Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Castle
Hi Ryan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Having spent the first part of my adult life in the military and working with special operations, I learned that there are efficient ways to get things accomplished; during the most calm and the most stressful of environments. We relied on one another, and ourselves to get things done so that the best possible outcome was achieved for all parties involved.
After leaving that life behind, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the world of fabrication and welding, working for a friend who was launching his company and needed my help. I immediately fell in love with the heart of what welding was. You are literally directing an intense amount of electricity into metal, through your hands at a defined point to completely bond two separate pieces of material into one. Everything matters. Settings, angle, position, temperature of material (and it changes as you are welding), speed. It’s such a dance of details if you really want, and need to be good at it.
To make it more complex, you add in the conditions you don’t have control over – hot, being rained on by metal in plasma form which sinks into your skin and sizzles when it hits you – you can’t break weld or flinch when that happens though. Because if you do it will show in the pattern and be there forever.
This feeling, this fortitude that was required, was an instant addiction for me. I needed to be around it every day. After some time, I recognized that there were two types of welders – the ones who did it for the check (which showed in the work they produced), and those who felt the fire of it in their veins. I, was the latter – and I needed to do something about it.
So, I started Maven with the intent to build a team that not only shared the same passion for quality and efficiency, but who show up every day with the tenacity and character you can’t buy.
Maven is more than a company. It’s a family – and the work we are fortunate to produce is done with the same pride one who represents their family would deliver.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As ironic as it sounds, my honesty posed itself as the biggest problem in the beginning. I have always prided myself in my transparency and honesty in the things I put my name on; and the building and contracting industry doesn’t always play by that same set of rules.
Just as any new company has to crawl before it can walk, we had to build a client base, and find a way to get our name out there. The “stereotypical” pitch, claiming that a company did the best work for the best price was used by everyone, and it was about as threadbare in terms of truth as you could imagine. Fighting that uphill battle to be given the opportunity that we truly were different and stood by our word with our work, was the biggest challenge.
We had to gain trust from people who had never heard our names before. And once we were able to secure a job, we had to work harder, better and more honest than the next guy. And we did, time and again.
And we continue to with every job that we are fortunate to have.
We’ve been impressed with Maven Welding & Fabrication, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Maven is a Pandora’s box of world-class welding and fabrication professionals.
At the heart of the company, we are a turn-key service provider of high-end, custom welding and fabrication. With clients ranging from Multi-Million dollar custom homes, to heavy equipment, piping, to NASA launch platforms, our limits know no bounds. We pride ourselfves on being able to take on big jobs, but also able to accomplish the smaller ones at competitive prices.
Regardless of the client’s needs, the level of precision and quality delivered are unmatched in the industry.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
There’s a quote, by Paulo Coelho, that says, “The warrior requires a touch of madness to take the next step.”
The moment I decided that Maven needed to become a reality, was a risk. I had to let go of comfort, of shore, to be able to see bigger things. I now have a workforce who rely on my ability to quote, bid, and maintain relationships so they can put food on their families tables. If I falter, they fall. And I refuse to let that be a concern for them.
Every day is a risk: the companies I partner with, the team that I bring to a site, the projects I bid on. If I don’t produce good work for a client, I’m at risk for a reputation for just that.
In this industry, you get ONE shot to mess up, and if you do, you have secured your placement for not being quality. It’s a risk you have to take every day – but I’m confident that the risks I have taken, and continue to, allow the company to continue to grow. Because my team, trusts one another. And without the trust of those around you when taking a major risk, the rewards are less sweet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mavenweldingfab.com
- Instagram: @maven_welding
