Meet The Pro: Sammy Burton, Conveyor Welder
By Arkansas Next on Friday, October 10, 2025
Hometown: Ravenden Springs
Age: 18
Higher Education: Technical Certificate in Welding
Job Title: Conveyor Welder
Employer: Hytrol Conveyor Company, Inc.
Sammy Burton's first interest in welding started through his high school agricultural program working on cattle panels. The hands-on experience sparked his desire to learn more, and he quickly sharpened his skills by making clean, consistent welds every day. His passion led him to Black River Technical College (BRTC), where he earned a technical certificate in welding and learned the details of Stick, MIG, TIG and Flux-core welding.
At just 18 years old, Sammy works as a conveyor welder at Hytrol, where he spends his days interpreting blueprints, assembling conveyor parts and laying down precise welds to keep the assembly line running.
“You really get something new almost every single day,” Sammy said. “While learning to visualize blueprints in 3D was tough at first, the satisfaction of completing a complex build makes it all worth it.”
Sammy enjoys the camaraderie at work and the cultural diversity among his coworkers.
“The people I work with are great, friendly people who mean well,” Sammy said. “There’s also a great culture mix at my job so really just learning other people’s culture and how they live their lives is just exciting to see… it feels like a family.”
His advice for students considering welding is threefold: seek out grants and scholarships for trade school, remind yourself every day that you will learn something new, and never forget that YouTube videos are your new best friends if you’re struggling with blueprints or controlling your puddle.
More About the Job
Education Needed:
High school diploma or GED
You'll Be Great At This Job Too If...
-
Have always had a knack for building things or working on DIY projects
- Tend to master hands-on skills easily
- Enjoy a routine and are a rule follower
- Would rather get paid to learn on the job rather than in the classroom
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Do You Have What it Takes?
Check off the experience you already have...
► Intense Physical Labor (yard work, building, lifting heavy boxes)
► Disciplined (sports, jobs, schoolwork)
► Precision (attention to detail in schoolwork and other activities)
► Repetitive Work (not bothered by doing the same thing over and over again)
High-end earners (top 10%) make
$63,570
Median wages in Arkansas (top 50%)
$47,100
WHERE TO LEARN
- Arkansas Army National Guard
- Arkansas Northeastern College
- Arkansas State University Mid-South
- Arkansas State University Three Rivers
- Arkansas State University-Beebe
- Arkansas State University-Mountain Home
- Arkansas State University-Newport
- Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus
- Lexicon, Inc.
- Northwest Technical Institute (NWTI)
- Union Pacific Railroad
- University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-Crossett
- University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee
- University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville
- University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton
- University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College
- University of Arkansas-East Arkansas Community College
- W&W|AFCO Steel
WHERE TO WORK
- ABB
- Arkansas Army National Guard
- Arkansas State University-Beebe
- Hytrol Conveyor Company, Inc.
- Lexicon, Inc.
- McGeorge Contracting
- Union Pacific Railroad
- W&W|AFCO Steel
Sources: careeronestop.org
