Steel Tech's card on their most popular work top table

The story of John, Nancy & Rick Eastburn from Steel Tech Fabrication is not unlike what happens with so many Americans today. John was employed as a heavy equipment operator, earning union wages and doing a great day’s work for a great day’s pay. But with more and more people deciding that imported junk is better because it’s cheaper, more and more Americans are finding themselves without a job. But John isn’t one of those sit around and do nothing kind of guys and told us, “what do you do when you’re in your mid 40’s and you have to start over?” Sometimes the answer is by doing something you love. And John loves old cars and knows his way around the fabricating end of the shop, so he built a portable welding table, posted it on Craigslist and found that the table got a new home within ten minutes. With that immediate vote of confidence he made a few more, and low and behold, they also found new homes within a short period of time.

So John was in business and he had the perfect partner – his wife Nancy who handles the books, orders and website, which means John can focus on what he likes – building the tables. But not just any tables. “We found that a lot of the workbenches provided were not American made, yet still cost more than what customers could afford. My wife and I decided to start this business because we believe the customer should have more options for finding American made products with exceptional workmanship, quality, and great satisfaction, along with affordable prices on products that meet their needs from a garage to workshops.  We can also accommodate our customers on custom-made products, to their specifications, that fit their needs,” explains John.

John & Nancy Eastburn of Steel Tech

So what kind of tables? They can build anything you need from 1” thick machine-surfaced tops to ⅛” thick wood-surfaced tables. “We’ll provide what you need. A good welding table and workbench can be the difference between a lot of frustration, wasted time or another great project,” John says. “Our goal is to provide you, our valued customer, a wide range of high quality American made workbenches, welding tables, portable welding tables, heavy duty tables, with dependable service at affordable prices. Steel Tech Fabrication can provide a great foundation for many of your future projects. We can help you create the workbench, welding table, or heavy duty table to expand your work space, and help you design a workbench to your specifications and provide a no-cost quote on your workbench,” states John.

In talking with John, we got the feeling that he was very proud of the American-sourced parts for his tables and he said even the steel he uses comes from these United States. Furthermore, he welds his joints on the tables rather than simply bolting them together. So, if your project isn’t going the way you’d like it to and you take it out on your table- your table can take it, although this isn’t advised, naturally. Not that this writer has ever, ever had that experience.

Coming to the Pomona Swap Meet has been a great experience with Steel Tech having become known as “the table guys”. One of John’s favorite aspects of Pomona is the ability to get immediate feedback from customers. By keeping his ear to the ground, he gets an idea of what customers need today and what they might need in the future. “It’s a fun place to meet and socialize with people who love the same thing,” John says.

Recently, John found himself in the enviable position of having his business grow to the point that it was difficult to keep up with the orders, but fortunately, there’s another family member who has stepped up – his son, Rick. Now there are three family members at Steel Tech. Of course, the family would love to shake your hand at the next Pomona Swap Meet on Road 27, Spaces 87 and 89, but if you can’t wait to say ‘hello,’ they do have a spot in cyberspace at www.steeltechfab.biz or you can just give them a ring at (951) 808-1284.

No matter where you find them, you can be comfortable in knowing that Steel Tech Fabrication can build you a table or welding bench that’s made by your fellow Americans and will be guaranteed for life.

Map of Vendor Spaces (PDF)

This article was written by Tony Barthel from the Curbside Auto Column and Car Show Calendar. For auto articles, news and an on-line calendar of automotive events, please visit www.curbside.tv.