It started with an old Trans Am, a rented building and a belief that a welding shop could be something different — clean, bright and downright welcoming. That belief turned out to be right. Twenty-five years later, Mike Maddox is hard at work each day at the same location just past the town park in Winamac, Indiana. Only now, NCS Welding — an acronym for “Nice Clean Shop” — is known throughout the region as the place to go when steel and aluminum tanks, pontoons, RVs, metal components or even cast iron keepsakes have a break, bend, leak or need expert repair and modification.
After graduating from Winamac Community High School, Maddox worked several hands-on jobs, including truck driving, lumber yard work and mechanical contracting. A position at a local welding shop introduced him to the field he’d eventually make his own. Through experience, reading and a lot of trial and error, he began mastering the art of welding and machining.
With encouragement from family and funds raised by selling that treasured Trans Am — along with purchasing equipment from his friend Jim Patrick — Maddox took a leap and opened his own shop. He began by renting a building that had become available, and later his parents purchased the property, helping him secure a permanent base for what he officially launched in 2000 as NCS Welding.
Step into the shop today and you’ll find it as clean and orderly as the name suggests. The floors are painted, the walls are bright and the air is refreshingly clear. That attention to detail carries over into the work itself.
NCS Welding specializes in machining and aluminum welding — with a strong focus on aluminum and steel fuel tank repair. “I do a lot of diesel fuel tank repair for a lot of trucking companies,” Maddox said. Trucking clients from all over Indiana bring in damaged tanks for strap repairs, full wraps, leak checks and customization. He can shorten, lengthen or modify tanks and convert them to include hydraulic fluid fittings for wet kits.
Another core service is pontoon boat repair. “Especially in the springtime,” Maddox said. “People want to be out on the lake by Memorial Day.” Whether a customer scraped a hole on a pier or wore through the bottom from road travel, Maddox can patch it. “Sometimes the leak is obvious. Sometimes I have to pressurize the tank and spray it down with soapy water to find the crack,” he said.
Among his more specialized services is drill-less broken bolt removal. Whether it’s an engine block or a manifold, Maddox can usually weld out a bolt — even if it’s flush — and leave the piece intact. “What they thought was hopeless,” he said, “I can usually fix.” Other technical skills, such as TIG welding and shaft repair, round out a broad range of capabilities that keep customers returning.
Maddox handles most of the welding and repair work on his own but occasionally receives assistance from his longtime friend Bryan Vancoutren, who helps with CNC programming and computer-based setups. “When people come here, they know I’m the one doing the welding work,” Maddox said. “There’s no one else to blame or credit.” That consistency and accountability keep people coming back. Most of his business comes through word-of-mouth and referrals from local factories and shops.
That reputation extends far beyond Pulaski County. Full-time RVer Bill Ziegler wrote, “I really hoped just to get my tow bracket straight enough to slide back in … It worked like new, straight as an arrow. Mike saved me about three times what he charged me.” Other reviewers describe his work as “meticulous,” “fast,” “excellent” and “reasonably priced.”
These days, machining makes up the bulk of Maddox’s work — making shafts, collars, plates and factory components with exacting precision. His shop houses numerous lathes, mills and a CNC machine. “I’ve got a lot of machines down here,” he said. “Most people ask, ‘Why so many?’ But I don’t like to change my setups. I can just move from one machine to the next.”
He also uses a welding positioner for automated welds that require perfect consistency. His TIG welding skills — especially on aluminum and stainless — are a standout. “It’s like holding a pencil in one hand and feeding wire with the other,” he explained. “TIG welding takes skill and coordination, but you can do some beautiful things with it.”
Maddox’s wife, Monica, has played an essential role in his success. A nurse by training, she has spent the past eight years homeschooling their son, Colton. “She really got me organized,” Maddox said. “She found unnecessary costs, got me set up on QuickBooks and made a huge difference.” Colton has even started showing interest in the shop. “He was a little hesitant at first — it’s loud in here — but now he likes to visit and see what I’m working on.”
While much of Maddox’s work is mechanical, some repairs are deeply personal. “Sometimes someone brings me a cast iron piece that belonged to their grandmother,” he said. “It might be broken, rusted and they think it’s gone. But if I can fix it, it means a lot. That’s a good feeling.”
Maddox also supports the community in quiet, steady ways — donating to 4-H, helping with school projects and sponsoring youth sports teams. “I treat people the way I’d want to be treated,” he said. “That’s how I run my business.”
Whether he’s restoring a factory shaft or patching a pontoon, Maddox keeps the same mindset that launched NCS Welding — a commitment to clean work, high standards and solving problems. He often finds answers to needs that others view as impossible to solve. He’s not looking to expand or relocate. “I’m pretty established now,” Maddox said.
“I’ve built the shop the way I want it.” A few new tools may be in his future — but the foundation of NCS Welding is already solid. Just like the repairs Maddox makes, the shop he’s built is meant to last.
To learn more, visit NCS Welding 827 E. County Road 25 S., Winamac, IN 46996 or call the shop at (574) 946-7485.
