Growing up on a farm, it's no surprise that Abe Wiebe decided to add greenhouses to the offerings of the business he started with his business partner, Abe Harms, 20 years ago. Today, Universal Fabricating is one of the largest greenhouse builders in Ontario, and this year has been its busiest yet. "Horticulture is still growing, and within the sector, so are we," says Abe.
Lasers, welding, powder coating
Walking through one of the many workshops of Universal Fabricating in Kingsville, Ontario, on a Monday morning at 9 AM, there is plenty to see. Lasers are at work, welding is ongoing, powder coating is being applied, and products are being sent into the oven. It's clear that the days when all materials for building greenhouses were shipped from Dutch companies are long gone. Local greenhouse builders are thriving—especially the team at Universal Fabricating as they celebrate their 20th anniversary.
The company began in a home basement, initially focusing on manufacturing fabricated metal components for the automotive assembly industry. At first, greenhouse construction wasn't part of the plan—but Abe Wiebe couldn't resist the call of the food production industry. The first greenhouse project the company took on was a 2-acre facility. "Next year, we'll be building more than 125 acres, or 50 hectares," he shares during a tour of the company's expanding workshops and offices. "It's hard to believe how the industry has scaled up. We've always made sure to be there for every grower, which is why we're fortunate to have built a broad customer base."
Manufacturing metal components - that's how it started
Although today, that takes place in many different ways
Automation
Today, Universal Fabricating continues to produce fabricated metal products for automotive assembly lines but has also expanded to support high-tech warehouses, airports and data centers, among others. "We specialize in diverse aluminum extrusions, fabricated metal parts, various bracket styles, and galvanized fasteners," Abe explains. He points out a machine that cuts through steel as if it's butter. The steel being processed is six millimeters thick, but the machine handles it effortlessly. Another machine he showcases is a fully automatic laser tube machine, installed earlier this year, that manufactures trusses and trellises. "Now we can actually see the people working here," he laughs. "It makes such a difference to no longer depend on manual drilling." This machine is unique in Canada—or, actually, two of a kind, as the installation consists of two machines. These machines have significantly boosted production capacity: they run 24/7 and are fully automated. "One person operating, and six controllers," Abe notes. He's seen the nature of his employees' work change over the years as more automated production techniques are used—now requiring more technical and skilled expertise. That's why in Kingsville, the company opts to train its employees in-house, leading to a higher success rate.
Fiber lasering
...and new style fiber lasering
The laser cuts the metal fast and precise
Increased customer demand
To meet increased customer demand, Universal has doubled its employee count to over 300 people in recent years, acquired a 180,000 sq foot manufacturing facility in Texas and further expended its Kingsville facilities. "The last two years have been exciting for us," Abe says. In Kingsville, Universal Fabricating has grown from 20,000 square feet to over 400,000 square feet in total fabrication and assembly space and has plans to continue expanding. This growth is particularly notable given that greenhouse construction in Canada had slowed down in recent years. Abe acknowledges this but notes that quite a few greenhouses have still been built. Now that issues with water supply have been resolved, thanks to underground solutions, interest rates are on the decline and capacity is becoming constrained, the greenhouse industry can continue to grow—until the next growth limits are met. "Electricity and natural gas," he predicts, "It's hard for the energy infrastructure to keep up with the growth of the greenhouse industry here."
Quality checking every component
In addition to their own activities, Universal has a lot of tools on the shelves. ready to be sent to clients upon request, to speed their repair procedure
Metalworks
In a critical corner of one of the workshops, where the sound of metalwork fills the air, is the quality control department. At first glance, most of what lies there looks fine, but Abe points out that even the smallest welding error means a product goes back to production. "When we started, we knew we had to focus on quality. Otherwise, customers wouldn't return," he says. That's why every piece is tagged to ensure quality control throughout the chain.
Universal Fabricating officially turned 20 on October 31, and will celebrate later this month.
For more information:
Abe Wiebe, Director of Sales & Co-Owner
Universal Fabricating
1956 Setterington Drive
Kingsville, Ontario N9Y 2E5
Phone: 519-326-1333 ext.219
Email: [email protected]
www.universal-fab.com