When Morrow Steel welder Matthew Brooks clocks out at the end of a long shift, he doesn’t leave his passion for metalworking at the door. It materializes in the form of fire pits, plant stands, and other ornamental projects welded by hand for his family.
“I don’t know if it’s just the primal thing that happens when you see fire, but I love welding––structural or ornamental,” Brooks says. “I just love it. I go into a meditative flow state, and before I know it, my ten-hour shift is over.”
Brooks entered the workforce during a nationwide financial crisis 17 years ago and found himself stuck for more than a decade in a career he wasn’t passionate about. Now 34 and a new father, Brooks is finally pursuing the path he always wanted––a stable and fulfilling career in the skilled trades.
“I did a year in welding school, and then I spent about eleven years in the culinary field,” Brooks says. “That was terrible. When I graduated in 2008, that was about the only job you could get.”
After leaving the culinary industry and working for a while in interior remodeling, he felt pulled to create something. That feeling led him back to welding.
“That’s why I like the construction trades,” Brooks says. “When you’re done, you get to sit back and say, ‘This is everything I did.’ I have an eight-month-old son, and when he gets older, I can take him to our local aquarium and say, ‘See all these handrails? I worked on these.’”
Brooks hopes to open his own shop one day––and do a little metalworking in his spare time. His philosophy: if you enjoy problem-solving, you can make anything you want.
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This story is part of Visions in Steel: The People Who Bring Designs to Life, exhibiting April 2–4 at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Louisville. Visions in Steel shines a light on the fitters, welders, machine operators, and other professionals the steel industry relies on every day to bring designs from concept to reality. Interested in bringing Visions in Steel to your city or your fabrication shop? Reach out to Hope Hrabowy at hrabowy@aisc.org.