Metal Master Transforms from ‘Art’ into Growing Business

NEW WATERFORD, Ohio — Mike Seabolt started out pushing a broom in a steel mill in 1987. He was fresh out of high school and quickly realized that welders made better money so he set his sights on that. A welding career in the steel industry and foundry supervision and safety management skills would support his family for the next three decades.

Seeing the foundry industry shrinking, however, Seabolt had a hunch he could combine his knowledge of metals and welding with a more creative, hands on approach. Metal Master Custom Art & Fabrication was founded in 2017 \with a plan to design unique metal art and custom fabrication for personal, commercial, and industrial use.

Today Metal Master is run by Seabolt as the artist and president, with support from his wife, Kymberly, and children Matthew, 22, and Kassie, 20, both students at Youngstown State University. In just two years Metal Master has completed projects for Coca-Cola, Century 21, Republic Waste and church signs as well as a number of breweries, restaurants, radio stations, and home and garden art.

What began as a custom “art’ business selling small pieces at church basement craft shows quickly expanded into a demand for custom designs, fabrication and repair.

“To meet demand, we purchased a larger roller to allow us to roll fire-rings in-house,” Seabolt says. “As we enter our third year of business, Metal Master is rapidly moving into online sales through our website and Amazon sales platform. At the same time we are receiving more requests for on-site and local fabrication and look forward to continuing that avenue in 2020.”

The outlook for Metal Master is continued growth in local and regional fabrication services, he continues.

“Our business occupies a somewhat niche market. Commercial and industrial customers are investing in maintaining, repairing, and, in some cases, retooling their infrastructure. We also continue to enjoy participating in local artists venues while the invitation to join the Amazon sales platform has been a real boost to the artistic side of the business,” Seabolt says.

Revenue grew roughly 50% in 2019 over 2018, he reports.

“We continue to donate to a variety of local and regional fundraising activities. We are particularly honored to have donated a four by six foot rendering of the flag raising at Iwo Jima to the Columbiana American Legion Benjamin Firestone Post 290.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.