About Arc-Zone
Arc-Zone.com delivers high-performance welding and cutting products, services and solutions to metal fabricators worldwide. Our customers range from professional fabricators, welding and manufacturing engineers, welding supply companies, OEM's and systems integrators, to artist's and hobbyist's. 
Our primary focus is finding the right solution for our customers. We do not have an exclusive partnership with any one manufacturer, so whether you need a high amperage MIG gun or a small water cooled micro TIG torch for restricted space applications or a precision quality plasma arc welding torch, we pride ourselves on providing a quality product to meet your needs.
Need a custom product? No problem -- Arc-Zone has the technical expertise and industry contacts to get you what you need.
Our Carlsbad, California facility is conveniently located near the service centers of the world's leading shipping companies. As a result, both international and domestic customers benefit from exceptional turnaround times on all orders.
We’re also conveniently located near some of San Diego County’s best known surf spots. Check the surf reports at Tamarack, San Onofre, Swamis.
San Diego’s world class golf courses are nearby, including Torrey Pines and La Costa and Arc-Zone’s neighbors include some of the southern California’s most prominent fitness, sports, sportswear and leisure companies: No Fear, Spy Optics, TaylorMade Golf, Callaway Golf, Rip Curl, Macbeth, Atticus, Aquasphere, DC Clothing, K2, Jazzercise and La Costa Resort and Spa.
About Jim Watson
In 1998 Jim Watson founded Arc-Zone.com, the first online retailer of welding replacement parts and accessories, combining his own unique welding and business background with the power of the internet.
Jim's commitment to excellence, competitive spirit and experience in metal fabrication began with an interest in motorsports-- an interest sparked when he was 15 years old building and racing motorcycles with his dad. He found he not only enjoyed competition, but he enjoyed continually modifying his motorcycle and looking for opportunities to improve performance.
By the time he was in his 20s, Jim developed an interest in race cars and joined a local race team as a mechanic. After seeing how some of the guys were putting cars together, he signed up for welding classes at Pasadena City College and engineering at Valley Technical College in Van Nuys, California. "I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing," he says.
Around the same time, Jim began working at Weldcraft, at the time a small manufacturer of welding accessories located in Burbank, California.
After a season of racing and some welding experience under his belt, Jim and his dad decided to build their own car. They qualified for the Main Event with their first race at Ascot Park, but they didn't actually finish. They had an experimental rear end in the car and it broke. Jim laughs, "We always wanted to do something different." The year did end successfully, however, and they sold the car at 3 times what it cost to build. "It was too good a deal to pass up," Jim says, "and an opportunity to build another car."
The next car Jim and his dad built was their own design. "You can't beat your competition by using the same equipment, " says Jim. "And you need to look ahead too," he adds, "Focusing on safety and innovation, and looking for opportunities to get better performance is how you win."
Jim's reputation for performance improvement and his positive attitude landed him a job as chief mechanic for the inaugural tour of The James Gang, a racing team on The World of Outlaws Tour.
At the end of a successful year, Jim chose to return to Weldcraft, and the opportunity to apply to the business world many of the lessons he learned racing. This growing company also provided Jim opportunities to learn even more as he worked his way up to Director of Manufacturing.
When the business was sold in 1985, the conversion from a family owned business to a corporation was another welcome opportunity for Jim. He took courses in quality and productivity from business greats like W. Edwards Deming and Tom Peters, and applied that knowledge to help create Weldcraft's Quality Program for management.
Jim then took his product knowledge, reputation for process improvement, and his attention to customer needs and developed the Weldcraft Crafter Series TIG welding products, the first truly innovative high-performance product line with new design elements. Jim patented the design which included ergonomic improvements as well as performance characteristics for better cooling. In fact, to this day it's the most popular and profitable Weldcraft product.
Jim continued to educate himself, taking courses in business management, quality and productivity as well as sales and marketing. He also continued to move up in the company into regional sales, and ultimately working as a product manager leading his team through the relocation from California to Illinois.
A California boy at heart, Jim returned to Southern California in 1997 looking for an opportunity to bring together his extensive industry knowledge, his business acumen and his desire to put customers first. In 1998 he founded Arc-Zone.com, the first online retailer of welding replacement parts and accessories.
Get to know Jim at his blog, JoeWelder.com.
Privacy Policy
At Arc-Zone.com we know you care about how your personal information is used and shared. This notice describes our privacy policy. By visiting Arc-Zone.com, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Notice.
What Personal Information About Customers Does Arc-Zone.com Gather?
We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. We use the information that you provide in order to respond to your questions, process your order, receive payments and communicate with you regarding new welding solutions we think may be of interest to you. If at anytime you do not wish to receive communications from us, let us know, and we will remove you from our mailing list.
Does Arc-Zone.com Share Information It Receives?
Keeping information about our customers is an important part of our business, allowing us to provide excellent customer service. We are not in the business of selling information. We do share customer information in order to conduct business transactions with our customers.
Examples include fulfilling orders, delivering packages, sending postal mail and e-mail, analyzing data, processing credit card payments, and providing customer service. Companies we employ have access to only the personal information needed to perform their service. We do not authorize use of your information for any other purposes.
Arc-Zone.com does not sell your information to anyone.
How Secure Is Information About Me?
We protect the security of your information during transmission by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which encrypts information you input and information that we send to the credit card processing company when we complete your order. Additionally, we have have employed a computer security company to audit our systems to ensure that we are storing your information securely.
Legal Notices
Copyright
All content on this site, including text, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio clips, and video, is the property of Arc-Zone.com, Inc. or its content suppliers and is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. The compilation (meaning the collection, arrangement, and assembly) of all content on this site is the exclusive property of Arc-Zone.com, Inc. and is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. All software used on this site is the property Arc-Zone.com, Inc. or its software suppliers and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. The content and software on this site may be used as a resource. Any other use, including the reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission, republication, display, or performance, of the content on this site is strictly prohibited.
Trademarks
Arc-Zone.com® is a registered trademark of Arc-Zone.com, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Carmen Electrode™ CarmenElectrode.com™ , CoolKit™, Hot Foot™, Joe Welder™ JoeWelder.com™, Monster™ TIG Nozzle, Sharpie™ Hand Held Tungsten Grinder, and Weld Like A Pro™ are trademarks of Arc-Zone.com, Inc.
All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.
License
Arc-Zone.com, Inc. grants you a limited license to access and make personal use of this site and not to download (other than page caching) or modify it, or any portion of it, except with express written consent of Arc-Zone.com. This license does not include any resale or commercial use of this site or its contents; any collection and use of any product listings, descriptions, or prices; or any derivative use of this site or its contents.
This site or any portion of this site may not be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose without express written consent of Arc-Zone.com. You may not utilize Arc-Zone.com’s name or any of Arc-Zone’s trademarks in any meta tags or search based PPC advertising without the express written consent of Arc-Zone.com. You are granted a limited, revocable, and nonexclusive right to create a hyperlink to any Arc-Zone.com webpage so long as the link does not portray Arc-Zone.com, or its products or services in a false, misleading, derogatory, or otherwise offensive matter. You may not use any of Arc-Zone.com’s trademarks or logos or any other proprietary graphic or trademark as part of the link without express written permission.
Jobs
Located in Carlsbad, California, Arc-Zone.com,® Inc. is a worldwide supplier of high-performance welding products, services and solutions.
As a small but growing company, we are always on the lookout for enthusiastic, computer savvy, customer service focused people to join our team.
To find out about current job openings, contact us at jobs@arc-zone.com
