Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators - Celebrating 25 years

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Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators celebrates 25 years

By Nerissa McNaughton | Published by Brent Trimming

Custom is the key word for Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators Ltd. This agile company is celebrating 25 years of serving residential and commercial customers with outstanding metalworks across a variety of disciplines. From commemorative statues to decorative railings, from metal stairs to unique signage, Edmonton, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Canada are brimming with Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators’ art.

The company was founded in September 1999 by Rob Lysons.

“I was born and raised in Vermilion, Alberta where my father owned Martin Plumbing and Heating,” says Lysons. “Having been raised around the sheet metal industry, my interest from a young age has always been in metal.”

Photos on this page by Rebecca

Lippiatt

Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators • 25 years

After graduating in 1986, Lysons moved to Edmonton and did four years of apprenticeship in sheet metal at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). This led to a year of work in an HVAC shop, followed by 13 years at McKinley and Taylor – the latter of which was a pivotal move in the young man’s career.

“It was at McKinley and Taylor where I became a shop foreman at 23 years old and found my passion for custom metal work,” explains Lysons.

“Starting in 1994, I began fabricating snowmobile parts out of my garage for Mountain Magic. Early in 1999 I was approached by Neil Goodkey of Special Event Rentals to build custom rental products, including barbeques and chair dollies. That is when my dream became a reality and in September of 1999, Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators Ltd. was officially open for business.”

The company grew quickly from day one. They started with two employees but needed to hire and expand within four months. By the one year mark, they had seven employees. Just a few short years later, Lysons moved the business and his team into a larger 7,500 square foot shop. By 2005 they were out of space again, so he expanded the shop by an additional 2,500 square feet. Today there are 11 staff working out of the larger facility. Between five of the senior employees alone there is 120 years of experience.

“A change of ownership occurred in 2016 when my family and I moved to Wainwright and Brent Siermachesky, one of my first employees, purchased Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators,” Lysons adds. “Upon moving to Wainwright, I set up a custom metal shop where I continued to have a great working relationship with my first company.”

Change was in the wind, however, and that change led Lysons right back to his original company.

“During COVID I closed the doors to our Wainwright shop and moved back to Edmonton where I began working for Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators, this time as an employee. In 2022, I took back ownership from Brent. He is still an instrumental component to the success of the company.”

Lysons believes that the greatest contributing factor to the success of Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators is their artistic abilities. You can see their creativity on many projects, including the Pillar of Strength Police Memorial and the Oilers’ Door.

The Oilers’ door at Rogers Place features the hockey team’s iconic logo in a larger-than-life display. Meanwhile, the Pillar of Strength – a police and peace officer memorial at the Alberta Legislature Grounds – is a stunning artwork with lifelike birds floating up the pillar and a basin of fire crowning the top.

Other notable projects include designer Randal Fraser’s World Games 2001 opening ceremony props for Commonwealth Stadium, the Cross Cancer Institute memorial, stainless steel details in the interior and exterior of EPCOR Tower and the new Henry Singer store downtown.

Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators • 25 years •

Cross Cancer Monument

Pillar of Strength Police Memorial

Polar Aurora

All projects pictured below were designed and photographed by Wei Yew.

Outside of the capital city, Alberta Custom Metal Fabricator’s work can be seen in Chilliwack, B.C.’s Molson Brewery (in collaboration with Whitemud Ironworks); the welcome sign for Inuvik, N.W.T. and the Polar Aurora art piece (designed by Wei Yew) in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. See all this and more online at acmetal.com/special-projects and acmetal.com/gallery-of-metal.

“One of the most rewarding things for myself, personally, is having our products highly visible and enjoyed by others,” smiles Lysons. “If I were to tell clients just one thing it would be, ‘If you can dream it, we can build it.’”

Lysons is pleased to be beautifying Canada’s cities with Edmonton as the home base.

“One of the things I love about Edmonton as a business community is that despite there being a number of custom shops in the city, we have all found our niche and, for the most part, are not working against each other.”

He thanks, “Wei of Wei Yew & Co who has been an integral component in pushing our artistic abilities to the maximum. We are thankful for many extremely rewarding projects that have come our ‘Wei’ from him. Additionally, I would like to recognize Ty Lysons who joined our team in the spring of 2021. He is our shop foreman and is one the most talented custom metal fabricators I have ever seen.”

Lysons is also grateful to his family, the team, the many clients over the years and everyone that has helped Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators go from a two-person operation to the success it is today 25 years later.

What comes next for this artistic company?

“I can say that we are ready and capable for the next challenge and look forward to seeing what’s ahead!” concludes Lysons.