WHITE HOUSE, Tenn. (WKRN) — From Disney World to museums in the nation's capitol, along with airports and hotels across the country, thousands of people see the work of employees at a Robertson County business every single day.

"I think people, even within the community, don't really know what Tate Ornamental does and how far out reaching we are," said company president Joey Tate. "Museum of the Bible, the Holocaust Museum, the African American Museum, the Air and Space Museum. We just finished up. We just opened up Epic Universe in Florida. Locally, we did the convention center, we've done the W Hotel. All of Belmont University's work has been amazing. Belmont has been an amazing customer for us. Vanderbilt University, we just opened the south end zone, all their suites and all their expansion going down there, their basketball facility, their dorms."

Tate Ornamental is headquartered in White House, and it's a one-stop shop for design, fabrication, installation and freight.

"We have about a 95% repeat business. We've kind of grown organically. We don't do a lot of advertising. Our customers take us where they go. We've been to Hawaii. We've been into Puerto Rico. We've been a little bit of everywhere."

They've been in business since 1988, now offering metal, wood and stone fabrication. Their specialty is creating beautiful stairs, canopies and handrails.

"I think we've always done quality work. The bigger we've grown, the harder it's been to maintain that quality. But we we're still trying to be the best there is out there," said Tate. "The employees. We have just great people that are great communicators and appreciate the customer."

Tate takes pride knowing their big business started small.

"My dad and his brother had started a company called Tate Fabricating in 1969 and my whole life, my dad said, Don't come and do this business. There's easier ways to make money," he recalled. "I had a brother get killed in a car wreck, and when he got killed, I came home for the summer, and my dad and I decided we wanted to be together."

And, they're still together all these years later as the company has grown from five employees to around 300. Over the summer, Tate Ornamental announced a $12 million investment to expand operations in Robertson County.

"We want to grow another 25% over the next two to three years. We just bought another little facility next door here that we're going to help open up a daycare and to be able to help our employees, because it's when I mean number one, it's hard to get your child in daycare," said Tate. "So we're wanting to partner up with a young couple and help them open up a daycare system and help our employees and help the community as well."

Tate explained the talent pool they value so much, with the work ethic of a farming community, is getting harder to find and keep.

"The biggest challenge has always been the help just trying to get the skilled labor. There's an old saying that fabricators don't go broke, they die, and it's hard to replace those older people with their work ethic and their capabilities."

He said they're working to help the next generation see the value in helping continue taking their family business to new heights.

"We use a lot of welders, but we're not a welding company. We're an ornamental metal fabricator, so we like to think our employees are artists," said Tate. "If there's people out there that don't know how to express themselves in an artful way, we think the millwork industry, the stone business and the ornamental metal business, is a great way."

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/tate-ornamental-fabricating-legacy/