Chatham Kent has long been a community with a large geography and diverse economy.  This year, the traditional manufacturing activities of the region have started to embrace a broader view of the term "manufacturing".  Family farms are starting into production operations; greenhouse and food production continues to gain in carving a landscape for the region.  Certainly, the industrial fabricators and manufacturers in this region are all too familiar with the Agricultural activities that support this region.

Our community has traditional and new found strengths in the agriculture, energy and automotive parts manufacturing sectors. Chatham-Kent already has a base of companies in these sectors that create a unique opportunity for Benchmarking and learning from each other.  The SIG events and topics this year have continued to challenge the manufacturers of the region to think beyond their current activities and strive for a greater understand of how we can capitalize on the uniqueness of our community and each other.  Although a greater understanding of the operations inside of our plants continues to be a focus, companies are learning and teaching each other the fundamentals of communication, lean, strategic partnering and sharing resources.

There have been some great success stories this year coming from the manufacturers in the region partnering with each other to accelerate there lean journeys and leverage the shortage of human resources they have felt since cutting back in 2007 through 2009.  The legislative requirements for operating a business in Ontario continue to strain the manufacturers of the region but most are happy to be located in this unique area and are really starting to realize the value of collaborating and sharing that is happening during the networking and Strategic Interest Group Events.

2012 is quickly positioning itself as an exciting year for the activities inside of the consortium as we continue to work together on activities and topics that leverage our greatest asset; each other.

Special thanks go out to the manufacturers of the region who continue to participate and encourage each other:

Anchor Lamina Inc.

Autoliv Canada

Batory Industries

BDM Millwrights Inc.

Cavendish Farms Wheatly

Dajcor Aluminum Ltd.

Enviroshake

GreenField Ethanol

Industrial Metal Fabricators

Lambton Conveyor Ltd.

Mahle Filter Systems

MPT Inc.

NH Global Design Inc.

Nu-Co Plastics

Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited

Resistance Welding Products Ltd.

Woodbridge Foam Corporation

 

A special thank you also goes out to our community partners who continue to support the manufacturers of the region including:

Chatham Kent Economic Development Services

OMAFRA

MEDI (MEDT)

NRC/IRAP

CFDC

Municipality of Chatham Kent

  

Wishing Everyone the Happiest of the Season,

 

JLB

Jeanine Lassaline-Berglund

jeanine@emccanada.org