Walters Group
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| Private | |
| Industry | Steel fabrication |
| Founded | April 1956 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Headquarters | Hamilton, Ontario |
Area served | North America |
Number of employees | ~1000 |
| Website | https://www.waltersgroupinc.com/ |
Walters Group Inc. is a family-owned structural steel fabrication company based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The company provides steel fabrication, detailing, and erection services for construction projects across Canada and the U.S. It has been involved in complex building projects, one of which includes the $3-billion rehabilitation restoration of Canada’s Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. [1]
History
Working at the shipyards in the Netherlands, Walter Koppelaar immigrated to Canada and chose to work in steel. In 1956, Walters Welding and Iron Works Ltd. was founded in Hamilton, Ontario. His grandson, Walt Koppelaar immersed himself in the company, doing everything from polishing steel to drawing blueprints, working up to an executive level employee as vice president. The company, now Walters Inc., employs 700 employees in Hamilton and 200 in the U.S. [2]
On November 15th, 2017, Walters Group acquired a significant minority ownership of Dave Steel Company Inc., This supplier of fabricated structural steel has served the construction industry since 1929, for industrial, institutional and commercial projects in the U.S. Walt Koppelaar, VP of sales and markets saw this acquisition as a partnership that would benefit both companies and provide better service for their customers across North America. [3]
Operations
Before the tariffs were implemented on Canadian steel and aluminum sectors from President Trump in early 2025, about 70 per cent of Walters Group’s steel fabrications were exported to the U.S. To avoid layoffs, executive vice-president Walt Koppelaar told reporters “There is a need to focus on Canadian work do our best to support Canadian steel fabricators”. Walter's exported steel is now nearly zero. [4]
In the summer of that year, Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Walters Group’s Hamilton plant and announced measures to support steel companies in Canada. During the visit, Carney discussed proposed tariffs on steel imports from non-U.S countries and higher tariffs for steel coming from China. [5]
Projects
Walters Inc. was the steel detailer and erector for the University of Toronto’s Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building, a 17,000-square-metre structure, constructed with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and Halcrow Yolles. The company fabricated steel for components of the five-story atrium and two suspended steel pods, as well as a19.2-metre-long transfer truss between the sixth and seventh floors. [6]
Walters was also the appointed steel contractor and erector for Burgoyne Bridge in St. Catharines, Ontario. Working with Pomerleau Construction and Canam-Bridges, a division of Canam Group Inc., Walters fabricated the girders and the arch, which spans Highway 406 and the adjacent water. According to Daily Commercial News, the assembly and erection phase was completed over a 59-day period. [7]
Although mass timber is becoming a more popular building material, it hasn't reached mass popularity in Canada. However, Walters Inc. was selected to help construct Limberlost Place, a 10-storey mass-timber building for George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario. The company fabricated and installed the structural steel braced frame core, complemented by two storeys of wood. Robert Jackson of Fast + Epp stated that the approach “was a pretty novel concept in the mass timber space that’s gaining traction...” [8]
In 2022, Walters Group Inc. was hired by Algoma Steel Group Inc. and awarded the structural building contract for its electric arc steelmaking facility, a $700-million complex in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Taking steel plate products from Algoma, Walters worked with SIS Manufacturing Inc. to fabricate the structural components. This new facility is geared toward carbon reduction within the province and marked an important milestone for Algoma in becoming a top producer of green steel in Canada. [9]
References
- ↑ O'Connor, Joe (August 25, 2025). "Tariffs shake Canada's steel city to the core. Can Hamilton learn a lesson from Pittsburgh?". Financial Post. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ↑ O'Connor, Joe (August 25, 2025). "Tariffs shake Canada's steel city to the core. Can Hamilton learn a lesson from Pittsburgh?". Financial Post. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ↑ "Walters Group from Hamilton acquires US-based Dave Steel Company | ontario construction report". 2017-11-22. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ↑ Beattie, Samantha (July 17, 2025). "Amid tariffs and to avoid layoffs, Hamilton steel fabricator pivots from mostly U.S. to Canadian projects". CBC News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ↑ Laur, Bridget (July 16, 2025). "Carney targeting Chinese steel with higher tariffs to protect domestic industry". CHCH News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ↑ O'Reilly, Dan (2007-06-12). "Innovative, space-age lecture hall pods". Journal Of Commerce. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ↑ O'Reilly, Dan (May 27, 2016). "New steel life for Burgoyne Bridge in St. Catharines". Daily Commercial News. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ↑ Lam, Elsa (2025-09-01). "Building a Culture of Tall Timber". Canadian Architect. Archived from the original on September 1, 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ↑ "Algoma Hires Walters Group to Build EAF Facility". www.metalcenternews.com. Apr 25, 2022. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
External links
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