2025 was a great year, says Lean Program Manager Josh Johnston, because MMTC was able to make an impact on myriad companies across the industry. Recently, MMTC, along with its leadership team, has been spending more time embedded in the manufacturing sector so that it can focus on building lasting capabilities for its clients rather than simply providing one-time training.

In fact, he notes that as part of MMTC’s overall strategy, the organization is enhancing its consultative and advisory services alongside its training programs to deliver deeper, more meaningful support to the manufacturers it serves. “Education still remains an important part of what we do,” he says, as its foundation of continuous improvement is built on understanding both the tools and goals of any initiative.

Another focus of MMTC’s has always been to evolve to match its clients’ needs. Specifically, MMTC helps companies diagnose the challenges they face such that they can prioritize projects and initiatives that lead to changes and sustainable results.

While this priority shift has been in the works for years, 2025 was the big push forward into its implementation. To support this approach, MMTC is expanding opportunities for deeper client consultation. Dedicated MMTC Business Solutions Managers work directly with manufacturers to better understand their challenges and connect them with the right expertise and resources to achieve their goals. This approach allows MMTC to serve as a more strategic partner in helping clients strengthen and grow their businesses.

MMTC will not be abandoning its training aspects wholesale, and in line with its commitment to evolving to meet client needs, it is always assessing its offering catalogue to identify both the most in-demand courses as well as those that are no longer serving the industry. Since the team works specifically with small- to mid-sized manufacturers, many of the problems faced by these outfits are those that manufacturing organizations of all sizes are also seeing today.

Johnston says that what differentiates MMTC’s clientele is that many shop leaders tend to take on a number of roles: from general management and operations to hiring, logistics, and more. Often, these leaders don’t have the capacity to step back and think about the long-term future of the business, which is where MMTC often comes in to offer assistance.

MMTC’s business success planning—one of its primary offerings—will help these overworked and busy clients, Johnston believes. This is a process wherein an MMTC industry expert interviews the leadership team of a manufacturing organization to create a comprehensive analysis of where the company is now and compares it to where they want to be. This assessment then evolves into a practical three- to five-year road map that aligns with improvement projects, technology adoption, workforce development, and training. This way, leadership received clarity and relief for future planning while also figuring out how to keep the lights on tomorrow.

Johnston says that manufacturers today are facing greater complexity and uncertainty than ever before, and ongoing challenges, while nothing new, are varied. These include continuing volatility in raw material pricing due to fluctuating tariff policies; the industry facing an aging workforce as well as a limited talent pipeline entering the skilled trades to fill the spots; and all the hype around emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). As one of the biggest global industry buzzwords today, AI is seeing a lot of excitement, yet companies often struggle with implementation and developing strategies to capture return on investment data.

Many manufacturers are hesitant to adopt the technology because they have been burned in the past by technology startups that have sold them unrealistic solutions or poorly-scoped pilot projects, or even pressured staff to adopt misunderstood tools to gain an intended early market advantage. Johnston notes that while there can be gains in efficiency and productivity, it must be implemented thoughtfully and strategically—otherwise, throwing technology onto a bad process only makes the bad process faster, not better.

With this in mind, another major focus for MMTC is to become the trusted advisor for Michigan’s manufacturers in adopting and implementing various AI technologies. As such, MMTC will be expanding its offerings to help manufacturers move out of skepticism and into practical, value-driven applications.

The team spent much of last year creating ways for manufacturers to leverage this new technology, especially since companies that are late to the table risk getting left behind. One such method has been launching a series of courses on AI in manufacturing. In the first few months of 2026, MMTC has launched six new AI-centered courses including AI for Quality Control and Inspection (using AI-enabled visions and camera systems); AI for Manufacturing Leaders (how to introduce these technologies into your organization in a strategic, responsible manner and roll out solutions from the top down); AI for Supply Chain Optimization (leveraging deep research capabilities for in-depth supplier analysis and more); AI101 & AI102 Workshops (focused on generative AI basics and advanced ChatGPT use cases); and Lean Problem Solving With Generative AI (how large language models can be used to expedite effective problem solving).

The new push into artificial intelligence systems for manufacturing is also allowing MMTC to expand physically. A new AI lab in its home of Plymouth will serve as a space for manufacturers to experience new AI technology and simulate an on-premises solution without putting a business at risk. MMTC has also been hosting workshops across Michigan to give industry people a chance to gain hands-on experience with new technology and tools.

This has been a very exciting venture, according to Johnston. “The ‘a-ha!’ moment is one of my favorite parts of the job,” he says. By demystifying these technologies and making artificial intelligence feel less intimidating for new users, MMTC provides a launching point for clients to take back their companies. Its long-term focus will be on helping manufacturers cut through the AI hype, make informed decisions, and realize a measurable return on their outcomes instead of just chasing technology for the sake of it.

Amid today’s market challenges, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center is energized by its renewed direction. Last year, MMTC launched the inaugural Manufacturing Insights Survey to capture manufacturer feedback on trends, strengths, challenges, and opportunities. From these responses, MMTC produced the Manufacturing Insights Report, which highlights the concerns and priorities of small and midsize manufacturers across the state while offering actionable solutions and outlining how MMTC can help them. The full report is available at www.the-center.org.

Ultimately, Johnston says, MMTC’s “goal is to not be the best-kept secret in Michigan,” but rather to be a trusted and established aid for Michigan’s manufacturers to call on for anything they need.

The post A Best-Kept Secret No Longer<p class="company">Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Envision Saint John’s mission is to drive strategic, robust, and sustainable economic growth, attracting visitors, people, business, and investment to the Saint John Region while enhancing an enviable quality of life. The agency employs four strategic pillars to achieve this: Growth Readiness, Talent Attraction and Retention, Business Attraction, Retention, and Expansion, as well as Visitor Attraction.

First let’s look at Growth Readiness—looking to the future that the agency wants to see in the Saint John Region and working backwards to find out how to accomplish it. “Growth readiness includes future-back strategies to address key regional considerations such as our labour force, housing, healthcare recruitment and retention, business and investment attraction, and strategic real estate development, among others.” For example, Envision Saint John plays a key role in supporting developers, non-profits, and everyone involved in housing to ensure projects can move forward. This includes land sourcing, navigating municipal approvals, looking for funding opportunities to get projects get across the line.

Growth readiness can also mean working on infrastructure challenges like improved highway access for increased volumes at Port Saint John or supporting the Saint John Airport in its quest for improved air access.

Related in many ways to the first, the second pillar is Talent Attraction and Retention. Envision Saint John leads initiatives to attract a working population as identified by the needs of local employers. For this to be successful, Beckett says that enticing living environments, housing solutions, economic opportunities, and a high quality of life are needed in the region.

Based on data and the region’s workforce requirements, the agency has been running marketing campaigns in Ontario to encourage people to move east for career opportunities and an amazing quality of life. A new talent attraction initiative espouses the region’s many attributes to post-secondary graduates in the Maritime provinces. Strategies for workforce recruitment in key sectors like healthcare, energy, and logistics and transportation are also important to meet the region’s goals.

The agency’s Talent and Attraction efforts simply would not stand without recognizing and investing in people moving to the city. This includes the region’s immigration strategy, called Pathways to Belonging. This strategy was built in partnership with the Saint John Local Immigration Partnership (SJLIP), which urges “governments, businesses, non-profits, and citizens to work together to build a welcoming, inclusive, and economically resilient community,” says Envision Saint John’s website. The SJLIP brings together local settlement agencies for ongoing discussion and support. The agency provides administrative support for the SJLIP, giving the agency insights into the challenges and opportunities related to immigration in the region.

The third pillar of the plan is Attraction, Retention, and Expansion of local business. Beckett says, “Envision Saint John wants to promote an interconnected business environment,” that supports local businesses and helps them prosper, which can be achieved through support mechanisms in the startup or expansion phases. For instance, the Impact Loan program, which is funded through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), provides startup loans of up to $50,000 for new entrepreneurs to the area at low interest or even interest-free. The agency manages the Impact Loan Program on behalf of ACOA in the Saint John Region. Envision Saint John also publishes growth stories promoting local industry success stories, many of which got their start in the Impact Loan Program.

Beckett emphasizes the role the agency plays in investment attraction, so it has collaborated with important players like Invest In Canada and business development agency Opportunities NB to do so. And, among the global uncertainty and shifting trade relationships created by tariffs imposed by the United States, new sectors like defense and modular construction have come to light as potential growth areas. Envision has even engaged a company in Montreal that will be connecting with as many as 500 companies in emerging areas like these to uncover investment opportunities and introduce Saint John as a place with great business potential.

The final of the four pillars, Visitor Attraction, includes ongoing awareness campaigns in high-affinity markets like Quebec, Ontario, the northeastern United States, the Maritime provinces, and New England to promote the Saint John Region as a premier tourism destination. “We’re looking for whatever we can do to showcase the region,” Beckett says. To achieve this, Envision Saint John is collaborating with Tourism New Brunswick to create a campaign to appeal to people in the Eastern United States to visit or even live in the province.

Envision Saint John also sponsors local events creating vibrant community for both residents and visitors. And in 2025, Envision Saint John launched an online Local Welcome Ambassadors training program for the general public on how to best promote the region, raising awareness of the awesome local experiences and operators.

An area of particular interest for the coming few years is sports tourism, from both visitor attraction and community engagement lenses. In the past 18 months, Saint John has worked with the city of Moncton on a successful joint bid for the 2029 Canada Games, leading to an estimated economic impact of $200 to 300 million. And mostly recently, Envision Saint John rallied a local organizing committee on a successful bid for the 2027 Men’s World Curling Championship, which will bring 18 teams to the city, filling hotels, restaurants and retailers.

The new strategic plan is an all-encompassing effort; it is simply not possible to do the work that Envision Saint John wants to do without the collaborative effort to match. In terms of growing the economy and improving business investment, “There’s no way to do it in isolation,” Beckett says. Over the last two years, the agency has built a planning framework while engaging with the local community. As such, it has developed both a regional economic development strategy and a tourism master plan, both of which were guided by separate community-based steering groups.

Beckett notes that it is important to have good data to support this level of decision-making, and Envision Saint John does its part with a comprehensive, regularly-updated economic dashboard available on its website; this tool has become another important piece in focusing the agency’s efforts and improving decision-making. To be sure, this agency has equipped itself with the tools, the know-how, and the people to make its goals for the next five years a reality. The Envision Saint John team continues to work hard to support the growth of its home region into a place recognized nationally and internationally as a go-to destination.

The post The Four Pillars to Grow a Region<p class="company">Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

General Manager and President, Andrew Cameron, tells us that in 2024, the company finished construction on the last of over 230 finished units, work that began in 2022. At this point, it was decided by upper management to set a five-year goal for Northumberland Properties to further motivate its upward momentum. This goal comes down to expanding its current unit count by more than double to a nice, even, 500 units. This is where the process of unit acquisition has become an important aspect of the work, leading to the company’s first acquisition of eight existing buildings (totalling 32 units) in Amherst.

The timing of this acquisition was auspicious because the original owners were ready to retire and came to the company with a potential deal, which was sealed in May 2025. The purchase was seen as a positive learning experience as staffing and capacity needed to be figured out along with the on-boarding of new units and tenants, and Cameron and the Northumberland crew are never ones to back down from a challenge.

Indeed, the past three years have been busy ones on multiple fronts for the company. In 2024, after completing its most recent subdivision, the company purchased a half-acre piece of land across the street from this subdivision for its first multi-family building. Northumberland has worked with architectural design agency Spitfire Design out of Moncton, as well as with the town of Amherst and local contractors, to bring the building to new life and get it ready for tenants. While the development is still in the middle of construction, it held its groundbreaking ceremony in August 2025, and Cameron says it has been an enjoyable process to oversee and participate in so far.

He explains that a lot of four-to-six-unit garden homes and townhouses have been developed in the last few years as well, further expanding the company’s portfolio. With federal and provincial money coming in for developers and businesses like Northumberland, both Amherst and Yarmouth are pushing for greater density of buildings to increase housing supply in their communities. To aid both this and its own goals, Northumberland took a step into developing multi-family buildings, a move that Cameron says was also driven by his desire to learn more about these types of developments. These buildings are of a larger scale than the company’s typical properties and involve more logistics (elevators, fire alarms, intercoms, et cetera), but are also a clear-cut way to expand company operations.

The growth being pursued by Northumberland is taking place during an interesting time for its business sector. Looking back on 2025, Cameron says that the rental industry was beginning to feel closer to the volume and feel of operations from before the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021 to 2023, he says that it was generally easier to advertise new units and create interest for renters, whereas today, promoting new units takes considerably more effort. This means that Northumberland has to tighten up its approach to running day-to-day operations, especially in regard to marketing, repairs, and maintenance cost controls, because things in the rental and housing and development sectors are ever-shifting and still feel unknown.

The industry may have a somewhat fluid nature, but Cameron says that ultimately, housing and development is an industry still going strong, especially when it comes to construction and property management/leasing. While aspects of the industry remain uncertain thanks to extenuating circumstances like the ongoing American tariffs, Cameron says it is a reminder for both him and everyone in the business at large to focus on aspects that can be controlled, like the maintenance and utility usage of its existing units.

“It is still an exciting time for real estate despite any challenges,” he says, and Northumberland Properties is excited to provide quality apartments and services for its tenants while helping them tenants feel at home and secure where they are. “Everything in real estate is communication,” Cameron says, whether it be from developer to subcontractor or from tenant to staff member.

A new year brings more opportunities for the business to reach its full potential, and the first major goal for Northumberland Properties in 2026 will be to finish its first building of 18 units by the summer, ideally June or July. The company also has another small parcel of land that it can build an additional four-unit building on, so decisions will be made as to how best to execute that idea.

The team is also on the lookout for acquisition opportunities that align with this mission, with a potential eight-acre development in Yarmouth. Northumberland hasn’t built in the town in five years, so there is interest in bringing more units there as plans continue to take shape. Further land purchases are also being investigated in Amherst, such as acreages and infill lots, to complement the apartments currently on offer.

In 2025, Northumberland Properties celebrated 15 years in business, with Andrew Cameron having started the business in 2010 alongside his mother and father. “Our success has been reliant on so many more people besides me,” he says, and he has learned so much in 15 years from tradespeople, employees, and accountants alike on how to best run the business. To be successful in this sector takes a team effort and everyone’s contribution within the company has made a difference to its ongoing success, says Cameron.

When it comes to running a successful property management business, it’s simply made easier and less stressful when you can find and work with exceptional team members, including staff, subcontractors, and tradespeople. In fact, Cameron says, a key lesson learned in the past 15 years has been to find great people, support them, and let them do what they do best while listening and learning from them. Of course, paying one’s bills on time also helps, he says with a laugh.

As well as the value of being surrounded by capable and intelligent people, Cameron says a key to his company’s success has been to always remember that the tenants living in the many different properties are people first and not just numbers in spreadsheets. A lot of senior tenants in Northumberland developments live on their own, so allowing for the time and space for staff to build relationships with these people, as well as maintaining respect and connection to them through the staff and properties, helps them feel that they are known and looked after.

“Don’t forget who the ultimate customer is,” Cameron says, meaning the tenants and their families who will remember when a property and its owners have done right by them. He and his crew have kept this, and the firm’s other values, close to heart during the lifespan of Northumberland Properties, and it continues to pay off grandly for all involved.

The post Expansion Focused on the Ultimate Customer<p class="company">Northumberland Properties</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

This renovation project began in late 2018 when officials learned that the provincial library and archives planned to move out of the centre and its Charlottetown location, which kicked off a year-and-a-half consultation process on what to do with the new area afforded to the space. Feedback from stakeholders, patrons, Indigenous voices, and other sources communicated a desire for the centre to house more learning programs, more Canadian content creation, and more programs talking about its role as Canada’s national memorial to its founders.

The ensuing renovation, still ongoing, seeks to incorporate these suggestions as well as provide massive, much-needed structural improvements to the building. Physical work began in the fall of 2024 and construction began in the spring of 2025, with Chief Executive Officer, Steve Bellamy, saying that it should be largely complete by summer 2026 with a rough move-in date of October or November.

Bellamy explains that the impact of the renovation will be substantial across multiple fronts. Beyond the addition of more learning programs and a more nationalized focus to the centre’s output, the impact on the local economy will be significant. The centre currently operates on a $12.5 million annual operating budget with a $27 million annual contribution to the gross domestic product. 400 jobs have been created by the centre, producing over $16 million in labour income and over $6 million in tax revenue. Operations post-renovation will expand, providing an additional $2.5 million annually with an increase in economic impact of around $5 to $6 million. In short, the expansion will create more jobs, more programs for the public, and more capacity for the centre to be a corporate partner for meetings and conventions in the Charlottetown area.

Artistic Director of Performing Arts, Adam Brazier, says that the renovation will allow the centre to become the largest and most consequential arts hub east of Montreal. It “will become a bucket list location for performers, creators, and leaders,” he says, and will come with greater physical accessibility to the space thanks to a clearer entrance from the ever-busy Victoria Row, as well as a warmer visual welcome to anyone entering its doors. The growth and positive experiences to be enjoyed by all who interact with the centre post-upgrade promise to be significant.

Although it is front-of-mind for everyone working there, the ongoing renovation is not the only thing the centre has been up to in the last few years. First, an arts academy will be founded, from which its expanded learning programs will blossom. The academy will be able to expand the presently-offered artist training programs and provide new opportunities for short-term professional development for people in arts administration, cultural management, and in other arts and culture professions. Next, a new Arts Innovation Hub will provide facilities and resources for the creation of new Canadian content, in musical theatre, visual art, music, writing, dance, new media, and all forms of art.

Finally, the new Canadian Leadership Institute will house more programming for discussions about Canada including programs like the Symons Medal Presentation and Lecture and the Charlottetown Forum, along with other conferences and lectures on a variety of topics. According to Bellamy, the new institute will bring together experts, leaders, and the public to discuss issues important to Canada, with the impact of strengthening Canadian identity and culture.

Amidst these improvements and plans for the future, this is something of a fraught time for theatre, especially in Canada. Bellamy notes that both the pace of inflation and an increase in annual operation costs are outpacing the centre’s ability for its revenue streams to keep up. While it does receive government funding support of roughly one-third of its operating budget, the majority of its revenue is generated through sources including tickets sales, education programs, food and beverage, and donations and sponsorships, none of which have been able to match the pace of inflation. But the Centre is innovating and growing its revenue-generating programs in an effort to be more sustainable.

Brazier points out that the centre has had to reconsider its approach to programming due to ongoing tariffs imposed by the United States, and sadly, in times of financial uncertainty, disposable income purchases by the public toward entertainment like theatre are often the first things to go when it comes to tightening the belt.

These challenges will not be solved easily; however, everyone at the centre believes in the experiences it produces and the power of art, storytelling, and conversation to impact audiences. “There’s a spirituality to what we do,” Brazier says, in getting people together to watch others perform. Theatre is feeling the crunch in competing with at-home entertainment like streaming services, yet the performing arts have the ability to create community through the shared experience of live theatre—so it is all about making sure younger generations understand that power and take advantage of it. The Confederation Centre of the Arts often must take risks on the shows it stages and the decisions it makes during hard times, but Brazier says that the talent in Prince Edward Island is abundant. That level of talent is ultimately what has seen the centre through hard times again and again.

There is plenty to be excited about as the centre takes on these challenges and looks to enter a new era. In 2026, popular live shows like Come From Away and Anne of Green Gables: The Musical will be staged, along with an exhibit featuring the works of the late Prince Edward Island artist Erica Rutherford, curated by new Art Gallery Director, Pan Wendt, who was hired in December 2025. And later this year, the Symons Medal, one of the nation’s greatest annual honors, will be presented to Justice Rosalie Abella, who served on the Supreme Court of Canada for nearly 20 years.

The centre also looks forward to hiring the first director of its new leadership institute and establishing a new line of programming within it that will bring experts, leaders, and the public together for convening on important national issues ranging from economics, health care, national defense, and housing to reconciliation, immigration, Canadian identity, and culture.

It is an exciting time for the centre as it expands its partnerships within the local business community. The centre has been a keen partner with businesses across the corporate spectrum in terms of packaging, experiences, and event planning, and Bellamy believes that the centre stands as a reflection of the country, an important piece of the Canadian cultural identity. “Now more than ever, it’s important that Canadians understand one another,” he says, and this can be achieved through embracing activities that strengthen national bonds and allowing stories and issues from different communities to be better understood.

The post Becoming a Bucket List Location<p class="company">Confederation Centre of the Arts</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

The third generation, family-owned company was put up for sale in 2004 after, Wes Austin, the owner’s son who would have eventually taken over, passed away suddenly. Current Chief Executive Officer Daniel Cramer’s father, a paper salesman at the time, got a group of buyers together in Amarillo and purchased the company outright from Wes’ father, Fred Austin, Jr.

Daniel Cramer has been with the company for 20 years now, starting as an hourly worker when the business only had four locations: Amarillo, San Antonio, Odessa, and Wichita. After graduating college, he transferred into sales out of the San Antonio office, then moved to a branch manager role, and eventually became CEO. In that time, Austin Hose has grown into a business that sports 13 locations as well as a considerable national presence in states like Louisiana, California, Kansas, and more.

The past two decades have brought significant upheaval and development for Austin Hose. “We are a totally different company from where we started,” Cramer says, evolving by marketing its services to other industries that use hoses while continuing to work in agriculture. From offering hundreds of purchase and rental opportunities to suit any need to its plug-and-play hose shop that allows clients to make their own hydraulic hosing, Austin Hose acts as the go-to name for its industry.

This decade so far has also seen the company acquire other hose businesses such as Powertrack International and GT Southwest, and both the Odessa and Amarillo locations moved into new facilities, both over 175,000 square feet in size, last year. And the company is in no way finished with its plans for growth.

Austin Hose has set a standard for itself in dominating the more difficult parts of the industry and overcoming barriers that other businesses in its space often have to deal with. Over time, the company expanded into further industries and attracted more and more top-line people, says Cramer, and this has been the biggest marker of growth so far. Along with its home industry of hoses and hydraulics, Austin Hose is also heavily involved in the oil & gas market and regularly supplies rotary hoses for drilling rigs; Cramer says this is the most challenging specific hose product line in which to be successful. The company has come to excel in that space.

It is not just about financial success, though. Cramer says that culture is everything at Austin Hose. The business has always been focused on the team and on family. When Cramer started at Austin Hose in 2005 (known as Austin Distributing at the time), the average employee age was around 65; over time, the team has become considerably younger, with most of the leadership team under 40. “We transformed into a modern company that has an incredible runway ahead of us,” thanks to this savvy combination of both youth and experience on one united team, he says.

The business has also become recognized across the state of Texas and in its local communities, even becoming an official partner and proud supporter of the Dallas Stars National Hockey League team and other state hockey teams. Austin Hose has become well-known for its spokesman and for the quality of service that lies beyond that friendly face.

The hydraulic hose industry has become somewhat stagnant for various reasons that can be difficult to effectively track, Cramer explains, and Austin Hose finds itself in a great place with plenty of room to grow even further. The business is going extremely well, with strong growth on track for 2026, and the young and motivated business has a strong foundation to build upon. With plans to continue expanding, Cramer tells us that Austin Hose will come to be seen all over the country, one year at a time.

The team has also found itself mixed up in some unusual challenges. Cramer says that an ongoing problem in the hose industry has to do with lawsuits surrounding non-compete clauses, provisos in work contracts that can prevent an exiting employee from working for competing organizations for a set amount of time. At the end of 2025, the company found itself part of a movement on social media called ‘Free Dick,’ concerning an employee who was sued after going to work with Austin Hose. Although these non-compete clauses rarely hold up in court, it often costs the employee a lot of money—potentially around six figures—to defend themselves, and the average person cannot afford that.

Companies engaging in this practice are largely unconcerned about winning these lawsuits and are only seeking to financially ruin people as a message to other employees, which Cramer views as plain wrong; in his opinion, employees should be able to go after whatever opportunity is best for them, including anyone who works for him. He, and Austin Hose as a whole, are standing up and making waves with this social media movement, a way for him to use his voice to help lawmakers realize the serious nature of the issue and protect at-risk employees.

Cramer believes that, ultimately, everyone at Austin Hose is in the hose industry for the right reason: providing genuine care and support to customers and each other, with success flowing from this approach. The company refuses to compromise on this people-first paradigm and wears it as a badge of honor.

With very little turnover and a consistent people focus, it is not all about the dollars at Austin Hose. This is simply everyone following through on the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated, says Cramer, and the satisfaction he receives from his people reporting how the company has changed their lives for the better is very meaningful and motivating to him and the management team. Simply put, at Austin Hose, “We take care of each other,” he says with pride.

The post Making Waves in Hydraulics<p class="company">Austin Hose</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“We’ve created a single, stronger brand that simplifies the customer experience,” Senior Marketing Manager Brianna Henderson says, and this will allow Bailey International to provide comprehensive product portfolios more easily. The union has created the opportunity to combine the subsidiary websites into a single site, and Henderson’s team has developed a robust content strategy with handy resources such as a new catalogue.

Part of the company’s trade show schedule includes CONEXPO-CON/AGG and Work Truck Week in early March 2026. These events always give the team a chance to connect with customers and highlight how Bailey International is evolving as a company and brand to meet their needs.

Chief Executive Officer Ken Baker says that the company has also been hard at work on various initiatives to facilitate additional growth. First, Bailey has been expanding its work truck products, a keen area of focus in 2025 and 2026. The company has also solidified its sales structure with more technical support capabilities. While it has always had strong teams for engineering and technical support, it now has a formidable applications team in place for the customer-facing sales teams.

Finally, the company has undertaken a number of in-house green initiatives, such as moving to lower-VOC paints and testing paperless operations in its Knoxville location. Since the release of the company’s first-ever sustainability report, research supports the claim that Bailey has succeeded in reducing its emissions beyond industry standard benchmarks. This will serve as a strong foundation for future company projects in the sustainability realm, Baker tells us.

Indeed, thanks to the foundation laid over the past year by the business, “We have a lot of momentum to build on,” Henderson says.

When it comes to operations within the current industry landscape, the company remains cautiously optimistic. After a strong showing by Bailey in January, tariffs on North American businesses have caused a considerable market slow-down. The overall market is working to adjust, with sectors like agriculture, construction, and forestry struggling in their own ways.

Amidst such disruptions, Bailey International is continuing to find success by diversifying—concentrating on opportunity capture and better technology additions for customers, which has helped it stay ahead. “We want the world to know that Bailey offers everything from hydraulic cylinders and pumps to joysticks, arm rests, and electronic controls,” says Henderson. As a result, Bailey is projecting modest growth for 2026. Ever greater numbers of clients are becoming believers in a business that provides for them at every step of their projects. The company refers to this as being a ‘fingertip-to-tooltip’ company, and this approach has had a significant impact.

Going into the remainder of 2025 and beyond, Bailey International will be working hard to continue unifying its brand on the execution, sales-as-a-service, and engineering sides, while emphasizing cross-selling as much as possible, providing hydraulics and electro-hydraulics customers with the other items they need, like joysticks, controls, and sensors, for example.

Product expansion means an ongoing expansion of training and sales in the work truck market as well. Historically, much of the business has been related to off-road operations like forestry, construction, or agricultural equipment, so Bailey has a good chance of making an impact on that market, offering customers the technical solutions and products needed.

Along with general training for the sales and support teams on the technological side, the company is also investing heavily in strategies to increase its visibility and traffic through AI overviews and generative engine optimization initiatives. Henderson says that Bailey aims to be at the forefront of this burgeoning field, making the company easier to interact with and more accessible.

Baker is proud of the company’s efforts in AI, both customer-facing and internal, which is something he is passionate about and directly involved in. There have been setbacks, which is to be expected in a field as new as this; however, further exploration into generative AI has met with success in areas like lead and content generation, customer-facing activities, and even in testing and proofing for operational elements.

Another major milestone that the company will be hitting very soon is breaking ground on a new electronics facility in Victoria, British Columbia. This will allow the company’s electronics teams to come together under one roof and will further accelerate innovation in its custom control solutions. Henderson is excited because the move will give the engineers, designers, and production teams more space and the tools they need to propel new ideas forward in the electronics division. After a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this year, the facility is expected to open within the next 15 months.

Bailey International is also celebrating another historic occasion: 50 years in business. While Brianna Henderson has been with the company for about two years, one of the biggest lessons learned from her perspective as a marketer is the importance of sales, marketing, and customer experience unification and harmonization. This is something that the company is very excited about, and it has recently brought on a new Vice President of Sales, Scott Andrews, to align key performance indicators and to push toward the seamless hand-off process that every marketing and sales team dreams about.

Having been at Bailey International for 17 years and counting, Ken Baker believes that the leading hallmark of this company is its emphasis on excellence in customer service. The team is always honest about what it can and cannot do for a client and offers tremendous flexibility in terms of stocking and supply as well as engineering services, technical support, and marketing support. “A lot of companies in today’s market focus on enhancing their internal operations,” Baker says; Bailey International, on the other hand, aims to optimize its customers’ operations first, a belief that has supported 50 years of operations for this dynamic company.

The post 50 Years of Customer-First Operations<p class="company">Bailey International</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Two sides to the business
Alltrista’s Director of Sales, Andrew Piersall, says that the business caters to two distinct market segments.

The first market segment is the medical sector, where Alltrista focuses on medical devices and packaging products, with a product assortment relating to drug delivery, wound closure, diagnostics, oral dose packaging (including certified child-resistant caps), and vision care. Unlike its consumer packaging side, all the products on the medical side are custom-specific and thus unique to each customer.

The other market segment served by Alltrista is the consumer packaging side, to which the company offers both packaging and closure solutions for markets including food & beverage and health & beauty. This side of the business has a relatively broad product portfolio, including a multitude of stock offerings such as bottles, bottle caps, lip balm, dosage cups, and other associated products. Within consumer packaging, Alltrista’s custom capabilities make up a large part of the business, providing unique solutions to each customer’s request.

Piersall says that commercially, Alltrista’s customers (especially medical customers) tend to focus on risk management and speed-to-market in their dealings, mainly via effective project execution. Therefore, suppliers like Alltrista that can provide this value to customers help them be successful.

Sustainability initiatives are also a large focus of the company. Alltrista partners with customers aiming to meet the environmental commitments of highly regulated fields to provide sustainable solutions. Generally speaking in this regard—and across all segments—the company is home to high cavitation molds with short cycle times, lightweighted plastic bottles and caps, and a small manufacturing cell footprint.

It’s not easy for any business to make a mark on the plastics industry, but Piersall says that a distinguishing aspect of Alltrista is its ability to be both customer-focused and agile. These qualities allow the company to provide end-to-end solutions to customers quickly, meeting customers wherever they may be in the lifecycle of a product. “We have demonstrated willingness to invest in our customers,” he says. Alltrista’s mindset is that its customers’ successes are its own successes.

Going for gold
The company continues to make an impression, and in 2024, Alltrista was highlighted in the PMMI report, Innovation in Can/Bottle Beverage Packaging, which explores the latest developments in beverage packaging as exhibited at 2024’s PackExpo. Alltrista was proud to be featured in the report’s materials section, spotlighting the AllCap™ 1881 beverage closure, a lightweight water bottle cap that enhances productivity, is customizable, and delivers cost savings without compromising on quality. The company utilizes the latest energy-saving infrastructure support systems with variable frequency drives on all its electric motors, resulting in a significant reduction in energy consumption per cap produced.

Christopher Weikart, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Jadex, says that one of the things that brings him the most company satisfaction is Alltrista’s approach to sustainability. In fact, the company recently earned a gold medal from EcoVadis, an independent ESG global platform that evaluates businesses based on sustainability objectives, covering areas like environmental stewardship, labor and human rights, and sustainability in the procurement of materials. Weikart says that the gold medal is evidence of Alltrista’s category-leading commitment to ecological responsibility and is a point of pride internally, placing the company in the top five percent of companies surveyed in the 12 months leading up to the award.

For Alltrista, crafting and refining sustainable practices happen daily. A tangible example of sustainability in its business practices is the light-weighting of several of its manufactured products, meaning a reduction in the amount of material in a product without compromising quality (as seen in the company’s award-winning beverage cap). This is typically the result of unique product design attributes, something the company has become adept at achieving.

Spearheading these practices internally has led to many benefits, including reducing the company’s Scope 1 & 2 emissions, product weight savings, and the identification of new materials, such as post-consumer recycled resins (PCR), for use in future projects.

The year ahead
Vice President of Operations, Jeff Hall, says that Alltrista’s focus moving into 2026 will be on both strengthening its operational excellence and investing in its people. The company will be expanding its automation capabilities and upgrading its equipment to improve precision, consistency, and efficiency across molding lines.

“Our goal is to build highly adaptable operations that combine high-precision automated manufacturing with the highest quality products,” Hall says, “which will position the company to meet the ever-evolving needs of customers as well as sustainability standards for years to come.”

Hall says that from a manufacturing standpoint, one consistent challenge across all market segments is establishing a skilled and trained workforce. Moving into the new year and the foreseeable future, Alltrista will be placing a strong emphasis on workforce development, as new talent will need to be trained on molding, process monitoring, and quality systems.

Pace-setting product launch
Weikart explains that one of the company’s biggest customers is in the healthcare industry, so there will be a particular product launch next year (among several others) that will aim to benefit these customers and others like them. This product will be an improved version of a medical device that Alltrista has manufactured for a long time, involving the incorporation of an antimicrobial compound into a polymer resin before molding the mixture into a finished wound care device.

This device has simplified the customer’s manufacturing operations, improved their product quality, and enhanced product reliability for patients susceptible to surgical site infections. After this launch, the customer is expected to undertake a complete conversion of the product line thanks to this technology.

Honoring its history of longevity, Alltrista drives innovation, from light-weighting caps to advanced medical devices, guided by operational excellence and sustainability. While the company has gone through changes, and has many noteworthy events on the horizon, its ability to adapt and maintain success relies on one constant: its employees. “Ultimately,” says Piersall, “our people are our biggest asset.”

The post 50-Plus Years of Precision: Providing End-to-End Solutions<p class="company">Alltrista Plastics</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

The Town’s Economic Development Manager, Frank Miele, describes Grimsby, Ontario as a “thriving business community that boasts a diverse business ecosystem and has perfected the art of collaboration and networking. The Town is also strategically located less than 45 minutes from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and right next to Hamilton, with direct access to Ontario’s GO Transit coming soon,” he says. “Combined with very low real estate and operating costs, Grimsby offers the advantages of a metropolitan location without the high-end overhead.”

Strengthening communication between businesses and local government has been a key focus in recent years. The Town is currently undergoing internal restructuring to improve collaboration and avoid duplication of efforts, addressing challenges as a team rather than as separate departments. This approach aligns with the Town’s commitment to proactive economic development, a priority that has guided Miele’s work since he joined the team in 2021.

Along with this favourable and productive business environment, Grimsby sports a talented workforce—a skilled labour pool that is experienced and educated in agriculture, manufacturing, and technology.

Perhaps most importantly, Miele says, “Grimsby has an outstanding quality of life.” It is a safe community surrounded by the scenic Niagara Escarpment, with a welcoming populace, rich in lifestyle choices and attractive to prospective employees and their families to live and work in. Grimsby is the kind of town that Canadians are proud to call home, and its continued evolution has been made possible with Strategic Priorities developed by Grimsby’s Town Council. The Strategic Priorities have been meticulously developed, with specific goals, objectives, action steps, and KPIs (key performance indicators), many of which the town has gone on to exceed.

Ambassadors for business
One of the key objectives of the Town’s economic strategy is to align with the priorities of other departments. As Miele notes, 80 to 90 percent of new jobs in a community come from existing businesses, and that is why the Town is deeply committed to supporting and strengthening its established enterprises.

To this end, Grimsby has instituted initiatives to leverage local business talent in the continued growth and development of the Town’s economic prospects. Grimsby’s concierge service program sees Miele visiting businesses regularly to find out how the Town can help supercharge development and growth, opening lines of communication and breaking through obstacles that get in the way of expansion and development.

A recent highlight of Grimsby’s economic development efforts is the launch of its Business Ambassador Program. The initiative brings together respected members of the local business community to collaborate with the Town in attracting and supporting new businesses in a coordinated way. Originally conceived and developed by Miele during his time with the City of Scarborough in the 1980s, the program recognizes that prospective business owners place great value on the insights and experiences of those already thriving within the community.

Miele revived the project in Grimsby and has made it more robust, selecting 10 Business Ambassadors to engage with and represent the community and support economic development for the next four-year term. Ambassadors include CEO of VTR Feeder Solutions, Jim Hills, and President of 360 Energy Inc., David Arkell, among other local business leaders.

These and other ambassadors will be expanding their businesses locally and have been proactive since their onboarding in June. For example, Jim Hills’ company will be looking to inshore their China-based production back to Grimsby in a $10 million machinery investment that will employ more people, while David Arkell will be helping the Town to coordinate the first Grimsby Energy Summit in November to help potential incoming businesses reduce their power loads and costs.

In collaboration with the Tourism Partnership Niagara (TPN), Grimsby has completed its first Tourism Strategy 2026-2031. The strategy has identified specific goals and objectives that will focus on strengthening existing tourism offerings and creating innovative opportunities. One is with the Niagara Gateway Information Centre at the crossroads of the Queen Elizabeth Highway and Casablanca. With more than 3.5 million visitors stopping there annually, persuading even three to five percent of them to explore existing Grimsby tourism assets could help usher in a new era of tourism development.

Space to grow
The Town is certainly not short of land and growth opportunities for those who want to take the initiative. Miele says that Grimsby has two to three large pieces of land that are prime for potential new investment.

One of these is 36 acres of greenfield investment located in the westerly portion of Grimsby, next to Hamilton. Anatolia Business Park is currently going through a site plan agreement and hopes to launch its 650,000-square-foot industrial buildings in the spring of 2026, creating about 500 new jobs for the community.

The second major land investment is 12 acres on Main Street West, the site of an old cannery that has been closed for decades. This land is underdeveloped, but several well-known developers are interested in making an investment in it.

A place for people
Grimsby also has new residential developments in the pipeline, with more than 85 units in a geothermal-equipped award-winning condo building being built downtown by DeSantis Homes. DeSantis and Valery Group are also building the first purpose-built rental building in the Town, with 130 units in a unique and affordable development close to the hospital, with construction to start this fall. An important focus for the community is preserving its heritage, and the Town is investing $2 million in restoring a key heritage property as part of this redevelopment site.

An interesting opportunity has come about through the Grimsby Business Ambassador Program. Breckon Husband, Senior Vice President of Aon Canada, has helped to connect the Town of Grimsby with Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. Known as the twinning project, this opportunity could inspire joint projects, cultural exchanges, and new ventures. Miele says that the twinning process has already begun, with Mayor Jordan and CAO Sarah Kim having visited Grimsby, UK in October to kickstart how the two municipalities can work together in the future, an example of how keen local ambassadors are to make the Town where they live better in every way.

To celebrate ongoing local networking, Grimsby held an Economic Gala in September. Held at the Commisso Estate Winery, the Economic Gala, was conceived to achieve several objectives: celebrating and strengthening the business community; positioning Grimsby as a regional economic leader; and providing meaningful community impact through charitable contribution to McNally House Hospice. Over 140 businesses participated in the event, which was fully aligned with the long-term strategic priorities to strengthen business engagement.

Miele says that cross-developmental coordination is very important in economic growth because industries go where they are invited and usually stay and expand where they are treated well. “If Grimsby looks after its issues efficiently rather than putting up roadblocks, then the Town has done its job,” he says. Roadblocks to development, he says, are largely created not by municipalities but by the development process in Ontario itself, which can involve some slow-moving procedures. However, Grimsby has identified these challenges and knows how to work within and around them, and things are improving.

Already blessed with a great quality of life, the Town of Grimsby, as it grows by leaps and bounds, has much to offer anyone who wants to be part of it—including a warm welcome.

The post Beyond Small-Town Charm: Grimsby’s Big Vision for the Future<p class="company">Town of Grimsby, Ontario</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

For 80 years, the Colorado-based company has been recognized for one thing above all: its commitment to long-term partnerships. By tailoring materials to precise applications, purities, packaging, and formats, GWI ensures that its customers’ most specialized needs are not just met, but anticipated.

Rooted in history, focused on the future
Founded in 1946 in Denver, GWI’s early success came from manufacturing sensitive, high-performance materials in the region’s dry climate—perfect for handling delicate chemistries. From the beginning, long-term relationships were formed and are the cornerstone of the business, keeping GWI closely aligned with emerging technologies and ever-shifting industry needs.

“We have evolved through every major industrial shift over the last 80 years,” says Plant General Manager Shaun Sellers. “And we’re taking the same approach to planning for the future.”

A culture of family and responsiveness
Beyond its technical expertise, GWI prides itself on its culture. This year, Vice President of Products, Amy Chuang, celebrates over 10 years with the company. She points out that collaboration and a family-oriented atmosphere are at the heart of daily operations.

“The affirmation ‘Made in USA’ is our pride,” Amy says, noting that GWI produces more than 90 percent of its products in the U.S. “Our consistency comes from robust procedures, detailed documentation, and a team of experienced chemists.”

That dedication extends beyond internal culture to customers. As Amy explains, GWI’s responsiveness and cross-department teamwork ensure that clients receive the most effective solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Meeting customer challenges head-on
In today’s fast-moving markets, sourcing advanced materials has grown increasingly complex. Niche applications in particular can face long lead times, vague documentation, and limited technical support.

Shaun acknowledges these challenges but views them as opportunities: “Customers working with non-standard specifications or small-volume orders are often at the forefront of innovation,” he says. “We treat these projects with the same precision, speed, and technical expertise as full-scale production.”

This philosophy enables GWI to serve both pioneering start-ups and global industry leaders with the same high-touch service. By keeping synthesis, testing, packaging, and recycling under one roof, GWI helps customers balance supply chain risks, sustainability goals, and speed to market.

Case study: Chromium Chloride
One example of GWI’s specialty expertise is its proprietary synthesis of Chromium Chloride, a compound used in chemical synthesis, electroplating, pigment production, and textile treatment.

Chromium Chloride is highly sensitive and notoriously difficult to manufacture consistently, making it a compound rarely stocked by many suppliers. Yet GWI has developed a proven, repeatable process entirely in-house, refined over decades.

The result? Speed, consistency, and cost-efficiency, with savings passed directly to customers. Just as importantly, GWI provides real-time technical support, ensuring the compound performs as intended for each unique application. It is the difference between a vendor and a true partner.

Built on four pillars of quality
Underpinning all of GWI’s work are four pillars:
• Quality Assurance – aligning specifications and documentation from the start
• Quality Care – strict environmental, health, security, and safety compliance
• Quality Commitment – flexibility, partnership, and responsiveness
• Quality Testing – in-house labs, backed by ISO certifications

These standards are more than guidelines—they are the backbone of the company’s success.

Scaling with purpose
Looking forward, GWI is scaling with purpose. Expansions in global sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics will support customers with production-scale needs while staying true to the company’s expertise in custom work.

“Even as we grow, we remain committed to the custom, specialty work that drives innovation,” says Amy.

This includes new capabilities in closed-loop materials recycling, helping customers reduce waste, recover valuable metals, and meet ambitious sustainability goals. Amy adds that GWI is also preparing to deliver larger volumes of materials: “We’re excited to provide bigger quantities in the future—all while maintaining the high level of quality customers count on.”

A bright future
With a loyal customer base, a highly skilled workforce, and 80 years of industry experience, GWI is poised to lead the next generation of technological advancement. By blending global reach with customer focus and environmental responsibility, the company continues to prove that its legacy is one of innovation, quality, and true partnership.

The post Eight Decades of Expertise in Chemicals and Materials Sciences<p class="company">Great Western Inorganics</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Lofland says that the company as a whole is always expanding and staying aggressive about its goals, often juggling several projects at a time. SCM also continues to invest significant amounts of time and money in the ability to help its customers grow and expand, especially in light of customer feedback on what companies like SCM can do to benefit the extrusion industry.

In many respects, the continued success of SCM speaks for itself. Lofland says that for over two decades, the company has been an industry-leading aluminum extrusion provider as well as the largest independent supplier of billets in the North American extrusion industry, with approximately half a billion dollars in annual sales revenue. With 880,000 square feet, four separate buildings, and proudly calling Prince George, Virginia its home base, the business has managed to grow through both expanding and contracting business cycles, and shows no signs of slowing down.

SCM has kept busy since we featured the company in Manufacturing in Focus in 2024, with myriad projects completed and ongoing, including assisting on a project for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Proudly serving as an active participant in educational efforts that focus on the manufacturing sector, SCM has provided Liberty with the materials it needs to finish projects, such as aluminum of different sizes and types as well as various extrusions. This year, LU was grateful for the donation that went toward machining parts for a Formula race car, which will compete in an international Formula competition in Michigan. SCM makes ongoing efforts to provide its materials and expertise to promote manufacturing and aluminum extrusion across educational institutions.

Much like its partnership with Liberty University, the business is mindful of being open to and giving back to its local community, as well as to its valued workers. Lofland says that the company relishes the opportunity to open its doors to the local community whenever it has a major expansion or anniversary, allowing everyone to join in the festivities. SCM is also a consistent presence at career days at local high schools, promoting the industry to younger minds on their first steps toward a career; as Lofland says, “It’s cool to see the next generation of kids interested in things like this.”

Having been in business now for around 23 years, growing from a startup with a handful of employees to now a considerably larger business of about 420 workers, SCM knows the value of the health of its people. Only a few years ago, the business celebrated its 20^th anniversary with the addition of an on-site health clinic that offers healthcare to both its employees and their extended family members. Allowing workers’ families the ability to get physicals and have prescriptions filled in-house has further added to its value as an employer, Lofland says, and is still a big point of pride for the organization.

As an extrusion company, SCM prides itself on its commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices. “Our business model is about as green as you can get,” Lofland says, at least as far as how SCM functions as a business. The company takes scrap aluminum bound for a landfill, melts it, and casts it into its own raw material. It then sells that material as a billet and uses it in aluminum extrusions for critical applications like the military, building construction, transportation, consumer durables, electrical, and machining equipment markets. In some cases, the SCM product is made out of an industry-leading 90 percent recycled content.

These practices have enabled the company to introduce products like the SCM Emerald Eco-Billet, an example of its commitment to using renewable materials and maintaining environmentally friendly manufacturing methods.

Lofland says that 2025 has been a volatile year for aluminum so far, with a lot of price fluctuations that influence demand on a month-to-month basis. He also says that aluminum is a speculative commodity to a certain extent that is subject to upward or downward pressure on price given events like upsets in the supply chain, major trade negotiations, or trade talks, all of which have been evident this year. In spite of these factors, SCM has seen strong business conditions and continues to be satisfied with the demand out there in the market.

2025 has also seen that some North American businesses who rely heavily on foreign materials have been thrown into turmoil following tariff decisions at the federal level; however, SCM has found itself in a fortunate position because of such decisions. Yohe says that programs like the Build America Buy America Act, which incentivize products made in the United States, have been a boon for SCM because the company melts and manufactures its own raw materials and extrusions out of its Virginia home base.

Recent successes have promoted a mindset of positivity toward the company’s continued growth. Yohe says that North American manufacturing was previously in a long recessionary environment from 2023 to 2024, but the company is optimistic about this year and what’s in store for the future. Contrary to some other companies’ experience, the American tariffs have played a positive impact on SCM’s aluminum business because now, people are looking for high-quality, high-service suppliers in the U.S. at a much higher rate than usual.

Yohe tells us that some market analysts have been predicting contraction in North American manufacturing, but SCM thinks that this year into 2030 will see incremental increases. Lofland says that while the manufacturing market was moving into these retraction conditions, SCM was steadily fine-tuning its processes and equipment and adding to its output capacity; now, the team is poised for when the demand returns and the market continues to strengthen, as the company will have greater output capacity than ever before to service the incoming demand.

For the rest of 2025, “SCM looks forward to servicing its customers’ needs while the demand for aluminum is there,” Lofland says, as well as working on its equipment projects leading up to the end of year. The company has made investments in two very significant equipment upgrades which will increase its capacity and capabilities for customers and will be finished by Q1 2026. These upgrades will allow SCM to come out of the gates strong at the start of the year and let the aluminum flow, as Lofland says. A proven track record of customer satisfaction and weathering storms in the extrusion industry have afforded SCM an enviable place within it, allowing this team to continue to benefit both the environment at large and anyone in the market for the best in aluminum extrusion.

The post Building a Better Extrusion Industry<p class="company">Service Center Metals</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.