About the industry

Demand in Alberta will require more than $200 billion of new construction and maintenance spending over the next twenty-five years much of it in fabricated metal products. Based on that demand, Alberta is quickly becoming one of Canada’s major metal manufacturing centres, behind only Ontario and Quebec. A market opportunity of this size has attracted the attention of the world and global supply chains emerging from Alberta have been expanding and forming as new oil sands construction cycles begin. This presents a remarkable opportunity for Alberta’s metal manufacturing companies to grow.

Industry fast facts
2010

  • Revenues: $10.6 billion
  • Companies: 1,700
  • Employees: 39,000
  • Exports: $3 billion
  • Sector revenues more than $10 billion in 2010, up from $9 billion in 2009.
  • There are nearly 1,700 firms in the sector and more than 85% have fewer than 50 employees.  
  • There were approximately 39,000 employees in 2010.
  • Between 2000 and 2010, the Alberta metal manufacturing industry was the fastest growing manufacturing sector in the province with an output growth of 67 per cent over that period.
  • About 30% of this sector’s production is exported internationally.  International exports of the MFMM industry more than quadrupled between 1999 and 2008 to $4.3 billion, mostly as a result of very strong growth in exports of oil and gas field machinery. 

Areas of expertise

The primary activities of Alberta’s metal manufacturing sector shows great potential for growth, building on existing expertise in areas that include:

  • Metal fabrication: This includes architectural and structural metals manufacturing; boiler, tank & shipping container manufacturing; coating, engraving, heat treating & allied activities; and machine shops, turned products & screw, nut & bolt manufacturing

  • Machinery Manufacturing: This includes agricultural, construction and mining machinery manufacturing; commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing; engine, turbine and power transmission equipment manufacturing; industrial machinery manufacturing; metalworking machinery manufacturing; other general-purpose machinery manufacturing; ventilation, heating, air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturing

     

Date Updated:
RDP-2083