Fabrication Lead Hand
2302 Rd 125, St. Marys, ON N4X 1C9, Canada
The Opportunity:
If you’re the person who already knows what’s coming next on the shop floor before anyone tells you, this role was built around that instinct. At All-Equip/Platinum Trailers, each station (brake press, laser cutter, deburring, material handling) has its own dedicated operator, and you’ll be the one moving between them: nesting jobs, programming brake setups, troubleshooting problems as they come up, and staying ahead of the schedule. You’re not tied to one machine; you’re the person the team looks to when priorities shift or something needs fixing.
Work Arrangement:
Full-Time, Fully On-site, Monday to Friday, day shift. This is hands-on production work in a fast-moving manufacturing environment.
Compensation:
This is an hourly position paying $24–$32/hr depending on experience, plus a comprehensive benefits package including Extended Health Care. We believe in paying fairly for skill, precision, and leadership on the floor.
About Us:
All-Equip is a family-owned manufacturer with a genuine entrepreneurial spirit: if it moves, hauls, or solves a problem in the transportation sector, we’ll find a way to build it. Founded in 2011, we’ve grown into a recognized leader in both trailer manufacturing and heavy equipment repair and service, and it’s that repair experience that gives us a real edge. We’ve seen what fails in the field, what holds up under pressure, and what the competition consistently gets wrong. That knowledge is baked into everything we do.
Learn more about what we do: allequiprepair.ca and platinumtrailersmfg.com
The Role:
As our Fabrication Lead Hand, you’ll own the flow of work across the fabrication line. Each station (brake press, laser cutter, deburring, material handling) has its own dedicated operator, so your job isn’t to run one machine all day. It’s to nest jobs, program brake setups, sequence what needs to be produced next, and direct the operators working each station. You’ll float between stations, troubleshooting problems alongside operators, clearing bottlenecks, and jumping in hands-on wherever the floor needs you most, all while looking for ways to make the process better as you go.
In a typical week, you’ll nest jobs and program brake setups, direct operators across brake, laser, deburring, and material handling, and float between stations, troubleshooting issues, stepping in hands-on wherever there’s a gap or a bottleneck, and flagging ways to improve the process as you spot them. You’ll also keep material moving: staging, forklifting, and clearing the way before delays slow down the line.
Key Responsibilities:
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Nest jobs using our nesting software to plan cuts and optimize material usage before parts hit the floor.
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Program brake press setups from drawings and support operators on the tougher or unfamiliar jobs.
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Stay ahead of the production schedule: know what’s coming next and sequence jobs across the brake press, laser cutter, deburring, and material handling stations accordingly.
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Direct and coordinate operators across the fabrication line, assigning work and adjusting priorities as jobs and deadlines shift.
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Float between stations and step in hands-on wherever needed, covering breaks, backups, or gaps on the brake press, laser cutter, or elsewhere on the line.
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Troubleshoot problems alongside operators, diagnosing issues on the floor and helping get the job back on track.
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Oversee deburring and finishing work to ensure parts meet quality standards before moving downstream.
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Operate forklift and overhead crane to stage material and move parts through the facility, and direct others doing the same.
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Identify and resolve bottlenecks on the floor before they slow down production.
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Spot opportunities to improve fabrication processes and help implement changes that make the line more efficient.
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Communicate job status, priorities, and issues clearly with the shop manager and other leads.
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Maintain a clean, organized production floor and ensure PPE and safety compliance across the team.
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Support training and onboarding of new operators on the equipment and processes they’ll be running.
What We Offer:
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Year-round, full-time work, Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm base schedule.
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Extended health care coverage.
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Bi-weekly direct deposit.
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Overtime as the work demands: this is a busy shop and no two weeks are identical.
Career Path:
All-Equip is a growing manufacturing operation, and we promote from within wherever we can. A Lead Hand who keeps the floor running smoothly and develops the team around them is a strong candidate for a Fabrication Supervisor or broader production management role as the business grows. If you want to take on more, the opportunity will be there.
Qualifications & Experience:
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Hands-on experience operating a brake press or laser cutter in a production or fabrication environment, enough to step in and cover either station when needed.
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Experience with nesting software for laser cutting or similar CNC processes (required).
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Ability to program brake press setups from drawings (required).
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Experience directing or coordinating the work of other operators on a shop floor.
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Forklift certified, with solid material handling experience (required).
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Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and engineering specifications.
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Strong organizational skills: able to plan, sequence, and adjust production priorities on the fly.
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Comfortable troubleshooting equipment and process issues alongside operators.
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Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation to and from work.
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Physically capable of working in a demanding shop environment.
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Detail-oriented with a quality-first mindset: you catch issues before they move downstream.
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Clear communicator, comfortable directing others and flagging issues to management.
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Commitment to safe work practices and proper PPE use.
Education & Certifications:
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Related trade or technical training is an asset; demonstrated hands-on experience leading a fabrication team is valued equally.
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Forklift certification required. Valid driver’s license preferred.
All Equip is a diverse and equal-opportunity employer.
Please advise our office if workplace accommodations are required.
