HAVE WELDER … WILL TRAVEL

In just three short years, Robert A. Lucas acquired a certificate from the Hobart Institute for the Combination Structural and Pipe Welding Program, purchased a brand new Chevrolet S10® pick-up truck, equipped it with a new Miller Trailblazer® welder and another new welder along with all new torches and other gear, and is ready to travel to any site where welding is needed. 

“The possibilities are unlimited,” says Robert.  “With this new equipment and my Hobart training, I am able to weld on pipe or structures anywhere in the country.  I found early on that I didn’t enjoy working in a factory.  This allows me the flexibility to meet the needs of my customers while offering something new and exciting for me each day.”

After high school, Robert served in the U.S. Marines and then worked as a pipe layer for the Laborers’ International Union of North America in the State of Indiana.  In 2001, he decided to attend Hobart Institute for further training.  After completing that training, he was employed as a welder for several months at Reynolds, Inc. in Indiana, before heading to Fairbanks, Alaska, where Robert worked at a trucking company fabricating 14-wheelers and then worked for a mining company reconditioning various mining equipment. 

His earnings, along with the support of his wife, allowed him to return to Indiana and begin his own business, Lucas Welding, in Anderson, Indiana.  Mrs. Lucas handles the financial portion of the business and that allows Robert to be under the hood and loving every minute of it!  He has also taught himself to weld left-handed, providing more flexibility on the job site. 

“Based on my experience,” advises Robert, “I would recommend that the students concentrate heavily on perfecting the overhead and vertical up positions.  If you learn these well, the rest will follow.  When you begin working, speed is of the essence to the employer, and cleanliness, while yet important, becomes  secondary.”

The Combination Structural and Pipe Welding Program at the Hobart Institute can be completed in just 36 weeks.

Contact: