West Side family welding business celebrates 100 years

“They established that foundation of what carries the name today,” says great great granddaughter of Cardona Welding founder.

SAN ANTONIO – Cardona Welding Shop has built a 100-year-old legacy led by five generations of family members.

Cardona Welding on the corner of South Brazos and Merida streets is still going strong 100 years after Guadalupe Cardona first opened its doors as a blacksmith shop.

Generations of Cardona men helped build a good reputation for the shop that went beyond Bexar County, says owner Loraine Cardona, widow of Johnny Cardona.

In 2019, Johnny and his son, John Cardona Jr., passed away, leaving daughter Elizabeth Rodriguez to take the helm of the shop.

“The community, they will tell you, please don’t close the shop. And I said, ‘Why now?’ Because they said, ‘It’s like the Alamo of the West Side. It’s historical. It’s a landmark,’” Rodriguez said.

Cardona Welding has helped build and shape San Antonio. Rodriguez said that there are many landmarks that the Cardonas helped create or fix.

She says the business will stay open as long as they can, and hopefully, soon, the next generation of Cardonas will be ready to take the helm of the company.

ALSO ON KSAT.COM

Click here for more Untold History stories.


About the Authors:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.

Joe Arredondo is a photojournalist at KSAT 12.