Truck driver turned metal artist to sell at 605 Made
By Erin Mairose, for SiouxFalls.Business
A former truck driver has turned his metal art hobby into a small business and will sell at tonight’s 605 Made Night Market.
Crooks resident Brad Hills was a truck driver up until 10 years ago, when he left the industry and focused on his metal work and Hills Metal.
What some might cast aside as junk, Hills uses to create metal yard ornaments such as pheasants, flowers, hearts and turtles. He has up to 50 designs after 20 years of cutting and shaping metal into custom decorations.
Over the years, he has tried his hand at different custom-made designs with requests for items such as geese and pigs.
Many of the designs, including one of his best-sellers — the pheasant, are coming to the 605 Made Night Market. It runs from 5 to 10 p.m. in the east parking lot of Cherapa Place. Although Hills is no stranger to arts and craft shows, he’s eager to try “a different venue and a little bit of a different crowd.”
Hills’ work is the result of his whole family chipping in. His wife creates the designs “just of her head” with pencil and paper before he cuts and welds the metal with the help of his son. He finds his materials in junkyards and scrapyards.