AWS Celebrates Grand Opening of New Global Headquarters

The welding organization moves into a renovated five-story, 122,500 sq ft building for future expansion if its membership, publishing, exposition, and educational operations.

The American Welding Society (AWS; Miami, FL) celebrated the grand opening of their new global headquarters at 8669 NW 36th Street, Doral, FL, with an open house ceremony on Friday, November 30.

AWS is a not-for-profit membership organization that is the world’s authority on safe, productive welding. The Society publishes the major technical standards used in welding of all types, and certifies welding professionals such as inspectors, supervisors and educators. In addition, AWS also publishes technical magazines in three languages and operates trade shows in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The organization held a building dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony that welcomed over 200 board members, international counterparts and agents, vendors and community leaders at the recently renovated five-story, 122,482 sq ft building. Speakers included The Honorable Michael Bileca of the Florida House of Representatives and Miguel Otero, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who has an office inside the building.

Calling Miami home for the past 40 years, AWS’s new Doral headquarters is only seven miles from its previous location and offers the society space to expand its membership, publishing, exposition, and educational operations. The organization currently has over 100 employees and serves nearly 70,000 members worldwide.

“Over the past few years AWS has seen a significantly increasing interest from across the globe in attaining AWS certifications, standards and membership,” said Ray Shook, the executive director of AWS. “We’ve launched a global initiative that will allow us to better serve the welding community and our new modern headquarters in Doral is one of the primary steps to becoming more accessible to our members.”

Bill Rice, the AWS 2012 president, went one step further to show his commitment to the future of the organization and welding by donating a special bronze sculpture that commemorates welders. The sculpture will sit in the front entrance of the new building. In addition, Rice announced that he and wife Cherry have donated $50,000 for a new scholarship intended to help women interested in welding careers. The AWS Foundation department will match that donation for a total of $100,000.

AWS was founded in 1919 as a multifaceted, nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the science, technology and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying. Headquartered in Miami and led by a volunteer organization of officers and directors, the Society serves nearly 70,000 members worldwide and is composed of 22 Districts with 250 Sections and student chapters. www.aws.org