Careers

In preparation for a painting project, auto body painters remove rust and other debris from surfaces to be painted, fill cavities and dents in vehicles to create an even surface, mask or tape off details and components to avoid contamination and select the proper colors and substances for the project. The painting process involves using paint sprayers and brushes to apply paint to a vehicle, determining the necessary application of paint for a thorough coat and checking for runs or sags in the paint to ensure a quality product

Job Duties

• Mix, tint and blend automotive paint based on the application.
• Spray/apply the paint to medium and large trucks in a down draft paint booth.
• Ensure that the final product is up to standards set by Valew. Follow directions from shop foreman of daily tasks.
• Mask or tape off details and components to avoid contamination and select proper colors and substances for the project.
• Ability to use paint sprayers and brushes to apply paint to a vehicle.
• Determine the necessary application of paint for a thorough coat and check for runs and sags in the paint.
• Accurately masks and protects parts that are not to be painted.
• Inspects painted parts for quality of workmanship, noting any issues and resolving them immediately.
• Maintains tools and keeps equipment and workspace clean
• Cooperates and assists other employees in repairing and prepping vehicles.

Qualifications

Education: HS Diploma or GED Equivalent; two or more years of work related Experience

Some on-the-job experience on getting vehicles ready for paint.

Key Competencies

• Attention to Detail
• Time Management Skills

Physical Requirements

Significant standing, walking, moving, climbing, carrying, bending, kneeling, crawling, reaching, handling, pushing, and pulling. Ability to lift articles up to 100 lbs.

Pay Rate

$24-34/hour. Wage may be negotiated based on experience and approved by the upper management.

Location: Valew – Texas Facility Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

Valew is looking for a motivated and dependable Machine Operator / General Shop Worker to join our Texas production team. This is a dynamic role designed for someone who thrives in a hands-on environment and is eager to develop technical skills in the manufacturing and truck body industry.

You will start with core material processing and shop support, with a clear path toward mastering specialized machinery. If you are a "fixer" by nature and take pride in seeing a project through from raw steel to a finished product, you’ll fit right in.

Key Responsibilities

• Material Processing: Measuring, cutting, grinding, and prepping raw materials (primarily steel).
• Machine Operation: Learning to safely operate and maintain shop equipment such as laser, press-break, plasma and robots.
• Shop Support: Assisting fabrication and assembly teams by moving parts, organizing workstations, and ensuring the shop floor remains safe and efficient.
• Quality Control: Checking finished parts for accuracy and defects to ensure every component meets Valew’s high standards.
• Safety Compliance: Strict adherence to all PPE requirements and safety protocols to protect yourself and your teammates.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience: Previous experience in a warehouse, construction, or manufacturing setting is preferred but not required. We are willing to train the right candidate.
• Technical Aptitude: Ability to read a tape measure accurately and a basic comfort level using power tools.
• Physical Stamina: Ability to stand for long periods, lift up to 50 lbs, and work in a non-climate-controlled shop environment.
• Mindset: A strong "safety-first" attitude and a genuine desire to learn new mechanical skills.
• Reliability: Punctuality is critical; our production line depends on every team member being present.

Pay Range $18-$21

Inventory Control Specialist

Location: Graham, TX

Company: 1954 Manufacturing (Valew Family of Companies)

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Overview

1954 Manufacturing is seeking an organized, tech-savvy, and detail-oriented Inventory Control Specialist to manage material flow and parts tracking at our Graham, Texas facility. In this role, you will play a vital part in keeping our production floor running smoothly by ensuring material counts are accurate and parts are available right when our fabrication teams need them.

The ideal candidate must possess excellent computer skills and have direct experience navigating specialized inventory management software. Because our Texas location relies heavily on Fishbowl Inventory software, proficiency or prior experience with Fishbowl is strongly preferred. Additionally, because this position interfaces directly with warehouse stock and heavy fabrication parts, being forklift trained is required.

Key Responsibilities

• Inventory Software Management: Utilize Fishbowl Inventory software daily to input, track, update, and manage raw materials, parts, and fabricated components.
• Data Integrity & Reporting: Maintain precise, real-time records of stock levels, material consumption, and incoming shipments; ensure zero discrepancies between physical inventory and the digital system.
• Cycle Counting & Audits: Lead regular physical cycle counts and inventory reconciliations on the production floor.
• Material Handling: Safely operate a forklift to move, organize, stage, and store heavy parts, steel shipments, and raw materials throughout the facility.
• Receiving & Quality Control: Verify incoming material shipments against purchase orders and packing slips for accuracy and quality before logging them into the system.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the purchasing, shop floor management, and assembly line teams to anticipate material shortages and minimize production downtime.

Qualifications & Skills

• Equipment Certification: Forklift trained and certified (or the ability to quickly re-certify). Must have a proven track record of safe industrial equipment operation.
• Software Expertise: Proven experience using Fishbowl Inventory software is highly desirable. Experience with similar ERP/MRP platforms combined with a fast learning curve will be considered.
• Technical Proficiency: Excellent computer skills are a must. You should be highly proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) and comfortable mastering new digital workflows quickly.
• Experience: 2+ years of dedicated experience in inventory control, warehousing, or materials management—ideally within a manufacturing or heavy fabrication environment.
• Detail-Oriented: Exceptional organizational skills with a hawk-eyed focus on numbers, SKU codes, and tracking data.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to move around a busy manufacturing shop floor, stand for extended periods, and lift up to 50 lbs as needed to verify stock.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay based on experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance).
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Paid vacation time.
• A stable, family-first company culture with room for professional career growth.

Pay: $28.00/ HR plus available overtime. Willing to negotiate base salary vs hourly rate

Location: Adelanto, CA

Reports To: Plant Foreman & Production Manager

Position Type: Full-Time

Compensation: $30.00 – $35.00 per hour (Depending on experience)

Job Summary

Valew Quality Truck Bodies is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Paint Department Lead to oversee our commercial truck painting operations in Adelanto, California. This senior leadership role splits time between managing daily paint booth production workflows and working hands-on alongside your team.

You will guide a team of prep techs, sanders, and painters to ensure that all custom commercial truck bodies (including water trucks, dump trucks, and flatbeds) are meticulously prepped, primed, and coated using our signature PPG industrial and automotive systems.

Reporting Structure

• This position reports directly to the Plant Foreman and the Production Manager.
• You will work collaboratively with management to sync the paint schedule with assembly/fabrication timelines and ensure weekly production targets are met.

Key Leadership & Supervisory Responsibilities

• Team Supervision: Assign daily tasks and schedule booth rotations for sanders, prep technicians, and painters; ensure the team stays on track with daily truck delivery quotas.
• Rigorous Quality Control: Inspect prepared surfaces prior to paint application and perform final quality audits on finished products—ensuring zero runs, sags, overspray, or unpainted areas before final sign-off.
• Environmental & Safety Compliance: Enforce strict adherence to all PPE requirements (including mandatory respirator usage, fresh air systems, and paint suits) and guarantee compliant disposal/handling of hazardous waste, thinners, and chemical solvents.
• Equipment Maintenance: Oversee the regular maintenance, cleaning, and troubleshooting of downdraft paint booths, pressure feed spray equipment, hoses, and nozzles.

AQMD Compliance & Record Keeping

• Daily Paint Logs: Maintain detailed, daily operational logs tracking all coatings, primers, activators, and reducers sprayed in accordance with MDAQMD (Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District) rules.
• VOC & Paint Usage Tracking: Accurately measure and record daily paint usage levels to verify the shop stays within daily/monthly VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emission thresholds.
• Filter Change Records: Monitor booth differential pressure and maintain chronological records of intake and exhaust arrestor filter replacements to prove continuous, legal operation.
• Inventory Control: Track physical stock levels of PPG coatings and chemical thinners, cross-referencing usage against Safety Data Sheets (SDS) to ensure required compliance documentation remains current and available on-site for inspectors.

Core Technical Duties (Lead Painter / Sander)

• Surface Preparation: Oversee the removal of rust, slag, and scale, ensuring bodies are sanded down to grey metal before coating application. Ensure precise masking and taping of chassis components, electrical lines, and details to prevent contamination.
• Paint Application: Expertly mix, tint, blend, and apply PPG Industrial Grade Primers and PPG Automotive Paints to medium and large commercial vehicles within a downdraft paint booth.
• Material Mixing: Accurately mix multi-stage paints, activators, and reducers according to manufacturer specifications and ambient weather conditions.

Job Requirements & Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 10+ years of verified automotive, heavy equipment, or commercial vehicle paint experience in a production or high-volume body shop environment.
• Leadership Drive: Proven track record or strong desire to lead, mentor, and build a cohesive team culture on a fast-paced shop floor.
• PPG System Expertise: Deep technical knowledge of multi-stage automotive paint systems, spray gun adjustment, and coating thickness parameters (PPG training or certifications are highly preferred).
• Compliance Mindset: Strong organizational skills with a demonstrated ability to maintain neat, audit-ready paper logs or digital spreadsheets for air quality regulatory compliance.
• Physical Stamina: Ability to spend up to 80% of the shift standing, crouching, or walking inside paint booths, wearing full respiratory protection, and safely lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with OSHA standards and California AQMD regulations regarding spray booth operations and hazardous material handling.

What We Offer

• Competitive hourly pay ($30.00 – $35.00/hr) reflecting top-tier, specialized trade expertise.
• Stable, long-term employment with an American-made, family-owned industry pioneer celebrating over 70 years of business.
• Clean, professional, state-of-the-art down-draft paint booth environment.

Location: Adelanto, CA

Reports To: Production Foreman & Production Manager

Position Type: Full-Time

Compensation: $30.00 – $35.00 per hour (Depending on Experience)

Job Summary

Valew Quality Truck Bodies is seeking a highly skilled, motivated, and experienced Manufacturing Department Lead to join our dedicated team in Adelanto, California. In this senior leadership role, you will work directly on the shop floor while guiding, mentoring, and overseeing our team of assemblers, welders, and fabricators.

You will split your time between hands-on production building high-quality commercial vehicle bodies (including water trucks, dump trucks, flatbeds, and fuel/lube trucks) from the ground up and managing daily department workflows, maintaining stringent quality control, ensuring a safe, efficient production line, and developing employees. The Manufacturing Department Lead serves as the extension of the Production Foreman within the department.

Reporting Structure

• Reports directly to the Production Foreman and Production Manager.
• Works collaboratively with Production Control, Inventory, Parts, Paint and other Department Leads.
• Communicates daily production progress, bottlenecks, manpower requirements and material shortages.

• Serve as the direct mentor and point of contact for assembly, welding and fabrication teams.
• Coordinate daily work assignments based on production priorities and build schedules.
• Partner with management to streamline workflow and eliminate production bottlenecks.
• Inspect fabricated parts, welded components and completed truck bodies to ensure Valew quality standards are met.
• Enforce shop safety protocols, PPE requirements and safe equipment operation.
• Interpret blueprints, specifications and layouts while assisting employees with technical challenges.
• Coach, mentor and develop employees while identifying future leaders.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and maintain a positive, accountable work environment.

• Perform structural welding (MIG/FCAW) and fabrication using saws, ironworkers, drills and cutting torches.
• Fit, install and up-fit assemblies made from steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
• Safely operate forklifts, overhead cranes and coordinate with laser/plasma cutting and press brake operations.

• Meet daily production goals.
• Maintain department quality standards.
• Support zero preventable safety incidents.
• Develop and cross-train employees.
• Maintain housekeeping (5S).
• Communicate issues promptly and accurately.
• Support continuous improvement.

Job Requirements & Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years of hands-on experience in heavy fabrication, manufacturing or automotive industries.
• Proven leadership ability leading or mentoring production teams.
• Advanced blueprint reading and technical knowledge.
• Strong welding, fabrication and mechanical assembly skills.
• Forklift certification required (or ability to obtain).
• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and lift up to 50 pounds.

• Competitive hourly pay reflecting senior-level expertise.
• Opportunity to lead a team in a high-volume manufacturing facility.
• Career growth and leadership development opportunities.
• Stable, long-term employment with an American-made, family-owned industry pioneer celebrating over 70 years of business.

Career Progression

Production Employee Tier 1 → Production Employee Tier 2 → Senior → Department Lead → Production Foreman → Production Manager