Hirebotics Names New CEO to Tackle Welder Shortage with Cobots

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – March 03, 2026 – Hirebotics, a key player in the collaborative robot (cobot) space, has announced a significant leadership transition, promoting co-founder and COO Matthew Bush to the role of Chief Executive Officer. The change, effective February 20, comes as retiring co-founder Rob Goldiez steps down, marking a new chapter for a company built to address one of modern manufacturing's most pressing challenges: the dire shortage of skilled welders.

Bush's appointment signals a determined continuation of the company's mission to make automation accessible. As metal fabrication shops across the globe struggle to find talent, Hirebotics has carved out a niche by offering no-code, app-based robotic systems that empower existing workers rather than replacing them. This leadership change occurs at a time of what Bush calls "strong momentum," positioning the company to deepen its impact on an industry in flux.

A New Captain with a Familiar Mission

Matthew Bush is no newcomer to the company's core operations. Since co-founding Hirebotics in 2015, he has been the operational force behind its product development, manufacturing, and customer success initiatives. His leadership has been instrumental in the global deployment of the company's Beacon™-powered cobot welding and cutting systems. With a background that includes senior leadership roles at IDEX Corporation and The Scott Fetzer Company, along with an MBA from the University of Florida, Bush brings a deep understanding of operational excellence and industrial technology to the CEO position.

In his new role, Bush plans to accelerate the company's growth by leaning into the principles that have defined its success. "Skilled welders are in short supply, the cobot market continues to see rapid growth, and fabrication shops of every size need tools that help them do more with the talented people they do have," Bush stated. "Our no-code, app-based approach to cobot applications is solving that problem every day, and we're just getting started.”

This vision represents an evolution, not a revolution. Bush emphasized his commitment to the philosophy championed by his predecessor, ensuring that the company's identity remains intact. "He built this company on the principle that automation should include people, not replace them," Bush said of Goldiez. "That philosophy is at the heart of everything we do, and I'm honored to carry it forward."

The Legacy of an Automation Pioneer

Rob Goldiez's retirement marks the end of an era for Hirebotics. His vision was foundational, built on the simple yet radical idea that robots should be as easy to "hire" as people. Under his decade of leadership, the company grew from a bold concept into one of the most recognized names in cobot welding.

Key milestones during Goldiez's tenure include securing crucial early-stage funding in 2017, which paved the way for future innovation. In 2021, the company launched its flagship Cobot Welder powered by the proprietary Beacon platform, a product that has become central to its identity. The industry took notice, honoring Hirebotics multiple times with Universal Robots' prestigious Global OEM of the Year award. Goldiez's philosophy of the "Appification of Automation"—making complex robotics accessible through simple, intuitive software—has become a guiding principle not only for his company but for the broader industry.

"Rob's impact on Hirebotics and on the broader cobot industry cannot be overstated," Bush acknowledged. His departure leaves a legacy of innovation and a powerful, human-centric approach to automation that his successor is now tasked with building upon.

Confronting an Industry in Crisis

The story of Hirebotics is inextricably linked to the crisis facing the metal fabrication industry. The American Welding Society (AWS) has sounded the alarm for years, with recent projections indicating a need for over 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028. This staggering figure, averaging 82,500 jobs to fill annually, is compounded by a rapidly aging workforce. With the average welder's age at 55, a significant portion of the industry's most experienced professionals are nearing retirement.

This demographic cliff has created a perfect storm: demand for skilled welding is high, but the supply of qualified workers is critically low. The consequences for manufacturers include production bottlenecks, increased labor costs, and an inability to take on new work. It is this gap that collaborative robots are uniquely positioned to fill. The global cobot market, valued at USD 3.4 billion in 2025, is projected to surge to over USD 32 billion by 2035, with welding applications expected to command the largest share. Cobots offer a solution by taking over repetitive, strenuous, and time-consuming welds, thus augmenting the capacity of the existing human workforce.

The 'Appification' of the Weld

While industrial automation is not new, Hirebotics' approach is what sets it apart in a competitive landscape that includes major players like Lincoln Electric and Miller Electric. The company's core innovation is its Beacon™ software platform, which completely redefines the user experience. Instead of requiring complex programming knowledge and weeks of integration, Beacon allows users to teach, manage, and monitor a cobot using a simple smartphone or tablet app.

This "no-code" approach is designed for welders, not robotics engineers. The interface uses the language of the trade, allowing operators to adjust parameters like wire feed speed and travel speed directly. The system can be unboxed and producing its first welds within hours. Furthermore, the Beacon platform offers advanced features like AI-powered weld recommendations, which provide "good-better-best" settings to eliminate guesswork and ensure consistent quality. This focus on radical simplicity and usability is the company's key differentiator, making powerful automation accessible to the small and medium-sized shops that form the backbone of the manufacturing sector.

From Shop Floor to Bottom Line

The tangible impact of this technology is best seen on the shop floor. Customer case studies reveal dramatic transformations. Advanta Southeast, a fabricator grappling with labor inconsistencies, implemented a Hirebotics system and boosted its output by a staggering 400%, enabling it to win new contracts in the electric vehicle sector. Athena Manufacturing, a precision fabrication shop, saw its production times on key assemblies fall by 70% and cut setup from weeks to less than a day.

Perhaps most compelling is the story of Vortex Companies, which was struggling with a growing backlog. By integrating a Cobot Welder, the company reduced a 25-minute manual welding task to just 5 minutes—a 90% time savings. This efficiency gain not only increased profitability but also allowed the company to reduce overtime, improving work-life balance for its skilled welders and even creating new support positions. These examples demonstrate that when automation is designed to empower, it doesn't just improve productivity; it strengthens the entire business and its workforce.