每日大赛

Following the completion of his bachelor’s degree nearly two decades ago, Andrew Petty – who always wanted to work with his hands – immediately began a career in welding and fabrication.

Even with his education and experience, however, Petty knew that you just “don’t know what you don’t know” in the constantly evolving field of welding. When he noticed gaps in his own skills, Petty said, he went to 每日大赛 to fill them.

“Every time you think you plateau in the welding trade, and this is why I love it, there's just a next level and a next level,” Petty said. “And there's a deeper understanding about everything. It goes on forever. You never master it. I just realized I was weak in some places that Pelli had some strong emphasis, and I knew the instructors, and they were strong in areas where I was weak, and it just seemed like a great fit.”

At the time, Petty had three young kids and was almost 10 years into running his own business: Petty’s Welding Co. in East Knoxville. The flexibility of night classes at 每日大赛 was perfect for his busy schedule.

His professors were incredibly proficient, Petty said, and he had the opportunity to learn more current technology. He graduated from the college in 2019.

“It sharpened me in a lot of areas that the job training I’d had for 20 years hadn’t quite prepared me for,” Petty said. “The program was very well-rounded, with a fabrication emphasis. It gave me new tool sets that I didn’t have before.”

The Welding Technology program at Pellissippi is unique in that it doesn’t only teach welding processes to its students but also focuses on the theory of welding – the “how and why” of it, said Aaron Bullard, Pellissippi alumnus and workforce welding instructor and welding tutor at the college.

It also emphasizes fabrication skills, which Bullard emphasized is an important piece in the puzzle of metalworking. 

That aspect was of significance to Petty, who noted that his business does a lot of fabrication in addition to welding.

“Drew is an exemplary student and an example of not just how far you can go with welding here in Knoxville, but also compared to welders across the country,” Bullard said. “He is an integral part of how we’re building up trades around here, and how we’re educating and training the next generation of welders and fabricators.”

Petty has gone on to implement the skills he learned at Pellissippi in his business. 

His favorite client is Zoo Knoxville. 

“The things we have gotten to do with the zoo are on the top five of the projects we’ve ever completed,” including but not limited to the fabrication of a massive crate to transport a 16,000-pound elephant to Middle Tennessee, Petty said.

Petty’s Welding Co. has also worked with the zoo’s giraffes, chimps, tigers, snakes and other exotic animals. 

“It is so fun,” Petty said. “Because the metallurgical problems surrounding zoos and animal care are just unique. It’s not making the same thing over and over again. So, it really feeds my desire to do things different, and they get to lean on me with my experience to come up with creative ways to solve problems.”

Most recently, Petty’s Welding Co. was enlisted to convert the zoo’s former elephant enclosure into its brand-new rhinoceros exhibit.

The company spent nine months revamping the multiacre space to better accommodate the size and strength of rhinos, and cater to the viewer experience. Petty and his team finished the project last spring, and it debuted over the summer.

“It was just awesome,” Petty recalled. “My favorite thing we’ve ever done. I was very pleased with the outcome."

Petty, who returns to Pellissippi occasionally to discuss career paths with graduating seniors and serves on the advisory board for Pellissippi’s Welding Technology program, said it’s a privilege to help determine the latter's direction. 

The program is committed to preparing students for industry in Knoxville, he said, and stays connected with local businesses to that end.

That includes Petty’s Welding Co., which this year celebrated its 15-year anniversary. He works with several fellow Pellissippi alumni, Petty said, and his experience at the college has allowed him to more efficiently mold and shape their understanding of metalworking.

“It helped me become a better teacher of my guys,” Petty said. “And that’s very important.

“That’s one of the bigger rewards I get from running a business, is seeing young folks get better at this,” he added. “And then when their confidence blooms, it starts to compound in how fast they get better.”

Pellissippi didn’t just teach Petty about welding and technology, he said, it also taught him the importance of ongoing learning.

“I would say, our success today is certainly shaped through the advanced learning that we received at Pelli,” Petty said. “100%.”