HANS LEITNER SUCCESSFULLY BRINGS AUSTRIAN BACKGROUND AND WORK ETHIC TO THE U.S.

“When I arrived in the United States in 1976, I knew very little English.  I had a two-year degree from the Welding Technical Institute in Austria, but it was a struggle to read specifications and blueprints in English,” explains Hans.  “I was working days at SEW Eurodrive, Inc. in Troy and attending a third-shift class at the Hobart Institute.” 

Hans and his wife, Brigitte, had followed her sister and her husband to Troy to establish a home in the United States.  As his English improved, Hans moved to Akron, Ohio, and accepted a job with Reuther Mold & Manufacturing.  Eventually, he purchased the company and Leitner Fabrication. Ltd. was created on March 16, 1996 from the former Reuther-Leitner Fabrication Company.  With over twenty years of experience in the fabricating and welding industry, Leitner, now located in Medina, specializes in the fabrication and welding of axial and radial fans for the utility and power industry for most of the major fan companies in the world. 

Leitner Fabrication knows that their welders are some of the best in this industry.  They currently employ 46 people including 28 welders.

“We expect the welders that we hire to have a high level of skill in various welding processes including gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc, shielded metal arc, and flux cored arc welding,” says Hans.  “They need to be capable of working on virtually any type of welding application.”

The Hobart Institute can assist individuals to obtain the training and skill levels required for jobs like these and can assist companies with certification services to assure that their welders meet the specifications.    

The pay scale for welders here ranges from twelve to sixteen dollars per hour.  Applications at the company range from products containing A36 mild steel to various types of quenched and tempered, high strength steel or stainless steel to those fabricated of any of a variety of specialty alloys including A514, A517, and A588 materials.  

“We have an extensive list of approved weld procedures and qualified welders that can weld on stationary, rotational, and pressure equipment according to code requirements,” Leitner continues.  “Some of the fans we build also require special wear liner material on the blades and centerplates from materials such as AR400 and chromium carbide.”

Leitner Fabrication owns one of the largest balancing machines (110,000- lb. capacity).  The shop continues to grow and has added machining to their extensive list of capabilities. Along with the fabrication equipment, they now own two vertical boring mills, and one horizontal boring mill.  He also owns 50% of Olson & Pugh in the Kent, Ohio facility with 22 employees and a sister company, J & J Fabricators in Columbiana, Ohio, with 20 employees.   

“Our machining specialties, as well as the horizontal boring mill, have given us greater capabilities and the ability to be a one-stop shop for our customers,” says Hans.

Welding, however, was the cornerstone for the successful career of this entrepreneur.   

For further information, visit Leitner Fabrication web site at http://www.leitnerfab.com