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Horsham, PA – January 6, 2025 – CRC Industries is excited to announce its partnership with Western Welding Academy (WWA), recently voted the “No. 1 Welding School in the Nation” for its dedication to training the next generation of skilled blue-collar workers. CRC is a proud sponsor of its fifth annual Blue Collar Tour, which will take students across the country by storm, showcasing the opportunities and rewards of a career in the trades.
The 2025 Blue Collar Tour will make over 30 stops in high schools and vocational training centers across the U.S., from the Midwest to the West Coast, and from the Great Plains to the Southern states. The stops will offer students hands-on welding demonstrations, career insights, and the opportunity to connect directly with WWA instructors, alumni, and industry experts. The demonstrations will showcase CRC Weld-Aid products, including Nozzle-Kleen to keep nozzles, tips and diffusers in top working order, and Weld-Kleen, the world’s leading anti-spatter.
A History of the Blue Collar Tour: Inspiring America’s Youth Since 2020
The Blue Collar Tour began in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tyler Sasse, founder of Western Welding Academy, saw how the crisis eliminated opportunities for young people and left America facing an even greater shortage of skilled labor. Recognizing that investing in the nation’s youth was critical for a stronger, self-sufficient future, Sasse and his team launched the Blue Collar Tour. Each year since, the tour has grown, bringing the excitement of the trades to high school students nationwide and highlighting welding as a path to rewarding, well-paid careers. “If we don’t invest in these high school students, who will?” Sasse said. “We can’t wait for someone else to fix it; we’re stepping up to make a change.”
CRC Joins the Movement for 2025
In 2025, CRC joins the Blue Collar Tour as a key partner, amplifying the tour’s reach and impact. Its involvement underscores the shared mission to inspire and prepare the next generation of skilled workers across the U.S., ensuring students have the tools, resources, and encouragement to pursue blue-collar careers. CRC’s sponsorship of the Blue Collar Tour is an extension of its Build for the Future program, where the company actively invests in attracting the next generation to join the trades.
Tour Highlights and Activities
- Live Concert-Style Event: A full-scale, high-energy experience featuring live welding demonstrations up close on big screens, creating an engaging, unforgettable atmosphere.
- Sponsored Tool and Swag Giveaways: Every stop will include exclusive giveaways of premium welding tools and swag, thanks to CRC and other tour sponsors.
- Hands-On Welding Demonstrations: Students will experience live welding, guided by WWA instructors, for an authentic taste of fieldwork.
- Tour Bus and Mobile Welding Setup: Traveling like a touring band, the Blue Collar Tour bus brings the WWA team and equipment to each location, ensuring a fully immersive experience.
- Inspirational Talks: WWA alumni and blue-collar advocates will share success stories, emphasizing the rewarding and essential role of trade careers.
- Exclusive Welding Workshop Boards: Each participating school will receive a “Welding Trophy Board” featuring QR codes that link to WWA’s digital Welding Workshop curriculum.
- Scholarship Opportunities: Students will learn about scholarships available to help fund their welding education.
Tour Stops and Details
Confirmed 2025 Tour Stops Include:
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- Texas (multiple locations)
- Oklahoma
- Illinois (multiple locations)
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Kentucky
- Alabama (multiple locations)
- Louisiana
- Arizona
- California (multiple locations)
- Oregon
- Washington
- Idaho (multiple locations)
- Montana
- Wyoming
A Word from WWA and CRC
“Our country was built by hardworking men and women in the trades, and it’s time we invest in the future of these industries,” said Colton Pfeil, vice president of Marketing at Western Welding Academy. “The Blue Collar Tour isn’t just about promoting welding; it’s about giving students the tools to create their own successful future.”
“CRC is dedicated to keeping the industry moving forward, and that includes addressing the skilled trade workforce gap,” said Steven Drake, president of CRC Industries, Americas. “CRC’s sponsorship of The Blue Collar Tour and partnership with Western Welding Academy is a natural extension of our commitment by providing support to train the next generation. Together, we get it done.”
About CRC Industries
CRC Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the production of specialty products and formulations for the do-it-yourselfer and maintenance professional—the people who keep everyone moving forward in a world that never stops. For more than 65 years, we’ve been rolling up our sleeves to create products and solutions that are born from, and tested in, the important work that gets done every day around the world. Serving the automotive, industrial, electrical, marine, heavy truck, hardware, and aviation markets, CRC trademarked brands include: CRC®, Brakleen®, Evapo-Rust®, K&W®, Marykate®, SmartWasher®, Sta-Lube®, and Weld-Aid®.
About Western Welding Academy
Based in Gillette, Wyoming, Western Welding Academy is the nation’s premier welding school, offering flexible, go-at-your-own-pace programs focused on hands-on experience and job placement. With thousands of successful alumni, WWA is committed to building America’s skilled workforce.
For More Information
To learn more about CRC Industries, visit crcindustries.com and crcbuildforthefuture.com.
To learn more about the Blue Collar Tour, check tour dates, or see if your school is on the 2025 route, visit https://www.westernweldingacademy.com/blue-collar-tour.