22 minute read
AMC Innovation Tour
Innovation Tour: AMC
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By Paula Schuck and Janet Morley
On the grow with Northern Plastics
In beautiful Salmon Arm, B.C., right next to the Shuswap Lake and several mountains famous for world class snowmobiling and skiing, you will find Northern Plastics Ltd., a family-owned, local Canadian business established in 1980. Northern Plastics has been a leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of a wide range of industrial plastic products from the outset. Key markets for the company include wood processing, bearing and wear, and agricultural components. The company’s well-equipped CNC machine shop and experienced production staff serve customers with prototypes, development and full-scale production to fulfill parts or maintenance needs. Northern Plastics’ modern, diversified facility offers a wide range of production options to meet customers’ requirements in the most efficient way. Northern Plastics currently employs 31 staff and is always looking for skilled employees such as machinists and machine operators to join their team. Andrew Newnes, President, Northern Plastics Ltd. says. “Fortunately, most of our hiring was done before 2021 and we are all comfortable with our staffing levels and all positions are filled. Going forward, I expect challenges filling new positions to come.” These expected staffing challenges come from a minor expansion planned for 2022 which will afford the company increased capacity and reduced lead times. When asked about Northern Plastics’ greatest innovation or element that has helped to grow the business, Newnes didn’t hesitate: “Great staff and hard work from our team!” Fairly new to the position of President, Newnes has already found benefits of Northern Plastics’ four-year AMC membership.
“AMC is a great resource to educate myself on what is happening in the industry, as well as potential federal changes that affect us,” he says. “AMC has also connected us with a great new vendor.”
"‘Made in Canada’ is everything for us. It is creating jobs and a product in the country where we live. It helps build our communities. ‘Made in Canada’ is critical to our business. We are proud of our products and services we provide. ‘Made in Canada’ makes exporting to any North American country seamless.”
Challenges and looking to the future
Although navigating COVID-19 protocols and ensuring the company remains compliant have been challenging, the company has been rewarded, thus far, with a zero per cent exposure rate. Over the next three to five years Newnes says the company will be “the exact same business with more capacity, more customers, and more manufacturing in Canada. “We are proud of our upcoming expansion and very much looking forward to it. Expansion gives us the ability to serve customers better and retain manufacturing in Canada.”
Building a better future for Canada and the world
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) opened its doors in Calgary, Alberta in 1916 as the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA) with a mandate to train veterans returning from the First World War. The institute’s initial 11 students were enrolled in metalworking and
A look at AMC innovators
motor mechanics. Over the years, the institute has remained sensitive and responsive to its community’s needs, and, indeed, Canada’s – as a hospital during the Spanish Flu pandemic and as a Royal Canadian Air Force Wireless Training School during the Second World War. Today, SAIT has more than 14,000 students and shapes the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs and pioneers with action-based learning, solution-focused research and industry partnerships. The institute’s roots are in Calgary, but its ambition is global: to bring more of the world to SAIT and more of SAIT to the world.
Innovation through cooperation
Trish Josephs, SAIT’s Director of Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS), speaks about the importance of the institute’s collaborative efforts: “We are in this together and we want to see Canada be successful in taking ‘Made in Canada’ solutions forward. We form partnerships with industries to help build a better Canada and a better world. In Canada, we are leaders globally.” Collaboration doesn’t only extend to industries - it extends to avenues such as signing a declaration with six other colleges and polytechnics to collaborate to advance agriculture and food research in Alberta.
Applied research - developing people’s visions
Josephs explains that applied research is the type of research that solves real world problems. “Someone comes to us and says, ‘We must build a device to put on our tractor that will do this.’ An example of this is GPS technology. It started out as a problem.” "Another example would be producers needing to be able to safely have autonomous farm equipment recognize objects in its path and understand how to cooperate and connect with other equipment on the farm. That is a problem that applied research helps to solve or works on.” Josephs continues, “It starts out as a problem, and we work with companies and community groups to say ‘Here’s how we can do that.’ We might build it, or we might connect and collaborate with others who can do that piece. We act as an ecosystem connector and collaborator, developing people’s visions.”
Exporting
Although the institute may not have physical widgets to export, Josephs says they are still exporters in a way. “We take all of the solutions that we find and develop here and we export those around the world. Tremendous work is being done right now in Western Canada. Right now we are also starting to see support and collaboration with polytechnic institutions, post-secondary institutions across Canada, working with industry partners and associations like AMC to move ideas forward.”
AMC – Value to members
SAIT is one of the newest institutions that has joined AMC and they are proud of their involvement. “Industry partners come to us and ask for support solving a problem. “Ag equipment manufacturers would say 'We have a piece of equipment, and we need to advance it. How do we do that?' “We work with all industries including the ag industry. We build prototypes and help to advance technology through to commercialization.” Continues Josephs, “We exist as centres of excellence and innovation and right now Canada is thriving in this area of ag tech and driving innovation globally. The benefit for Canadian manufacturers is that there are many polytechnics in Canada, and together we help to educate the next generation and drive solutions forward that are better for people, planet and our economy. AMC membership – it’s being able to work with different industry partners and build on our collective strengths to transform, solve problems and drive innovation forward. We joined AMC because we saw that we could be of value to all of their members and help to elevate their impact on the global stage.”
‘Made in Canada’
Food security and the ag industry are all areas that are vitally important to the future of Canada and the world. Josephs remarks, “I think one of the things that we are known for in Canada is rolling up our sleeves, finding solutions to big problems and driving innovation forward and that’s especially true in the ag industry. We have technologically brilliant people in Canada in the field of agriculture.
"We take these ideas in agriculture, food production, manufacturing and machinery and we work with the experts and innovators in Canada to bring them to the market. “We really have world-leading intelligence here. Some of the best brains in ag are right here in Canada and they are driving what the future of ag looks like. “We ask 'How are we going to feed the world?' With compounding issues of climate change, food and water scarcity and population growth, this is a pressing question and much of the expertise needed to answer this question rests right here in Canada. It is taking a holistic view of what we need in agriculture and manufacturing to feed a growing global population. “Right now there is much uncertainty around the future of hydrocarbon producing vehicles, the push to go green, where does hydrogen fit, what is the impact and how can we execute a plan that addresses future challenges in the world of agriculture. The world is changing. We have climate change now and that is pressing. What does that look like for ag? “We have a tremendous role to play in helping to drive solutions and advance technology that is needed in ag around the world.”
John Anderson, President, JCA Technologies
A Leader in autonomous machine control systems
JCA Technologies is a leader in autonomous and connected agricultural machine control systems. The company works with leading OEMs around the world to build automation into ag machines. JCA Technologies is among the winners of the U.K.-Canada: enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability competition for their collaboration with U.K. companies Precision Decisions and Farmscan Ag Limited. The companies’ capabilities extend to engineering, technology, and manufacturing of electronics, wire harnesses, and control panels.
JCA Technologies Autonomous Framework
Humble beginnings
Nearly 20 years ago, John Anderson, Chairman and Founder of JCA Technologies (formerly JCA Electronics) started building wire harnesses for farm equipment out of his parents’ garage. Today, the company is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and has 140 employees and more than 30 engineers working out of state-ofthe-art locations. They have become experts in electronic control systems and manufacturing. Anderson says, “Equipment is becoming so technologybased now. We have core tools that help farmers operate their equipment more efficiently. It’s been the focus of JCA to work closely with ag OEMs to make their equipment more valuable to, and integrated with, the producer.”
‘Made in Canada’
On the importance of ‘Made in Canada’ to the company, Anderson says, “Canada has a real expertise in agriculture that is respected worldwide. The companies we work with at home have allowed us to become leaders in advanced control systems, and we are able to take that expertise to the global stage and succeed. The integrity and work ethic of Canadians is also well known. Our reputation for honest and hard work adds a respect that helps when doing business.” Many successful companies in Canada have helped guide JCA towards what they needed to do to support clients’ needs moving forward. “That communicative relationship with customers allows us to determine what JCA needs to invest in to meet the needs of the evolving ag equipment market, while still being able to meet the immediate needs of our customers large and small. It allows us to keep evolving and to establish valuable business processes and IP.”
Opportunity for growth
JCA Technologies has an opportunity for tremendous growth over the next five years just through proper execution of its existing business. The many opportunities coming to their door today lead them to believe that this is just the beginning. As the demand for intelligent data and automation increases at the producer level so does the pressure on ag manufacturers to include it in their equipment. Anderson explains, “We have the hardware and software tools. Producers use them to not only control their equipment, but to integrate into their Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS). Everyone is trying to develop their own piece of this, but it is a huge amount of work and becomes insupportable without a lot of
coordination and standardization. Most companies don’t have the expertise or resources to do this. With our products and capabilities, we are able to provide those building blocks practically and enable OEMs to complete their true vision.” With growth, Anderson expects to see some of the hiring issues that come with it. JCA Technologies is already hiring a lot of people and knows the demand will only increase. “Finding all the technical people that we need will be a challenge. It’s an extremely competitive arena for finding good engineers and we need to be looking at expanding our resources around the world.”
Innovation – The JCA Eagle
The JCA Eagle is a rugged highperformance computing platform designed for autonomous off-highway solutions. It operates as an advanced guidance and perception platform that meets the needs of autonomous agricultural applications. It is based around the Nvidia Jetson Xavier SOM (system-on-module) with integrated dual L1 and L2 RTK (real time kinematics) enabled GPS receivers with an IMU (internal measurement unit.) This provides the computing power to run modern AI and perception algorithms from multiple sources, paired with sub-inch absolute positioning and orientation. Anderson explains the company's excitement over the Eagle’s capabilities: "It is not enough to have automated and precise independent equipment, it must also be able to connect and interact with other machinery so you can optimize workflows. We have developed an autonomous framework to do just that, with the Eagle as a vital component.”
AMC family
JCA Technologies has been an AMC member for almost five years. Anderson comments, “The networking AMC offers is of huge value and the conferences are always worthwhile. It’s a great opportunity to speak to our customers in a more informal setting and get to know them better. AMC is a big family, but that’s also very much what doing business in ag is about. This is why I have focused on agriculture. It is a culture that just feels right.
Building products that move and impact lives
The odds are high that you have interacted with something that has TiMOTION technology in it. “Everyone who has ever been in a hospital or seen a hospital bed has encountered motion control technology like TiMOTION’s electric linear actuators, lift columns, and controls,” says Baxter Hufham, North American Sales Manager for the U.S. Division of TiMOTION. “Sit-stand desks and electric home reclining furniture are other examples of products that are made to move with you because of TiMOTION’s electric linear actuation systems.”
TiMOTION launched in 2005 and opened its North American office in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2013. In 2018, the company established a presence in Canada. TiMOTION currently employs more than 2,000 people globally, with over 30 in North America including two full-time Canadian residents. As TIMOTION continues to service and grow its already substantial customer base, the company plans to add a third Canadian staff member with an eye toward establishing a second North American office in Canada. With headquarters in New Taipei City, Taiwan, and 14 subsidiaries and sales offices on five continents, TiMOTION is well-placed to meet the needs of manufacturers in search of electric linear actuation systems for their products. As growth for the company now exceeds 30 per cent year-over-year, and with North Carolina production capabilities, TiMOTION is preparing its U.S. office for continued evolution as the market leader of electric linear actuators, lift columns, and controls.
A product that moves moving parts
Hufham explains that a linear actuator is a device that converts a source of energy into a physical-mechanical motion to make a product move in a straight line. “Everyone has encountered linear actuators in daily life. They just don’t think about it or know it,” Hufham adds. “TiMOTION makes all of the moving parts under hospital beds and the parts that make ergonomic sit-stand desks lift. So, while we do not make the beds or the desks, we make the parts that make the beds and desks, pool lifts, and other motor control products that are height-adjustable.” When you’re using the button on the side of your car seat to move it forward and backward, you are using a type of actuator. If you have an electric reclining comfort chair, it is a linear actuator that makes it move. Height adjustable sit-stand tables are very popular in Canada, especially in Canadian government offices. The linear actuator business directly impacts the lives of people everywhere and their health and safety. Sit-stand desks, for instance, are ergonomic and proven to reduce work-related injuries. There are three types of linear actuators: electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic. TiMOTION makes more economical electric actuators, so the manufacturer using their parts benefits from a top-notch part at a lower cost. The company specializes in custom and bespoke work for clients. The company designs and manufactures an actuator to fit the exact specifications the client has set out.
'Made in Canada' – trade friendly – value in community presence
TiMOTION’s linear actuators aren’t currently produced in Canada, and the company doesn’t make a widget that sits on a shelf here, but Canada is an important market. Although the Canadian government sets a tariff, Canada doesn’t have the additional Section 301 tariff*, which keeps the price of TiMOTION’s actuators down, Hufham explains. “What ultimately matters in the case of export is the cost of the product, and since there is no additional tariff, it
Baxter Hufham, North American Sales Manager, U.S. Division, TiMOTION
makes business with Canada strong. There are a lot of ways that things are different between Canada and the U.S. While there are also many similarities, one key difference is the tariff in the U.S.,” Hufham notes.
Canada’s size is a challenge
The Canadian market is a large area to cover, and TiMOTION has two people right now doing that. The company understands that the nature of the challenge going forward in Canada is not only the country’s geographical size but also the fact that Canadian markets are very different from one region to the next. The company would like to expand its Canadian presence to three sales representatives, one of them French or bilingual. On growing into the Canadian market with an eventual opening of a Canadian office, Hufham says, “While we have sales representatives all over the world, we’ve seen that there is a lot of value in having people in the communities where we do business. There’s value in investing in reps all over the world and building direct relationships with customers that you simply can’t always do on the phone. It’s very important to us to be there investing time to see what the Canadian market needs and talking to customers all the time about what they want.”
Growth – looking to a safer future
Over the next three years, TiMOTION would like to grow within Canada, adding at least one person and then an office on Canadian soil. When TiMOTION opened its North American division in 2013, it had 12 actuators. Today, Hufham says it has more than 40 actuators, as well as columns, controllers, and accessories while customizing for manufacturers has grown. “Everyone right now is facing the challenge of 'How do we make things safer? How do we make existing products safer for people, so there are fewer injuries and health claims?' Things that used to be stationary will now be required to move for reasons of health and safety. That is exciting and clearly driving growth.”
Vertical integration
Hufham considers vertical integration to be TiMOTION’s most important innovation. “It’s not just about the motors or controls. Vertical integration means we make all of the products ourselves. We lay our own printed circuit boards (PCBs), for instance.” While that decision costs the company more money than subcontracting it out, it is a key decision that has contributed to its success, Hufham adds. “We are not at the mercy of shipping times and delays. We don’t have to worry about supply chain issues as much as some do. We make things ourselves, and that gives us a high level of control over quality. This also makes us more flexible in terms of the needs of the market.”
Linear actuators are everywhere
TiMOTION makes the lifts in hospital beds that make it possible to elevate a patient. They also make the lifts in mobility aids and wheelchairs. They contribute to ergonomic furniture such as sit/stand desks by providing the moving parts. Even reclining chairs, which may sound like a mere convenience, can be a real benefit to those whose medical conditions demand they can only sleep upright in a chair that reclines. And of course, there is the industrial use of linear actuators in lawnmowers, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and agricultural equipment. Hufham says that sometimes it feels like they are far away from the end product and its everyday impact on ordinary lives. However, last year he had his own hospital experience that drove home the significance of the product that TiMOTION creates. Hufham and his wife had their baby girl last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their baby was born nine weeks prematurely and spent six weeks in the hospital’s newborn intensive care unit (NICU). During the baby’s time in the NICU, the hospital used cribs with linear actuators. These cribs go up and down to reduce the lifting strain on caregivers. Hufham remembers, “That was an example of a time when I could actually see the impact of what we build. We are often so focused on direct sales that we don’t see the impact of what we do - the impact on people’s lives and yet this was an example of how linear actuators help people.” Hufham’s daughter was “nine weeks early to the party, and now she’s living her best life.”
Baxter Hufham’s baby girl was born prematurely during the pandemic. She spent time in the NICU where Baxter witnessed the human impact of linear actuators, technology used to support raising and lowering cribs. The movement means fewer injuries for caregivers lifting their patients.
C L S CLS Consulting Ltd. Canadian Immigration Service Provider
Rethinking Recruitment
CLS Consulting Ltd. may be the epitome of innovation when it comes to service-based businesses. Originally started as a livestock export company, CLS found itself needing to do a sharp pivot when BSE shut down livestock export in 2004. The company moved their overseas offices from China to the Philippines and moved into servicing the workforce sector. They have settled on travelling to the Philippines often because they have found the Philippines is a country that has an abundance of the kind of employees Canadian companies are seeking. Employees found in the Philippines tend to stay in their Canadian jobs once they have been placed. Home base for CLS is Lloydminster, Alberta where they provide immigration consulting and foreign recruitment services for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Each candidate that is referred to a CLS customer has been thoroughly screened by a CLS professional. The company then works with their clients to recruit employees, shortlist candidates, interview applicants and ultimately get them to the client’s business. CLS has seven employees and is currently trying to hire more people to increase capacity to meet the demand of Canadian employers for skilled tradespeople. The company represents the employer and works to not only find employees but to provide the right people to maximize
worker retention for their customers. Sydney Palmer, President and Owner, explains, “We want people to settle in the community where the business is. We won’t put someone who is a welder in a community where there’s no hospital if their wife works as a nurse, for instance, because they are likely to leave.” Employee retention for their customers equals more repeat business and referrals for CLS. Working hard to connect the right people with the right employer in the right location is only part of the challenge of doing business. The biggest issue is government regulations. “As a recruiter we often find legal and morally right don’t always match,” Palmer continues. “The rules sometimes don’t make sense.” Additionally, because skilled tradespeople like welders are in high demand in most sectors, those businesses that have the ability to offer higher wages can make headhunting of skilled labour a real threat to the company’s customers. On top of those challenges, time is also an issue. It takes eight to 12 months to get an employee to Canada and welders are even harder to find than other employees. The shortage of welders in ag manufacturing in Canada makes the time lapse between a business coming to CLS for recruiting assistance and filling that position or positions a stressful time everyone involved. Palmer adds frankly, “When they come to us, they are already desperate. That is the hard part.” CLS Consulting takes pride in interviewing every applicant personally. To this end, they have partnered with Doug Hilsabeck, fellow AMC member and owner of Renn Mill Center Inc. Sixteen years ago,
Hilsabeck reached out to CLS for help with recruitment. A year later, CLS turned to him for help with interviewing and trade testing. Hilsabeck travels to the Philippines to test and select “people that I wouldn’t think twice about putting into my factory.” It is not just Hilsabeck that offers the company a direct link to agriculture. CLS prides itself on having employees
who know ag and can relate to both the customer’s needs and the needs of potential recruits for ag companies. Palmer says, “We base our entire scenario on having someone here that people can relate to.” When looking back at business growth since the pivot from cattle exporting to workforce recruitment, CLS anticipates at least doubling in the next two years driven by the referrals their good reputation brings to the company. When asked what ‘Made in Canada’ means to CLS in terms of the company and business, Palmer replied, “'Made in Canada' is important. Value-added is the key to that statement. If we can add value then all companies will do better. It is basically a lot of pride in Canada. Especially out west, the value-add is the pride and it is getting stronger. That has value in exports. When you travel the world, Canada has a great image. I think it is important that we are representing our country when we travel and do business.”
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C L S CLS Consulting Ltd. Canadian Immigration Service Provider
5720 44 Street | Lloydminster, Alberta | T9V 0B6 1.780.808.2815 | 1.780.808.2816
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