New impetus at industrial supplier of fine sheet metal work

At the West-Flemish family business Lesage Metaalconstructie, an industrial supplier for fine sheet metal work, the fourth generation is successfully continuing the business after a well-planned succession path. A new baseline 'Masters in Metalworks' was launched and investments in machinery and automation systems followed to increase productivity and efficiency on the shop floor. For example, a new 5-axis machining machine from Elumatec was recently purchased, aimed at automatically machining aluminum parts up to 6 meters.

Lesage has evolved over the years into an industrial supplier of the finer, versatile sheet metal work. These include parts for construction-related products or for the lighting world, indoor and outdoor furniture, enclosure cabinets ... - to name but a few. As a result, the end products are often very creative as well as visible. A high degree of finishing is therefore a priority. 

"Quality in product and service runs like a thread through the history of this family business, for which I am responsible today along with my wife Lies and her brother Kim," says Mike Bartholomeus. "Kim joined the company in 2010, while my wife Lies and myself followed two years later. The first few years gave us time to check everything out, settle in and get to fully know the company, the customers and the market. Since the beginning of 2021, the company has been in the hands of our generation, but we can continue to count on the backing of our parents."

Investing in people and machinery

The supplier strives for long-term cooperation with customers by offering them a total package and guaranteeing the highest quality in product and service. Lesage Metal Construction has a team of more than fifty qualified employees and continuously invests in its machinery. 

"We made a comprehensive study and drew up a multi-year plan to sustain the growth of the company. Our experienced staff is a very important asset in this regard. After all, it is not easy to find technically skilled personnel, but fortunately we have a very loyal team that does not shy away from any challenge," Bartholomeus continues. 

"Of course, machinery also plays a role if we want to guarantee quality and remain competitive. In recent years we have therefore invested heavily in automated laser cutting and punching machines, an automatic sheet warehouse, two bending robots and semi-automatic welding equipment, among other things. This allows us to further strengthen our market position. At the same time, we are creating a better and healthier working environment for our employees, which is just as important."

Increased flexibility 

To further expand the possibilities and be able to respond even more flexibly to requests, the business owners recently invested in an additional aluminum processing machine from Elumatec for workpieces up to 6 meters, which will be in action starting this summer. "Customers come to us with their ideas. In some cases these are simple models, for which even a drawing is already available, but mostly we still get a demand for more complex constructions, for which our product designers have to provide a solution." 

"We machine sheets of steel, aluminum and stainless steel, as well as Corten steel, zinc, red copper or brass in various dimensions, and perform almost all machining in-house: cutting, punching, bending, welding... We also have our own industrial powder coating facility for painting pieces up to 12 meters," Mike Bartholomeus concludes. "This new 5-axis machining machine fits perfectly with our vision to guarantee an even better service. After all, we strive for customers to have only one point of contact for their entire project."