On Air: Fabrication-focused radio bridges the gap between old-school workers and the next generation
Above: The Fabrication Nation crew, left to right: Robbie Jones, Rod Cochran “The Rodman,” Kevin Hannon (standing), Charles Osburn “Chuck,” and Randy Boone “The Dude.” 

December, 2024- Radio is a powerful medium. About eight in 10 Americans ages 12 and older listened to the radio in a given week in 2023, according to the Pew Research Center—a number that has remained relatively stable over the last few years. Recently, in the wake of hurricane flooding, 99.9 Kiss Country in western North Carolina partnered with listeners to help check in on people and connect them to others who could help them with water, food or labor to remove trees and toxic mud. And, in advertising, radio can help reinforce messaging and enhance the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Fabrication Nation features “Talk Shop,” a morning show with Robbie, Chuck and The Dude.

Fabrication Nation radio was created to reach the operators, welders, line workers and mill workers who are building America day in and out, providing music, interviews with industry experts and commentary on lifestyle topics, such as football and hunting.

“We’ll play rock; we’ll play country,” says Rod Cochran, director of marketing and public relations, Carell Industrial Solutions. He is better known as on-air personality Th e Rodman. It’s a little bit of something for everyone in the workforce, that Cochran likes to refer to as “classic hits hybrid” or a “gumbo,” an homage both to the mix of content and the station’s location on the Gulf Coast.

The station has featured interviews with everyone from vice presidents of product development to Liv Taylor Dodge, a top travel welder on offshore vessels who has a total of 2.4 million followers on social media, and the comedian Killer Beaz from the Discovery Channel show “Moonshiners.”

“It’s live with real guests from the entertainment and music industries, but our main goal is to elevate fabricators into rock stars,” Cochran notes. “In this day and age, you have about three seconds to get someone’s attention,” he continues. “You have to meet them where they are.” And fabricators are working in the shop and garage. “They often don’t have time to stop and watch a YouTube video.”

Many companies in the fabricating industry are marketing “from the top down, not from the bottom up,” continues Cochran, “They market to customers who buy the machines but not necessarily to the people who run the machines. But if a product is top of mind with the operators, it’s probably going to be the product they recommend to the company decision-makers.”

PASSION PROJECT

The Rodman has 34 years of professional radio experience, a career that included a morning show in Cleveland on WNCX and a stint at Mobile’s legendary WABD-FM station, in addition to work in marketing. He wanted to create a hybrid station that was part music, part marketing, part informational. Cochran pitched this idea to Carell Corp.’s new owners, who approved and built a studio right in the middle of the shop.

“All these things came together with the fabricating industry and the passion we have for reaching these people—and it’s growing faster than we can keep up with,” Cochran says.

Launched at the 2024 Fabtech tradeshow, Fabrication Nation already is interviewing for more on-air talent and has a lineup of industry movers and shakers who want to join Cochran for guest appearances.

“It really allows us give back to the industry, not only to the workers that are using these machines but also to the companies making the machines. We’re able to spotlight them in a different way.”

Fabrication Nation started out as a tribute to Cochran’s father, Donnie, and his brother Randy. “It was my passion to do something for people who work so hard and who do not get the glory and the credit they deserve. I remember many nights, the phone rang at 2 a.m., and my dad got up, cranked up the old truck and was on his way to the mill because some machine went down. He did it without a second thought,” Cochran says. Fabrication Nation doesn’t have an agenda other than celebrating the American worker.

PERSONAL CONNECTIONS

Marketing outside the traditional channels, whether it’s TikTok or radio, is a way to reach a younger generation of fabricators, says Cochran. “With radio, you become top of mind because it’s part of a potential customer’s daily habits. People want to do business with companies or people they have a relationship with. I’m with you every single day.”

Radio as a medium can feel very personal. “Music touches your soul and means something to you. Whether you’re having a good, bad, funny or sad day, there’s a song for that.”

Listeners connect with the hosts, who talk about their dog, their wife, favorite sports teams and foods. “Therefore, when you talk about a product, it carries a little more weight because you’re someone they know like our morning show, ‘Talk Shop,’ with Robbie, Chuck and The Dude. A lot of the businesses in this industry have a gap when it comes to trying to understand how to market in this new day and age, and that’s what Fabrication Nation does.”

The radio crew plans to include new personalities and perspectives, including a “talking tech” show and a segment dedicated to women in the metals industry. They’ve also discussed a potential “signing day” event for students coming out of trade schools, highlighting the importance and impact of fabrication-related careers.

“There are so many suits that represent our business and there isn’t a lot of focus on the people who use the machines. We want to stress that these are cool careers,” Cochran emphasizes.

Letting workers know that they are visible is what ultimately drives Fabrication Nation. “We see you. We hear you. We know you’re out there, and you are the backbone of America.”

Carell Corp., http://carellcorp.com/

Fabrication Nation, http://fabricationnationradio.com/

 

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