Doing to Learn: Kade Sweeney Forges His Future Through Welding
Kade Sweeney working hard on a project.
Perkins-Tryon FFA member Kade Sweeney started a small business, Kade’s Kustom Fabrications, where he specializes in custom metal fabrication of livestock equipment.
He started the business in January 2025, but has been welding for a long time. He began by building show displays for cattle shows. However, he later expanded into creating hog pens, gates and other livestock handling equipment. His favorite projects are custom builds because each one requires problem solving and unique designs.
Sweeney chose welding because it is a skill his dad, Ryan Sweeney, and grandpa, Peter Sweeney, taught him at a young age while working on the farm, and it became something they enjoy doing together. He has improved his skills with the help of Kaleb Wood, Perkins-Tryon agriculture instructor. This Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) has helped Sweeney explore future opportunities in welding, fabrication and engineering, as well as career paths that involve those skills.
Sweeney owns Kade’s Kustom Fabrications.
Sweeney works about 20-25 hours per week on his projects, depending on the number of orders he has. He tracks his expenses, materials and profits using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and the Agricultural Experience Tracker (AET).
Welding has made him more responsible because it relies heavily on customer service, which means meeting deadlines and creating quality products. Sweeney’s SAE also taught him that responsibility means making sacrifices. “Mistakes are inevitable, but being able to step back, analyze the situation and find a solution is essential,” he says.
Sweeney with a custom project that he made.
This SAE has opened many doors for Sweeney in the FFA and agriculture world. He has had the opportunity to travel, meet several inspiring mentors and be involved in the National Junior Angus Association, North American Junior Red Angus Event and Oklahoma FFA Association. For Sweeney, being a part of the National FFA Organization means heritage, leadership and opportunity. It has helped him develop essential life skills, such as leadership, public speaking and teamwork.
Sweeney is very passionate about his SAE and wants to continue growing in his fabricating journey. He competed in the agricultural mechanics competition at the Oklahoma Youth Expo and won his class. He is excited to continue pursuing his passion and set new goals along the way.
