A Modest Beginning

Our story starts out in June of 1971 when Lee Vanden Heuvel purchased a local blacksmith’s shop on Depot Street in Little Chute, WI. Originally founded as Lee’s Welding, it wasn’t just a place of work, it was the place the family lived. During those early years they lived upstairs as all 3 boys were born.

Using the welding and metal bending learned in his father’s garage when he was 10 years old, Lee started out sharpening plowshares for local farmers – often times for $1 each. As the business grew into certified structural steel welding and mechanical contracting, it was time for the shop to expand as well.

Time To Grow

In 1980 Lee moved his operation out of his home to its current location on Buchanan Street in Little Chute. The initial shop built, although small by today's standards, was big enough to work on boilers and frames for a leading refractory services company. Business was doing well; it was time to hire a few employees and train them to weld as well as other skills of the trade.

Family Matters

The 1990s brought more growth – additions to both, the building and employee side were carried out to satisfy the increased work demands. From the family perspective, the second generation of Vanden Heuvels (and future owners) joined the company.

Ryan began his career after graduating from high school, working full-time while earning his Journeyman's card for Pipefitting from Fox Valley Technical College. Jay and Dave joined on after both earning degrees in mechanical engineering technology from Michigan Tech. They each continually engage to learn and personally work in many facets of the company, both in the shop and out in the field.

Transition

As we entered the 2000s, Ryan, Jay, and Dave began assuming various leadership roles within the administration. Through this, a new vision for the future of the company was taking shape. The decision was made to change the company name from Lee’s Welding to Lee’s Contracting/Fabricating, Inc. to more accurately describe the capabilities offered. Their foresight proved to be successful and brought substantial growth. Expansions were made to provide more space for fabrication, CNC water jet machines, and other necessary equipment to support the increasing number of field and shop workers. During this time, a plan to transfer ownership from Lee to his sons was devised.

In 2008, Ryan, Jay, and Dave purchased the company and run it as president and vice presidents respectively. Lee continues to work with the many customers he has served over the years.

Advancing With You

Currently our shop space has reached over 75,000 square feet, capabilities are expanding, and our team continues to grow (25+ and growing). We are especially proud to have reached the point of our first full-time 3rd generation employee, Rylee Vanden Heuvel, who joins us after completing his degree as a machine tool technician.

Our plan is simple even when your needs are not - Deliver exceptional results!