I was 15 when I first caught the bug. Sitting in a Sevier County High School vocational class taught me the basics–stick welding and oxy-acetylene cutting–but more importantly it taught me what I wanted to do with my life.

After high school, I spent the next five years funding myself through a Economics and Business degree at the University of Tennessee and completing the welding program at Tennessee College of Advance Technology (TCAT) via earnings in the off-road fabrication industry. While working for Caterpillar after college, I desired more training so I returned to UT for a Masters in Biosystems Engineering. After a couple of semesters I longed to work with my hands again and made the decision to return to welding. I returned to Catepillar servicing machines on construction sites and coal mines. In a given month I was just as likely to work a quarter of a mile below the earth’s surface as I was a mile above sea level.

In 2010, I brought those experiences and knowledge from my education home and Petty’s Welding Company became a reality. After 20 years of high-quality fabrication, I take every chance I get to practice, perfect, or learn more about the trade I’ve come to love.