2020 A Year of Challenges and Opportunities
Well, some things stayed the same, we held our Monthly 4 Strategic Interest Group gatherings as usual, with great participation and friendly exchange of information. We have had many Simcoe Muskoka Members take advantage of the several EMC offerings such as the MEC program, the Harvard Supervisor Program, Health and Safety Program and most recently companies signing up for the WILWorks program. Interest in the many other Value-Added Programs also remains strong.
But some things changed significantly this year; we have learned in a very short time how important the Health of employees and families are to us and the huge responsibility we all have to one another to keep ourselves and others healthy. We have learned how to communicate virtually, and how to work with one another as individuals and as businesses to create new and innovative new products to meet the new needs that have been thrown at us.
As always, it has been a great pleasure to have so many companies participate in the EMC programs and to see the collaboration that has taken place between manufacturers in our area. We all should feel very proud of our Simcoe Muskoka Manufacturers. Several years ago I had the opportunity of attending an EMC Senior Mangers SIG at Albarrie in Barrie. The owner of Albarrie was able to join us in the meeting; an elderly gentleman with sharp eyes and a passionate plea, he asked that we all consider very carefully and seriously how to work together to create new opportunities building on one another’s strengths and using the synergy to make our local manufacturing base strong and resilient. His vision, although slightly ahead of its time, clearly became a reality this year.
We may sit back and hope that 2021 will be a bit more stable, a bit less challenging, but I strongly suspect that won’t be the case; the bar has been raised again, whatever the drivers the rate of change, the need to change, the need to remain incredibly agile will be part of the new norm. Hold On !!
In the famous words of Red Green, “Keep your stick on the ice, we are all in this together”.
Have a great Vacation.
Ross