Nadcap-accredited GTAW, micro, and orbital tube welding, trusted on commercial and military aircraft for more than thirty years. Held to a single standard: zero defects.
01The clean, slag-free fusion process aerospace pioneered. Beautiful, sound welds on commercial and military aircraft, tools, and dies, laid by master-level hands.
02GTAW under the microscope, with custom torches and filler wire as fine as 0.005". Mold repairs with near-zero sink; aircraft parts as thin as 0.016".
03The GTAW process performed by machine: repeatable, radiograph-grade welds on critical aircraft hydraulic lines, approved to Boeing BAC 5974.
Additional alloys welded and qualified on request.
An approved supplier across the Seattle, Long Beach, and St. Louis divisions.
Trusted by General Dynamics for airframes where failure is not in the spec.
Certified for the landing-gear division, on assemblies that carry the aircraft home.
Precision welds for business jets where finish and integrity are everything.
For over thirty years our welds have flown under the most demanding names in aerospace, and come back sound. Quality is not a department here; it is the process, documented and accredited end to end.
DCWI is a Nadcap-accredited special-process welding subcontractor. Rather than issuing certificates, primes add DCWI to their own Approved Supplier Lists, where qualified buyers can find us.
"Over twenty years of work, and not a single rejected weld."
A two-decade relationship built on welds that simply pass: every part, every program, on the date promised.
Buddy HoltPresident · B.A.R. Precision Machine Inc.
"We have been using Dan's Certified Welding for many years, and they have always provided the best quality, pricing, and delivery. Our company, Jay Manufacturing Corp, is a metal stamping job shop. We manufacture mainly aircraft parts. DCWI meets all of our requirements for a welding shop, including micro welding. DCWI seems to be on all of the aerospace approved lists."
Michael JordanJay Manufacturing Corp.
"DCWI is my favorite outside vendor. When they give you a date the part will be done, you can count on it. 15+ years, never a problem."
Rob DotyProduction Mgr · Century Parts Inc.
"DCWI has helped us with many of our mold repairs. Great attention to detail, every time."
Paul MayGeiger Plastics
Three generations, one standard. Founded in 1976 and family-built ever since, Dan's Certified Welding now enters its next chapter the same way it began, led by people who treat every weld as their name on the part.
Dan and his wife Mary opened Dan's Certified Welding in June 1976 as a small family shop in Downey, California. A craftsman first, Dan spent sixteen years building the company on one uncompromising promise: precision welds delivered with integrity. He set the "100% satisfaction, or the job is free" standard that still defines DCWI today.
Dan and Mary's son, Reuben grew up in the shop and acquired the company from his parents in 1992. Over more than three decades at the helm, he grew a respected family welding shop into a Nadcap-accredited aerospace supplier, earning approvals from Boeing, Gulfstream, Bombardier, General Dynamics, Parker Hannifin, and more. Under his leadership DCWI built a reputation that procurement and quality teams trust: welds that simply pass, part after part, program after program. Today Reuben serves on the board, where his decades of hands-on expertise anchor a deliberate, carefully managed handover of the business. His continued involvement makes certain that the relationships, institutional knowledge, and craftsmanship built over fifty years are never lost. They are carried forward to the next generation intact.
In January 2026, Efren Barriga acquired Dan's Certified Welding from his in-laws, the Salazar family, becoming the company's third steward in fifty years. An entrepreneur and founder of MAD Entrepreneurs, Efren acquired DCWI to honor the craftsmanship the Salazars built while modernizing how it runs: reorganizing the structure, building the repeatable processes, systems, and establishing the leadership to scale without ever compromising the standard that defines it.
From the archive
For nearly fifty years, Dan's Certified Welding has been more than a business. It has been a family's life's work. From Dan and Mary's first shop, to Reuben's three decades at the torch, to Efren carrying it forward today, DCWI has been built by people who care about what they leave behind. The handoff has been deliberate: Reuben remains on the board so that five decades of expertise pass forward intact, not lost. Each steward inherited the same promise, welds you can stake an aircraft on, and each made it stronger. That is what a legacy is: not one name, but a standard handed carefully from one generation to the next, built to outlast them all.
Efren Barriga · Owner & ChairmanEfren Barriga is the Owner and Chairman of DCWI, an aerospace manufacturing company specializing in precision welding, fabrication, and mission-critical components for some of the most demanding industries in the world. His path into manufacturing did not begin in a boardroom. It began on the shop floor.
Growing up in Southern California, Efren faced significant challenges early in life. Through hard work, discipline, and an obsession with continuous improvement, he built a career in advanced manufacturing that led him to some of the most innovative aerospace programs in the world. Today he brings that same mindset to DCWI: build great people, build great systems, and deliver world-class products.
Before acquiring DCWI, Efren spent nearly a decade helping scale some of the most advanced manufacturing operations in the aerospace industry. His career spans leadership roles across welding, fabrication, production, and operations, where he was responsible for:
Throughout his career, Efren has worked on programs requiring the highest levels of precision, quality, and execution. That experience now applies directly to DCWI's operations and future growth.
When the opportunity arose to acquire DCWI in January 2026, it represented more than a business acquisition. DCWI had spent decades building a reputation for quality craftsmanship, customer trust, and technical expertise. Efren saw an opportunity to preserve that legacy while investing in the company's future. His vision was simple:
By combining DCWI's proven reputation with modern operational excellence, technology, workforce development, and strategic growth initiatives, the company is positioned to serve both existing customers and future generations of aerospace manufacturing partners.
Every challenge is an opportunity to improve. Problems are not someone else's responsibility; they belong to all of us.
Good is never the finish line. Every process, system, and workflow can be improved.
Machines produce parts. People build companies. Investing in employee growth creates long-term success for everyone involved.
The goal is not simply to maximize short-term profits, but to build a company that will keep creating opportunities, careers, and value for decades to come.
Under Efren's leadership, DCWI is focused on becoming a premier aerospace manufacturing partner by investing in:
The mission remains unchanged: deliver exceptional quality, build lasting relationships, and create opportunities for the people who make it all possible.
"I've spent my entire career around welders, fabricators, machinists, inspectors, engineers, and operators. The people who actually build things are the backbone of American manufacturing. Owning DCWI is not about changing who we are. It's about protecting what made this company successful, investing in our people, and creating a future where the next generation of skilled tradesmen and manufacturing professionals can thrive. We're building more than parts. We're building a legacy."Efren BarrigaOwner & Chairman
Dan's Certified Welding is family-owned, quality-driven, and built on craftsmanship. We weld flight-critical aerospace parts to Class A standards on a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and we are growing our crew. If you are a disciplined, detail-oriented welder who values precision, reliability, and teamwork, we want to meet you.
Submit your résumé through the form below, or email info@danscertifiedwelding.com with the subject "Senior Welder Application."
Dan's Certified Welding is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value skill, integrity, and commitment, and do not discriminate based on race, gender, age, religion, disability, or any other protected category.
Fast, reliable responses to your job requests, exactly what aircraft manufacturers and machine shops have counted on since 1976.