Rex Taylor Says Welding in High Demand

You may have noticed the little tan building at 213 E. Hamilton St. while passing through the neighborhood. It appears to be a quiet spot with not much going on outside. However, when you walk inside, you see multiple work stations set up with various machinery that owner Rex Taylor uses to manufacture parts and products.

“I am currently contracting with T & S Manufacturing, located in Jermyn, Texas. For the past seven years, I have manufactured the Trip Hopper Junior®, producing approximately 14 units a week and building the units from the ground up. I use my equipment to punch holes and cut materials and weld together the feeders. After I build them, I load them on the trailer, and after the trailer is full, I deliver the units to the manufacturer,” Taylor explained when asked about the logistics of his welding business.

The Trip Hopper® that Taylor manufactures is part of the cattle feeder produced by T & S and other parts he makes. Before producing feeding parts, he produced awnings. He contracted with many companies such as A & E Blind and Awning, Wichita Falls Tent and Awning, Century Tent and Awning and North Texas Tent and Awning.

Taylor said the welding industry is a vital industry that will be around for a while. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a three percent growth in jobs for welders through 2029, stating that a welder’s expertise will be needed to rebuild the aging infrastructure in the U.S.

“To become a welder, it takes formal training to learn how to set up along with learning the different metals and gases to use. In addition to formal education, it takes a lot of experience,” Taylor said.

Taylor advises students interested in becoming a welder to start by taking the class at Olney ISD. After passing the course, they may opt to look for opportunities to gain experience by working as an apprentice for a welding company. He said it takes a lot of experience to become a good welder.

Before opening Rex Taylor Welding, Taylor was a teacher and principal for 15 years at the James V. Allred Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Wichita Falls.

“I initially came to Olney as the Director of Transportation and Maintenance. While I was in that position, I taught welding on the side, and after I retired from the school system, I taught welding at Olney ISD and opened my welding business,” Taylor said.

Taylor is married to Lucretia, and they have one daughter, Hannah, an accountant at Tower.