Today we’d like to introduce you to Darrin Toth.
Hi Darrin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Being a convicted felon it was hard for me to get started. Just worked a lot and went to school through jobs that hired me and got all the experience i could. Started welding in my back yard after work and found that there are a lot of lawn services in Florida so i went to a few mower shops and asked if they needed any welding. After a few weeks of asking i got a chance to show what i can do and before i knew it i was repairing mower decks for the local shops in my area as well as the landscape companies that needed their trailers fixed. Alot of the people i welded for would tell me to quit my job and go full time but it was hard to do when i had a good job and no shop to work out of. Eventually I did one repair job at a local shop and realized that there could be an opportunity to get a shop in this location which i eventually did. I left my job and went full time with my welding. Word of mouth spread quickly and i stayed busy. I invested in my business because tools and equipment are very expensive and with this equipment i would be able to do work that other local shops could not do. Now I’m well known in my community and 10 yrs later I’m still in the same place and just as busy. Just because you make mistakes when your younger doesn’t mean you should give up. There are plenty of opportunities just cant give up
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Its been very difficult because the tools and equipment to do this type of work is very expensive. I even had to build my own cnc plasma table to be able to cut metal which saves time and money. I take care of my wife and handicapped step son as well. my wife is not able to work because she cares for he son. Being able to support a home and family as well as a business and shop by myself in itself is very difficult
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have 30yrs welding and fabricating experience in multiple areas of this trade. I worked a few yrs doing heavy fabrication and welding where i built asphalt plants where i learned welding thick and heavy steel. i worked for a conveyor company for a few yrs where i learned alot of stainless welding as well as machine work and electrical work. I also worked many years at a sheet metal shop where i was able to go to college and get my certificates in welding and hvac Sheetmetal. Over the yrs i learned all that i could from all the people in this trade. Im most proud of being able to build a custom fabrication shop from nothing to what i have now by myself. I dont specialize in on thing i do everything from simple repairs to custom builds. I make entry gates for expensive homes, i build handrail in all metals like steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. i build and repair trailers, i make parts on my cnc table as well as art projects here and there. I like variety not the same thing day after day
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
my advice for those starting out and i see this way too much. Learn all about the trade dont just go to school and get out of school and start a business like so many do. I wish i was able to learn more earlier in life
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tothwelding.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tothwelding
