Forging a Future in Metal
Craig Cooper – Highland Fabrication
Craig Cooper didn’t just return to the Haliburton Highlands to live, he came back to build something. In 2019, he started Highland Fabrication with little more than a truck and a welder. Today, he runs a fully certified metal fabrication business with a growing shop, a CNC training space, and a reputation for quality, trust, and innovation.
“Haliburton is home. I grew up here, left for a while, and came back in 2021 because I wanted to live, work, and play in the same place,” says Craig. “There was a gap in the local market for the kind of metalwork I do, and I saw that as an opportunity.”
Built from the Ground Up
Highland Fabrication officially launched in 2019 and went full-time in 2022. From its modest beginnings, the business now includes a full-service fabrication shop offering structural steel, architectural metalwork, heavy equipment repair, and CNC machining.
“We now have a full shop, a CNC classroom, and we’re always investing in more equipment,” says Craig. “The dream is to expand into a larger facility with more lathes and mills so we can do even more right here in Haliburton.”
One of the company’s proudest achievements? “We’re Division 2 certified with the Canadian Welding Bureau,” Craig explains. “That means we can work on commercial, industrial, and residential structural steel projects across the province.”
cutting in metal
More than Welding
While Highland Fabrication’s services include everything from plasma and laser cutting to mobile welding and remote-access repair, Craig emphasizes that craftsmanship and client care are what set them apart.
“We do custom fabrication, metal forming, mobile repairs, even projects like fire pits, signage, and decorative railings,” he says. “But no matter the job, it’s about doing it right.”
The business also supports do-it-yourselfers with in-stock material supply and is expanding into training, offering a CNC classroom space to help others learn the trade.
A Career Forged in the Field
Before returning home, Craig spent years in the field doing high-stakes industrial work, including welding inside massive freshwater pipelines in Toronto. “We’d go 700 to 800 metres inside a pipe to weld. That kind of work teaches you precision and endurance.”
He’s also a graduate of the Welding Engineering Technician program at Durham College and holds certifications as a welder and Level 1 welding inspector.
“Coming back to Haliburton with that experience gave me the confidence to build a business from the ground up, and to bring big-city quality to a rural setting.”
Craig at work
Investing in Community
For Craig, Highland Fabrication isn’t just about metal, it’s about making a difference locally. “We want to provide high-quality services that weren’t available here before. And we want to be a business that supports other trades and local contractors.”
He also encourages others to consider starting businesses in the Highlands. “You really can build anything here. You can run a serious operation, and still be minutes from the lake or the forest.”
That balance of lifestyle and opportunity is what drives Craig’s long-term vision for Highland Fabrication: to keep growing, keep hiring locally, and keep innovating.
“We’re just getting started,” he says. “There’s a lot more we want to do, for our clients, for the trades, and for the community.”
Craig’s workspace
Creating & Fabricating
Inspecting
Work area
Welding
Craig at work
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