RUSHVILLE, Ind. – A young welder and farmer is out to leave a legacy for his children and grandchildren during their future visits to the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Eric Amos, 33, was awarded the contract to build all the hog pens for the new $50 million swine barn, scheduled to open in 2023.

Amos said it’s by far the biggest job in the history of his small farm welding company, but one he bid on to give current and future generations of his family a source of pride while using the pens for their hogs at the fair.

“I want my kids to be able to get over there and kind of puff out their chest a little bit and say dad or grandpa he built these,” he said.

His daughter, Hadley, 7, and son, Brody, 14, show hogs every year during the state fair as members of 4-H. Amos said his wife, Maria, showed sheep at the state fair during her 10 years in 4-H.

Amos, a former 4-H member who showed hogs at the fair, said he’s up to the task of making 1,400 hog pens.

He plans to build 500 of the pens this year and the remainder next year, along with two show rings for the new barn.

Amos said the metal in the hog pens will be welded together by a robot he just recently purchased to make sure all the 6 x 6 pens are made on time. He and his four workers will feed the construction materials to the robot for welding.

Amos said the pens will be transported to a plant in Muncie for galvanizing to guard against rust.

He described himself as feeling nervous and blessed from being chosen for such an undertaking. “It’s a great opportunity for me and my family and it kind of puts Amos Welding on another level,” he said.

He also felt having the latest in new technology will help grow his company.

“That’s where the industry is going so it’s time for us, I guess, to keep up with the times,” he said.

Amos grew up on a hog farm still owned and operated by his father, Jeff, who also raises about 500 acres of corn and soybeans. His brother, Greg, also has a hog farm and raises row crops. Both of their confined animal feeding operations in Rush County have a combined 17,000 hogs.

Amos said his involvement in the trade stems from trying to weld two pieces of metal together as a teenager on the family farm. He further sharpened his skills in a high school welding class and later earned his welding certificates from a trade school in Vincennes.

A cage for show cattle was his first welding project from scratch related to agriculture. “Dad told me to go ahead and build him one. Instead of buying one, I built one,” he said.

Amos said he loves farming but felt he could make a better living at welding and maintain his presence in agriculture. His company is focused mostly on making or repairing gates and pens for hogs, cows and sheep.

His busiest time of the year is right now, as people with plans to show livestock this season are purchasing their animals.

“People need new gates for the pigs they are buying. If they buy too many, they need extra pens,” he said.

He and his crew also respond to farms to fix cracks in metal parts and frames on various machinery.

Amos said he also helps a friend on his farm during planting and harvesting seasons. “I guess, I found my niche,” he said.

Amos said he has a lot of fond memories in the near century-old swine barn at the fairgrounds and looks forward to having smiles to look back on in the new facility.

“It’s something my kids for generations can walk in and feel like they had a part of it. That’s the main reason we bid on it,” he said.