Lots of fab shops around Nashville, big construction outfits that have their own welders to fix equipment, do highway work type of welding. Couple pipeline welding places as well, Bush Pipeline I think is one but never worked there, never talked to anyone that worked there. Trinity Marine is northwest of Nashville, build barges. Don't know how they pay, how the job is, never worked there. Heard stories about it positive and negative. Army Corps of Engineers if you can get on with them working on a barge doing dam repairs and stuff. Some of the big contractors, Ikon, Rogers Group, W.L. Hailey(I think), Jones Bros., Civil Constructors(I believe), not sure which one hires welders or uses welders, never worked with either, wait, fixed a gate for Ikon, that's about it. Mechanical companies are a good place to look too, most are to cheap to hire a contract welder and they are always looking for a guy to hire to weld mechanical piping. There's a big outfit in Nashville that I have heard is really good but I can't remember the name right now. I'll try to find it but don't see their trucks because I don't work in or around Nashville much anymore.
Ivey Mechanical and John Bouchard & Sons are two that I know have their own welders. There is another place in Nashville that builds stages for the big music folks, heard of them and talked to somebody once, ran into them somewhere, but don't have any clue what the name was. There is a Caterpillar dealer in Lavergne that has a full on welding shop. Pretty good place to work for, full bennies, good pay, $18 an hour when I left 12 years ago so I'd say it is higher now. I know the shop foreman in the machine shop over there but have not talked to him in years, just have not been over that way in forever. There is also a company that manufactures rock machines around that same area, Antioch. I checked on a welding job with them once and they do repairs all over the place as the company is worldwide, Wirtgen America Inc., is the name. Duck Welding, small machine/welding shop, Hamilton Machine, small welding/machine shop and Industrial Machine and Tool are places that I've been to once or twice in my travels but never worked there or really talked to anybody about life as an employee there. All of the ones I've listed are companies large enough to most likely offer some sort of healthcare benefits. Caterpillar has 401k, retirement plan and more.
All inbound interstates, I40, I24, I65 are awful messes in the mornings coming into Nashville. Been on the road for most of this year and when I came home in March took some local work in Nashville and realized how much I hated driving to Nashville in the mornings. Driving in from Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, Donelson, Hendersonville, Franklin traffic gets heavy around 6-6:30, awful at 7:00 and even worse the closer you get to town. Where to live, anywhere I guess. I lived in East Nashville for a year or so, then south Nashville. Westside, Franklin, Brentwood are the big money areas I guess. An old country boy though so I got the heck out as soon as I could.
That's about all I've got. Was a mechanic for 18 years on Cadillacs to Caterpillars, Detroits, Cummins....and more. Jumped off into welding after being laid off and going to school. It's possible, going in to weld as an employee would be so much easier than what I did though. Good luck!!
Shawn
Good morning;
Although a degree in welding it is not a golden ticket, I believe it can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Most places, if not every place, will have you test to there procedure before hiring you on. Doing well in school will give you at the least entry level skills; probably more. Going in willing to hire on as a helper shows your willingness to learn; a great asset in my opinion. Listen to the more seasoned welders. Watch how they accomplish a task. Don't be afraid to pick their brains. Most will happily share if asked. I'm not in the Nashville area but think a few people on the forum are from the area. They may have a few ideas. Keep visiting the forum. There is a wealth of information here and a great but of gentleman willing to share. Best of luck with your chosen path.
Have a good one;
Matt