Silver Hawk’s Ongoing Commitment to Fostering Future Talent with Welding Tours
October 2, 2025
Muscatine, IA – Silver Hawk Fabrication recently provided a unique opportunity for approximately 15 students from Eastern Iowa Community College’s Blong Technology Center. The students were given an exclusive chance to gain a comprehensive, real-world perspective on the welding profession, bridging the gap between classroom learning and a professional career.
The tour was arranged by the college’s welding instructors, Megan Edens, Michael Clark, and Katherine Wilcox, following an invitation extended by Jamie Howland, Silver Hawk’s Steel Fabrication Manager and a member of the college’s welding advisory committee.
Silver Hawk’s Welding Tours
The visit was designed to provide the students with hands-on experience and a clear understanding of the expectations when they start doing weld tests and looking for jobs,” said instructor Megan Edens. “This was the very first company visit we had this semester, and Jamie was quick to seize the opportunity. Within about two weeks, we got everything set up, and it’s been a great experience.”
The day was designed to simulate an actual hiring process and showcase the industry’s scope. It began with an explanatory chat from HR Director Edgar Arceo, who detailed the typical interview process for Fabricator positions and the two-part evaluation: a written test and a practical skills test in the fab shop.
Jamie Howland then guided the students through the Hoffmann Group family of companies, including Airoflex, Hoffmann, Wolf, and Silver Hawk. He highlighted how welding is a critical activity in each division, from understanding blueprints to build trailer tippers at Airoflex to using the jumpform technique for silo construction at Hoffmann.
The core of the visit was the hands-on weld test, during which students performed a 3F vertical-up T-joint and a 2F lap joint to American Welding Society (AWS) standards.
“From the welds that I’ve been looking at, yes, it does look like they’re performing pretty decent,” Edens noted. “Thankfully, a lot of this stuff is what we cover within our curriculum. This technically isn’t something new for the students; it’s just in a new atmosphere for a different purpose, which helps bring down that nervousness barrier.”
Beyond the test, the tour was a vital eye-opener. “Coming out here makes them realize that even though it’s a smaller name, they’re still doing some big things,” Edens said, emphasizing the value of exposing students to specialized fabricators like Silver Hawk.
We at Silver Hawk were genuinely impressed by the students’ skill and enthusiasm. We are proud to have enriched their knowledge and showcased the promising career paths in modern fabrication. We hope this experience was just the beginning and eagerly anticipate the possibility of welcoming them back to our team.
