Tom Young, has been a welder since 1974 and he is known as one of the best. He has shared his experience by teaching and also has recently been called upon as an expert witness in a lawsuit involving a fatal welding accident. American Heli-Arc Welding is a diverse and successful company because Tom Young is a sharp business man with a keen eye, and great respect for talent combined with a solid work ethic. He is a smart man but more importantly a wise one who knows the best business follows the best talent.

Tom founded American Heli-Arc in 1983 and has created a Houston leader in Industrial and Specialty Welding.

Pictured here with Tom is Bubba, a Hyacienth Macaw, who often hangs out with the guys at the shop.

At the age of 13 Chris Williams began sweeping up and helping with whatever he could at the shop after school and on weekends and came aboard full time after he finished school. He still loves coming to work every day. As he puts it, “I get to play with fire and power tools all day long!” Chris does a lot of the industrial welding that is the bread and butter of the business but also enjoys doing creative, artistic work.

Chris is pictured here on a Custom Chopper built by American Heli-Arc.

From the 1950's through the 1970's there was an elite group of tradesmen who were required to have an exceptional attention to detail to weld exotic metals - they were known as Heli-Arc Welders. This process caught Tom Young's eye and he began Heli-Arc welding in the mid-1970's. In the 1980's The American Welding Society - the governing body of the welding industry - changed the name to Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding to better describe the unique welding process. The name was changed again in the 1990's to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). Tom named his company American Heli-Arc as a tribute to the process that first attracted him in the '70's.

Tom Young and Chris Williams knocking the ball back and forth in a daily tradition.

There is an old saying, "When life hands you lemons make lemonade!" Those words were taking to heart at American Heli-Arc to create this unusual "piece of a Caddy".

It all started when a 1958 Cadillac Deville sitting abandoned in a lot caught Tom Young's eye. After passing by it several times he made a call to see if it was for sale. Imagine his delight when he was told he could have it for free if he paid to have it hauled. Excitement mounted as the flatbed pulled into the driveway of the shop and then came the rest of the story but not the rest of the car because there was only half a car on the truck! It was as if someone had popped a line straight down the middle and cut the car in half.

This was a REAL LEMON being handed to the guys but in "making lemonade" fashion they got curious about it and through research discovered the other half of the car was an art project for Princes Hamburgers. Now the question was what was American Heli-Arc going to do with the other half?

The first idea was to cut it down and hang it on the side of the shop as a sign. Tom put Chris Williams on the job of cutting out all the interior, welding up the doors and cutting the top off. Towards the end of the cutting, welding and grinding they realized the car was way too cool just to hang on the side of the building.

Taking a new direction they welded on hubs so the wheels would work and then added extra wheels on the back to make it portable. The finished product, pictured here, has been to many bike shows, car shows, festivals and other events where it is always a hot topic and crowd pleaser for photo ops. Not only is it an interesting piece of art but it also served as a learning tool for Chris to hone his welding and grinding skills.

This half of the Cadillac has put tons of smiles on the faces of the many people that have taken their picture behind it. So next time you see us at an event grab your camera, put on your best smile and take the Caddy for a drive!