Lakehead Ironworks marks a milestone few companies reach: fifty years of steady growth, regional impact, and a reputation for workmanship that has earned goodwill across generations of industrial clients. What began in 1976 as a small ornamental steel shop has grown into one of northwestern Ontario’s most relied-upon industrial partners, supporting mining, forestry, construction, and municipal infrastructure across the region.
Today, the company operates out of a 36,000-square-foot facility in Rosslyn, just outside Thunder Bay. Inside, crews tackle everything from complex structural steel projects to the rebuilding of heavy mobile-equipment components. They perform field and shop welding, provide align-boring services, and install material-handling systems as core offerings. The company has also become a trusted regional supplier of specialty industrial products, including Hardox Wearparts, Behlen pre-engineered steel buildings, Artspan insulated structures, and Benetech conveyor and dust-mitigation solutions.
It has been a long journey from modest beginnings to becoming a name that industrial operators across the North count on.
A growth path built on confidence, capability, and calculated risk
When President and Owner Uwe Quast stepped into leadership, he brought a clear sense of what northwestern Ontario needed: local access to high-quality steel fabrication that could compete with much larger centres. He did not lead cautiously; he accepted challenging projects most small shops would hesitate even to consider.
Between 2007 and 2010, Lakehead Ironworks executed several structural steel projects in the Caribbean, including the U.S. Embassy in Barbados and multiple developments in Grand Cayman. The Beachcomber condominium project required a hurricane-resistant roof structure capable of withstanding extreme loads. The company fabricated the roof entirely in Thunder Bay and shipped it in 27 sea cans—an undertaking that solidified its reputation for capability, ingenuity, and determination.
A regional lifeline for heavy industry
Around the same period, Lakehead Ironworks recognized an opportunity closer to home. The Canadian Shield takes a heavy toll on earth-moving equipment, and mining operators needed frequent bucket rebuilds, liner replacements, and structural repairs. The company stepped into that gap, and this work has become one of its defining strengths.
Today, mines across northwestern Ontario rely on Lakehead Ironworks not only for repairs but for engineered wear-solution upgrades using Hardox, Strenx, Duroxite overlays, and other advanced materials. These upgrades extend equipment life, reduce downtime, and support the 24/7 realities of modern industrial operations.
Investing in equipment, people, and regional capacity
As demand grew, Lakehead Ironworks reinvested steadily rather than coasting. The company added advanced fabrication tools, CNC machines, and heavy-handling equipment that let the shop take on projects once destined for major centres.
It applied the same philosophy to field work. Over the years the company assembled a substantial fleet—scissor lifts, telehandlers, welding trucks, delivery vehicles, and a flat-deck semi—to meet demanding industrial installation schedules. Its ironworkers and field crews have erected structural systems for industrial facilities, commercial buildings, conveyors, and material-handling equipment throughout the region.
This dual strength of dedicated shop fabrication and dependable field erection gives clients a seamless, end-to-end service that reduces project delays and eliminates coordination gaps.
But throughout the company’s evolution, one investment has always stood above the rest: its people.
Lakehead Ironworks has cultivated a long-serving workforce, with many employees growing into supervisory and leadership roles. The company’s influence has extended even further: many experienced tradespeople working across northern Ontario today trace their early training back to the Lakehead Ironworks shops, a reflection of the company’s role as an informal skills incubator for the region.
A legacy of reliability and regional contribution
Today, under the leadership of President Peter McNabb, Lakehead Ironworks continues to operate on the same principles that carried it through five decades: quality work, honest relationships, and consistency that earns trust over time.
“Our focus has always been to deliver the highest quality work possible,” McNabb says. “When we do that consistently, the goodwill we build with clients and communities becomes our strongest asset.”
That philosophy has shaped collaborations with municipalities, First Nation communities, industrial operators, and commercial builders across the North, with each project contributing to the region’s economic resilience.
Looking ahead: Strengthening the next 50 years
As Lakehead Ironworks celebrates its 50th anniversary, the company isn’t slowing down. It is expanding its capabilities, strengthening supply-chain partnerships, and positioning itself to support the next generation of northern Ontario industry.
From a modest shop in 1976 to a diversified industrial fabrication leader in 2026, Lakehead Ironworks has become something rare: a quiet, dependable force behind the region’s progress. Its story is one of perseverance, regional pride, and commitments you can trust, yesterday, today, and for decades to come.
More information is available at www.LakeheadIronworks.com
February 5, 2026
February 4, 2026
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