SEAA Welcomes KC Fab

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) welcomes KC Fab, LLC, Grandview, Missouri, as a new member and the newest addition to its network of SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Training Units and Assessment Sites.

KC Fab joined SEAA specifically to take advantage of the association’s craft training programs as part of its strategy to develop skilled ironworkers from within and create clear career pathways for employees.

• For more information about SEAA’s training programs, visit www.seaa.net.

Established in 2022, KC Fab provides structural steel fabrication and erection services and has grown to more than 30 employees, with plans to continue hiring. Like many fabricator/erection contractors, finding enough qualified craft professionals to support that growth has been a challenge.

KC Fab joined SEAA specifically to take advantage of the association’s craft training programs as part of its strategy to develop skilled ironworkers from within and create clear career pathways for employees.

“Journeymen are hard to come by. We shifted our focus to training youth from area schools and developing our own people with the skills we need,” said Jacob Greene, co-founder and Head of Sales/Estimating for KC Fab.

That strategy is taking physical shape as well. KC Fab is developing a new fabrication shop and training facility on 12 acres in Peculiar, Missouri. Expected to open within the next year, the facility will include an erection training tower where employees can gain hands-on experience in a controlled environment.

Access to SEAA’s training resources was a driving factor in KC Fab’s decision to join the association. The company pursued its Training Unit and Assessment Site credentials now so that its leadership team can begin building the training infrastructure and relationships needed before the new facility opens. The company plans to use the program to strengthen outreach to area schools, introduce young people to ironworking careers, and develop inexperienced workers into skilled craft professionals.

For Greene, an important part of that effort is demonstrating to employees that steel construction can offer a long-term career rather than simply a job.

“I never worked at a company that wanted to invest in me,” Greene said. “If you don’t have this, it appears as if it is a dead-end job.”

Founded in 1972, SEAA is the only national trade association representing the interests of steel erectors, fabricators, contractors, and related service providers. The association promotes safety, education and training programs for steel erector trades, including its Ironworker Craft Training curriculum.

Through NCCER training and assessments, KC Fab can establish defined skill benchmarks and connect employee advancement and compensation to demonstrated competencies. The structure gives employees a clearer understanding of the skills they need to develop and what advancement can look like as they progress.

The SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Training program provides members with craft training options including Ironworker Levels 1, 2, and 3; Reinforcement Ironworker Levels 1 and 2; Rigger; Signal Person; Crane Operator; and SEAA’s custom Fabricator curriculum. SEAA also offers members access to its online SteelPros Training Portal, featuring exclusive ironworker training videos. 

“KC Fab’s approach demonstrates how contractors can take workforce development into their own hands,” said Pete Gum, SEAA’s Executive Director.

“By combining structured training and assessments with outreach to young people and hands-on learning opportunities, they are creating a pipeline that can support both their employees and the company’s future growth.”

• For more information about SEAA’s training programs, visit www.seaa.net.