Sparks Will Fly

The story of a music composition student turned welder who built a fast-growing firm from the ground up

By Melinda Green / Photos By Leonardo Carrizo

David Bullivant, CEO, Founder, and “Head Dude” of Yellow Weld, is out to disrupt the welding industry—although he might not say it in those words.

In two and a half years, Yellow Weld has made a name for itself, not only through its residential and artistic work, but also through its fresh approach to business development. That latter part, Bullivant’s forte, is truly what sets the firm apart from the crowd.

Bullivant first came to Columbus to study writing and musical composition at OSU. Learning a trade seemed like a sensible tool in his toolbelt, and he began welding to pay for his classes. He then entered an engineering program, but after about three years of college, he realized that his mind might not be compatible with formal education after all.

“Leaving school was a blessing in disguise,” he said. “I honestly worked like a dog for a long time, and leaving school was kind of the [solution] in the distance that I was trying to cover. It was hard to make that decision, but ultimately it was exactly what I needed.”

Bullivant started a career as a welder, but soon realized that welding alone wouldn’t be enough. “I knew I didn’t want to weld until I was old and my back hurt. I wanted to find something I could mature into and find myself exiting gracefully.”

Sean Sanders and David Bullivan in the Yellow Weld Shop

He started getting curious about prospecting and sales, and worked his way up to partner in another welding firm. “I spent about four years just trying to make that business into what I wanted it to be, and then I kinda came to the conclusion that it wasn’t gonna happen,” he recalled.

When he and his colleague, Sean Sanders (now known as “First Mate Dude"), found themselves in a tight spot, Sean gave David the nudge he needed, and the two struck out on their own in 2020.

"I owe it to myself to learn to be passionate about all of those aspects"

Bullivant’s home, a small duplex in the Clintonville area, became the headquarters of the new operation.

“It really was tricky for a while,” Bullivant said. The pair picked up mobile work at first, subcontracting with ironworkers and steel erectors for a day or a few weeks at a time. Their big break was assisting with the Chipotle headquarters, earning them some momentum and the ability to put food on their tables.

Meanwhile, Bullivant developed a passion for entrepreneurship and business education through boots-on-the-ground work and listening to podcasts, viewing his firm’s problems as opportunities to research and learn.

“I do genuinely enjoy it; it feels a bit like playing chess against myself sometimes. He knows my every move, so it’s very hard to win. I owe it to myself to learn to be passionate about all of those aspects of what business needs,” he said.

Sean Sanders and David Bullivan in the Yellow Weld Shop

But the biggest thing that allowed him to build a team and scale into the 4,000-square-foot shop Yellow Weld occupies today was building the brand. Why yellow? Why the soaring bird logo? They mean nothing, he says. It’s a clean brand in an industry known for grit and grime.

“[Brand is] one thing that’s deficient in the construction space,” he noted. “Very few companies are thinking about brand, creating content, making themselves accessible, helping people understand not only the work that they do but the art form involved.

“We wanted a place where we could be ourselves and have an enjoyable career. If we can’t do that with a particular client, maybe that’s a client that should get their work done somewhere else. That was a weird choice at the beginning; you feel like you don’t get to make those decisions when you’re just trying to eat, but ultimately, it allowed us to approach our work with a little bit of dignity.”

Yellow Weld Team (Left To Right) Garrett Dearth, Sean Sanders, Collins Laatsch, and David Bullivant

"for a period of time, my work was very invisible to the people around me"

And, also, welding can be an invisible and isolating industry. “It’s so prevalent around us that we’ve kind of become numb to it,” he said. “Almost every product that you touch either was welded, or was made by something that was welded.

“[At one point], I was welding for sixteen hours a day, and I couldn’t tell anybody what my day was like. I think that really informs a lot of the brand we have now, the visibility. That’s important because for a period of time, my work was very invisible to the people around me.”

From blog posts and a willingness to answer questions, to speaking engagements and workforce development initiatives, visibility and education are at the heart of Yellow Weld’s priorities now. “The difference between blue-collar and whitecollar is such a narrow line, and for some reason, people make it more than it really is,” Bullivant noted. “I would love to help people understand the opportunities that are available to them.”

Disruptive? He may not say it that way, but his commitment to branding and reinvention is definitely going to keep shaking up the local welding industry.

To book a consultation or learn more about Yellow Weld, visit yellowweld.com.