At D.F. Richard Energy, the Joseph Ford Memorial Trade Scholarship is more than just an award—it's a tribute to the life and passion of Joe Ford, a young technician who embodied the spirit of the trades and left an unforgettable mark on our company and hearts. Today, we are honored to announce the 2025 scholarship recipient: Tanner Kellet.
Tanner’s story reminds us so much of Joe’s. A young man with a relentless drive and a heart set on a hands-on career, Tanner’s love for welding grew out of necessity and curiosity. His family runs a heavy equipment business, and Tanner learned how to fix things when they broke. From there, his interest in welding took off.
In his own words, "The great thing about welding is if something is broken or wrong, you can fix it." That kind of mindset, resourceful, hardworking, and humble, is exactly what we saw in Joe and what we aim to support through this scholarship.
Tanner began his journey with dual-credit college welding classes in high school. He has experience with stick, MIG, and TIG welding, and has already designed and fabricated custom attachments for his family’s skid steer. With no blueprints—just a vision and communication with his dad—Tanner problem-solved and adapted, creating functional tools from scratch. He’s now restoring an old school bus to convert into a tailgating RV and dreams of one day launching a mobile welding business.
His passion doesn’t stop at welding. Tanner is also a blacksmith. Self-taught through 4H and deeply involved in teaching younger kids the craft. He’s even created hand-forged knives for conservation fundraising events. Whether it’s fixing broken equipment, demonstrating at local fairs, or helping others learn, Tanner shows a remarkable dedication to his craft, his community, and his future.
This scholarship is Joe’s legacy in action. Joe loved working with his hands. He found purpose and pride in the trades, and we see that same spark in Tanner. Supporting students like Tanner ensures that Joe’s impact continues to grow far beyond our company doors.
We are so proud to support Tanner’s next steps with a scholarship to help further his education and training. We can’t wait to see all the great things he will accomplish.
To Tanner, congratulations! And to everyone who applied, thank you. Your passion and dedication give us hope for the future of the trades.
With heartfelt appreciation,
The D.F. Richard Family
