Common Arc
Common Arc is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1988 that provides standardized welder testing and certification documentation for the heavy industrial construction industry. It serves union contractors, Boilermaker welders, and heavy industrial owners by eliminating redundant job-site welding tests.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersGeneva, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Common Arc does
Common Arc Corporation is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1988 by the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE) to eliminate redundant welder certification testing across the heavy industrial construction industry. Prior to its creation, field Boilermakers were required to retake job-site welding tests each time they changed employers, sometimes enduring a dozen or more similar tests per year. Common Arc centralizes welder performance documentation, allowing Boilermakers to arrive at work sites pre-certified and reducing average welder certification test costs by over 95 percent while maintaining code welding quality standards required by bodies such as ASME and AWS.
The core product is a standardized welder testing and certification program built around Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) documentation. The platform provides downloadable manuals and WPS documents, an authenticated member portal for welders and contractors to manage profiles and certification records, and event scheduling for test administration. Software infrastructure is designed and maintained by TWI Software, the technology arm of the world's largest independent welding and joining research organization. The system serves 220 union contractors and approximately 9,800 Boilermaker welders (as of end-2001), eliminating documentation redundancies that previously caused facility idle time costing electric utilities up to $5 million per hour.
Common Arc operates under joint labor-management governance, with NACBE and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers represented on its board of directors, executive committee, and operating committees. Revenue is generated through not-for-profit membership and certification fees billed annually, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization distributes services exclusively through direct B2B relationships with union contractors and coordination with the Boilermakers union, with no commercial marketing or third-party distribution channels. Its addressable market is structurally constrained to the NACBE-affiliated heavy industrial construction sector in the United States.
Common Arc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Arc
- Legal name
- Common Arc Corporation
- Website
- https://commonarc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Common Arc is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1988 that provides standardized welder testing and certification documentation for the heavy industrial construction industry. It serves union contractors, Boilermaker welders, and heavy industrial owners by eliminating redundant job-site welding tests.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Arc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Welder Certification Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Fabricated Plate Work (Boiler Shops) (3443)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Boilermaking, Pressure Vessels & Tank Fabrication Training (EDAOADAN), Welding Inspection & QA/QC (NDT, PWHT, Weld Procedure/Qualification) (EUAEAHAD), Pipe Welding & Industrial Piping Fabrication Training (EDAOADAB)
Keywords
Where Common Arc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geneva
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Common Arc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Not-for-profit membership/certification fees: As a not-for-profit corporation founded for the benefit of the heavy industrial owner community, contractors, and Boilermaker employees, Common Arc operates on a membership or certification fee basis. Specific revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Common Arc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Arc provides a not-for-profit welder testing and certification program for the heavy industrial construction industry. It maintains standardized Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and a centralized certification documentation system that eliminates redundant job-site welding tests across employers, so that Boilermaker welders arrive at work sites pre-tested and ready for productive work.
Product overview
Common Arc operates as a single unified product offering — a not-for-profit welder testing and certification program for the heavy industrial owner community, contractors, and Boilermaker employees. The core program provides standardized welding procedure specifications (WPS) and documentation services that eliminate redundant welder testing. By maintaining a centralized database of welder qualifications, Common Arc enables Boilermakers to arrive at work sites already certified, reducing the average cost of welder certification tests by over 95 percent. The company publishes a downloadable Manual explaining the program and a WPS document detailing all standardized tests.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Welder Testing and Certification Program A not-for-profit welder testing and certification program serving the heavy industrial owner community, union contractors, and Boilermaker employees. It uses standardized Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and a centralized certification documentation system to eliminate redundant job-site welding tests across employers, so Boilermakers arrive pre-tested and ready for productive work.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% reduction in average cost of welder certification tests
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Common Arc
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Common Arc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Common Arc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE)coreNACBE founded Common Arc Corporation in 1988 as a recognized necessity that welding, testing, and performance must be under the control of the contractor. NACBE remains the founding and governing body of Common Arc, establishing the organization to address redundant welder testing across employers.
- International Brotherhood of BoilermakerscoreCommon Arc turned to the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers immediately after founding for joint representation on its board of directors, executive and operating committees. The partnership is essential for Common Arc to achieve its potential through a committed team approach of union and contractor working in unison.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Common Arc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Credly: Digital credentialing infrastructure provider used by many industries for portable, verifiable certifications. Comparable as an emerging alternative for delivering portable weld and trade certifications with better mobile UX and integration capabilities than Common Arc's legacy portal.
- WorkHands: Digital platform for skilled-trades workforce management, credentialing, and verification serving industrial contractors. Comparable as a modern technology-enabled alternative to legacy paper-based trade certification programs like Common Arc, representing a competitive threat from a digitally native entrant.
Regional players
- Helmets to Hardhats: Non-profit connecting transitioning military members to unionized construction careers including welding. Comparable as a not-for-profit serving the unionized skilled-trades workforce with strong institutional partnerships, though focused on workforce entry rather than certification documentation.
Others
- MOST Labor Management Trust: Labor-management cooperative trust for Boilermakers and contractors on training, safety, and workforce development. Directly referenced by Common Arc as a partner and comparable as a jointly governed Boilermaker industry institution serving overlapping contractors and welders.
Broad incumbents
- American Welding Society (AWS): The dominant US standards body for welding certification, including welder qualification tests that Common Arc's WPS documentation is built upon. Comparable as the upstream authority whose codes define the certification framework that Common Arc operationalizes for Boilermakers.
- National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors: Governing body for boiler and pressure vessel code compliance, referenced directly by Common Arc. Comparable as the upstream regulatory authority whose inspection standards drive the demand for certified Boilermaker welders.
Direct peers
- NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research): Industry-driven credentialing body for skilled construction craft workers across multiple trades. Highly comparable as both organizations serve as standardized craft certification programs funded and governed by industry stakeholders to reduce redundant training and testing across employers.
- TWI Global (The Welding Institute): Largest independent welding and joining research, training, and certification organization globally, parent of TWI Software which builds Common Arc's technology. Directly comparable as a welding-specific training and qualification body serving industrial clients worldwide.
- International Association of Iron Workers Training: Union-driven training and certification program for ironworker welders serving heavy industrial construction. Comparable as a parallel trade-specific certification body addressing redundant welder testing for a different trade union, structurally analogous to Common Arc's Boilermaker focus.
- United Association of Union Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Techs (UA) Training: Operates the most parallel skilled-trades certification and training infrastructure to Common Arc but for pipefitter/welder crafts. Comparable as a union-driven certification organization that solves the same redundant-testing pain point for its trade, representing both a peer and a potential adjacent market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Common Arc social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Arc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Arc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Common Arc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Arc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Arc
What does Common Arc do?
Common Arc provides a not-for-profit welder testing and certification program for the heavy industrial construction industry. It maintains standardized Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and a centralized certification documentation system that eliminates redundant job-site welding tests across employers, so that Boilermaker welders arrive at work sites pre-tested and ready for productive work.
Is Common Arc a public or private company?
Common Arc is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Arc founded?
Common Arc was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Arc based?
Common Arc is headquartered in Geneva, United States, in the North America region.
How does Common Arc make money?
One revenue line is on record: not-for-profit membership/certification fees.
Who are Common Arc's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Credly and WorkHands. Helmets to Hardhats is listed as a regional player. MOST Labor Management Trust is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are American Welding Society (AWS) and National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. Direct peers are NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research), TWI Global (The Welding Institute), International Association of Iron Workers Training and United Association of Union Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Techs (UA) Training.
Does Common Arc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Arc.
What industry is Common Arc in?
Common Arc's product category is Industrial Welder Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOADAG, Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA), with a secondary code of EDAOADAN, Boilermaking, Pressure Vessels & Tank Fabrication Training. Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.