and the different projects he’s been part of. Tony has said that one of the best parts of the job is that things are never stagnant and he gets to do something new every day.

Inspired by Teamwork

Tony enjoys how the team works together on the bigger jobs. No one ever feels stuck or overwhelmed, as the team will break up the work and focus on getting the project done together. Tony agrees that what sets Swanton Welding apart from other fabrication shops is the people. At Swanton, everyone from office staff to fabricators feels like a member of a family instead of just employees. With many long-term employees, Tony, as well as others, know that our coworkers move from colleagues, to friends, to family. This is what keeps Tony working for Swanton Welding.

A Favorite Project

Tony’s favorite project at Swanton Welding was rolling the furnaces for one of our clients. He found it challenging to roll material that was nearly an inch thick while keeping everything symmetrical, but when the project was finished, he had a great sense of accomplishment in his work.

Happy at Work, Happy at Home

When Tony isn’t at work, he and his wife like to go out to sporting events and concerts, particularly college sports. They are big fans of college football and basketball and love rooting for the local teams. Tony loves watching live music, especially jazz, and finds it hard to pinpoint a favorite concert, although he does have several artists he admires. When he’s not working or taking in a show, Tony has six children and nine grandchildren ranging from 10 to 2 to spend time with, so his life is always full.

We at Swanton Welding are thrilled to have an expert such as Tony working with our team. His skills as a fabricator make our company stronger. As we move forward, Tony will continue to take on the challenges of projects both big and small, sharing his experience and expertise with everyone he works with, and taking pride in putting out the best possible products for our customers. Swanton Welding IS its people, and valuable team members like Tony are the foundation that make our company great.