[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1238-S1239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING ADVANCED WELDING AND STEEL

 Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, setting out to start a small 
business in America is not for the faint of heart. In many cases, it 
takes a great deal of self-sufficiency and perseverance, and, for most, 
success does not come easily. Success is often built through years of 
hard work, sacrifice, and dedication.
  Today, I would like to recognize a small business from my home State 
of Idaho that exemplifies these very traits. As chairman of the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am proud to 
recognize a Grangeville, ID, small business, Advanced Welding and 
Steel, as the Small Business of the Month for February 2018. This small 
business demonstrates a dedication to producing quality goods while 
providing a unique service. Their story reminds us that, with hard work 
and dedication, Americans can accomplish almost anything to which they 
set their minds. With over 20 years in business, Advanced Welding and 
Steel has served as a great example of the determined entrepreneurial 
spirit found all across Idaho.
  Advanced Welding and Steel's story is the quintessential story of 
American entrepreneurship. Ryan Uhlenkott grew up in a hard-working 
entrepreneurial family. He learned valuable traits such as a strong 
work ethic, timeliness, and honesty while working on the family farm, 
splitting wood for the winter, and helping out at the family water well 
drilling business. While a college student, he worked part time 
sweeping floors in a welding shop, which led to a full-time welding 
job.

[[Page S1239]]

Before he set out on his own, Ryan gained experience in a variety of 
positions across the fabrication industry, including as a crane 
operator, planner, mapper, welder, erecter, and fabricator. After 
receiving certifications in boiler and pipe welding, he decided to 
introduce his own approach to fabrication. He drew upon his knowledge, 
experience, and his innate entrepreneurial mindset in 1998, when he 
founded Advanced Welding and Steel. Ryan started out with one welder 
mounted on the back of a pickup truck. The company quickly grew in both 
employees and capacity, going from a 6,000-square-foot shop in 2003 to 
the current state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot shop with paint booths, 
shot blasters, and a railings shop. A major motivating factor in 
starting his own business was Ryan's desire to spend more time with his 
family. To this day, he considers his family and his employees' 
families to be the center of his business model.
  Today, Advanced Welding and Steel delivers its products across the 
western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company's 
attention to detail in its processes of estimating, detailing, and 
project management has turned the small business into one of the most 
respected fabricators in the region. A team of 15 highly qualified 
professionals work at the company, and over the years, they estimate 
that they have delivered over 15 million pounds of steel to their 
customers. Their hard work resulted in Advanced Welding and Steel being 
recognized in the July 2017 edition of Modern Steel Construction for 
their outstanding work as the prime fabricator for the new student 
center at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. The company is committed 
to excellence in their craft and also to the sustainable use of their 
products, as over 90 percent of the steel they work with has been 
recycled, adding to the overwhelmingly positive impact they bring to 
local Idaho communities.
  The hard-working team members of Advanced Welding and Steel have 
decades of experience in multiple fields within the steel industry. 
Through their commitment to their customers, Ryan's team provides an 
excellent product with exceptional service, and they make a sizable 
impact in the local and national fabricating industry. They ensure that 
their projects are well planned and seamlessly executed. The State of 
Idaho is proud to be a home for small businesses like them who go above 
and beyond in pursuit of the American dream.
  I extend my sincerest congratulations to Ryan Uhlenkott, his family, 
and the entire team at Advanced Welding and Steel. I look forward to 
watching your continued growth and success.

                          ____________________