401. Data Centers, Nuclear, and the Steel Boom Coming for Welders w/ Stephanie Hoffman

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Show Notes

Stephanie Hoffman is back on the show, this time as the new Director of Industry Development and Engagement at Miller Electric. Jason and Stephanie catch up on her time away from the industry, what pulled her back, and the work she is now leading across education, business development, national accounts, customer experience centers, and process training for one of the biggest names in the trade.

The conversation covers Miller's Instructor Conference happening this July at the Appleton, Wisconsin headquarters in partnership with Fox Valley Technical College, and why Miller is approaching CTE programs as true partners instead of just placing blue boxes in the corner of the shop. Stephanie also breaks down the data center boom that is about to reshape welding, the shift away from wind energy, the role of small modular nuclear reactors in powering AI, the real difference between renewable and clean energy, what tariffs are doing to American steel, and why the next ten to fifteen years are going to make this industry almost unrecognizable.

Stephanie also opens up about being the first female to graduate from her welding program in New Jersey, the realities of a trade still under ten percent female, the mental health toll of being a national spokesperson, and what it took for her to step back, regroup, and come back stronger than ever.

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