In short, the long-term success of a business depends on developing a working connection with its clients. Feeling appreciated and connected to brands through relationships built on trust and open communication increases customer retention and leads to vital repeat business.

Today’s consumers place a high value on interpersonal interactions and two-way avenues of communication, with buying decisions greatly influenced by shopping experiences. Providing a positive customer encounter grows a brand’s reputation and its audience, not just through more well-known celebrity endorsements, but also via the opinions of everyday consumers. Relatable word-of-mouth recommendations are invaluable.

Because they raise employee morale, deliver priceless marketing, and act as an R&D department, strong customer connections are crucial to business success. Whether through savvy social media posts, giveaways, contests, interactions, surveys, or follow backs, letting customers know you see and appreciate them is worth more than any expensive marketing campaign.

While short-term business deals with clients involve taking the money and running, long-term thinking places a high importance on developing and maintaining relationships and making short-term sacrifices to maintain long-term consumer satisfaction.

Maintaining current clientele is the simplest, most effective way to grow. Poor customer connections lose the average organization 20 to 80 percent of clientele each year. Additionally, businesses have a 60 to 70 percent chance of selling to an existing customer, but the likelihood of selling to a fresh prospect slips to between 5 and 20 percent.

When companies treat customers well, the customers in turn become the biggest brand promoters and repeat consumers while conversely, each disgruntled customer on average tells 13 others about poor service received. News travels quickly, especially over the internet!

The primary rule of any business is to keep customers happy and establish a lasting relationship, reducing the costs of new client acquisition. Research shows that while 44 percent of businesses place more emphasis on customer acquisition than on customer retention, just 40 percent of businesses and 30 percent of advertising firms give acquisition and retention equal priority.

Customers will allow you to continue contacting them if you treat them well and earn their confidence, believing in the company’s future and responding to messages as opposed to rejecting a cold call. If you can’t establish a dependable identity, consumers may believe that the brand itself is unreliable and inconsistent.

Creating an emotional bond may seem silly or pointless, but it’s vital when building brand loyalty and personalized service. Long-lasting consumer relationships result in an emotional connection, whether through customer attention, personable and considerate service, or treating customers with respect: in short, understanding clients are real people.

The best R&D department is one with an ongoing engagement with clients, sharing their preferences, aspirations, and needs when they interact with them. The ability to tailor marketing messages to the appropriate target can benefit your future product designs.

Conversely, ignoring clients is the best way to infuriate them. A sluggish reaction might escalate a minor problem into a bigger one and leave clients feeling forgotten. On the other hand, a swift and helpful response might turn a dissatisfied consumer into a fervent advocate for your company.

Of course, no matter how hard you try to make consumers happy, dissatisfaction will happen. Even if it’s not your fault, it’s your responsibility to address the customer’s issues and encourage them to use your brand again. Going above and beyond for customers to demonstrate your firm’s dedication to retaining their business is critical to obtaining long-term loyalty.

Customer satisfaction with assistance will increase as a result of continual communication, with the ultimate goal of having clients gushing over the level of support: surveys have found that up to 96 percent of unhappy consumers don’t make a complaint.

The same goes for employees when they know that their employer has their back and gives them the freedom to do whatever it takes to satisfy clients. Employee engagement is 1.5 times higher in businesses that thrive at providing excellent customer service than in those that don’t.

Ultimately, designing and maintaining a customer support structure, even if your company is small, is key. Get close to customers, use their names, keep track of their interests, and take the initiative to check on their happiness. Many businesses employ virtual assistants to conduct research for customer service so clients receive the appropriate communication at the appropriate time.

Customers and businesses have an ever-changing connection. Customers can be reached through a variety of methods, many of them employing appropriate technology. Customers today are familiar with both brands and products and are well-versed in business.

Additionally, there is a strong need for tailored services in these circumstances. Providing individualized services that precisely meet the demands and preferences of the consumer is referred to as personalized customer service. Customers will feel more attuned to your business and more satisfied since they get answers that are specifically tailored to their concerns.

Companies should prioritize getting to know clients thoroughly if they want to develop strong customer relationships, encouraging customer service representatives to engage with clients to learn about their wants and demands.

Businesses can also determine their target market by talking deeply with clients and understanding more about their needs. An honest conversation will result in satisfying the client’s expectations and looking into the various areas that require improvement.

Businesses that are in continual contact with their clients via digital channels such as emails and social media foster customers who are more likely to use the company’s services repeatedly as a result of the prompt responses and assistance. A variety of customer care choices that a consumer might choose to use while perusing websites include options like chat assistance or calls with a live agent. Allowing clients to select options based on convenience means the user experience is more tailored.

Companies can also focus on being accessible to clients through Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and missed call alerts once they have a thorough understanding of their clientele, with access to customer service representatives provided around the clock.

No matter how successful you are, it’s never wise to settle, however. Companies should constantly strive for fresh and better methods to enhance their customer services as each customer may have a different relationship with the company and its goods.

In short, personalizing client interactions is vital, as not every consumer will have a positive experience. To improve future services and deliver the greatest possible customer experience, it’s important to solicit and analyze client input.

Building lasting relationships with clients can be facilitated by offering individualized services specifically designed to address specific needs. These connections may provide companies with advantages over rivals who don’t place a high priority on customer service.

Providing personalized customer care to client businesses can not only provide customer service more quickly, but it can also track consumer information via personalization, adjust conversations in light of beneficial information about clients, such as their preferences and areas of interest, and use advanced analytics techniques to filter out customer options and tailor them to each customer.

It has been shown countless times that a company differentiates itself from its rivals by providing clients with these tailored services.

Due to market size, inflation and general worldwide economic uncertainty, there’s intense competition among businesses that provide comparable goods and services. Every firm requires a characteristic that sets it apart from the competition and makes it a superior service provider. Offering customers bespoke solutions might just provide you with a competitive edge.

Personal chat help, live agent calls, and email assistance are just a few examples of customer-centric techniques that can give organizations an advantage over their competitors. In today’s climate, offering clients tailored services is not a luxury, but a requirement as a satisfied customer will always be more devoted to the business.

Ultimately, personalization helps organizations reach a wider audience while also enhancing relationships with clients. Offering tailored services to clients to foster confidence and draw in more customers relies on providing clients with genuine problem-solving solutions and attending to their demands.

Consumers are not nameless, faceless entities with open wallets. They take pleasure in interacting with brands and developing enduring relationships. If businesses encourage that connection they’ll make it easier, and more profitable, for customers to participate in the experience.

The post Creating Connections<p class="company">Building a Client Base by Building Relationships</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“We are not sexy,” laughs Owner and Founder Brandy Palmer. “We don’t sell anything that will get you stoned or be overly fun. We joke and say we’re more for the crunchy granola crowd; we’re for people who want to focus on health.”

The cannabis plant is the source of both marijuana and hemp. Marijuana contains a large quantity of THC—the psychoactive chemical that produces a high—while hemp does not. Under U.S. law, commercial hemp, traditionally used to make rope, ship sails, clothing, and oil, can only contain a maximum of 0.3 percent THC.

Many of the products available through Green Wellness Life contain, as their key ingredients, non-THC cannabinoid compounds extracted from hemp. There are dozens of known cannabinoids, with CBD oil “being one of the most well-known,” says Palmer.

The company stocks non-psychoactive CBD oils, capsules, edibles, and topicals from various manufacturers. These hemp / CBD goods are classified as either food or supplements, not drugs. The store also sells hemp clothing accessories and CBD products for pets.

At present, CBD tinctures containing herbal extracts dissolved in a carrier oil like MCT or hemp seed oil are the company’s best-selling product. Gummies and edibles, however, are the store’s fastest-growing product categories. It only sells CBD goods that have been naturally extracted, and it has a line of zero-THC products as well.

Green Wellness Life does not claim its wares are cure-alls for every ailment, and a disclaimer on the company website from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration states as much. That said, hemp products are commonly used to reduce pain, stress, nausea, and inflammation, and to aid sleep, stabilize moods, and bolster the immune system.

The company does not manufacture its goods, which Palmer sees as a plus. As a distributor, it can be picky about the goods it selects and is not beholden to a single brand or product.

“We don’t manufacture here, which is intentional. We carry more than twenty different brands because we haven’t found a brand yet that is all things to all people. We’re really intentional about carrying a number of different lines, so we can work with people and help them find their own unique best fits,” she explains.

Green Wellness Life distributes its wares across the United States, but not internationally. While marijuana and hemp are both legal in Canada, Palmer is wary about the complex regulatory requirements that accompany cross-border sales. Global distribution will have to wait as the company focuses on increasing its U.S. market share.

On top of having a highly diversified inventory, it stands out from the competition through its commitment to education. “I want my customers to understand what they’re taking and why… Education is primary,” she asserts.

To this end, the company provides detailed information on its website and posts a weekly hemp Q and A column on its blog. Recent blog posts have focused on questions such as ‘Can CBD Go Bad?’ (The answer is yes, although “It’s more likely to degrade than spoil.”) and, ’Can I Travel with CBD?’ (Yes, you can within the United States, but it would be best to check the legal status of cannabis in other countries before trying to visit). The team also produces videos and maintains a social media presence, with the occasional live presentation on Facebook.

“Service and education are what we are truly best at. There are a lot of products and a lot of questions out there. I would love to be a resource for people that don’t know where to go. I am always going to give you straight answers. I couldn’t tell you the number of times when people have said, ‘Will this help my x, y, z?’ and my answer is, ‘I don’t know, but here are some more resources. Let’s see if it does help you,’” Palmer says.

All products sold by Green Wellness Life are certified by third-party inspectors and come with a guarantee, she adds. The company website links to batch test results for products which include capsules, drink mixes, moisturizers, tinctures, cat treats, and more. Certificates of analysis show when the batch was collected, if it contains THC, the total cannabinoids, and a multitude of other details.

This is a relatively new firm. A few years back, Palmer took a position working as a project manager for a Michigan-based manufacturer of hemp-based health products. This work sparked her interest in holistic wellness and led her to found her own company with her husband Jim in 2015. The idea was to serve as a distributor of certified hemp / CBD goods and provide information about hemp’s healing benefits to customers.

At first, the fledgling company did not have a physical location. Products were stored off-site, and Palmer arranged delivery to customers.

“I figured out pretty quickly that I didn’t like [this arrangement]. A customer would call and say, ‘This bottle changed,’ or ‘This is different than what’s on your website,’ and I didn’t have the products in front of me to be able to confirm or deny. I decided to start warehousing on my own,” she recalls.

A “little, teeny space,” comprising six hundred square feet, was rented to accommodate an office and warehouse. The company began doing its own shipping, but then people began showing up at the office to purchase products in person. Given this development, Palmer decided to open a brick-and-mortar outlet in 2017 to augment online sales.

Last year, the company launched a second venture called Grow Green Wellness, with a focus on indoor plant cultivation. The online business offers garden accessories, grow tents, plant nutrients, containers, insect repellent, and the like. Customers vexed by Michigan’s short outdoor growing season can now raise “whatever type of plants they’d like to grow,” year-round, she says.

The firm had a staff of three for a time, but is currently “a two-woman operation,” and as a small business, it is both flexible and highly responsive to market trends. However, Palmer is cognizant of certain economic realities in the hemp / CBD space. While she “hopes there’s room for both,” large and small suppliers in the cannabis sector, Green Wellness Life tends to favor products from large firms. Bigger companies have the personnel and technical ability to “offer a consistent quality product,” she explains.

Smaller ones might be staffed by people who are “passionate about the plant,” but are often incapable of meeting her stringent quality and marketing benchmarks. “When you’re selling online and looking for a nationwide audience, you need to have consistency,” Palmer notes.

For all that, this remains a very community-oriented company. The firm supports local charities including animal shelters and an organization that helps teenage mothers. Green Wellness Life provides workers $500 a year to donate to the charity of their choice.

It also offers an ‘Eliminate the Stigma’ scholarship, a unique initiative in which participants explain “what CBD means to them or how it’s impacted their life. It’s pretty humbling to read some of these stories and poetry and see the work that’s gone into art projects and all these people explaining what it’s meant to them,” she says.

The winner of the Eliminate the Stigma scholarship receives $1,000 and recognition from Green Wellness Life.

In the future, Palmer plans to launch a subscription service and expand the company’s cannabinoid offerings. Not counting the COVID virus—which briefly shuttered the retail outlet—she says her biggest challenge comes from the legal marijuana market. Michigan has joined a series of other states that have legalized recreational pot, a move which has impacted sales at hemp / cannabinoid outlets such as this.

“I firmly believe there is a place for both hemp and marijuana and they both can have benefits for clients, but as we’ve seen the growth of [legal] recreational marijuana, we’ve seen a decline in the hemp-based industry around here,” she says.

Palmer, however, has no plans to expand into the marijuana market in part because “my community at this time would not allow it, and I don’t want to leave this community. This is where my family is and where I want to have my business.”

Five years down the road, “I would like to have five to six employees, so we can be doing larger-scale education, marketing, and media but other than that, I like what we’ve got going on. I don’t want to change our branding. I don’t want to change how we do business. I want to offer the same exceptional level of service, but on a larger scale,” she affirms.

The post Hemp for Health<p class="company">Green Wellness Life</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

That quality soon became a defining factor as the company worked to make a name for itself and earned a roster of loyal customers throughout Canada and the United States. Today, the company’s mission statement summarizes its conscientious approach to business: “Lanau Industries is devoted to building and designing the highest-quality dump bodies with our personalized service.”

Committed to growth and evolution since its inception, the company has become an industry staple, designing and manufacturing a diverse line of tilting dump bodies and accessories. The company and its accomplishments were recently acknowledged at the Brandon en Action gala, which honours the achievements of the regional businesses and organizations. It also took home the grand prize: Business of the Year.

Throughout its expansion and success, Lanau Industries has remained family-owned and dedicated to the values that earned its place in the industry. “Everyone feels included here,” Sales Representative James Belair says of the tight-knit company culture. “Whether you are part of the family or not, you still feel a part of it.”

Lanau Industries is known for its innovation and unique offerings and will customize a product to fit the customer’s needs, from combining different tailgates to changing heights and measurements. “We build anything that the customer wants, pretty much,” Belair says. “We also work hand-in-hand with our customers.”

The company’s promise of quality is another factor that has earned customer loyalty through the years. Lanau always works to be the company with “the best quality on the market,” Belair says. “We build bodies that last.”

This is proven by the fact that the company’s first generation of dump bodies is still running today. “It really [shows] the difference between us and other people. We don’t just build quantity; we build quality also.” To deliver exceptional toughness and durability, the company uses and promotes the Hardox450 steel type.

Lanau Industries designs and manufactures several styles of product line including conventional dump bodies, spreader dump bodies, and landscaping dump bodies, as well as custom-made bodies.

The company’s conventional dump body is made of AR steel and designed for heavy excavation work in addition to transporting gravel and sand. Assembled with continuous welding and coated, this model can stand up to the toughest punishment. To prevent premature wear, these dumps come with an adjustable door pin with a 1” thick hinge. A rear light hole provides better visibility. There is also a deflector cab shield, front and rear sideboard extension pocket, tilted tubular slope to prevent spillage, monocoque floor construction, and 3/16” Domex 100 W long sills with inside reinforcement.

Customers can choose between fives style of tailgate opening. Options include a paving bumper or apron, coal door, tailgate safety lock, angular sides, quartz sides, and inside front tank. Truck bed liner vibrators, air or electric tarp systems, cylinder installation kits, and many more options are also available.

The company’s popular salt spreader recently received a design upgrade and a new name: the DEFROST. Consider it the “2.0 version of the first one,” Belair says, noting, “The look is better; it is easier to maintain.”

To prevent snow and water accumulation, these models feature inclined side wings that are removable for quick and easy insertion into the dump body. A removable protective sub-plate prevents abrasive build-up on truck components. A bolted-on front conveyor is also removable.

Every spreader comes with the wire and lights systems included as well as a driver-side shovel and a foldable, removable side ladder. Optional features include a twenty-seven U.S.-gallon steel oil tank and a polyurethane rubber swivel. All spreaders are completed with sandblasting, then coated and painted the desired color.

The custom-made dump bodies are specially designed to fit a customer’s unique needs. “Thanks to technology, our designers’ expertise and experience, it is possible for us to offer manufacturing adapted to your requirements,” the company website states. “You only have to share your project and ideas with us so that we can advise you and suggest solutions according to your needs. We will put all our knowledge and expertise together in order to meet your objectives while respecting your timeframe and available budget.”

Designs are varied to cover many needs. The company’s versatile roll-off container is ideal for heavy or light work, from renovation and construction to transporting sand, gravel, dry goods, soil, and more. These containers can be used for multiple activities in different areas at a reasonable operating cost.

Specially made for heavy work, the tree service body is ideal for clearing up debris after natural disasters. “We really like our grapple model; it’s made for hurricanes and tornadoes or any strong winds,” Belair says. “There is that grapple hook on it to help to clean everything up.” Low wall or barn doors are available to fit the customer’s specific requirements.

Designed for trucks with a hydraulic arm, the company’s hook lift body has a hook that adapts to all of Lanau Industries’ conventional models. Finally, the company’s agricultural body has a separating panel inside the body that makes it possible for customers to transport two products at once for increased efficiency.

While it has enjoyed its ongoing growth and recent recognition, the company has still had to overcome challenges. Supply chain issues are one of the most notable.

“There is a big shortage of new trucks right now,” Belair says. There is a consensus among colleagues regarding the lack of stock, he adds. “They all say the same thing. We don’t know when it’s coming back, so we’re all hoping for the best.” Industry insiders cite various causes for the shortage. “People say COVID, the war in Ukraine, the shortage of employees, or missing ship[s], missing rubber. It’s a big mix of everything.”

The company is making a concerted effort to stay ahead of the shortages and keep customers satisfied. “We are working hard,” Belair says, and maintaining strong relationships is key. The team is “going to see a lot of customers, trying to keep a good relationship with everyone.” It plans to keep growing its roster of top-of-the-line dump bodies, expanding its customer base, and diversifying its product range.

After decades of ongoing growth and success, Lanau Industries is well-placed to overcome the current industry challenges while continuing to fulfill the company mission of designing and building the highest-quality bodies with personalized service.

The post Built to Last<p class="company">Lanau Industries </p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

From tiny Centreville, New Brunswick, with a population of just over 550, one company has established itself as the premier manufacturer of specialty trailers. Now celebrating its fifty-fifth anniversary, BWS Manufacturing is moving forward as one of Atlantic Canada’s most successful enterprises and has an equally successful continent-spanning dealer network.

Like many businesses, BWS sprouted from modest beginnings: a small welding shop begun by Burney MacDougall in 1967 as ‘Burney’s Welding Shop’ to cater to local potato farmers. Potato giant McCain is headquartered just eleven kilometres away, and this proximity fuelled early growth. That growth was further boosted by Burney’s experience in the forestry sector, into which he carved a niche manufacturing trailers for that industry.

As the fledgling company expanded, so too did its varieties of specialized trailers. By 1975, the rebranded firm was manufacturing snow and ice equipment, truck bodies, and final-stage trailers for a variety of sectors. “We started in agriculture and forestry, and fifty-five years later, we cover many market sectors,” sums up Vice President of Sales and Marketing Scott MacRae. The company’s trailers serve the gravel, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, nuclear, and even consumer products industries. “We’re very diverse.”

A new chapter for the company came in 2017 when it was purchased by Quebec business magnate Hugo St-Cyr. Today, it boasts over 220,000 square feet of production space where every one of its trailers is made, as well as a continental network of over seventy dealer locations across the U.S. and Canada.

MacRae says the industry is experiencing a boom following the pandemic-induced pause in buying, noting that most trailers enjoy a lifecycle of seven to ten years. “With COVID, with the uncertainty in the market, people extended that purchasing cycle to ten to twelve years,” he says.

New purchasing trends have outpaced production, which has shifted MacRae and his colleagues’ focus away from BWS’s fiftieth anniversary. “We have officially sold out of our production for 2023, and we have shown a forty-plus percent increase in our business sales for next year.” MacRae further commented, “So as far as celebrating, we’re just celebrating the increased sales at the moment.”

MacRae estimates the current increase in trucking will continue for several years and dismisses rumours of a recession on the horizon. “Everything you see around you has been on a truck at one point in its life,” he says. “Transportation is always something that is going to be necessary, so it is always going to be there.”

BWS’s trailers are capable of transporting almost any conceivable material, a testament to its in-house engineering and research and development team. Its cutting-edge painting facility is the largest of its kind in eastern Canada. The steel shot blast, epoxy primer, industrial topcoat and baked finish process guarantee maximum product durability and finish on all BWS trailers.

Finally, many of the company’s senior employees have previous heavy equipment operating experience, giving them the ability to put themselves in customers’ shoes and give a superior product experience.

BWS is now offering the new practice of zinc coated galvanizing as an option to most models of its trailers—an expensive procedure, but necessary in the harsh winter environments of Canada and the northern U.S.

BWS trailers are designed to be dipped into a molten zinc finish at 845 degrees Fahrenheit. “As the trailer is dipped in it, the zinc actually permeates the steel, which gives it a secure coating,” MacRae says.

The results speak for themselves. “You’ve now taken a trailer that typically, with a painted finish, you would get a good solid ten years out of,” says MacRae. “With a zinc finish, we’re seeing twenty-plus years. The return on investment far outweighs the cost in the beginning.”

Admittedly, the process does require each trailer to be designed to accommodate the unique properties of the zinc treatment. The entire process adds a day to the trailer assembly, but the company is adamant that the added benefits far outweigh the cost.

In addition to its extensive product line, BWS maintains a close working relationship with its dealer network across the continent. Trained product specialists visit dealers regularly, ensuring sales professionals—and therefore customers—have comprehensive and accurate information on the company’s products. “We have to ensure that they have the start-to-finish and follow-up of a complete sale package,” he says. The goal is to ensure that customers know everything possible about their new trailer before they leave the dealership.

To ensure consistent quality, the company also sends surveys to end users every six months, collecting data on how both it and its dealers can improve. The result is an annual dealer review, during which the information is filtered back network-wide, identifying both successful practices and those which can be improved.

Every BWS dealer is responsible for warranties, so any of the company’s trailers can be driven to one of those dealers and receive repairs. “We can honestly say we have a warranty network, from coast to coast, in Canada and throughout the U.S. as well,” MacRae says proudly.

In addition to its product line, it maintains a close working relationship with its affiliated company, Stargate Trailers in Ontario. The relationship is relatively new, having begun in 2020 when Hugo St-Cyr purchased Stargate, but the two companies have a naturally complementary relationship. “BWS is an all-steel manufacturing company; Stargate is all-aluminum,” MacRae explains, and this allows BWS to be the yin to Stargate’s yang.

The two companies’ similar business models have also enabled them to work together on their outreach as well. “We have a great overlap in our dealer network as well,” he says, “so that’s actually increased our footprint.”

As part of BWS’s and Stargate’s working relationship, the companies enjoy significant reciprocity in parts; many are interchangeable across models, helping to streamline logistics. The two have also combined their purchasing teams, allowing them to buy better and smarter. The production teams of both companies also work closely together, taking the best practices from both companies.

A prime example of the collaboration between the two comes with BWS’s pony trailers, which are designed to be towed by dump trucks. The trailers’ long central pole assembly and chassis would be made with BWS steel; these are then shipped to Stargate, which will complete the trailers with aluminum.

As with so many businesses in the pandemic and post-pandemic eras, BWS is naturally expanding its supplier network, though it is fortunate to have developed long-term relationships with its suppliers over the years. To MacRae, it is a question of balancing costs and quality.

“We’re creating new relationships, and we are endeavouring to look at any opportunity that is possible and makes sense, without compromising the quality of our product,” he says. With BWS having built a reputation over decades, it must avoid the siren song of cheaper, imported parts. “Our brands are synonymous with quality, and we have to ensure that we maintain that brand.”

To continue its business flexibility, the company is also expanding its workforce from an unexpected source. After growing tired of attempting to recruit with little to show for it, it sent a human resources representative to the Philippines, where she has recruited approximately forty-five skilled workers who are currently en route to Canada. “We just got tired of waiting and decided to take it into our own hands, and it’s a great opportunity for us, it’s a great opportunity for the immigrants,” MacRae says. “We are growing beyond our BWS and Stargate family.”

As it looks to the future, BWS is also experimenting with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics and how they may be integrated into its business model. Yet while the company sees itself as forward-thinking, MacRae is quick to point out that the company is not out to eliminate jobs. “We’re not looking at robotics or AI systems to replace our workers, only to complement who we have here now,” he says. “Our business is here because of our people. We are here because of the people that work with us and for us.”

With over half a century of experience and a bright future in transcontinental transportation before it, BWS is an exemplary member of Atlantic Canada’s manufacturing economy. Thanks to long experience, a dedicated staff, superior customer service, and an eye toward the future, it will continue its cycle of steady growth. “Our mission is to be the number-one specialty trailer manufacturer in North America,” MacRae says, “and we will get there.”

The post Celebrating 55 Years of Trailer Excellence<p class="company">BWS Manufacturing</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Founded in the Netherlands in 2001 before expanding to a facility near Baltimore, Maryland in 2003, the company now has more than 450 sorters processing millions of items every hour around the globe. It is continuously enhancing and fine-tuning its technology for unrivalled results that adhere to the ideals of simplicity, accuracy, and efficiency, all of which are especially needed in the face of the recent e-commerce explosion coupled with labor shortages.

While these challenges aren’t new, they’ve been greatly exacerbated by the ongoing and lasting impact of the pandemic, creating a bidding war for talent. Add in small parcel sortation growth due to increased volume of e-commerce orders and unpredictable COVID-related absenteeism, and EuroSort’s customers are facing diverse labor challenges that the EuroSort team can help them with.

“The labor shortage is being seen countrywide, and it’s not only in the material handling industry,” says Scott Eisenberg, Regional Account Manager. “You’re always looking for more labor and temps, looking in peak times to ramp up.”

To that end, EuroSort is seeing customers adapt—but if they can’t find labor then the cost for labor really doesn’t matter, Eisenberg adds. In short, if you can’t get a product out the door, you can’t sell it.

To compete for workers, companies are raising hourly wages, specifically during peak time, he says. Companies are moving into industrial developments paying a starting wage $10 per hour more than a lot of companies in the area because they know they have to steal labor.

“If you’re building a new warehouse and most likely competing for labor, then you’re competing by price,” says Eisenberg. “There are some other benefits—like certain warehouses have air conditioning or different, easier jobs—but at the end of the day, most of the time you’re competing in price.”

COVID-related absenteeism is also a problem, with EuroSort customers experiencing, at times, up to 100 warehouse employees out for COVID-related issues. “It’s really hard to run a business if you don’t know who’s going to show up, and it could be half of your labor force.”

EuroSort is in the unique position of selling directly to companies looking for a sorter as well as working with integrators, users and consultants. “A lot of companies out there just sell whatever they have as far as what they manufacture, what’s in their toolbox,” says Greg Meyer, President of Sales. “We actually have another tool for them to put in their toolbox, which could be the right tool for their overall solution.”

As a result, companies are increasingly bringing EuroSort in as a subject matter expert. “They’re feeling more and more comfortable that we’re not going to try and go around them,” says Meyer. “Currently, we help streamline the process versus playing telephone.”

Much of this stems from small parcel growth—due in part to COVID’s effects—which has substantially grown the company’s business in small parcel sortation.

“The volume of smaller parcels has increased, and that’s where we focus our sorters right now,” explains Meyer. “They tend to perform best with smaller, harder-to-sort products like poly bags and irregulars that a lot of other technology on the market can’t really sort. So it’s a manual process for others.”

Traditionally, sorters have been either manual or conveyor-fed induction with a manual pack-out because that was the cheap and efficient way to do things. Ongoing labor issues are creating a push to automate as much as possible, says Eisenberg, with EuroSort focusing on three areas: picking, induction—when items get put on to the sorter—and pack-out, when the order is packed off the sorter.

The picking side offers numerous robotics options including goods to man, exotec, shuttles, geek +, autostore, AS/RS, and fabric, technology that isn’t cheap, but by eliminating touches the ROI has made more and more sense, says Eisenberg.

“We’re also seeing that the increase in warehouse costs has pushed for people to do more in their current warehouse,” he observes. “Having an automated pick allows for much more dense storage of items, eliminating rows of forklift aisles and allowing a much tighter footprint of the overall automation.”

EuroSort’s machines enable employees to work alongside them, Eisenberg explains. “Our machines don’t work by themselves.”

Meyer agrees. “A lot of times when we come on site people may think they’re going to lose their jobs because there are these machines coming in to take their jobs,” he says. “Really, what the machines are doing is helping the people who work there do more.”

With the recent growth in small parcel and item sortation, EuroSort is seeing facilities aim to increase their outbound packages by 30 to 40 percent. “The option with a manual solution is hiring 40 percent more people… or you install automation and the same people that have already been working there can now do more with the same crew,” says Eisenberg.

In fact, automation has actually complemented the workforce and allowed companies to grow, adds Meyer. “It’s taking up less space and making it more efficient and making jobs easier,” he explains. “Some of these jobs can be pretty labor-intensive and our system helps alleviate that a little bit.”

On the picking side, the shift toward integrating automation is happening in every industry that EuroSort works in, and it’s thriving because it makes so much sense, particularly when combining the picking with the sorter.

Picking—getting items sent to the sorter so the sorter can get it down to a group of orders or an individual order for pack-out—is another area where robotics are being used, particularly to help feed the sorter, a monotonous task that’s perfect for a robot. EuroSort has developed devices and tools that work in conjunction with their sorter that help robots work more effectively.

Pack-out, which involves getting items from the sorter and into a polybag or carton via chutes, is another area of labor where robots are useful, allowing employees to work in other areas of the building and also provide a lights-out facility. “We have customers working toward that… they want to be able to run it 100 percent of the time and never have to worry about shifts or changeovers,” says Eisenberg.

EuroSort works closely with its customers on all equipment, carefully designing each piece with options available depending on the product mix and application, making recommendations for specific needs.

“Unlike a linear sorter, our sorters can be essentially whatever shape the customer needs,” Eisenberg says. “We’re also looking at building layout and the process. We have some customers that pick in two different areas and want induction in two different areas and not a whole lot of conveyer to feed those.” Customer constraints might include low ceiling height or lack of a dock door, and working to find solutions means seeking out what makes sense for that particular customer and not just an off-the-shelf solution.

The layout and sorter are both custom to the business, but when looking at induction and how items are getting on the sorter, that’s also specific to how customers are doing things, so just like their product mix or product type dictates what type of sorter EuroSort is using, the type of induction is also based on product type.

“Something like an auto induction works really well for parcels or packages, easy to handle items, but doesn’t work particularly well for accessories or jewelry or even apparel,” says Eisenberg.

EuroSort is also extremely proud of its chutes, another aspect the company customizes. Books, for instance, can’t slide because they’ll get scratched or the dust cover pulled off. “It could also be based on the space available,” says Eisenberg. “We’ve had customers where the only space available was directly under the sorter loop and so we had to figure out a way to get the accumulation we needed in the chute directly in that loop.”

In the last year, EuroSort has also developed a patented device called the pitch reducer, which reduces the length of each chute by up to 40 percent, allowing reduction of the overall sorter size drastically.

Although the company has encountered its share of supply chain issues, with higher raw material prices and difficulty obtaining electronic parts, it’s also experienced numerous recent accomplishments, including passing the 200 mark for installations in North America. EuroSort is also doing business with six of the seven top pharmacies in North America, and has developed its own in-house software package in the last five years.

“We’re continuing to grow and be profitable with a lot of new patented technologies like the pitch reducer, and we’ve got some other ones that we will be announcing soon as well,” says Meyer. “We’re also coming up on our 20th anniversary next year, with some new technologies that we have been in the pipeline based on our customers’ needs and requests. We’re very customer-centric.”

While it’s a given that EuroSort’s technology sets the company apart from the competition, it’s really the people, says Meyer. “It’s the team. It’s our employees. Many of our folks have been here for quite a number of years, and the new talent that we’ve added takes us to another level,” he adds.

“Being small and nimble means we’re flexible to respond to all the challenges and opportunities that are out there,” says Meyer. “We focus on the customers and make sure they get what they need. That’s what makes our business, what makes us run. A happy customer helps us achieve our goals.”

The post Sorting It Out – EuroSort Makes it Simple, Safe and Accurate<p class="company">EuroSort</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Using the latest technology, the award-winning company is Canada’s leader in remote live-video monitoring and access management services, providing clients with state-of-the-art security solutions that have real advantages and the best customer support in the business.

Live Patrol’s 24/7 live-video monitoring enables its monitoring station team to respond to incidents in under 10 seconds—not minutes, as with some other companies.

With a reputation as one of the best security companies in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Live Patrol’s calls to the police are met with Level 1 priority; most security firms are at Level 3. This Level 1 status means that police dispatch to client locations is immediate—with no delay—significantly lowering the probability of theft or damage, with a much greater chance of nabbing the suspects.

Using authentic, fully secured technology with no back-door vulnerabilities, Canadian-owned and operated Live Patrol is right at the forefront of technology for the benefit of its clients. But what truly sets the company apart from its competitors is its high degree of customer service.

“We are available 24 hours, ensuring that our clients are completely satisfied with our services,” says company Co-Founder Dan Carloni, “and we work closely with them to create custom systems to meet their needs.”

With its customized solutions, Live Patrol caters to many industries across Canada and the United States, particularly construction and trucking. Clients appreciate Live Patrol’s efficient and fuss-free implementation.

An initial call or online request made to livepatrol.com/contact-us will initiate a meeting with a potential client at their site to determine appropriate security, such as live video monitoring and security, time-lapse videos, remote concierge services, and remote access management.

“From there, we’ll supply a site plan showing the equipment positioning and coverage, along with a proposal,” says Live Patrol’s National Sales Executive Ahsan Kafeel. “Once a system is agreed on and the agreement’s made, our sophisticated technical team will initiate the installation process. When the install is complete, all analytics are examined and tested, followed by a debrief with our monitoring station and operators to ensure any specific needs are met.”

From initial agreement to monitoring commencement, the entire process can be completed in as little as two weeks, giving customers peace of mind by knowing that their storage facilities, commercial facilities, automotive businesses, and other assets are full-time monitored by the teams at Live Patrol.

Through Live Patrol’s significant investments in innovative technologies, the switch from traditional security guard services to Live Patrol’s Remote Live-Video Monitoring can save customers 30 to 60 percent of the usual costs.

Small wonder well-known entities like Ford, Mattamy Homes, Icon Property Management, construction services company EllisDon, Shelter Canadian Properties Limited, and many others have put their trust in Live Patrol and its fully customizable video-monitoring security packages.

Able to do more than regular security guard services for less, the company says that its custom live video-monitoring services “are available at approximately half the financial investment required for a competitor’s 24-hour security guard service, with significant advantages.”

Installed by highly skilled technicians, Live Patrol’s advanced remote live-video monitoring ensures client properties receive the highest degree of protection. Customers can check their sites via desktop software, or on the go through Live Patrol’s Smartphone app. And if a potential incident occurs, they are notified immediately.

With its advanced technology and outstanding support, Live Patrol is respected and acclaimed by those in the know—its clients. So it’s no surprise that In just the past few years the company has received recognition and several prestigious awards.

These include making the 2020 Growth List as one of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies, named among Canada’s Top Growing Companies 2021 by The Globe & Mail, and most recently, named one of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2022 by the Financial Times. Valuing customers and employees alike, Live Patrol was certified this year as a Great Place to Work® by the research and management consultancy company of the same name.

Just as the company’s technology never stands still, neither does Love Patrol’s customer base. Adapting to the changing times, the company’s live-video remote security systems encompass not only construction sites, storage facilities, automotive dealerships, and high-rise residential with remote access management and concierge services, but emerging sectors, too. These include security for solar farms and cannabis-licensed producers.

“Solar farms are equipped with expensive equipment that requires monitoring against theft,” says Carloni. “Solar farms are not a large part of our business, but showcase our ability to cater to unique industries, providing custom security solutions.”

Instead of using security guards, Live Patrol can secure entire premises and provide remote access management. This allows complete control over who enters sites via card readers, such as employees, or intercoms with video components at entrance points. Signals or visuals are then sent to Live Patrol’s 24/7 monitoring facility, where staff determine if access is granted or denied.

To get the word out about its many services, Live Patrol has a robust media presence online through social media sites including Facebook and Instagram, along with LinkedIn.

On its YouTube channel, the company’s informative videos include drone deployment for live video monitoring and security, time-lapse video services, crime control footage, remote concierge services, and many others.

“Live Patrol Inc. is largely advertised through our social media outlets as well as on-site signage,” says Kafeel. “However, because of our customer service reputation, we also generate quite a bit of word-of-mouth business, as well as retaining existing business relationships.”

Technologically advanced, highly reliable, and fully customizable to meet the requirements of all customers, the company’s services are designed to protect people and property all day and all night, 365 days a year. From construction sites to commercial properties and everything in between, Live Patrol’s services are efficient, economical, and evolving.

“Live Patrol has been a leader in the live video monitoring industry for a while now, and we continuously strive to stay that way,” says Carloni. “This means that we’re consistently ensuring we only use the best equipment, the best software, and continuously improve and expand our customer service to ensure the best possible customer experience.”

The post Crime Doesn’t Sleep – And Neither Does Live Patrol<p class="company">Live Patrol Inc.</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

It all begins with the company’s underlying value system. When asked why Bell and Howell is driven to support food banks, he replies, “I believe that question can be answered by our company philosophy of ‘Doing the Right Thing.’ Doing the right thing is our promise to each other as part of the Bell and Howell family. If we take care of each other, we take care of our customers, take care of the company and our community, we will all be successful.”

Food insecurity is a particularly salient issue in our pandemic world. “The arrival of COVID-19 impacted many parts of the economy,” Hermanowski says. “Unemployment skyrocketed, and food insecurity increased dramatically. Headline news across the country showed videos of hundreds of vehicles lined up to receive boxes of food put together by wonderful teams of volunteers. Adding more pain to the picture, food prices are skyrocketing, items are scarce, and more people are negatively impacted. Many pockets of the population—our neighbors—struggle and juggle the cost of medicine, food, and fuel each day.

“COVID-19 also disproportionately impacted some people at higher risk of severe illness. This includes older adults (65 years and older) and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions. However, volunteer ranks are heavily weighted toward older adults, many of which have stepped away from volunteering to protect themselves and their families from a potentially devastating infection. In other situations, the concern was too great and the burden too much to bear that organizations took preventive measures and asked at-risk volunteers to stay away.”

There is a clear need for a more flexible system in which people can access food banks on their schedule, without having to rely on volunteers. “The services our neighbors depend upon for nutritious food face a bleak future unless there is change,” Hermanowski says. Food assistance programs “are left understaffed yet need to service an increasing population. Consequently, the open hours available at food access locations have been reduced to the level where there is just no possible way for our neighbors to pick up the food they need. In some communities, it is down to just two hours each week, and unfortunately, those two hours are at a time when many recipients just cannot be there.”

Consumers are not the only ones reeling from the pandemic landscape. COVID-19 has accelerated new grocery trends that the industry must accommodate with little time to adjust. “COVID-19 has also had a dramatic impact on our partners in the grocery space,” he says.

“Online purchasing of groceries has exploded from a small percentage of the total spending pre-COVID to over 10 percent, or $100 billion, in 2021. That trend has not abated with forecast [compound annual growth rate] of 18.1 percent over the next few years reaching $300 billion. Grocers are building the next generation infrastructure to support this tremendous growth with much of it focused on digital and online shopping. Digital investments include better websites optimized for mobile users, digital coupons, digital recipes and the ability to allow consumers to ‘opt in’ so the store can track their arrival using their mobile phone so their order is ready when they arrive.”

Grocery stores must navigate this rapidly evolving landscape while simultaneously dealing with a worker shortage—not unlike the challenge facing food banks. “Grocers also face similar challenges finding people,” Hermanowski says. “They do not rely on volunteers but they, too, find it challenging to hire enough labor to keep grocery stores and their online systems running. However, they have access to technology that helps them overcome these challenges.”

“One extremely helpful solution employed is known as ‘automated pickup’ technology. Automated pickup technology is equipment that holds a customer’s order for them until they arrive to pick it up. The systems maintain proper temperatures for groceries and do not require a store employee to be there to deliver the order. As a result, consumers are able to pick up their groceries at their convenience even if the store is closed.”

“Like many new technologies, automated pickup systems create new paradigms never considered before. Consider the automated teller machine or ATM. When it first appeared, no one ever thought it would be possible to obtain cash from their bank account anytime day or night. Automated grocery pickup systems are the new ATMs for food.

“The trends are surprisingly clear,” he continues. “The grocery ecosystem is quickly moving in a digital direction where access to computers, mobile phones and the Internet are becoming the minimum requirement to participate. When Amazon first arrived, it offered vast quantities of products, often priced lower online than locally. Those with access to Amazon’s website benefited; those without, paid more. As grocery moves to the digital domain, the same is expected to happen, and the beginnings of that are visible today with many grocers offering ‘digital only’ deals.

“Yet, studies continue to show that households with incomes below $30,000 per year are significantly less likely to have access to broadband services, a computer or a smartphone. Although smartphone availability and use is higher than for a computer, there are many cases where the mobile number changes over time because the user is unable to pay for mobile service for a given month. Furthermore, the keys to grocery’s digital kingdom revolve around a user account, which requires an email address or a mobile phone number, and in many cases, both—something not often available to those suffering from food insecurity. If something is not done promptly, the new digital ecosystem being built by grocers will continue down a path that leaves our neighbors with food insecurity behind.”

Bell and Howell’s ability to leverage a grocer’s own tools can mitigate this digital divide. “Automated grocery pickup systems and the ecosystems to support them are being rolled out by grocers across the United States, making them readily available and produced in economical volumes,” he says.

“Some grocers can and do place the machines in food deserts, supporting communities that would otherwise have no access to a full assortment of healthy foods. Most importantly, deployments are giving communities access to that food at a time and location convenient for them.

“This same technology can be readily deployed to address food insecurity and vendors such as us have partnered with food access programs and others to create features specifically designed to address the needs of our neighbors, for example, the ability to access the technology even without a computer or mobile phone. Innovations like these not only improve food access but level the playing field and reduce the digital divide.”

Typically, automated grocery pickup systems come in two forms, depending on the volume and how often they are used. Grocery ‘PODs’ address high volumes of groceries, while grocery smart lockers, like Bell and Howell’s QuickCollect GL address low to moderate volumes of groceries. Both options are popular with food banks and grocery stores around the country because they provide secure, temperature-controlled environments to safely store groceries until the consumer can collect them.

The Bell and Howell team believes that the use of automated technology will continue to increase in the future. “Non-profit organizations such as Feeding America are addressing hunger across America,” Hermanowski says. “They are expert at acquiring and moving large quantities of food across the nation, serving millions of our neighbors just like any leading grocer, except it is a non-profit organization. We see the same types of technology used by large corporations and grocers to manage customer interactions, improve supply chain efficiency, and run complex organizations making its way into the non-profits that support food access programs.”

Having this technology utilized for non-profit applications to reduce food insecurity across America is certainly welcome news and evidence that Bell and Howell’s ‘Doing the Right Thing’ mentality is at work throughout the nation to create positive, lasting change.

The post Doing the Right Thing<p class="company">Bell and Howell</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

When profiled in April 2018 for Manufacturing in Focus, the company was primarily focused on the craft beverage sector. Since then, Specific Mechanical has expanded its presence in food production, introduced new products, and added large-scale commercial clients. The company’s current goal is to continue growing without losing its commitment to artisanship and quality.

It also makes equipment for non-food sectors, including wastewater treatment, the oil and gas industry, and even the cosmetics and makeup industry where its systems are used for extracting essential oils from plant matter. However, “We’ve really focused our work in food and beverage,” says General Manager Reo Phillips. “There’s been a big uptake in being self-sufficient within North America, with our food production, our food sources, and our food supply… We are doing a lot of work manufacturing equipment for general food production… whether juices, sauces, or soups for consumer consumption, or systems for pet food production.”

New products include a beverage canning machine and a system for continuously distilling spirits. New clients, meanwhile, include “some of the larger, well-known vodka, whisky, and rum distilling companies in the world,” he continues.

Phillips makes clear that the company has not abandoned its roots. Even as Specific Mechanical ventures into large-scale equipment manufacture for larger corporate clients, the company continues to develop solutions for craft brewers and distillers. Regardless of size and scale, all products are designed with an artisan’s touch.

“Pretty much everything we do is somewhat custom-made. We follow basic first principles and design concepts, as well as food processing regulations and procedures, but at the end of the day, every single food and beverage producing facility out there has their own unique requirements,” he notes.

He draws a comparison to custom-designed kitchens. While all kitchens share common elements such as cupboards, stoves, fridges, and countertops, each custom kitchen has a specific configuration and appearance. The same can be said for systems built by Specific Mechanical.

The company produces fully automated brewing systems, including brewing equipment that can accommodate production of greater than 100 barrels of beer. Distilling equipment includes copper and stainless steel, or hybrid pots that can accommodate anywhere from 500 litres to greater than 10,000 litres of distilling wash. Industrial products range from stainless-steel tanks to pressure and food-processing vessels, wastewater treatment tanks, and more. In addition to designing and building these items, the firm will install its systems anywhere in North America. Specific Mechanical has also sold and shipped products to clients in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Central America as well.

Its new continuous column system allows for the uninterrupted distillation of spirits whereas bourbon, whisky, and vodka, have traditionally been distilled in batches. “It might take five to ten hours to generate a batch of distilled spirits, which you are then going to age and bottle. Only when one batch is done can you start another batch,” he says.

The continuous column distilling system from Specific Mechanical offers an alternative to this stop-and-start process. Fermented wash or mash is fed into the system and, “instead of being limited to running four, five, ten hours then starting an entire new batch, an operator continually runs the column as long as is needed, producing far greater output than the traditional pot still systems,” states Phillips.

Specific Mechanical has also developed a unique canning machine. Built for the craft distilling and beverage markets, this machine will be used to can nearly any liquid, including beer, RTDs, wine, juice, and other liquid refreshments.

“It’s designed for the thirty cans per minute market with future models supporting up to 120 cans per minute in the roadmap. It can accommodate any can size… Within ten minutes, it can [be readjusted] to support other can sizes. So, if you’re running one product line which uses a standard 355 ml can but then you want to run another product which uses a different can style, you can change over and use the same machine. Up to this point, you would typically have to either buy separate machines or undertake a major changeover for each can style,” he points out.

The canning machine was unveiled this spring at the CBC Craft Brewing Conference in Minneapolis. It is currently being beta-tested in the brewery environment. “Our plan is to have that beta testing completed by the end of summer and be ready to ship units in the fall,” says Phillips.

On top of these new products, the company is “always making enhancements” to existing equipment, he adds. “We have a research and engineering department that is consistently coming up with new ways of doing things. Enhancing the efficiency of our equipment is really the big push right now. If you can make equipment that’s more efficient for the end-user, even if only two, three, five percent more efficient, that will have a large impact on production throughput.”

The company’s core products are proprietary, and all engineering, design, manufacturing, and fabrication are done in-house. Specific Mechanical operates a 50,000-square-foot facility in Victoria and a roughly 20,000-square-foot space in the state of Nevada. Discussions are also underway regarding further expansions.

“It’s something we’re looking at right now. Because we’re on the West Coast, we ship a lot of our equipment to the East Coast and south of the border into the United States. We’re in the process of looking for an East Coast facility as well as a Southeast facility in the U.S.,” says Phillips.

Given that the company’s equipment is used to make products for consumer consumption, quality standards are extremely high. Among other industry benchmarks, the company has certification from UL, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) and Occupational Safety Standards of Excellence (OSSE)—a health and safety management program for British Columbia-based manufacturers. The firm’s pressure vessel design and manufacturing shop has American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) certification as well.

The advent of COVID initially had a massive impact on Specific Mechanical Systems. The pandemic shuttered most bars, restaurants, clubs, and sporting venues. Early on this proved devastating to brewers and distillers that produce alcoholic beverages for such places. Thanks to the near-closure of the hospitality industry, at the time many orders for brewing and distilling equipment were put on hold.

The result was “a very, very immediate slowdown in our business,” he recalls. “We saw nearly our entire book of orders put on hold or delayed by our customers.”

Despite this unexpected calamity, Specific Mechanical was determined to retain its staff while keeping workers safe. Employees were given new assignments and job-sharing was implemented, along with daily health and temperature checks, masks, and social distancing. Dividers were put up in workspaces to enforce a two-meter distancing policy for staff.

COVID also threw the company a curve ball in terms of promotional activity. Traditionally, trade shows represented “a big part of how we present ourselves in the industry,” notes Phillips. When the pandemic closed most in-person industry events, Specific Mechanical Systems enhanced its online and trade magazine marketing efforts.

There was a silver lining to the COVID crisis; faced with unexpected downtime, the company decided to double down on research and development. During the lull brought about by the virus, the company developed its continuous column system and beverage canning machine.

Now that the impact of COVID is receding and the hospitality industry is returning to life, business is on the upswing. The company employs between 80 to 85 staff, roughly the same number of personnel as reported in April 2018. To join, it helps to have some engineering, fabrication, or manufacturing experience, although the company primarily wants people with “the right attitude, the right work ethic, and the right drive… even if they don’t have the exact skill set, we know that for the right person, those skills can be taught,” he notes.

Not counting COVID, the company faces two big challenges: finding enough space and finding enough workers.

“As we move into the commercial-scale food and beverage processing systems… we need more space to build these larger systems… The other immediate challenge we have, that everyone is having currently, is just finding staff resources. The job market in both of our locations in Victoria as well as the Nevada location is very, very tight, especially for skilled trades,” explains Phillips.

That said, the company is dreaming big. “Ultimately, our overriding goal is to become the leading supplier of craft and commercial-scale food and beverage processing equipment in North America. We see a path to being able to accomplish that. We expect in five years to have continued to significantly expand, with facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada,” he states.

The post Brewing Up New Customers and Products<p class="company">Specific Mechanical Systems</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Those definitions are, for those who are wondering, defined as the difference between a longstanding brand partner who uses the products they promote and a first-time user or short-term brand relationship based on one or a handful of social media posts by an influencer with a following that aligns with the company’s desired consumer demographic. Influencers may not even have used a product prior to featuring it to an audience of their followers.

A joint Kurio-thenetworkone study from earlier this year that looked into social media marketing trends showed that, instead of the world turning into an ever-growing big-brand shopping mall, quite the opposite is happening. While many big brands are indeed growing, the emergence of an independently produced or ‘indie’ economy is also taking shape.

Rather than ordering from well-known international brands, the hottest trend is to support local producers of often artisanal goods. Moreover, the phenomenon is sweeping across several markets, including beauty, fashion, and food. Consumers are hungry for connection, and with that, communities are developing around smaller brands that offer more of a personal touch.

One niche market that seems to have developed rapidly thanks to social media and the influence of beautiful images on platforms like Instagram is that of small personal care brands. From soaps to lotions and beard balms, there appears to be no end to new independent beauty brands hitting the market with solutions to skincare issues from psoriasis to acne. All one has to do is Google ‘Indie brands 2022’ to see a flurry of beauty pages roll up.

The research campaign published in January this year by Kurio, a social media-driven creative agency in Helsinki, Finland, in collaboration with thenetworkone, an agency network home to around 1,200 agencies across nearly 120 countries, brought a few interesting insights to light. The in-depth study interviewed twenty-five social media experts representing twenty-one top independent agencies from around the world who offered their insights at the end of last year.

And the results are nothing short of fascinating, revealing that the “influencer economy is booming,” and as it grows, it is also evolving. From influencing to content creation, niche content creators are taking social media and stores by storm and brands had better sit up and notice. Brands are beginning to see the value of engaging influencers.

Longer ambassador relationships continue to dominate over one-off influencer relationships. The demand for a sense of genuine connection, continuity, and the personal relationship that influencers and ambassadors have with specific products influences consumers to buy. Consumers appear to be well and truly tired of regular sales pitches.

This has also been noted by Kevin Fernandez, the social media producer for Adolescent Content (U.S.) and a study contributor. “As a Gen Z marketing agency, we know that younger consumers have an aversion towards being ‘sold to.’ By using an organic approach, we are fostering an authentic connection with our community at scale,” he told Kurio researchers.

It turns out that, thanks to its short-form video capabilities, TikTok will lord it over Instagram this year with an average of 1 billion users. “Most importantly, TikTok’s knack for virality will push it over the edge in 2022 as the social media platform for marketers to be on,” says Fernandez. Enterfive’s Social Media Manager Presh Hunder and Product Marketing Manager Jide Agbana told the report that TikTok’s main audience is GenZ, with median usage sitting at fifty-two minutes per day.

Social media marketing has also found its way into other corners of the internet. The Italian fashion house Gucci launched its virtual garden on Roblox, an international gaming platform in 2021. While this is certainly still a hugely underexplored marketing world, most consumers, at this stage, appear to prefer simplicity.

Short videos are increasingly touted as the favourite go-to for consumers in search of bite-sized portions of fast, easily digestible information, and finally, more older people are joining the online world since the advent of COVID-19.

To better facilitate the future of the influencer and content creator economy, media platforms are tuning into the traffic they bring, as follower loyalty appears to be more or less guaranteed. As a result, these companies are supporting influencers and content creators in earning good income from their online pursuits more easily.

But there is also another side to the influencer economy that is not always so visible. Global stars are photographed in outfits that are often copied and sent to market within hours of their appearance. And so, fast fashion provides a way for people striving for fame to share in short-lived, glamorous moments of make-believe. This trend, psychologists postulate, is the result of young people zoning out of strained real-life relationships and developing parasocial fixations on the lives of celebrities and lesser social media influencers.

The result is not always pretty. Some of these fast-fashion giants lure starry-eyed young people hoping for fame—and free merchandise—into becoming influencers. Such deals result in comparatively large purchases by aspiring and naive content creators and not much else other than free advertising for the label.

But there are also influencers with a much more down-to-earth approach, who rely on their wit and sense of irony, humour, and even hard skills to hold the attention of their followers and product suppliers. Considering the anxiety and authenticity issues that afflict influencers focused on appearing to live the high life, these people may have a far better and more sustainable career ahead of them.

What remains is that GenZ members and their younger siblings are far more interesting and complex consumers than advertisers have ever had to convince before. Perhaps these generations will continue to follow those they consider to be friends and mirror what they do and do not buy. Time will tell.

The post The Economics of Influence<p class="company">How Social Media has Redefined Marketing</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.