Who We Are
Who We Are
Apex Welding Academy is a training school in Exeter, Missouri, that provides welding courses to individuals all over the United States. Our goal is to help high school graduates find a career in the welding industry by equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need.
Our Objective
Our Objective
To produce tradesmen that have the knowledge and skills required to enter the workforce through multiple avenues.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Cody Epperly, Co-Founder and Lead Instructor
Cody Epperly, Co-Founder and Lead Instructor
Cody has more than 30 years of experience in the field and started in a custom fabrication shop that performed heavy equipment repair and manufacturing contracts. During the evenings, he would teach welding night classes at the local vocational school.
He was hired full-time and stayed to teach for several years before traveling the country with his family to become a welder for different industries. This allowed him to develop his skills in organization, craftsmanship, and handling difficult situations. Eventually, he started a pipeline fabrication company where he worked on everything from the drawing board to cleaning up before facility turnovers.
Ed Norman, Co-Founder
Ed Norman, Co-Founder
Ed graduated from Monett High School in 1980 and found employment as a welder for E.F. Marsh Engineering Company for 5 years. At the same time, he taught the night classes at the Southwest Area Career Center for 3 years. The center eventually hired him as a full-time instructor, and he went on to teach there for 27 years before retiring in 2012.
He holds a Career and Technical Teacher Certificate from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. He also obtained his Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Certified Welding Educator (CWE) credentials from the American Welding Society (AWS) in 1998. Shortly after, he started a welding inspection business where he qualified procedures and welders while working on cost-saving and consulting projects.
Ed is currently an AWS member. He was also part of the AWS Education Committee in 2002 and served as chair from 2008 to 2017. He has been recognized by the AWS Ozarks Section and AWS District 17 for his outstanding contributions to welding education.
He is also a professional member of SkillsUSA, where he has been an active member of the SkillsUSA Technical Committee since 1994. He has been the committee chair for the last 8 years.