Sheet metal fabrication supplier is ready for the future

If manufacturing companies can do a lot in-house, they can also move quickly when additional orders or sudden adjustments are needed. That flexibility, along with the quality and accuracy of the machining, is an important cornerstone for success. Kim Lesage, his sister Lies and her husband Mike Bartholomeus of Metaalconstructie Lesage have understood this well. Together with its team, this fourth generation continues to build on the family's life's work. The industrial supplier of mainly the finer, versatile sheet metal from Otegem continuously invests in the expansion and optimization of its machinery. 

When Nestor Lesage started a blacksmith shop in the early 1930s, he must never have imagined that his brainchild would grow into a leading sheet metal fabrication subcontracting company. Since early 2021, the company has been in the hands of the fourth generation, providing new impetus. 

"All three of us had been in the business for quite some time, so we were given plenty of time to master the craft. We mainly focus on the finer, versatile sheet metal work, for example, parts for construction-related products or the lighting world, indoor and outdoor furniture, enclosure cabinets ... to name a few. The term 'metal construction' no longer fully covered the load, so we went for a new baseline 'Masters in Metalworks,'" explains Mike Bartholomeus. "Our team does not shy away from any challenge. Customers come to us with their ideas. Sometimes these are simple pieces from the customer's drawing, but in most cases they are still more complex constructions, for which they then have to develop a realizable solution using advanced 3D drawing packages."

Quality is a must

Once the customer approves a design, production begins. Almost all machining can be done in-house. At Lesage, sheets of steel, aluminum and stainless steel, as well as Corten steel, zinc, red copper or brass are machined in various sizes. 

"For this, we have extensive high-tech machinery. Furthermore, we master the metier of welding like no other. Our skilled employees have mastered everything: robotic, semi-automatic, TIG, MIG, spot, butt and stud welding. The welding robot includes four work stations and has a range of 12 meters. There is also in-house painting. Indeed, on our site there is an industrial powder coating facility, where pieces up to as much as 12 meters can be color coated," Bartholomeus continues. "If there is anything we don't do ourselves, we work together with fixed qualitative partners. After all, we want to build a long-term relationship with our customers by offering them a total package and always guaranteeing the highest quality in product and service. We also strive to ensure that those customers have only one point of contact for their entire project, which improves efficiency and delivery reliability."

Continue to invest

Kim and Lies Lesage and Mike Bartholomeus have undertaken an extensive study and have drawn up a multi-year plan to sustain the company's growth. The experienced staff is a very important asset in this regard. After all, it is not easy to find technically skilled personnel, but fortunately they can count on a loyal team at the metalworking company. 

"However, we are convinced that in addition to personnel, machinery also plays a crucial role if we want to guarantee quality and remain competitive. Moreover, this way we create a better and healthier working environment for our employees, which of course is also conducive to the atmosphere and productivity," concludes Mike Bartholomeus. "So in recent years we have invested heavily in automated laser cutting and punching machines, an automatic sheet warehouse, two bending robots and semi-automatic welding equipment, among other things. Last year we also took into use a CNC machine from elumatec for profiles up to 6 meters. We also started laser welding, which allows us to obtain a nice welding result for our fine sheet metal work without additional post-processing. And in the fall of 2022, we also installed a CO welding robot to make production even more flexible. At Lesage, we are already ready for the challenges of today and tomorrow. If you want to get to know our company even better, check out our company video on YouTube."