Fab Mac Inc.: Baking Innovation with Eagle Laser Precision
In 2003, Pierre Larouche decided to turn a passion into a business. After years spent working for a leading industrial bakery firm in the croissant sector, he had built up technical expertise in equipment, process improvement, and customer service. That knowledge, paired with a drive to innovate, pushed him to start Fab Mac Inc. from his own garage in Canada.
“I started with a lathe, a few small tools, and a welder,” he recalls. “It was really just me, working nights and weekends.” That small setup grew into a 2,500-square-foot workshop dedicated to machining, repair, and industrial maintenance.
A breakthrough came when Fab Mac secured a contract worth about $420,000 with a company in the agri-food sector. “We cleared just $20,000 in profit,” Larouche laughs, “but that project got us started.” From then on, growth was steady. The company moved into larger facilities, eventually a 10,000-square-foot plant (929 m²), later expanded in 2018 to 15,000 square feet (1,394 m²), to accommodate new technologies and future projects. Today, Fab Mac also operates a 5,000-square-foot site (465 m²) in the U.S. and employs around 30 people, including four technicians in the States.
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Specialists in Industrial Bakery
From the start, Fab Mac has been closely tied to the bakery world. The company began with industrial maintenance and after-sales service but gradually shifted into 100% high-end equipment design. Today, Fab Mac is recognized as a specialist in production lines for croissants, bread, and pizza, both fresh and frozen.
The team prides itself on complete line integration, from assembly to after-sales service. “We are 100% integrated,” Larouche emphasizes. “That’s our strength.” Fab Mac’s clients include major manufacturers in the pastry, viennoiserie, and frozen pizza markets. One of the company’s proudest innovations is a unique artisanal-style, full-production pizza line, stress-free and without trim waste, the first of its kind worldwide. Fab Mac will officially present it at the IBIE (International Baking Industry Exposition) in Las Vegas this September.
Another point of pride is its sanitary approach to manufacturing. “Ninety-five percent of our work is in stainless steel,” says Larouche. “We also use aluminum, but we avoid carbon steel entirely to eliminate any risk of contamination. We are a 100% sanitary manufacturing plant.”
A Strategic Need for Fiber Laser Technology
“We truly found the equipment to be of very, very high quality,” he says. “Compared with the competition, the speed and precision of the Eagle machine made the decision clear. We’re very proud to have chosen it.”
Ease of maintenance was also critical. Many competing systems required heavy lubrication and constant checks. Eagle’s magnetic drive technology reduced that burden dramatically. “That was a big factor,” Larouche explains. “And the cutting head—it’s truly unique in the world, very well designed, and easy to maintain.”
Operator usability mattered too. “The control panel is well laid out, which makes it easier for operators to run the machine and produce quickly.”
As Fab Mac expanded, the need for a high-performance laser cutter became clear. Options were presented, but fiber technology quickly stood out. “For efficiency, speed, cut quality, and very low material contamination, fiber was the obvious choice,” Larouche explains.
The decision was not taken lightly. The investment was significant, and the pandemic had pushed inflation upward. “We said to ourselves, if we wait, it will only cost more—so we decided to move forward.”
When evaluating suppliers, Larouche’s background in equipment design guided the process. He inspected every detail of Eagle’s machine, the motion systems, the electrical panel assembly, the components, the operating modes.
Installation and Training
Preparation made installation seamless. A month before delivery, Fab Mac received the full machine footprints. “Since we integrate production lines ourselves, we had everything ready,” says Larouche. “Within a day and a half, the laser was installed, commissioned, and ready for automation and training.”
Training also went well, though it required adaptation. “Of course, it was new technology, so there was a learning curve,” he explains. “We had to adjust for nesting systems, sheet thicknesses, metric standards, and inventory management. Canada and the U.S. use different systems, so calibration took work. But overall, it went very smoothly.”
Strong support from distributor Raymond Robert Machinerie made the transition easier. “We’ve been their clients for years, for lathes, milling machines, and press brakes. They’re close to our plant, and their service is excellent. That proximity was another factor in our decision, competitors offered service out of Toronto, which wasn’t ideal. With Raymond Robert, we know we’re well supported.”
Results That Speak for Themselves
Since installing the Eagle eVision 10 kW, Fab Mac has seen major improvements. Parts that were previously machined entirely on CNC are now cut on the laser, with CNC reserved for finishing. Work that once had to be subcontracted is now handled in-house.
“The machine saves us a lot of time and energy costs,” says Larouche. “The performance is truly breathtaking. It fits our needs perfectly.”
Fab Mac’s ambitions extend far beyond its current footprint. In 2023, the company opened a U.S. sales office, and by 2026 it plans to expand Canadian production with equipment designed entirely in-house. The vision is to become fully integrated in its own equipment manufacturing.
Iowa is another key market, with plans to develop a manufacturing plant there, equipped with press brakes and a support laser, within the next four to five years. At the same time, Fab Mac is pursuing growth in Europe through exclusive distribution contracts with a partner that will market its pizza lines.
For Larouche, Eagle’s value is not only in the machine’s quality but also in the relationship. “After-sales service is as important as the equipment itself,” he says. “Eagle’s support has been impeccable, fast, efficient, and reliable. A company that loses its service loses its soul. For now, what we see from Eagle is outstanding, and we want it to stay that way.”
He has already recommended Eagle to colleagues, twice. “The design, the speed, the precision, the support, it makes Eagle an easy recommendation. The equipment is versatile and exceptionally well built.”