Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Meredith Ratledge

Word Master Media Group

In 1972, Phil Fuller set out to start his own business, embarking on a lifelong journey in local manufacturing.

At 19 years old, his determination and passion for welding helped him lay the foundation for what would become Fuller Welding and Fabricators in Mocksville.

More than five decades later, Fuller Welding stands as a testament to his commitment to craftsmanship and the community.

“I went through the Forsyth Technical Community College welding program in 1971. I started this business because I was interested in the welding profession, and now, it’s turned into so much more than that,” he said.

The company creates metalwork, providing custom laser and water-jet cutting and several in-house CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining and fabrication services.

“We’re a full-service metal fabrication and machining operation. We make parts for many industries, like food, medical, transportation, retail, and advertising,” Fuller said.

“We try to give good deliveries and provide quality products in a timely fashion. We give our customers what they want when they need it.”

Phil and Darlene Fuller have been enthusiastic supporters of the Ignite Davie College Promise (ID) program since its inception. Like other partners, they recognized that education is one of the most critical factors in a community’s economic success.

By offering tuition assistance to attend Davidson-Davie Community College (DDCC), ID seeks to raise the educational attainment of Davie students.

By the end of Fall 2023, nearly 350 students had benefited from scholarships that allowed them to attend DDCC tuition-free, enabling them to achieve more than 130 certificates, degrees, and diplomas.

“We’re probably educating students through ID who wouldn’t have the chance for higher education. I want everybody to have the opportunity to improve their future through education.

“I saw firsthand what an education takes and what it does for students, and I want that for anybody who desires to develop this ability and has the drive to do that,” Fuller said.

To date, ID has invested over $300,000 in local students.

“Ignite Davie is set to be one of the most positive things that the people of Davie County have invested in,” said Fuller. “We want to be a part of that. This will be a model program that other counties will try to mimic.”

Fuller Welding became the first ID Employer of Choice. The initiative was designed to encourage businesses to supportID while helping to raise the final $1 million to fully endow the college promise program for future generations.

In addition to benefiting the local community, Fuller believes partnering with ID is simply good business.

“My wife and I decided this was a really good investment for us. And I do see this as an investment; I don’t see this as a donation.

“I want to challenge every business in Davie County to make a contribution to Ignite Davie,” Fuller said.

The Employer of Choice program helps local businesses stay in students’ minds as they enter the workforce after graduation.

“It’s good business for us to try to keep our young people in Davie County – to be educated and work here,” Fuller said.

“We want our students to have good-paying jobs, raise families, and be model citizens right here in Davie County. That’s what we are striving to do with Ignite Davie,” Fuller said.

“As a business that has been here 52 years, we owe it to our county to participate in Ignite Davie and make it a success. We feel that our Lord has blessed us greatly over our 52 years of doing business, and we want to give back as much as we can.”

Fuller Welding welcomes the opportunity to hire ID graduates as well as graduates from any other local welding programs. To learn more, contact them about opportunities.