Inspiring Conversations with David Duncan of Duncan Welding

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Duncan.

Hi David , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated high school in 2001 with no idea what I wanted to do after. I took some classes at a local community college, but nothing really sparked my interest. I’ve always enjoyed creating things, so I decided to try a welding course at the Simi Adult School. I fell in love with it – The way I could practice for hours and not perfect it kept me coming back. Unfortunately, things took a turn in my early-20’s and I started struggling with addiction. My drive and passion had disappeared, I was getting into trouble, and I felt like there was no way out of it. I battled that for 5 or 6 years before I came out the other side. If it wasn’t for my family never giving up on me, I would probably still be there. I got back into welding and decided to pursue it as a career. I finished welding school, got multiple jobs doing all sorts of things – welding at Magic Mountain, structural welding at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, making custom rock crawling Jeeps, and making beautiful ornamental art work to name a few.

In 2021, with a helpful push from my wife Kelsey, I decided I wanted to try to start my own business. I got my Contractor’s License, and started an LLC. We spent our whole savings on getting a shop, and set off on this journey. As first generation entrepreneurs, it has been a wild 5 years! We’ve made so many mistakes, but have also had so many wins. Our family business is growing with us, and we couldn’t be more grateful. I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my wife, my parents, my grandparents and my beautfil kids – Tristan, Reece, and Callum.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Defintely not a smooth road! We started off with absolutely no idea what we were doing. We didn’t know how to budget properly, what insurance we needed, what overhead looked like, etc. The biggest one was not knowing how to plan financially for slow months. We would have great months and think we were killing it, and then be struggling in slow months because we had no concept of saving and re-investing into the business. Our sole focus was and has always been on producing high quality products that people loved. From there, the rest has slowly fallen into place. We didn’t know the first thing about running a business, but as the years go by, we continue to learn, grow, and gain more confidence.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Duncan Welding?
At Duncan Welding, we specialize in custom metal fabrication and installation across residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Our work ranges from stair railings, gates, and fencing in homes and businesses to large-scale industrial equipment, and material handling systems. What ties all of our projects together is a focus on durability, precision, and purpose. Everything we build is designed for real-world use and long term performance.

What sets us apart is our approach. We don’t pull solutions from a catalog, or push a one size fits all design. Every project we do is custom, and we work closely with clients, contractors, and facility teams to understand how the product is used before anything gets fabricated.

We are most proud of our craftmanship and our reputation. Many of our projects come from repeat clients or referrals, which tells us we are doing something right! As a family owned and run business, we take a lot of pride in being hands-on, responsive, and accountable from start to finish.

What we want readers to know is that we value trust, communication, and quality above all else. Whether it’s a residential railing or an industrial fabrication, we bring the same level of care and attention to detail to every job. We’re focused on building long-term relationships and solutions our clients can rely on.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Our business’s success is direct result of community and family support. We’ve been fortunate to have some mentors along the way – Brian and Eddie Garcia, and Rob Lawson, who have offered guidance, shared hard-learned lessons, and opportunities we wouldn’t have otherwise received. Their experience and guidance helped us navigate challenges and grow with intention in the early days.

We are grateful for our long-term employee and close friend Jason. He has been with us since the beginning, and has been through all the ups and downs with us. His loyalty, hard work, and commitment to this business has been invaluable, and we couldn’t be where we are today without his help and dedication.

My mom Lori, dad Don, and grandparents Richard and Caroline who have always supported me from the very beginning. Offering advice, guidance, and sometimes financial support to help make this business possible when we were just getting started and finding our footing. We are deeply grateful for their belief in us, their sacrifices, and the foundation they helped us build. The business wouldn’t be where it is today without them.

And lastly, my wife Kelsey. I wouldn’t be able to do this without her. From the beginning, she believed in this business before it ever felt real. While I focused on the fabrication and work in the shop, she took everything else – the organization, communication, planning, and keeping things moving behind the scenes. She’s been the steady support during the long days, and never lets me lose sight of why we started this in the first place. I’m so grateful for her dedication, patience and belief in what we are creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Duncanwelding.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/duncan_welding
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571471251839#
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/duncan-welding-simi-valley