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From pilot to fabricator
Navy vet grills up a new career
- By Amanda Carlson
- October 24, 2016
- Article
- Arc Welding
One phone call changed Fred Moss’ life.
On the other end of the line was a woman who wanted to buy two double-barrel grills. Other than being slightly amused by her very unique voice, Moss, of San Diego, doesn’t recall anything noteworthy about the conversation itself. It’s what took place the next time they spoke that sparked a chain of events that has completely changed Moss’ life, as well as the lives of the guys he hires.
In 2010, after a 24-year career as a Navy helicopter pilot, Moss was just trying to figure out his next step. Without thinking too hard about it, he decided to make a kick-ass grill to help usher in the next chapter of his life. He wanted to build the kind of grill that he remembered his grandparents cooking with while growing up in St. Louis. Nothing fancy, just a drum-barrel grill that he could use to make a good meal.
When a friend of his—U.S. Navy Chief Ken Garner—saw what he was up to, he told Moss to build him one too.
“I said, ‘You want me to build you this piece of junk?’ It was wobbly and could barely stand,” Moss recalled.
That’s when the lightbulb went on. Who else might want a double-barrel grill? To find out, he placed an ad on Craigslist for the San Diego area and watched in mild amusement as orders began rolling in. He extended the ad to every state, and the orders for grills continued to pour in. Moss hired a couple of other veterans he knew who were in the same or similar position as he was, moved his shop from his garage to an industrial space, and away they went making grills.
And that’s when the phone call came.
“You’re Going on ABC News”
The woman on the other end said, “My name is Caryn Johnson, but I go by Whoopi Goldberg.”
The only thing Moss could think to say next was, “Get out of here!”
Goldberg went on to explain that she was planning a huge party and needed some grills. They got on the subject of what it would cost to ship both grills fully assembled when she invited Moss to her house to assemble them on-site.
“I was like, ‘No way! I’d be delighted to!’”
Moss flew first class from San Diego to New York, where a car was waiting to take him to Goldberg’s New Jersey home where the unassembled grills were waiting. When he arrived he met Goldberg, took some photos, assembled the grills for her, and then hung out there for a couple of days. He told her that he was a Navy veteran and that he had hired some of his fellow veterans because they couldn’t find other jobs.
“She said, ‘Wait a minute, hold on. You’re hiring veterans?’ I said yes, I had a Navy vet and a Marine vet with me at that time. It wasn’t like I could pay them well, but I could give them some cash to help them get by.”
Goldberg made arrangements for Moss to appear on the ABC News segment “Made In America” and since that time the company has enjoyed popularity on the national level—well beyond their wildest expectations.
Trial, Error, Success
It was a whirlwind then and it still is to this day. It’s even more impressive considering Moss is, for the most part, a self-taught welder and fabricator. He first learned how to use the tools of the trade from his grandfather. When it came time to figure out life after the Navy, he decided to return to his roots.
Admittedly, Moss and his four fellow veteran employees had no idea what they were doing at first.
“We were shipping stuff out and legs were popping off and customers were calling us up. It’s all fine now – we’ve learned a lot and have gotten so much better—it was definitely an education for us.”
Through trial and error and with the help of local machine shops that were willing to answer their questions, they refined their technique, implemented quality assurance processes, and set up a system that covered what exactly to do once an order came in to when it was completely finished.
“During my time in the Navy I was really good at putting together a system flow and setting up flowcharts of operations of things that had to happen. I took what I learned and applied it with Moss Grills.”
The last six years have been an unforgettable ride. His product offerings now include single- and double-barrel grills, vertical smokers, pool-table grills, specialty grills, and accessories. But he’s not done innovating. His next project is a grill that includes a beer tapper and the ability to play music. What has not changed over the last six years is his commitment to his fellow veterans and to his country.
“We are a 100 percent U.S.-made manufacturing company. We refuse to outsource our production overseas because we’ve served this country. I literally served this country for 24 years, so there’s no way I’m going to turn my back on my own country just to get a cheaper product.”
Photos courtesy of Fred Moss, Moss Grills, 619-608-8129, www.mossgrills.com.
About the Author
Amanda Carlson
2135 Point Blvd
Elgin, IL 60123
815-227-8260
Amanda Carlson was named as the editor for The WELDER in January 2017. She is responsible for coordinating and writing or editing all of the magazine’s editorial content. Before joining The WELDER, Amanda was a news editor for two years, coordinating and editing all product and industry news items for several publications and thefabricator.com.
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The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
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