Starting at an early age, L. William Zahner worked for his father at A. Zahner Company, the business started by his great grandfather. His father brought him and his brothers in on Saturdays and holidays to work in the sheet metal shop. There, William Zahner learned everything about the various metals used in building construction.
After graduating from the University of Kansas School of Engineering, Zahner went to work for A. Zahner Company, as a field engineer/truck driver in 1979 at the Iatan Power Station. During this time, he also introduced the first computers into the firm, quickly realizing the skills of the workers could be augmented by the expanding power of the computer.
In 1989, he became the company’s president. He met many creative architects early in his career who challenged him with questions of why certain limitations existed in the metals used in architecture. He employed his passion and perception to take A. Zahner Company to an international level by addressing these challenges and pushing the envelope of possibilities.
Today, A. Zahner Company is known for its creative metal work and the intense computer integration in its fabrication processes. The company works all over the world on some of the most intriguing architectural and art projects ever constructed.