Clinton Cox of Cox Brothers Machining, located near Jackson, Michigan, was struggling to pass the American Welding Society-Certified Welding Inspector (AWS-CWI) examination when he first heard of the training offered by Hobart Institute.  He had twice received a CAWI, but wanted the full CWI when he decided to participate in the Preparation for the AWS Certified Welding Inspector/Educator Examination Course offered by HIWT.  After taking the two-week class, he increased his scores considerably and passed the exam. 

In addition, he learned a lot and Clinton has since returned to the Institute to take the Liquid Penetrant & Magnetic Particle Inspection Course.

“I work in my family-owned business,” explains Clinton, “and I told my dad to forget about giving me a raise – just send me back to Hobart instead!  I would like to take as many additional classes as possible.  The more that I can learn in class, the more prepared will be to face the many difficult challenges that are no doubt ahead of me.  No other schooling has prepared me more specifically for my day to day work than Hobart”

The education along with having an AWS certified welding inspector on their company staff will open new doors for the growing business which is owned by Russell and Teri Cox.  Cox Brothers fabricates structural steel for highway bridges in one building and maintains a sandblasting and painting operation in another building.  They are endorsed by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) for Simple Steel Bridges and Sophisticated Paint operations.  In addition, they meet or exceed bridge codes set forth by the State of Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

During their busy times, they employ 29 people with ten of those being welders. 

“I am an only child,” explains Clinton, “but it is like having one big family.  Everyone cares about their work and employees work together, to help one another produce the best possible product.  We believe that no one in our shop wants to produce bad work; we all strive for the best.  But, inevitably it’s going to happen, and when it does, it comes down to knowledge and experience.  We want the employee to know the reason why something is not acceptable and try to work with them to fix it, not just shoot them down over it.  Once they understand and learn from their mistake, it almost never happens again.  We believe this philosophy works and it falls right inline with our mission statement:  Building a parallel path to success for CBM and it’s employees by exceeding the expectations of our customers.” 

Cox Brothers works mainly with structural steel using the GMAW, FCAW-G, SAW, SMAW and SW processes.  They also perform a small amount of gas tungsten arc welding.  Clinton has worked in many of the various job positions in the past, but is mainly working with building a top notch inspection program at the current time. 

“I have enjoyed the training I have received at Hobart, and attribute my success passing the CWI exam to that training, as well as supporting parents.  I will be back when time permits, but it is often difficult to get away from the office as we have been pretty busy lately,” he says. 

His father handles the company operations and his mother works in the office, staying up-to-date on the various codes while managing accounting and other business functions as well. 

You’ll find Cox Brothers Machining in the south central part of the state at 7755 King Road, Spring Arbor, MI 49283 or by phone at (517) 796-4662 .