WAYNE’S METAL MARVELS - May 24, 2011

Tuesday, 24 May 2011 09:00

Name of Company: Wayne’s Metal Works Ltd.

City: Lethbridge

Website: www.waynesmetalworks.com

Year Established: 2003

Number of Employees: 6

Here are some things you probably haven’t given much thought to:

• What happens with potato chips that aren’t good enough to sell to the customer?
• How do miniature horses travel longer distances?

Wayne’s Metal Works Ltd., however, has thought about both. In fact, the Lethbridge company has provided customers with answers for each question.

First some background: In 2003, Wayne Zaretski saw a need for a custom metal fabrication shop in Lethbridge. He has has since built up a shop that provides both private and commercial metal works. The company currently takes up 6,000 square feet and owns the power equipment needed to build ideas into reality.

Wayne’s Metal Works does a lot of work for food plants—creating items such as stainless steel countertops, sinks, hoods and backsplashes and stainless steel tanks for re-circulated water. Zaretski has also designed and built a stainless steel discharge chute. The chute hangs from the rafters and works like a really big garbage disposal system for potato chips that are not of high enough quality at a snack food plant. The chips are ground into smaller pieces, making them easier to move. (Believe it or not, broken potato chips can be mixed with feed for cattle.)

The company has also built aluminum toolboxes, signs, steps and fuel tanks. Right now the shop is finishing a project that might be one of Zaretski’s favourite to date—a trailer for miniature horses. He describes it as a cross between a big horse wagon and a child’s wagon.