Podcast Concept 3
Season 9
045 – Stephen MacKenzie – Invest WindsorEssex
045 – Stephen MacKenzie – Invest WindsorEssex
In this episode of Making It In Ontario, Nick and Brendan speak with Stephen MacKenzie, the President and CEO of Invest WindsorEssex. Under his leadership, Windsor-Essex has become one of the most resilient manufacturing regions in Canada. Their conversation included a discussion about the recent investment by NextStar Energy (a joint venture between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution EV) in Canada’s first EV battery manufacturing plant. The new plant represents a milestone in the evolution of...
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Season 8
044 – Eclipse Automation
044 – Eclipse Automation
In this episode, Nick and Brendan take a drive out to Cambridge to discuss industrial automation with Eclipse Automation. The guests included Jacquelyne Dounedara, Talent Acquisition Specialist; Brian McIntosh, Apprenticeship Program Manager; Michelle Sangster, Chief Human Resource Officer at Eclipse and Managing Director at Accenture; Jules Topalian, Talent Development Manager; Allan Medhurst, Talent Acquisition Manager; Ryan Szusz, Manufacturing Manager. Aside from being a fascinating episode, this episode also holds the record for the most guests in...
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043 – Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR)
043 – Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR)
In this episode, Nick visits Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) to chat with Maryse Harvey, Executive Director, Andrew Petrou, Chair of the Board, and Phil Arthurs, Director of Operations. The conversation centred around their Green Fund – a $2.6M FedDev Ontario initiative intended to “…reduce the aerospace sector’s environmental footprint and help SMEs be globally competitive.” In this episode, Nick visits Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) to chat with Maryse Harvey, Executive Director, Andrew Petrou,...
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042 – Katarina Ilić & Matt Ewertowski – Voltera
042 – Katarina Ilić & Matt Ewertowski – Voltera
In this episode, Nick drives out to Kitchener to chat with Katarina Ilić, co-founder and sales director at Voltera, and Matthew (Matt) Ewertowski, Voltera’s product manager. We first met Matt in a previous podcast episode discussing the additive manufacturing of electronics and the advantages and innovations that it enabled. Voltera’s first additive manufacturing circuit board printer was the V-One. As Katarina explains, both the founding of the company and the invention of the V-One were in response to...
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041 – Shawn Horton – AIS Technologies Group
041 – Shawn Horton – AIS Technologies Group
In this episode, Nick and Brendan visit Windsor’s AIS Technologies Group (AIS Tech) to chat with Shawn Horton, Director of Marketing & Business Development. AIS Tech is a manufacturing automation company working in the automotive, aerospace, agriculture, logistics, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage industries. Traditional vision inspection systems rely on fixed camera systems looking at identical products in identical configurations. Today, AIS Tech is blending traditional inspection automation with artificial intelligence by developing software (including a cell...
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040 – Scot Magnish – Harbour Technologies Inc.
040 – Scot Magnish – Harbour Technologies Inc.
In this episode, Nick chats with Scot Magnish, head of communications at Harbour Technologies Inc. (Harbour Tech). Harbour Tech is a traditional automotive tooling supplier that has recently expanded its operations to supply other industries like nuclear, aerospace, defence, and PPE. In 2022, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. In the episode, Scot explains what it took for Harbour Tech to expand into other industries and the opportunities that exist within them. He credits much of...
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Season 7
039 – Mike Greenley of MDA & Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown
039 – Mike Greenley of MDA & Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown
In this episode, Nick and Brendan are joined by Mike Greenley, the CEO of Brampton-based space and robotics technology manufacturer MDA and Patrick Brown, the Mayor of Brampton. The conversation focuses on Ontario’s role in the future space economy, developing a diverse and multi-generational workforce, and the advantages of advanced manufacturing in Brampton. As Mike notes, the rapid development of the private space industry and the falling cost of rocket launches has created a range...
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038 – Paul Miller – Precision Record Pressing
038 – Paul Miller – Precision Record Pressing
In this episode, Nick and Brendan drive to Burlington to chat with Paul Miller, the Vice President of Sales at Precision Record Pressing. Initially a joint venture between Czech-based GZ Media and Burlington’s Isotope Music, Precision Record Pressing has emerged as one of North America’s largest vinyl record manufacturing facilities. Paul’s experience as the owner and founder of The Record Jacket Corporation brought him to Precision Record Pressing in 2015. Over the past five years, Precision Record Pressing has increased its...
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037 – Scott M. Fairley – Optimotive Technologies Inc.
037 – Scott M. Fairley – Optimotive Technologies Inc.
In this episode, Nick and Brendan drive out to Oldcastle to meet with Scott M. Fairley, founder and CEO of Optimotive Technologies Inc to discuss their IRIS2 Mk1 autonomous ATV. According to Scott, Optimotive focuses on automating data collection in “…muddy, dusty, or otherwise unpredictable environments” (like aggregate piles) replacing the need for a person to do these repetitive and often dangerous tasks. Optimotive does not sell autonomous robots. They sell the service of autonomous data collection from dangerous and...
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036 – Nour Hachem-Fawaz – Build a Dream
036 – Nour Hachem-Fawaz – Build a Dream
In this episode, Nick drives out to Windsor to chat with Nour Hachem-Fawaz, the president and founder of Build a Dream – a national organization helping companies diversify their workforce and their talent pipelines. In recognition of her work in this field, Nour was recently awarded the APMA’s Workforce Leadership Award as well as the Top 100 Women of Canada award. Build a Dream’s work falls into two main categories: educating young women and girls (and their parents) about...
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035 – Sarah McKenzie-Picot & Diane Burchett – Kepler Communications Inc.
035 – Sarah McKenzie-Picot & Diane Burchett – Kepler Communications Inc.
In this episode, Nick and Brendan chat with Sarah McKenzie-Picot, Space Systems Designer & Assembly, Integration & Test Lead, and Diane Burchett, the Vice-President, Engineering at Kepler Communications Inc. The company was founded in 2015 by two University of Toronto graduate students. Today, the company works out of a building that was once used to make clothing. Now, it’s used to make satellites. Kepler’s satellites communicate with the Earth (and each other) using an array, or ‘constellation,’...
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034 – Derek Vella – Guelph Food Innovation Centre
034 – Derek Vella – Guelph Food Innovation Centre
On the heels of the Trillium Network’s online map of Ontario Dairy Manufacturers, Nick and Brendan take a drive out to the University of Guelph to speak with Guelph Food Innovation Centre (GFIC) director, Derek Vella. While the centre’s 100-year history focused on the science of dairy production, today they’re working on innovations in almost all types of food production and processing. This includes protein bars, meat analogues, cellular agriculture, functional beverages, and of course, ice...
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Season 6
033 – Jeff Cowling – Yorkville Sound
033 – Jeff Cowling – Yorkville Sound
In this episode, Nick and Brendan sit down with Jeff Cowling, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Yorkville Sound. The company manufactures PA speakers, Traynor guitar and bass amplifiers, and is the contract speaker manufacturer for Canadian theater icon, IMAX. The company was originally founded in Toronto in 1963 in the back room of the first Long & McQuade store by Pete Traynor. Jeff attributes much of Yorkville Sound’s successes to their business philosophy of...
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032 – Andrew Conway & Steve Cox – Dimachem
032 – Andrew Conway & Steve Cox – Dimachem
In this episode, Nick chats with Steve Cox and Andrew Conway, respectively, the president and vice president of Windsor, Ontario’s own, Dimachem, a supplier of industrial blended chemicals. First founded in 1972 and originally called Chemfil Canada Ltd., this year, the company celebrated their 50th year of operation. Today, Dimachem continues to manufacture and innovate. A few years ago, they became the Canadian toll manufacturer of Pine-Sol for Clorox, pivoted their manufacturing to make hand...
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031 – Hussam Haroun – Vineland
031 – Hussam Haroun – Vineland
In this episode, Nick chats with Hussam Haroun, Director of Automation at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. According to Haroun, the centre’s goal is to bring modern technology (robotics, vision systems, AI, machine learning, etc.) to the sector and improve productivity in horticulture/agriculture. Haroun and his team have developed ‘Technology Roadmaps’ to make adoption of advanced technologies more accessible. The Vineland team uses their facility to demonstrate available technology and develop automated solutions. This...
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030 – Gerd Grau, Matt Ewertowski – Additive Manufacturing Of Electronics
030 – Gerd Grau, Matt Ewertowski – Additive Manufacturing Of Electronics
In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick chats with Gerd Grau, professor of electrical engineering at York University, and Matt Ewertowski, product manager at Voltera. After 4 years of collaboration, they have found new and innovative applications for additive manufacturing: the 3D printing of electronics and electronic circuits directly into other components. Collectively, their goal is to develop this technology for all manufacturers, not just a few select industries. The best use cases...
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029 – Sohrab Haghighat – SpaceRyde
029 – Sohrab Haghighat – SpaceRyde
However, what truly sets them apart is their solution for getting out of the lower atmosphere – traditionally, the most expensive, wasteful, and deadly part of the voyage. Rather than using more power, they simply use a balloon. SpaceRyde’s solution is remarkably simple: float the rocket above 99 percent of the atmosphere with a weather balloon and launch from there. According to Haghighat, by doing so, they can build a rocket that uses “methodologies that...
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028 – Jay Amer & Chris King – Economic Development in Ontario East
028 – Jay Amer & Chris King – Economic Development in Ontario East
The first half of the episode focuses on the competitive advantages associated with the ‘not Toronto’ parts of Ontario, in this case parts east. More specifically, it focuses on eastern Ontario’s business attraction and retention strategies, and on economic developer’s efforts related to workforce development. The second half of the episode focuses on Jay and Chris’ thoughts on the availability of industrial land in Ontario, a subject on which the Trillium Network has written extensively. The...
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Season 5
027 – John Rawlins & Amar Zaidi – Big Nano
027 – John Rawlins & Amar Zaidi – Big Nano
In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick speaks with John Rawlins and Amar Zaidi from BIG-nano in Cambridge, Ontario. John is the president, chief technical officer, and founder, and Amar is the company’s vice president and CEO. The company recently expanded their meltblown textile technology operation (thanks to a grant from FedDev Ontario) where they manufacture fibres at the nano-scale. Meltblown technology, first developed in the 1970’s, is a textile fabrication method where...
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026 – Krystal Darling, Kory Graham, and Grant Luszczek – Tri-Mach
026 – Krystal Darling, Kory Graham, and Grant Luszczek – Tri-Mach
In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick sits down with three representatives from Tri-Mach; their CEO, Krystal Darling, their Senior director of Sales, Kory Graham, and their Marketing Manager Grant Luszczek. Headquartered in Elmira, Ontario (with other facilities across North America), the company recently expanded to a new facility to keep pace with their growth. Tri-Mach’s expertise and product lines are used by Canadian household brands like Maple Leaf Foods, Unilever, McNeil Personal...
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025 – Greg Major & Ed Wisniewski – NORCAT
025 – Greg Major & Ed Wisniewski – NORCAT
In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick Persichilli speaks with Greg Major, and Edward (Ed) Wisniewski from NORCAT. Greg is the Director of NORCAT’s Underground Centre, and Ed is their Chief Technology Officer. Over the course of the episode, Ed and Greg discuss the various activities that NORCAT is involved in. In addition to being an operational mine, the Underground Centre is a state of the art training facility, an R&D centre, a...
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Season 4
024 – John Komar & Paula Ambra – ACE Wind Tunnel
024 – John Komar & Paula Ambra – ACE Wind Tunnel
In this episode, Nick speaks with ACE – Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel (ACE)’s Executive Director John Komar and ACE’s Project Manager for Project Arrow, Paula Ambra about the facility’s testing capabilities. ACE, which is located at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, is one of the most sophisticated of its kind in the world. John is quick to remind everyone that the facility is “…so much more than just a wind tunnel.” It is designed to...
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023 – Greta Cutulenco – Acerta
023 – Greta Cutulenco – Acerta
In this episode, Nick speaks with Greta Cutulenco. Greta is the co-founder and CEO of Acerta Alalytics, a Kitchener/Waterloo based artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning company. Their focus is providing AI solutions for manufacturing companies looking to improve quality control. In addition to her work with Acerta, Greta is also a sitting member of the Board of Directors for the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA). AI and machine learning work by analyzing large datasets...
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022 – Danielle Cane & George Irwin – CAPPEM
022 – Danielle Cane & George Irwin – CAPPEM
Over the past two years, hundreds of Ontario manufacturers pivoted or established new facilities to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gowns, testing kits, and sanitizing materials. These products were essential to public health during the pandemic and these manufacturers have been heralded by governments, the business community, and the public alike. According to APMA President Flavio Volpe, the growth of PPE manufacturing in Ontario represented the ‘largest peacetime mobilization of Canada’s industrial...
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021 – Alex Tsoulis – Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR)
021 – Alex Tsoulis – Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR)
This episode of ‘Making it Ontario’ focuses on the aerospace industry in Ontario. Nick sits down with Alex Tsoulis, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Canada Aerospace’s Director of Business Development, Advanced Technologies. Alex also serves as the Advisor, Outreach and Membership Engagement for the Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) Hub. A graduate of Ryerson University’s Aerospace Engineering Technology program, Alex has spent much of his career designing and developing structural components for commercial, military, and business...
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020 – Andrea Johnson & Jeffrey McIsaac – IdeaWORKS at Mohawk College
020 – Andrea Johnson & Jeffrey McIsaac – IdeaWORKS at Mohawk College
On this week’s episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick chats with Andrea Johnson, the General Manager of the Centre Emerging Research Initiatives and Jeff McIsaac, the Dean of Applied Research at Mohawk College in Hamilton. Andrea and Jeff are central to the team leading IdeaWORKS, Mohawk’s hub of applied research and innovation. IdeaWORKS includes the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), Sensor Systems and IOT Lab, Medical Technologies Innovation Centre (MTIC), and Energy and Power Innovation...
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019 – Christina Mack – Kingsway Foods
019 – Christina Mack – Kingsway Foods
On this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick (and Brendan) are joined by Christina Mack, the President and CEO of Mississauga’s Kingsway Food. Kingsway Food produces vitamin premixes, ice cream flavouring, dips and dressings (including Dip-a-Chip brand products), and a new series of plant-based products. Food manufacturers employ more than 85,000 people in Ontario, and are second only to the automotive industry in terms of their impact on the province’s economy. In addition to...
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Season 3
018 – Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association Annual Conference
018 – Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association Annual Conference
The conference is one the premier advanced manufacturing networking events in Ontario, and features senior government officials and industry leaders from Canada, the United States, the EU, and Asia. Throughout the episode, Nick’s conversations focus on a range of themes related to the automotive industry and advanced manufacturing, including Industry 4.0, cybersecurity, and workforce diversity. In this episode we also learn about the exciting work happening at Ontario Tech University’s Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE),...
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017 – Moira Harvey – The OAC
017 – Moira Harvey – The OAC
On this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick is joined by Moira Harvey, the Executive Director of the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC). The OAC is a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 200 member companies involved in all facets of the aerospace industry. The organization’s purpose is to enhance recognition of Ontario’s capabilities as a leader in global aerospace markets and to build greater expertise to ensure continued growth and prosperity. With extensive experience...
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016 – Economic Development in Ontario
016 – Economic Development in Ontario
The answer depends on who you ask. Economic developers play diverse roles in supporting similarly diverse local and regional economies across the province. What they all have in common, however, is an intimate understanding of the competitive advantages that are on offer in their communities. In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick is joined by three prominent members of Ontario’s community of economic developers: Wendy Stark (Director, Business Retention and Expansion – Invest...
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015 – Ian Howcroft – Skills Ontario
015 – Ian Howcroft – Skills Ontario
On this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Skills Ontario CEO and Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing board member Ian Howcroft sits down with Nick to talk about promoting manufacturing careers to younger generations, the importance of investing in training, and how manufacturers can better access Ontario’s skilled and talented workforce. For manufacturers, the importance of and challenges associated with skills, talent, and workforce development are not new. As Ian reminds us, these are complex...
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Season 2
014 – Linda Stephenson – Cosmetics in Ontario
014 – Linda Stephenson – Cosmetics in Ontario
A chemist, botanist, and microbiologist by trade, Linda has over 30 years of experience in the cosmetics industry, including a stint at one of Ontario’s most successful cosmetics companies, Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC). Founded in 1984, MAC found a market niche by offering products that featured innovative colours and quality not available from their competitors. Thanks to a company culture of professionalism, celebrity endorsements (including Madonna), and a ‘makeup counter experience’ led by professional makeup...
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013 – Linsey Pecile, Ed Dawson, and Yvonne Pilon – Windsor Tech
013 – Linsey Pecile, Ed Dawson, and Yvonne Pilon – Windsor Tech
Windsor today is seeing an evolution from ‘automotive’ manufacturing to what Yvonne and others call, ‘automobility’. (See timestamp for discussion.) As the evolution of the automobile (and auto manufacturing) continues, the technology used is also evolving – and falling in cost. ‘Digital Twins’ is one of those pieces of technology and the focus of Ed and Linsey in the VR Cave. A ‘Digital Twin’ is a computer simulation of a physical product or process. Currently...
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012 – David Yeaman – Molded Precision Components
012 – David Yeaman – Molded Precision Components
Their discussion covered MediCA Park, the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0, and the importance of company culture. According to David, a company’s ability to adapt to challenges is directly linked to its culture. The example he gave was the adoption of lights-out manufacturing, which is only possible with Industry 4.0 technology. All new technology comes with risks – people will need to be retrained, new processes will need to be created, and the financial costs...
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011 – Eva Kwan, Talissa Watson, Shannon Miller – Bridges, not Barriers Report
011 – Eva Kwan, Talissa Watson, Shannon Miller – Bridges, not Barriers Report
In February of 2021, the Trillium Network released a report on gender diversity in Ontario manufacturing. One of the conclusions of that report highlighted the importance of manufacturers having a diversified workforce. While having a culturally and gender-diversified workforce can and does provide long-term stability, the report also concluded that, in a post-pandemic world, “…manufacturers have a substantial amount of work to do when it comes to better engaging underrepresented demographics.” That report highlighted five companies that...
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010 – Jonathon Azzopardi – Laval Tool
010 – Jonathon Azzopardi – Laval Tool
In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, President and CEO of LAVAL Tool and Mould Ltd., Jonathon Azzopardi, shares his thoughts about the future of scale manufacturing. As he explains, chasing scale manufacturing contracts is addictive because, if successful, it means a lot of revenue for your company. However, he warns that if you can’t land the next large scale contract (for whatever reason), you need a backup plan. China and other low-cost regions...
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009 – Paul Madden – Former 3M Canada President and Trillium Board Member
009 – Paul Madden – Former 3M Canada President and Trillium Board Member
The Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing and our partners spend a great deal of time wrestling with questions about how technology, labour markets, trade agreements, and public policy affect manufacturers. One critically important aspect of manufacturing, however, is too often overlooked or taken for granted: customers. In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, former Canadian and international 3M executive (and current Trillium Network board member) Paul Madden reminds us that to remain competitive, Ontario...
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008 – Season 1 Recap with Nick and Brendan
008 – Season 1 Recap with Nick and Brendan
The general mood in the province has certainly changed since we launched ‘Making it in Ontario’, the official podcast of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, in April 2021. At that time, less than two percent of the population of Ontario was fully vaccinated – today we are nearing fifty percent. Restaurants, hair salons, and fitness centres are open or are preparing to open. It’s time to enjoy the summer, it’s time to get back to...
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Season 1
007 – Tony Clement and Sandra Pupatello – Reshoring Canada
007 – Tony Clement and Sandra Pupatello – Reshoring Canada
Over the last year and a half, these challenges have emerged as a top concern for industry stakeholders, whether they are related to semiconductors, vaccines, PPE, consumer goods, or building materials (in no particular order). Throughout all this, one organization has emerged in an effort to address these challenges: Reshoring Canada. In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick and Brendan are joined by Sandra Pupatello and Tony Clement, the co-founders of Reshoring Canada. Once...
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006 – John Romano – Nickel Brook Brewing Co.
006 – John Romano – Nickel Brook Brewing Co.
John and Brendan’s passion for Ontario’s craft brewing industry is evident throughout the episode. This passion is reflected in their love of Ontario craft beer and their interest in the industry’s explosive growth over the past two decades (the fastest-growing segment of manufacturing in terms of proportional employment growth!), which is documented in a recent Trillium Network report. Throughout the episode, we learn more about the craft brewing process, the industry’s evolution, the experience of brewery...
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005 – Jayson Myers – NGen Canada
005 – Jayson Myers – NGen Canada
As CEO, Jayson’s task “…is to build world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. And I think, perhaps over the past year or so, we’ve seen how important it is to make things here in Canada – it helps to save lives.” With over 35 years of industry experience, Jayson has witnessed a lot of change in this sector – and we wanted to get his thoughts about how we got...
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004 – Aaron Tisdelle – Girotti Machine
004 – Aaron Tisdelle – Girotti Machine
In this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, Nick and Brendan take a drive down to St. Catharines Ontario to chat with Aaron Tisdelle, 3rd generation owner and president of Girotti Machine. During the discussion, they chatted about what a job in manufacturing can offer young people, the impacts of not having enough young people in the trades, and what Aaron would like to see done about the barriers to entry. The short answer is, a lot....
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003 – Kim and Simmie Thiara – Acetronic Industrial Controls
003 – Kim and Simmie Thiara – Acetronic Industrial Controls
In March of this year, the Trillium Network published a report that focused on five Ontario manufacturers that have made progress on gender diversity. While many reports have been published over years describing how manufacturers need to employ more women, ours focused on those manufacturers who have actually made progress. We revisit this report in our conversation with Kim and Simmie Thiara on this episode of ‘Making it in Ontario’, the official podcast of the Trillium Network...
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002 – Max Preston – Smart Attend/Axiom
002 – Max Preston – Smart Attend/Axiom
In this episode Nick and Shannon sit down with Max Preston from the Axiom Group and Robert Graup from Intex Tooling (a subsidiary of the Axiom Group) and discuss everything from lunchpails to Formula 1 to Industry 4.0. In a Trillium Network first, the podcast is accompanied by a profile of the Axiom Group, which we encourage everyone to read, maybe while you listen to the podcast. Our profile of Axiom and more than 100...
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