KC Fab Expands Ironworker Training in Missouri

KC Fab, LLC, a structural steel fabrication and erection contractor based in Grandview, Missouri, has joined the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) as part of an effort to develop skilled ironworkers and create career pathways for its employees.

Established in 2022, KC Fab has grown to more than 30 employees and plans to continue hiring. The company said finding qualified craft professionals to support that growth has been a challenge.

“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.

KC Fab joined SEAA to access the association’s craft training programs and is becoming one of its SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Training Units and Assessment Sites. The company pursued the credentials as it begins developing the training infrastructure and relationships it will need for a new facility.

KC Fab is developing a fabrication shop and training facility on 12 acres in Peculiar, Missouri. The facility is expected to open within the next year and will include an erection training tower where employees can gain hands-on experience in a controlled environment.

The company plans to use SEAA’s training resources to strengthen outreach to area schools, introduce young people to ironworking careers, and develop inexperienced workers into skilled craft professionals.

Greene said the company also wants to show employees that steel construction can provide a long-term career.

“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.”

Through NCCER training and assessments, KC Fab can establish skill benchmarks and connect employee advancement and compensation to demonstrated competencies. The structure is intended to give employees a clearer understanding of the skills they need to develop and the potential advancement opportunities available as they progress.

The SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Training program provides members with 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 provides access to its online SteelPros Training Portal, which includes 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 SEAA’s website.