Swanton Welding Employee Spotlight: Nick Nijakowski

As a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), Nick is responsible for conducting all of the weld inspections here at Swanton. Within those inspections, he is responsible for ensuring the overall quality of every weld which he inspects. This makes Nick, an invaluable member of our team. He spends his days inspecting fabricates and just about anything else that is needed.

In addition to his daily inspections, you can find Nick helping with project estimates, finding code requirements, and acting in a hands-on role with welding procedures for new jobs. Not stopping there, Nick Nijakowski extends himself generously to provide training to other employees so that they can become certified welders or fork truck operators themselves.

Nick’s Start at Swanton

Nick’s Career at Swanton began way back in 1992 when he began working as a “clean up kid” afternoons after school. When he graduated high school in 1994, it seemed only natural to Nick to transition into a full-time position with the Swanton team as a member of a portable crew that did site visits.

It was obvious that Nick was on his way to a long career with the company even back in those days as he was a motivated young man, eager to learn learn, and attending welding classes at Hobart. As he progressed through many stages of learning, Nick developed into a fabricator, painter, and laser operator. Eventually, he went on to do facility setups in which he was instrumental in transforming a new building from the studs to being fully operational.

What Makes Nick Great at what he Does

One of the most admirable and respectable things about Nick is that he’s constantly trying to expand his mind and broaden his horizons. He is always striving to find new ways to develop his personal and professional development to maintain his certifications and remain prepared for regular examinations.

Nick has a unique ability to visually understand prints and to be able to see how they come together. He knows that if you do not keep your eyes and your mind open, you could miss out on new ideas and fail to adapt accordingly. This is of particular importance to us here at Swanton because our company is so diverse that you truly cannot look at every project the same. We wish for every employee to be able to adapt methods and crews to each project in the way that Nick Nijakowski does.

What has Swanton Meant to Him?

Being that Nick began working here at Swanton at such an young age and dedicated himself to the development of the company, he says that Swanton is all he really knows and it would be hard for him to compare it to anything else. We asked NIck what Swanton Welding means to him, “It means my career, my stability, and my family. I take anything that happens to the company personally. It’s home.” Nick is proud of the the way that we try to give our customers a one-stop shop experience.

What Challenges You?

Nick has worked in so many positions and projects over the years, we were curious what Nick considers to be the most exciting or impressive job he has ever worked on. He replied, “Any project that presents a challenge.” He says that skilled labor presents a major challenge for customers at the moment and he is proud to be apart of Swanton Welding because we are setup to nurture those needs.

Outside of Swanton Welding

Nick enjoys hot rod cars as a hobby. In fact, he even used to race them. He also has seven Harley Davidson motorcycles and considers himself to be some what of a collector. Nick is also an avid runner, and has been ever since he was on the track team in high school. He has even completed a few marathons. When he isn’t busy playing with cars, riding one of his motorcycles or running the trails, Nick can be found spending quality time with his wife and kids. For Nick, family is a big part of everything that he does.

Thank You

We want to thank you Nick from everyone here at Swanton Welding for your decades of commitment and dedication. From your drive and your motivation, to your unwavering commitment to our success, we can’t begin to thank you enough for all that you do day in and day out.

For all your structural steel needs, contact our team at Swanton Welding Company. We’ve been serving Ohio as one of the state’s largest metal fabricators since 1985. We’ve got the service and expertise to exceed all your metal fabricating expectations.