On a quiet Alabama morning, before emails and meetings begin to pull at the day, Tom Adams finds clarity in the field.

Quail hunting has been part of Tom’s life for as long as he can remember. It’s a tradition rooted in time spent with his father. Early mornings, steady footsteps through tall grass, and lessons passed down without many words. For Tom, quail hunting isn’t about the harvest as much as it is about patience, discipline, and respect, respect for the land, for the process, and for the people beside you. Those same values would later shape his life far beyond the field.

“Quail hunting draws you fully into the experience. Nature, bird dogs, and shotguns working in harmony toward a successful hunt,” Tom says. “Each shot requires thoughtful planning and respect for everyone involved. The principles of safety and discipline my father instilled in me early on still guide every hunt I take part in.”

Finding the Right Path

Tom didn’t set out to work in steel fabrication. After graduating college, he spent time in advertising, quickly realizing it wasn’t the right fit. But the world of building and creating felt familiar; his father had worked in construction, and Tom was drawn to the tangible and honest nature of the work. 

That path eventually led him to FabArc Steel Supply, an Alabama-founded company whose origin story mirrors the kind of grit Tom grew up admiring. 

Built From the Ground Up

FabArc Steel Supply began in April of 1979 not in a boardroom, but in a field. With little protection from the Alabama sun, the company’s three founders fabricated steel beneath a makeshift canopy – fashioned from an old swimming pool liner and four rebar posts.

“They didn’t have much, but they had determination,” Tom says. “That improvised shelter wasn’t just about shade, it represented a willingness to build something real with whatever resources were available.”

From those humble beginnings, the company grew into one of the largest steel fabricators in the Southeast and the largest steel subcontractor in Alabama, with more than 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space and projects that span the country.

Growth with Purpose

But scale was never the point. What mattered, and still matters, is people.

For Tom, one of the most meaningful aspects of FabArc Steel Supply’s growth has been its ability to provide real opportunity in a small Alabama community. Headquartered in Oxford, Alabama, FabArc Steel Supply employs hundreds of people and offers career pathways that allow individuals to build meaningful lives. That commitment became even more tangible with FabArc Steel Supply’s recent transition to an employee-owned company, a move Tom describes as one of the most exciting chapters in its history.

“It’s about keeping the future in local hands,” he says. “Giving people ownership, pride, and a stake in what they’re building.”

Leadership, Like Hunting, Requires Patience

Throughout his career, Tom has had the opportunity to help guide FabArc Steel Supply through major milestones, including negotiating several large-scale projects with high profile clients, totaling more than hundreds of millions of dollars. While those moments stand out professionally, he’s quick to point out that leadership, like quail hunting, is rarely about being loud or flashy. It’s about preparation. Observation. Knowing when to move and when to wait.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible people over the years,” Tom reflects. “I’ve tried to learn from each of them and take pieces of their leadership styles with me.” That quiet confidence carries through everything he does, whether he’s walking a job site or a field at dawn.

An Alabama Responsibility

In many ways, Tom’s personal passions and professional life reflect the same rhythm. Quail hunting requires focus, patience, and respect for tradition. FabArc Steel Supply’s story, too, is one of steady growth, grounded in craftsmanship, relationships, and an understanding that strong foundations matter.

For Tom, being Alabama-based isn’t just a line in a company bio. It’s a responsibility.

It means showing up for your community, creating opportunity where it didn’t exist before, and remembering that no matter how big a company becomes, its success is still built by individuals who take pride in their work.

From a makeshift tent in a field to steel structures rising across the country, FabArc Steel Supply’s journey is often described as the epitome of the American Dream. For Tom Adams, it’s something even simpler, a life shaped by hard work, tradition, and the quiet lessons learned long ago in an Alabama quail field.

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