AIM Magazine 2016 | Page 68

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Employees of Fig Tree Steel can build their careers and make a good living while helping build communities all over the country . Fig Tree is a structural steel fabricating company that provides the framework for buildings .
Career opportunities at Fig Tree range from welders , painters and forklift drivers to administrative workers .
“ With the right skills and training , you can build a successful and stable career at Fig Tree ,” said Robert Keating , CEO and President of Fig Tree Steel .
Fig Tree began many years ago in Springdale as a small structural steel business before evolving into a major steel fabrication company with 50 employees .
“ We work with major construction contractors in Northwest Arkansas and nationwide ,” Keating said .
The company ’ s projects include commercial and automotive industry facilities , hospitals , hotels and municipal and educational facilities .
Fig Tree makes its products by purchasing steel for its columns , beams , and other parts , and cutting them to size to match the customer ’ s building plans . The process of cutting the steel to size is automated .
“ It ’ s fairly simple to do ,” said Charles Thomas , Production Control Department Manager . “ Our machine can do much more than what we ask of it .”
Thomas , 24 , handles the computer programming for the machine that cuts the steel parts . He was first hired as a programmer but was promoted to Production Control Manager based on his job performance .
The parts have to be sized exactly , with very specific tolerances , Thomas said . He explained that walking the production floor and understanding the entire fabrication process is necessary .
“ You have to understand what will work with what the workers can do ,” Thomas said . “ You are writing the plans for someone else to carry out . Sometimes what works on paper does not work on the floor .”
Thomas has an associate degree , but said a college degree isn ’ t required to be successful at Fig Tree .
“ You could do what I was hired to do without any college ,” Thomas said . “ I took some high school classes in machine shop and Auto CAD ( computer-aided drafting ). That would have been enough without the associate degree . College did help , though .”