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Job Description

Overview

Valmont is a Fortune 1000 company that focuses on advancing agricultural productivity and reimagining vital infrastructure. The Looper Operator plays a crucial role in maintaining a continuous supply of material to the tube mill, ensuring uninterrupted production.

Responsibilities

  • Weld coils together using a mic miller 252 manual welder to ensure continuous material flow from the uncoiler to the tube mill.
  • Operate a 30-ton overhead crane to lift and position heavy coils onto the coil tree.
  • Connect steel coils by welding the ends together for seamless feeding into the mill.
  • Adjust the mill setup for different coil sizes and coordinate with the slitter material handler.
  • Monitor coil inventory and keep accurate records of materials used.
  • Work independently with minimal supervision, referring to a work binder for standard procedures.
  • Communicate with other operators to ensure a smooth flow of material.
  • Operate and maintain forming sections of the mill, addressing mechanical or operational issues.
  • Ensure spatial awareness and attention to detail when operating the crane.
  • Perform general maintenance and clean-up of the work area.
  • Maintain quality control by ensuring that welded coils meet customer specifications.
  • Use basic math skills to manage time and assess coil sizes.

Requirements

  • 1 to 3 years of relevant experience in a manufacturing or fabrication environment.
  • Basic knowledge of welding techniques and operation of welding equipment.
  • Ability to read and write legibly for accurate record-keeping.
  • Proficiency in using decimals and fractions.
  • Ability to obtain forklift and overhead crane certification.
  • Strong spatial awareness to operate heavy equipment safely.
  • Basic mathematical skills to track material usage and production rates.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently.
  • Demonstrates a strong passion for quality, integrity, and the drive to excel.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • 401k
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Compensation: $26.13 per hour
  • Schedule: 1st shift, Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: 28800 Ida St Valley Nebraska 68064-8016

Benefits

Health Insurance
401k
PTO
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How this job compares in Valley, NE

Pay in context

At roughly $26/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $24/hr median for welding jobs across Nebraska, whose middle half runs $17–$27/hr across 27 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 59% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Valley, NE

Valley, NE currently has 6 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 3 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Nebraska as a whole we're tracking 32 other active welding openings from 22 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Valley, or widen the search to Nebraska.

Valmont Industries currently has 2 other openings live in Nebraska, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Nebraska at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Valmont Industries, Inc. (5), Klute Careers (2), and Generac (2). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Nebraska, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Grand Island at $27/hr and Valley at $18/hr. Valley is among them.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and Stick work. MIG (GMAW) feeds a continuous wire electrode through a shielding-gas nozzle. It lays down metal fast and is forgiving on clean material, which is why it dominates production and light fabrication work. Stick (SMAW) burns a flux-coated consumable rod and needs no shielding gas, so it works in wind, rain, and on dirty or rusted steel. That tolerance for bad conditions keeps it the default for field, structural, and repair work.

Similar openings near Valley, NE

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Looper Operator figures were last recalculated when this page was built.