For more than 40 years, AC Metal Fabricating has been part of the industrial and construction landscape of Windsor, Ontario, operating in a region where manufacturing, steel, and cross-border commerce have long shaped the local economy. The business has developed a reputation built on continuity, quality control, and long-standing customer relationships, while expanding its capabilities in design, fabrication, and installation.
Founded in 1985 as a family-run business, AC Metal has remained rooted in the same practical approach that defined its earliest years. Over time, the company transitioned into the hands of the next generation of ownership, with current owners, Carlo Cerroni and Rino Tedesco, leading the way since 2018. Since then, the business has continued to expand its operations and regional footprint while maintaining the culture and relationships that helped establish its reputation in Southwestern Ontario.
According to Ethan Walker, AC Metal Fabricating Sales & Marketing Development Strategist, the company’s longevity within the region has played a major role in its continued growth. “We’ve just been in the business for a long time and have maintained the same core business values throughout,” he said. That approach has helped the company build strong ties not only with contractors and developers, but also with suppliers and customers who continue to rely on AC Metal for structural steel solutions across a variety of sectors.
“We’ve been in the business for a long time and have maintained the same core business values throughout.”
The company provides full-service capabilities for structural steel and miscellaneous metals with offerings that include design, fabrication, delivery, and installation, with a unique touch of being able to include specialty metal fabrication – stainless steel and aluminum, through its ties to their sister company, Cunningham Sheet Metal (Windsor) Ltd. That end-to-end capability has become one of the defining characteristics of the business, particularly within a regional market where many companies specialize in only one phase of the process. Installation, in particular, distinguishes AC Metal from much of the competition. “All around, we do everything,” Walker said, describing the company’s vertically integrated model. That integration allows the company to maintain quality control throughout the entire lifecycle of a project. From the initial quotation stage through fabrication and final erection, AC Metal manages each phase internally.
AC Metal’s work begins with concept development before moving into 3D BIM Modelling & design allowing AC Metal to work closely with clients during the planning stages of a project. Following client approvals, projects then move into the fabrication queue, then into installation. Fabrication services remain central to the company’s operations. AC Metal specializes in both structural steel and miscellaneous metals fabrication; using material classified items such as beams, columns, bracing, plates, stairs, ladders, railings, customized platforms and much more, all with the utilization of industry leading and latest technology-based CNC machinery that can process a wide variety of steel components across both divisions of structural steel and miscellaneous metals, while maintaining industry tolerances. That fabrication work is supported by quality control and a field division that oversees planning, coordination, installation, crane & lift equipment, and safety management on the job site. According to Walker, the company also invests heavily in training and equipment to ensure crews are prepared for more technically demanding work.
The company’s recent projects reflect both its current capabilities and its ambitions moving forward. Alongside Petretta Construction as the General Contractor, AC Metal is playing a key role in the development of a new Mitsubishi Motors dealership located along the E.C. Row Expressway east of Lesperance Road in Windsor. Construction continued through the Canadian winter, highlighting the coordination and scheduling demands associated with year-round structural work in the region. The dealership is expected to become part of a growing automotive retail corridor alongside nearby Subaru and Hyundai dealerships. For AC Metal, the project represents another example of its continued involvement in key commercial developments within Windsor.
The company is also working on a new Lauzon Plaza development at 1286 Lauzon Road in Windsor’s east end, a large multi-phase commercial and residential project that began construction in 2025. The development includes a 60,600-square-foot commercial plaza in Phase 1, expected to be completed by the end of 2026, followed by an additional 15,000 square feet of commercial space in Phase 2 during 2027. Phase 3 will introduce a 140-unit residential component scheduled for completion in 2028.
Anchor tenants already associated with the project include Multifood Supermarket and Average Joes Sports Bar, while medical units are also planned as part of the development. The project reflects the type of mixed-use construction that continues to reshape suburban commercial corridors throughout Ontario, combining retail, residential, and service-based development within a single site.
The majority of AC Metal’s business comes from commercial, institutional and industrial clients across Southwestern Ontario, although the company also operates within residential, agricultural, automotive and mining-related projects. As its operations have grown, leadership has increasingly focused on expansion beyond Windsor and into the broader Ontario market. That expansion strategy reflects a business that has evolved considerably since its early years. While Windsor remains the company’s foundation, growth into larger urban markets marks a new phase in its development. Walker acknowledged, however, that entering new regions requires patience and reputation-building. “We have to gain their trust first, but we’re confident and ready to show them what we’re all about” he said.
Underlying the company’s continued growth is a broader philosophy centered on relationships, reliability, and consistency. Walker points to the long-term relationships the company has maintained as one of its strongest advantages. Those connections, combined with the company’s integrated service model, have helped AC Metal remain competitive within a market that continues to evolve.
As the company looks toward expansion, that same relationship-driven approach is expected to remain central to its strategy. Through a combination of design expertise, fabrication capability, installation experience, and long-standing industry relationships, AC Metal Fabricating continues to position itself as a full-service structural steel and miscellaneous metals partner within Ontario’s construction market while preparing for a broader national presence in the years ahead.
