34: John King - From Garage Welding to Record-Breaking Builds

In this episode, recorded from the show floor at FABTECH 2025, Shep sits down with John King, the owner of JK Welding in Texas, to share an incredible story of grit, growth, and building a fabrication powerhouse from the ground up.
John takes us back to the early days of his career, working through a string of grueling trade jobs—from oil mopping to HVAC to brick laying—before discovering welding. Once he struck his first arc, he was hooked. Starting out with small garage projects, John quickly found himself choosing between overtime at work or chasing bigger welding opportunities on the side. Eventually, he took the leap and left his full-time job to pursue his dream.
What started as a one-man operation has since grown into JK Welding, a full-capacity, one-stop job shop handling everything from stainless welding and pipe fabrication to skids, commissioned art installations, and more. The shop even holds two world records: the World’s Largest Windchime and the World’s Largest Hex Nut. With rapid expansion underway, including a new location opening in 2026, John’s story shows what’s possible when determination meets opportunity.a
Throughout the conversation, John shares his perspective on what it really takes to be an entrepreneur today, why grit is non-negotiable, and how persistence can turn a spark of interest into a legacy.