Rochester Arc & Flame Center, Rochester

Michael Krupnicki had been in the welding business for 18 years when it occurred to him that there was no reason for the excitement and satisfactions of welding to be limited to tradesmen. He began offering classes at his workplace, and it caught on—he helped train more than 3,000 students in welding before opening Rochester Arc & Flame Center. In addition to a core curriculum of welding classes, he and his expert staff at the center also offer sessions in other fiery arts, including blacksmithing and glass blowing. The classes go beyond the basics and delve into the histories of each art, such as the rise and decline of blacksmithing and glass blowing’s early origins in dragon taming.