In the late 80’s Jimmy Walker Sr. saw the need for a self-contained oxy/acetylene unit- or cutting torch outfit. After being unable to find manufacturers to produce his cart, Walker began acquiring equipment he bought from local auctions. Walker developed the very first Saf-T-Cart as an extension of Walker Welders in 1997.
“My dad left a steady job as a truck driver and started selling these carts out of a pickup truck,” said son Jimmy Walker Jr., the President of Saf-T-Cart. “That was a pretty bold move for a man with a five kids. Mom did the books.”
Today, Saf-T-Cart has expanded to produce cylinder carts, cages, pallets, truck beds, and trailers, and employs over 100 people in its everyday manufacturing operation.
Today Saf-T-Cart sells to all 50 states, Canada, Latin America and beyond.
The elder Walker, now 83, said the third generation is now involved in the business.
“I’m sort of embarrassed to say this, but I love to work,” said Walker, Sr. “We are always looking for new ideas and ways to serve our customers.”
With 60 years in the industry, Saf-T-Cart is constantly developing new innovations which change the way cylinder transport is accomplished in the packaged gas industry.
What originally started as Walker Welders grew and a new fill plant and cylinder distribution facility was built on Highway 49 South around 1978, just nine years after it opened.
The Metal Fab Division — later to be renamed Saf-T-Cart — started as a secondary business of Walker Welders in 1980. Walker Sr. thought of the idea after attending welding shows throughout the country. A welder himself, he saw many weaknesses in the components used in the welding industry, including manufacturers of cylinder carts and the like.
Walker said he also wanted something recession proof and non-dependent on the Delta since so many businesses were hit hard whenever there was a downturn in the local economy.
The formation of a manufacturing company came with the purchase of the old Dublin School in the early 1990s.
In 1997, the facility in Dublin was too small and the Highway 322 complex was purchased and the operation moved.
In 2005, the Coahoma County Board of Supervisors and Industrial Foundation brokered a deal for Saf-T-Cart to acquire the old Delta Homes location.
Saf-T-Cart’s growth can only be attributed to the loyalty and dedication from our customer base, which remains our primary focus to this day.
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