When Bill Thrailkill purchased All Metals Fabricating in 1978, he had a mission: to create a better future for his family, employees, and customers. The Thrailkills have worked tirelessly through three generations to build a business model that puts people over profit.
Recently, the impact of that work became clear when AMF hosted an open house to celebrate the company’s 70th anniversary. As friends and family (i.e., employees and customers) entered our Texas sheet metal shop, the AMF team welcomed them with warm smiles and open arms. Toward the back of the shop was a small sign inviting people to provide testimonials of their experience with AMF.
In that humble meeting room, employees and customers alike confirmed the success of AMF’s people-first business model. We’ll share some of those testimonials in this blog post. But first, let’s explore what it means when we say we put people first.
Our employees and their passion for excellence in precision sheet metal fabrication are the beating heart of AMF. Our leadership team is deeply invested in the welfare of our employees and strives to take care of them through good times and bad.
When our Director of Operations, James Amigh, was hospitalized for pancreatitis and received a devastating cancer diagnosis at the same time, we kept him on the payroll. We ensured he continued to feel like a part of the family through his recovery.
“All Metals stood beside me the whole time,” James says. “I’ll never be able to repay them for what they’ve done to help me and my family.”
“We do things that might not seem like good business sense from the outside but really are. It can be counterintuitive,” says CEO Lance Thrailkill. “For example, we let our employees work up to 20 hours of overtime, as long as we have enough for work to justify it, because we want them to make more money.”
Our overtime practices may seem extreme, but they give our employees the freedom to earn more money and become more skilled at their jobs. We don’t expect immediate returns on business decisions that put our employees first because we know the long-term benefits of a loyal, experienced team are invaluable.
“All Metals is a place where I can grow as a professional and as a person, too,” says Jairo Herrera, who’s worked at AMF for 30 years. “It’s a great opportunity for me.”
Our faith-based approach to business means that even when times are tough financially (as has been the case for many shops in recent years), AMF values people over profit and takes care of our employees first. Despite losses at times, we have still distributed bonuses, completely covered employee healthcare, and maintained our 15% 401k match.
“All Metals is a family environment,” says Alma Arredondo, who’s worked in hardware assembly at AMF for 23 years. “Everyone is there to help you, and working here makes you feel good.”
This proven practice of prioritizing our people over profits results in a high average employee tenure, which indicates a strong, loyal workforce. Some of our employees have been with us for over 40 years, reflecting a mutual, deep-rooted commitment to the company’s success.
“When we put our employees first, they want to put the company first and represent us well,” says Lance. “And by doing so, they’re putting the customer first.”
When customers work with AMF, they’re often blown away by the difference our people-first philosophy makes. Our goal is more than producing great parts—we aim to ensure high customer satisfaction and a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.
Our leadership team and employees go above and beyond for our customers—it’s not uncommon for someone in leadership to lend a hand on the production floor for a rush order. Each person’s attitude and work ethic reflect our company's value of doing Whatever It Takes, and customers can be assured that everyone we hire is willing to do just that.
AMF’s business philosophy is built around understanding and meeting the real needs of our customers. But don’t take our word for it—hear it from our customers.
Gary Hofer, Motus Labs: “We’ve been working with All Metals for 25 years. They do great work, and I trust them. When we were having challenges with the parts we needed, All Metals invested in the equipment necessary to do that. We worked as a team to make the parts succeed.”
John Lanzillo, Zonk Group: “All Metals really takes care of their people, and that makes all the difference. I’ve been through a lot of sheet metal sales in my life, and I’ve seen all kinds of companies, and these guys do everything right. They take care of their customer.”
Brandon Boyd, Comco Systems: “Billy told me that we are All Metals longest standing customer, and we have been with you guys since the beginning (of the Thrailkill’s ownership). Overall the quality is far superior compared to other manufacturers that we have worked with., and that’s what keeps us coming back.”
Bob Lanzillo, Zonk Group: “The first thing I noticed when I started bringing customers here is that everyone working at All Metals has a smile. Everybody wants to be here, and it looks like they love their job. When you bring a customer in, and they can see that on the floor, it makes the sale so much easier.”
Gary Capps, OEM Electrical Supply: “It comes down to family values. When I was introduced to the All Metals team, I recognized that they do things differently. They’re always willing to help, and they’re motivated by more than just the bottom line—they want to help, and they want to make it work.”
At AMF, providing precision sheet metal fabrication services is more than a contractual obligation. We uphold Bill Thrailkill’s original intentions for AMF by valuing our employees and customers as people, and we excel at our work so that every person involved with AMF may find success.
Our recent open house solidified our past and current successes, but as always, we’re looking toward the future. If you want a Texas sheet metal shop that puts your needs first, request a quote today.
