By: Jim Hannaford

Jim Trainer seems to have hit his stride in terms of finding his creative side. His business, called Alabama Iron Works handles some big, rugged jobs and others that require a much more artistic sensibility.

An engineer in the shipbuilding industry for most of his adult life, Jim took a leap of faith in 2011 when he went into business for himself making custom grills and fire pits. You’ve probably seen some of them, as well as the dozens of eye-catching signs he’s designed and built that grace Fairhope’s downtown district, as well as many subdivision entrances.

“I like to say that I’m a metal artist, but on the other hand I might just say I’m a metal fabricator,” says Jim.

A quick look around his industrial shop on Commercial Park Drive in Fairhope confirms that both of these things are true.

A native of Bangor, Maine, Jim had already lived in most corners of the country when he ventured our way. His first glimpse of the Eastern Shore was almost 20 years ago as he got ready to start work at Bender Shipyard in Mobile. Even after living for almost a decade on gorgeous Whidbey  Island in Puget Sound, Fairhope was pretty much love at first sight. 

“It was a beautiful place, and it was laid back without a lot of traffic,” he says, “and it seemed to be very affordable, too.”

It didn’t take him long to realize what a big deal football was around here, and that’s ultimately what turned his attention away from designing components for ships. One busy game day in the fall, he was setting up for a gathering of friends when he suddenly had the notion of making fire pits that were customized with team colors or mascots. The University of Alabama’s iconic A logo was the first one off his drawing board—and Auburn was soon to follow.

Just as he’d predicted, people attending parties would see the custom fire pits and instantly want one for themselves. Stretching out from football themes, Jim smoothly pivoted to create just about any style of fire pit that he or his customers could conjure. Some of his sophisticated designs have featured herons, fish, or palm trees, while others artfully incorporate family names, favorite hobbies, or company logos. 

He’s sold around 300 of those fire pits as Alabama Iron Works continues to diversify in many imaginative ways. Using his CAD (computer-assisted design) skills, a plasma cutting table, and an array of materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and brass, he and his three-man crew are constantly churning out all manner of custom metal structures.

“We’ve done lots of railings, some really nice ornamental gates, some spiral staircases,” says Jim, going down his list of recent projects. “You just grow into it. A fire pit is sort of a one-off thing. It’s not something you can put into production because each one is different, and I have to spend a lot of time on the artwork. So I had to look for bigger markets.”

It seems that there’s no job that’s too large or too small for Trainer and his three-man crew. About the time they were delivering truckloads of aluminum railings for a condominium project on Biloxi’s scenic strip, a woman came in asking if he could please mend her delicate hummingbird figurine.

“At times, I feel like I’m running the village blacksmith shop, too,” he says with a quiet laugh. “That bird got snapped off somehow, so we welded it back on and painted it up. We also have people bring in cast-iron urns and art objects. Spring Hill College had a three-tiered fountain, about eight feet tall. We repaired it and got it powder coated and sent it back to them.”

That powder coating, done in a close arrangement with another local firm, helps to make his products not only attractive but also functional and durable. That logical approach goes back to his foundation in shipbuilding, which he first got into through an apprenticeship program that taught him many facets of design and production.

For around 35 years he worked for several different firms, including Northrop Grumman and Austal, before deciding he really wanted to leave the corporate world and be his own boss. Thirteen years later, he says making distinctive signage is his favorite aspect of the evolving business he’s created. He loves experimenting with different techniques and materials and coming up with something that’s unique to each of the businesses that seek him out.

Aesthetically, he has definitely left his mark on the place he’s called home for the last couple of decades. He admits to feeling a sense of pride on seeing his handiwork hanging in front of popular businesses (such as Dragonfly, the Bone & Barrel, and The Balcony on Church Street) and subdivisions (including Deer Crest, River Station, and Bay Branch Estates). 

Many customers come to him through word of mouth, he says, while others find him online and place orders through his website, www.alabamaironworks.com. Sometimes they come in with not much more than a rough sketch on a napkin or notepad, though some have a much more detailed idea of what they want. With a bit of conversation, with each party asking some good questions, he can better find out their expectations and explain to them what he and his team can deliver.

Jim seems to welcome the many challenges that come with running Alabama Iron Works and is pleased to have seen it build over the years.

“I hoped it would, and it’s taken a long time to get here,” he says. “I’m fortunate to have a strong, loyal customer base that not only supports me but also recommends me to their friends.”