Telling the story of trades

By Jenny Yu.  

As a guest on the Fabrication Nation podcast, Heidi J. Ellsworth discusses industry media, metal construction growth and the importance of supporting the skilled trades. 

Heidi J. Ellsworth, CEO of The Coffee Shops™, recently joined the hosts of Fabrication Nation for an engaging conversation about the growth of digital media communities in the trades. Produced by Carell Corporation, Fabrication Nation is a radio and podcast program that aims to spotlight the hardworking welders, machinists, fabricators and metalworkers shaping the industry and the country. “They’re the people making our country, period,” said host and radio veteran Rod “The Rod” Cochran.  

Rod and Heidi discussed a shared passion for their work in elevating the trades. During the interview, Heidi shared the origin story behind The Coffee Shops. “My dad was a general contractor, and that's exactly how The Coffee Shops got named,” Heidi said. “In 2002, nobody was on a computer, so we needed a place for contractors to feel comfortable networking online. You know, you could go to the coffee shop with the trucks out front. Now, here we are, online.” 

This resonated with Rod, as his work with Fabrication Nation was also inspired by observing his dad’s work as a fabricator. “He would get up, go to the Waffle House, and he and his buddies would have coffee and talk about the projects they were working on,” Rod shared.  

As time and technology have evolved, so has the digital landscape for construction and fabrication workers. For The Coffee Shops, what started as a physical newspaper with contractor classifieds in the 1980s evolved into a digital space for contractors to convene in 2002. Since its digital rebirth, The Coffee Shops has continued to evolve and expand into sprawling multimedia platforms that include podcasts, webinars, news coverage and industry directories.  

Still, with the evolution of technology and industry trends, the heart of The Coffee Shops remains the same: education, connection and storytelling. “Early on, I saw my dad work on these great projects: bridges, custom homes, etc. He always said, ‘no one really pays attention. No one sees these beautiful fabrications, all the different things that come out of the sheet metal shops,’” Heidi shared. “We wanted to be part of telling that story.” 

Listen to the full interview on Fabrication Nation to hear more about the future of fabrication!