Alvin Cave stands outside the blacksmith shop at Cave Welding & Ironworks, LLC, 1676 W. State Road 38, Pendleton.
Business: Cave Welding & Ironworks, LLC
Address: 1676 W. State Road 38, Pendleton, IN 46064
Hours of operation: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. (Unless there is an emergency. During planting and harvest season, 24/7.)
Phone number: 765-623-5707
Services provided: Multiple welding procedures, fabricating, iron works (blacksmithing)
Owner(s): Alvin (who answered the spotlight questions) and Mishelle Cave
Number of employees: one full time, one part time
When did the business open? 2016
Do you own/have you ever owned another business? If so, which one(s)? No
How did you get into the business? Started welding in high school and then went to Hobart and graduated in 1986 and I have been doing it ever since.
What aspect of the business do you like most? Please explain: I love to help people, and no job is ever the same. A big thing I really enjoy is being able to get the farmers up and running again when broken down during planting and harvest season.
What are some of the challenges involved with the business? Welding all different types of material from paper thin to 3-inches thick; knowing what process to use; getting to some of the areas that need fixed (ex: in a combine/tight spaces); dealing with the summer heat in protective clothing; dealing with the extreme winter temps
What are your hopes for the business? For my son(s) to carry on Cave Welding and Ironworks, LLC, and also for our schools to encourage the needed trade of welding, since the average age of current welders is 53 years old.
Is there anything else you think people would want to know or find interesting about you or your business? You catch on fire A LOT!
