While there’s a story behind everything in this historic building, perhaps one of the most surprising stories is linked to a small welding shop just off U.S. Highway 71 in Auburn.

The metal artistry that graces the interior of the Community Memorial Building is the creation of a local welder, Tanner King. He is just as skilled at welding farm equipment as he is at designing high-end decor for businesses and homes.

“I’m booked a year out with all kinds of projects,” said King, 28, an Auburn native who owns Martin’s Welding.

If you drive past his metal building at 104 W. Second St. in Auburn, there’s a good chance there’s a swine manure tank parked nearby. There might be a corn reel out front. But step inside Martin’s Welding, and the giant, silver palm tree by the front door hints that this is more than a typical welding shop.

-Photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Eye-catching Martin’s Welding creations include the giant cattails and metal wildlife in the pocket park along Main Street in downtown Sac City.

King and his team handle a wide range of jobs, from fixing manure tanks and farm equipment to creating larger-than-life insects, trees and other eye-catching creations for parks, trails and public spaces around west central Iowa. About 50 percent of King’s business involves traditional welding projects, while 50 percent includes artistic jobs.

King’s reputation for quality and creativity is spreading. In 2021, he shipped a truckload of finished products to a customer in the Kansas City area.

“I like the traditional and artistic aspects of the business,” said King, who started his full-time welding career in 2011 after graduating from East Sac High School. “There’s always something different to work on every day.”

Grandfather inspired

King’s career

King learned the art of welding from his grandfather, Martin Erickson, who started Martin’s Welding in 1955. King also fine-tuned his welding skills in high school and learned a lot from his father, Lonnie, who runs an auto body shop.

King’s work can be seen throughout west central Iowa, from the bicycle arch over the Sauk Rail Trail in Lake View to the distinctive, tall, metal Macke Motors sign along Iowa Highway 175 near the dealership in Lake City.

Other eye-catching Martin’s Welding creations include the giant cattails and metal wildlife in the pocket park along Main Street in downtown Sac City. He crafted the oversized metal butterflies and bald eagle perched near old Highway 20 at the east edge of town. Don’t forget the 28-foot-tall, stainless-steel dandelions that are illuminated at night near the Sac City Aquatic Center.

“Those dandelions weigh 1,600 pounds apiece,” said King, a self-taught drafter who can design a wide range of items inspired by his customers’ requests.

Customers praise King’s craftsmanship

King and his three employees work in the same welding shop that King’s grandfather built after his original shop burned down in 1986. King even uses some of the same equipment, including a vintage power hammer, that his grandfather used before he passed away at age 87 in 2014.

King and his crew also rely on modern equipment, including a computer numerical control (CNC) plasma table that cuts metal with precision.

“All the tree leaves we make are cut on this machine,” said King, referring to the tall, metal trees he has created for the Grant Park Trail and other projects.

The level of detail required to craft projects like this is extraordinary. The giant dandelions, for example, can include up to 20,000 little pieces.

Custom creations aren’t limited to giant flowers, trees and insects. Martin’s Welding works on trucks and equipment from Midwest Coatings, a company from Modale that has developed a one-pass process for sealing cracks in the highway.

Homeowners also turn to Martin’s Welding for a variety of needs, from porch railings to metal interior staircases and other projects.

“Tanner is such a meticulous, skilled craftsman,” said Diane Sommerfeld, of Lake City, whose family owns a number of Martin’s Welding creations, including a palm tree, a Christmas nativity scene and a deck railing featuring their last name. “His work is outstanding.”

The wide variety of projects Martin’s Welding handles keeps expanding.

“Sometimes we’re fixing things, sometimes we’re fabricating everything, and sometimes we’re focused on detail work,” King said. “There’s always something new.”