Some Things You Learn by Doing: Troy Huber & Marty Brian

Jul 2026

There are a lot of things in this trade that you have to learn by doing.

You can show someone how to build something. You can explain why it needs to be done a certain way. But there are plenty of lessons that only come from being on the shop floor, working through a problem, and learning from someone who has been there before.

That’s what Troy Huber and Marty Brian have been doing together in our fabrication department.
Marty has been with Goodhart Sons for just over a year. Troy has a longer history with the company. He spent 11 years here before leaving to try something different.

Now he’s back, and part of his job is mentoring Marty in the trade.

Passing Along What You Know

At Goodhart Sons, we believe the knowledge that comes with experience is worth passing on.

A lot of what makes someone good at this work isn’t written down. It’s knowing how to approach a problem, recognizing when something isn’t quite right, or knowing a better way to build something because you’ve done it before.

That kind of knowledge takes years to develop. We want to make sure it doesn’t stop with the person who learned it.
That’s where Troy and Marty come in.

When Troy returned, his position was set up as a mentoring role. Since March, he and Marty have been working together in the same bay.

For Marty, having someone with Troy’s experience close by has made a difference.

“He’s taught me different ways of building things and more efficient ways to approach the work. Instead of having to figure everything out on my own, I can learn from his experience and pick things up a lot faster.” Marty said.

Sometimes the lesson is a different way to approach a job. Other times, it’s talking through a problem until they figure out how to get it done.

Marty said there have been plenty of times when he has gone to Troy with a question and Troy either had an answer or helped him work through it.

That doesn’t just save time. Marty said having someone there to catch him before he makes a bigger mistake has helped build his confidence, too.

Why Troy Came Back

Troy’s story adds another part to the relationship.

After 11 years at Goodhart Sons, he left because he wanted a new challenge. He stayed in touch with people here, though, and eventually found his way back.

“I guess the people and the atmosphere here brought me back,” Troy said.
He also describes Goodhart Sons as a place with a lot of tradition and pride in the work that gets done here.

Now, he’s contributing to that tradition in a different way.
Troy sees value in having younger people come into the trade, especially someone like Marty who is interested in the work and wants to do a good job.

“And it’s nice to see a guy take interest like this that really wants to do a good job and pass it along,” Troy said.

More Than Just the Job

For Troy, the role isn’t limited to teaching Marty how to do the work.
“More than just job stuff,” Troy said. “Just life stuff. You know, it’s not just in here what we do, but it’s mentoring, kind of, you know, in life and my experiences that I had in this industry.”

For Marty, that experience gives him someone to turn to when he gets stuck and someone who can help him learn from a problem instead of simply solving it for him.

“Goodhart is always pairing the younger generation up with the older generation to make everyone better.” Marty mentioned.
That’s the value of keeping that knowledge moving.

Troy brings years of experience. Marty is building his. By working alongside each other, the things Troy has learned over the years become things Marty can carry forward.

And that’s how a trade keeps getting passed down.