A&S Custom Welding and Paint opens in Cheney

Josh Schrock, Michael Adams and Gary Munoz share several traits. One is a desire for a little occupational independence.

The other is a love for making things. Both of these led the trio to open A&S Custom Welding and Paint in the former home of West Plains Small Engine Repair at 114 First St. in Cheney.

The three men opened the shop June 1, and after a slow start are beginning to see things pick up, making for an interesting schedule as all three have jobs elsewhere.

“Josh has the graveyard shift (at his employer) so he’s here most of the day,” Adams said. “I close and Gary helps out on projects.”

Adams said they are able to do just about any pre-fabrication job in their 1,200 square foot shop, which has a fork lift large enough to handle just about any load. Adams and Munoz will handle the welding work with Schrock the painter, once they receive environmental permits for their paint room.

Together they have more than 44 years of experience in pre-fabrication work, including design which can done with plans or on-the-fly per customer specifications. Adams said they have done a variety of projects already, including recent completion of a prototype trailer designed to be pulled behind a motorcycle.

“It’s kind of the everyman’s trailer,” he said.

Until the shop receives the environmental clearances, which Adams said should be soon, the paint work is being “farmed out” to another shop. In opening A&S, Adams said they looked at what other shops in the area, including Spokane, offered in terms of prices and capabilities, and selected Cheney.

“We did our homework, we saw the demand,” he said.

Besides the shop, A&S can also hit the road, something they hope area farmers will take advantage of.

“We can do just about anything done in the shop in the field,” Adams said.

Adams said their prices begin at $60 an hour in the shop, $70 an hour in the field, and compares that to what he said were the cheapest Spokane rates their research could find of $80 and $90 respectively.

A&S is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. They can be contacted at 235-1982 or 235-9020, or via email at A_ScustomWeldingPaint@yahoo.com.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.