W.E. Manufacture - Issue 3

ISSUE 3

POST PACKAGING Teamwork Makes it all Work

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CONTENTS ISSUE 3

8

A Message From Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens

9

Trillium Machine and Tool

by Matt St. Amand

14

A-LINX Building Technologies

11

28

Incore Interior & Exterior Contracting

by Matt St. Amand

YMCA On-TAP Program

by Matt St. Amand

32

12

Devine Consulting

by Matt St. Amand

OYAP – A Success Story

by Matt S. Amand

DeMonte Fabricating Ltd

by Matt St. Amand

Post Packaging

by Matt St. Amand

34

16

Bear’s Performance Products

by Matt St. Amand

18

24

Carpenters Union 494 Windsor

by Matt St. Amand

36 26

Skilled Trades Ontario with Monte McNaughton

Driving Force of UWindsor

by Sarah Sacheli

45

Dory Azar Architect Inc.

by Alley Biniarz 7

8

Trillium Machine and Tool Your Vision is Our Business!

By Matt St. Amand | Photo by Syx Langemann

Trillium Machine and Tool does things differently.

The company was founded in 2001, rising from the ashes of Forest Design and Build in Oldcastle. A confluence of events—the retirement of Forest’s founder and owner, a final, unfinished job on the shop floor, the bank taking over, an unlocked back door, and three employees determined to complete that last project—led to Mike Hamelin and two partners forming Trillium Machine and Tool.

For more than twenty years, Trillium has dedicated itself to fulfilling the unique needs of each customer and taking on the challenge of each project that comes through the door.

What makes Trillium different?

grams of a line based on what they’re running at the molding press.”

At one customer plant, Trillium has six universal machines that have 20 different tooling plates that any one of them can run depending on their schedule.

This provides high efficiency and lower costs to the customer because the customer does not require 20 different PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) and HMI (Human Machine Interface) terminals for the operation.

With 32 employees, Trillium is nimble and possesses the core competency to take on the most challenging jobs. When needed, they work with outside partners.

“As a custom machine shop, we’re open to any challenges that come through the door,” Mike says.

A day after Mike said this to W.E. Manufacture Magazine, he received a telephone call from a person in Wisconsin: “The man is in possession of the first machine Trillium Machine and Tool designed and built: a stainless steel Tig welding machine that welds the top collar onto fire extinguishers,” Mike explains. “The machine is twenty-one years old and has been in continuous use all that time. The customer submitted a Request to Quote a duplicate machine The machine was built for a local company, Flag Fire Equipment, which was eventually purchased by Johnson Controls of Wisconsin.

“We have a framed picture of that machine on our office wall,” Mike adds.

With over 30 years of industry experience, Trillium is trusted by its customers to create turnkey solutions for almost any manufacturing challenge.

From concept to delivery, Trillium has the talented professionals to provide clients with the most up to date technology and solution. The customer’s vision is Trillium’s business. W.E.

“We have no sales staff, for one,” Mike Hamelin. “Never did. We just quote.

That’s a bonus. All of our work is word-ofmouth. In fact, our three oldest customers are from Forest Design, and we’re still doing work with them.”

Trillium specializes in designing and building custom automated machines for an array of business sectors, including automotive, food processing, and consumer products.

“Out biggest niche is single station, semi or fully automated workstations,” Mike explains. “We’re also moving into the universal world, universal frame— bringing in removable tool plates that can handle multiple programs simply by To learn more about the good work changing them out. So, the brain of the Trillium is doing, please visit trilliummachine is common for multiple pro- machine.com.

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Chris Holtkamp President

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Doing it All Incore Interior Exterior Contracting

By Matt St. Amand Photo by Syx Langemann

In the competitive contracting market, you can often rate a contractor’s quality and reliability based upon their client list. In the case of Incore Interior Exterior Contracting, owners Chris Whalen and Jeremy Winter have worked themselves into a position where they are the contractor of choice for some of the biggest names in restaurants and retail, as well as institutions: Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, Shopper’s Drugmart, the University of Windsor, and St. Clair College, just to name a few.

Chris started the company in 2007 after years working for local contractors.

About a year in, he met Jeremy whose background was similar to Chris’. They had encountered each other on various jobs their employers had and knew each other’s work.

“After Jeremy joined me, was helping out with a lot of projects,” Chris recounts, “I realized he was alleviating a lot of pain for me, and so we decided to become partners.”

He continues: “In the early years of Incore, it was just us with the tools on and we travelled all over Canada doing jobs.”

“We did a lot of Shopper’s Drugmarts,” Jeremy adds. “Also Cash Money and Dollar Tree.”

“We’d go to Edmonton, to Calgary, Alberta… jobs in Saskatchewan, doing the Cash Money banks,” Chris says. “We started getting bigger in the last four,

Chris Whalen (L) and Jeremy Winter

five years, hiring a lot more guys, so we’re not so much with the tool pouch on anymore.”

This was the result of building a solid reputation among local general contractors—in Essex County, London, and even Toronto—who landed franchise jobs, and sent Incore as their drywall contractor. The core of Incore’s work is installing steel studs, drywall, taping, installing acoustical ceilings, office walls, acoustical panels, bulkheads.

“And these local contractors would ask us to go out to Edmonton or Regina to do the job fast,” Chris explains. “We had a good reputation for excellent quality, and getting the jobs done extremely quick.”

“And well,” Jeremy says. “We won the bids because our work was good, and our costs were lower because we did everything—from admin to installing. We were the ones wearing the tool pouches.”

Working seven day weeks for months on end, Incore Interior Exterior Con-

tracting eventually hired more people. The company also grew to where the unthinkable had to be decided: who would remain in the office, doing quotes, fielding client questions, lining up jobs?

The decision was settled by a coin flip.

Jeremy lost, but Incore won. Jeremy handles the administrative end and Chris handles project management.

Staying a step ahead of the competition not only requires quality work, but timely problem-solving. No two jobs are alike. Each one comes with its unique challenges.

“If a job gets in a jam,” Chris says, “we get the tools on go and get it out of the jam.”

“We do it all,” Jeremy says, “from installing to estimating. We answer a lot of questions and give a lot of advice.” W.E. For more information about Incore Interior Exterior Contracting, visit them online at: incorecontracting.com.

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Ontario Youth Apprentice Program A Success Story Providing a pathway for kids into satisfying, well-paying, lifelong careers.

By Matt St. Amand Photo by Syx Langemann

“

By the year 2025, one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades.

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The people of Ontario have heard it before—most recently from the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton: “The greatest economic challenge we face today is the labour shortage created by people in skilled trades retiring with too few young people lined up to fill their roles.”

No one has heeded this warning as proactively as Angela Ciarlariello-Bondy, and the administrators of the Ontario Youth Apprentice Program (OYAP).

OYAP is a school-to-work program that opens doors for students to explore and work in apprenticeship occupations through the Cooperative Education program. Students can become registered apprentices and work towards becoming certified journeypersons in a skilled trade while completing their secondary school diplomas.

According to Minister McNaughton: “By the year 2025, one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades.”

OYAP inspires young people to give skilled trades serious consideration as a career choice. The program abounds with success stories. One that is particularly illustrative involves a seventeen-year-old Walkerville student named Caidence who gave OYAP a try and found a passion she didn’t realize she had.

“I heard about OYAP through the

Create Your Future program,” Caidence explains. “My teachers at Walkerville thought OYAP would be a good fit.”

It was a brave choice for Caidence because joining OYAP meant splitting her time between her familiar home school, Walkerville, and W. F. Herman Secondary School where the Department of Technology Studies is located.

This pushed her out of her comfort zone.

With the support and encouragement of her teachers, however, such as Natalie Browning-Morgan, Caidence took the leap. Among the challenges she faced was finding transportation from Walkerville to Herman.

“This is a gap,” says Natalie Browning-Morgan. “Caidence struggled with it at first, but she overcame it.”

Although hesitant at the start, Caidence was determined to give OYAP a fair shot.

“At first, I didn’t think I would like it,” she says, “but then I met Mr. Kotevich at Herman, and he showed me that this was something I could do.”

Caidence did her General Machinist apprenticeship at Nickleson Machine & Tool in Windsor.

“When I first started, I was nervous about using the CMM machine,” she says.

“Some of the other machines were the size of a house. Some boring mills were

Angela Ciarlariello-Bondy (L) and Caidence

just huge, radial drills, huge rotary surface grinders the size of a shed.”

Sixteen years of age the time, Caidence was the first female Nickleson had on the shop floor. She saw that the floor personnel were very close and wondered if they would accept her. They did.

Caidence’s foreman, Darren Roy, wasted no time beginning her training.

She started on the CMM machine (Coordinate Measuring Machine), which is a tool used for measuring the dimensions of machine/tool parts using coordinate technology. The dimensional measurements the CMM records include height, width, and depth in the X, Y, and Z axis. It is used for inspecting parts before shipping to customers.

“After they trained me on CMM,” Caidence says, “I was the only person doing those inspections. At times, they had me under pressure because every project has to be on time. I told them:

‘You can have the other guy do it.’ But my foreman said: ‘No, you are totally capable of doing it.”

After working on her General Machinist apprenticeship, Caidence gained enough experience to realize it really wasn’t the direction for her.

“After completing my first year, I decided I preferred tool making,” she says. “It was more hands-on. Every day it was something different. I had to bring my own creativity and problem-solving.”

As a result of OYAP, if Caidence maintains her academic average, she’ll have a Level I apprenticeship when she graduates from Walkerville in June. She will work the summer at Nickleson and continue working on her apprenticeship through St. Clair College in the fall. Students pay for their courses upfront, but if they successfully complete them, they are reimbursed those costs through grants.

Following her time at Nickleson, Caid-

ence’s co-workers missed her.

“The employer had so many great things to say about Caidence,” Angela Ciarlariello-Bondy confirms. “They really miss having her. She did so many things there.”

Caidence sums up her experience with OYAP, saying: “It has been amazing. I love working in my field. I was so lucky with my placement at Nickleson.

They really took me in and taught me so much. My foreman did a great job helping me. He saw that I got a wide variety of training, experience. I tried almost every machine in there. I can’t wait to go back.” W.E. The skilled trades are fast becoming the career of choice among many young people. OYAP is a proven pathway into satisfying, well-paying jobs. For more information, visit the OYAP website at oyap.ca.

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From left, Fatema Hakim, Dante Ladouceur, Matthew Pellitteri, Spyro Georgakopoulos and Chris Couvillon

A-LINX Building Technologies A Better Way to Build How an innovative new building system was created by rethinking the obvious.

By Matt St. Amand Photo by Syx Langemann

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When is a wall not just a wall? When it comes from A-LINX Building Technologies.

A-LINX does things differently. Traditionally, the walls of a building are constructed on site, as needed, as the project progresses. Evolving out of the Design Build division of the multi-pronged construction firm, Amico, A-LINX has found efficiencies where few thought to look.

“We prefabricate light-gauge steel exterior and interior load-bearing wall panels, side- and wind-bearing wall panels, and roof trusses offsite, on our factory floor,” explains Matthew Pellitteri, A-LINX Building Technologies General Manager. “To do this, we front-loaded the design process— meaning, we require drawings, specifications, and other information from the client at the beginning of the project so we can begin construction of the panels.”

Structural steel, mechanical, and associated subtrades assist in the process, developing a complete building model to facilitate construction. Approvals are obtained upfront so few, if any, adjustments are required during construction.

A-LINX did not develop this process because it’s easier, they created it because it’s a better way to build. Their standard and custom components work across a vast range of building applications, which allows for design flexibility.

“Clients don’t have to design around our system,” Pellitteri says. “We design around their system.”

A-LINX achieves this by working with light-gauge steel, which offers the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material. And here is where the A-LINX advantage is found: everything is prepared before it arrives on the job site. As the on-site installers are constructing the first floor of a building,

A-LINX has already begun fabrication on subsequent floors.

If the customer needs to make a modification, the panels in the A-LINX shop can be modified before they are shipped to the site.

“When the product arrives at the job, it’s already been checked by Quality Control,” says Gilbert Hoffman, Site Superintendent, Amico Design-Build.

At the client’s request, the panels can include pre-installed windows, patio doors, and mechanical boxes. A-LINX also offers factory-applied, prefinished exterior façade panels with a complete rain-screen system, with varying selections of EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System), metal siding and brick veneers. Doing this before they arrive on site means construction personnel are not standing on scaffolding or in cranes doing this work.

What does this mean to customers?

“Customers receive a superior quality product that goes in quicker and more economical than what is traditionally used,” Pellitteri says.

A-LINX does not attempt to be all things to all people.

“The sweet spot for this system is a structure between three to twelve storeys high,” he continues. “We can build to higher heights, but this requires bringing in varying structural systems below along with our system.”

The A-LINX system is the perfect solution for buildings such as long-term care facilities, retirement residences, student residences, hotels, condominiums, and more. A-LINX focuses on the building’s superstructure from slab on grade, and all the way up the building. This includes the interior/ exterior load-bearing walls, side-bearing walls, parapets, elevator and stair shafts, precast stairs and landings, balconies, and complete floor systems. Then they cap the roof.

“At that point, the client coordinates and commences work with their subtrades in conjunction with us,” Pellitteri says.

As an entity, A-LINX may be reasonably new, but its vertical integration with construction colossus Amico, brings with it the full complement of Amico’s robust internal self-perform construction team. Amico is an A-LINX installer, so personnel familiar with the system flies it into place.

“We work with some of the best structural engineers in Ontario, who are geared toward this type of building system,” Pellitteri says. “This flexibility allows us to build a range of structures with a new efficiency.”

A-LINX was founded in 2017. In the past two years alone, it has bid on more than 150 projects. It has grown from a small venture, starting in a 10,000 square foot facility, to recently retrofitting their new facility, which provides 58,000 square feet of manufacturing space and boasts an expansive outdoor storage area. W.E.

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With locations in Mississauga, Cambridge, and Windsor (Oldcastle), A-LINX is positioned to provide building solutions anywhere in Ontario and the Midwest United States.

For more information about A-LINX and its wall panel solutions, check out their website: alinx.build.

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The Many Facets of DeMonte Fabricating Ltd. & Quick Draw Tarpaulin Systems

By Matt St. Amand | Photo by Syx Langemann

“

Some of the work we have done in the past that we’re proud of are the sculptures in the Windsor Sculpture Park on the riverfront.

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Like the four cardinal directions on a compass, DeMonte Fabricating is diversified into four different business areas: custom metal fabrication, automated tarp systems, machining, and concrete forms.

Established in 1978 by Walt DeMonte, DeMonte Fabricating as a custom metal fabricator specializing in the transportation industry: building platform bodies, weld bodies for trucks. It wasn’t long before the new company expanded into the construction industry, specializing in stainless steel and aluminum handrails, guarding and stairs, found in projects such as water treatment plants. DeMonte is one of the few local companies CWB certified in both steel and aluminum welding. Within a decade of opening their doors, DeMonte expanded yet again with Quickdraw Tarpaulin Systems.

“Walt DeMonte created Quickdraw Tarpaulin Systems in the late eighties,” says Operations Manager Rick Lapointe, who has been with the company for 41 years. “He saw a crude version of a chaindrive tarpaulin system and had an idea of how to make it work without the big chain and gears—how it could be a manual system.”

By the mid-1990s, Quickdraw Tarpaulin Systems took the industry by storm.

Ordinarily, tarping a load on a truck is a long, and physically demanding process.

There is risk of damage to the tarpaulin, risk of damage to the load, and risk of injury to the employee doing the job.

“We have steel delivered to us all the time,” Rick continues, “and we’ll look at these drivers, taking twenty minutes or more to untarp the load, and then another twenty minutes when the load is taken off. That’s a lot of time throwing the tarps.”

The Quickdraw Tarpaulin system is completely operable from the ground, taking a minute or two to draw the tarpaulin back from the load. The tarpaulin never touches the load, so there are no worries of the tarp or load being damaged.

“The tarpaulin systems are a good investment,” Rick explains. “We can customize the look of them, putting stainless steel skins on the headboard to decorate

it—turn it into a show piece.”

Quickdraw Tarpaulin Systems is known for its consistency. The product has evolved over the past two decades, with small improvements in quality and efficiency.

“You can take parts off a Quickdraw Tarpaulin system today and put them on a unit from twenty years ago—just like the old Chevies,” Rick says.

The tarpaulin systems range in size, beginning at eight to ten feet, up to industrial applications spanning 1,600 feet.

“The sixteen hundred foot tarpaulin went on a conveyor system for unloading ships,” Rick describes. “Our tarpaulin systems have gone on trucks of all sizes, ships, train cars, flat bed tow trucks— including several big-name NASCAR teams. Some of the flat bed trucks haul exotic cars, delivering them to customers from the dealership.”

Quickdraw Tarpaulin Systems has three company-owned locations in Canada and seven in the United States, along with a network of dealers throughout North America.

“We also print the digital graphics on the tarpaulins in-house,” Rick says. “We have a laser system that can print on twenty-foot rolls of vinyl. Most of the jobs are around eight feet. We do all of that right here—design it, print it, sew it.”

How dynamic is a printer that works on such a large scale?

“If you can create the image, we can print,” Rick says. “The sky is the limit.”

Although Quickdraw Tarpaulin Systems accounts for the lion’s share of DeMonte Fabricating’s work, the company does an amazing array of interesting projects in metal fabrication and concrete formwork.

“Some of the work we have done in the past that we’re proud of are the sculptures in the Windsor Sculpture Park on the riverfront,” Rick says.

DeMonte Fabricating created several of the sculptures, such as the “King and Queen” chairs and “Eve’s Apple” created by artist Edwina Sandys.

“I picked her up in Detroit when she visited the area,” Rick recalls, “where she and her husband were staying, and I

brought her over to the shop for a meeting with the project manager and Mr. DeMonte, the owner. I took her to the riverfront, and then back to the airport.”

Near the end of their time together, Rick learned that Edwina Sandys’ grandfather was none other than Sir Winston Churchill.

DeMonte Fabricating has fabricated art for other artists, including Sorrel Ertog.

In construction, DeMonte Fabricating did miscellaneous metals work at the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Windsor when it was being built.

“We did the feature staircase, did all of the stainless-steel guard rails, hand rails,” Rick says. “They also have a ‘strong wall’ for testing buildings against hurricane-strength winds. We built all the concrete forming structure, threaded anchor tubes. It was a three-year project.” W.E. There is always something interesting happening at DeMonte Fabricating Ltd. To learn more about their great work, visit them online at demontefab.com.

Owner Walt DeMonte

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Teamwork Makes it all Work at Post Packaging Since 1971, Post Packaging has been designing and manufacturing the right packaging solutions for its customers’ needs.

By Matt St. Amand | Photo by Syx Langemann

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Home is where your people are. My wife and I love the city of Windsor. More specifically I love the grind here, the automotive pulse, and the people.

For the past 50 years, the team at Post Packaging has provided the light weight and heavy-duty packaging solutions that its customers rely upon to move their products around the world.

If there is one industry where teamwork is integral to success, it is designing and supplying custom packaging solutions that keep the world’s supply chains moving.

Owner Paul Giberson says this was an important consideration when he purchased Post Packaging in 2021.

“In business, and maybe in life, you’re only as strong as the people you surround yourself with,” Paul says.

“We have a fantastic team at Post Packaging. An essential part of my decision to buy this company was looking at the tenure and experience of our proOwner - Paul Giberson

19

duction and leadership team members. Many individuals have worked here for more than twenty years. That says something about a company and its culture.”

Vice President, Rob Michie confirms this. Having been with Post Packaging for more than 30 years, he observes: “It’s been a family-run business all these years, and we’ve always been treated like family. I find that very important.”

Paul’s origin story began in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Soon after, he and his family settled in Essex County.

Paul considers the Windsor area home.

“I grew up here,” he says. “I attended Belle River high school, and then studied Political Science at the University of Windsor.”

Paul’s first job after graduating university was with a German transplant, IGB Automotive, as an Account Manager. He was eventually brought on board, in a senior role, at W.E.T. Automotive Systems (which was acquired

by Gentherm Inc in 2013). Paul rose through the ranks at Gentherm, helping it grow from a $300 million company to just over a billion-dollar enterprise. During this time, he and his wife Marissa, along with their children, Max and Reese, moved to the United States, and then, eventually, to Munich, Germany. Paul held the title Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Managing Director Europe, working directly for the CEO before deciding to make the leap into business ownership.

“I attribute the professional success in my previous chapter to the teams and mentors I was fortunate enough to work with. Building world class teams, and then developing and executing on strategy is my passion. That’s what we have at Post Packaging: a tenured and passionate team who deeply understand the business and the hunger to do something special. That is a recipe for success.”

Post Packaging boasts a diverse roster of customers from an array of industries: eCommerce, electronics and of course, automotive.

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“We serve a variety of industries, which is a unique part of our business,” Paul says. “This offers our team a broader way to approach solving problems. The automotive industry, for instance, is a special industry, one that I love and have had the privilege to be a part of for more than twenty years.

Much of our work here is custom.

When customers need something specific, we design, develop and then prototype to ensure it meets their needs.”

It’s a very unique town. There are a ton of entrepreneurs here. Windsor is a city built on family businesses, big and small. I have always loved that about this community.

When asked what the most common customer requests look like, Paul thinks for a moment and says: “Our work runs the gamut, providing packaging solutions for electronics components, a large array of auto parts, and eCommerce. There is no size limitation. Some of our customers’ products require pretty large-scale packaging.”

An example of the types of jobs Post Packaging handles: “A customer will have a product,” Paul explains. “And they’ll tell us: ‘We need to move these from point A to B. The parts may have just been painted, printed, brushed, or treated in some way. They need to be protected, so they cannot have physical contact with each other, or the walls of the packaging, in transit.’”

Every customer has specific needs, and Post Packaging designs solutions to meet them.

“We do a lot of build-up packaging for customers,” Paul says. “We man-

ufacture, prepare, and assemble the packaging in-house, and deliver as such, so as the parts come off the customers’ production line, they go right into the packaging solution we’ve provided.”

The packaging industry has come a long way in the past 50 years. It’s not a matter of “filling a corrugated container with as many pieces as you can fit.” As much care and thought goes into the packaging solution as there is in the product itself. Post Packaging utilizes many different materials that best suit each customer product.

“We use corrugated packaging, foams, different types of liners, build-up blocks, pallet assemblies, you name it,” Paul says. “An array of options are available, all based on the customer’s need. We are very customer-focused and thrive on solving challenging packaging problems. We develop and provide solutions that are robust, economical, and best suited for our customers.”

This requires creativity and flexibility by the team. As new jobs are awarded, Post Packaging moves through their established process, which includes design and development, choosing the best materials, and then tooling inhouse manufacturing and assembly, all with the goal of executing flawless launches at their Lakeshore manufacturing facility.

“We have a lot of different tools at our disposal, and we try to manage from cradle to grave when it comes to packaging,” Paul says.

At the present time, Post Packaging employs more than 50 people, locally.

The question must be asked: What brought Paul back to Essex County after enjoying a highly successful corporate career in the US and Europe, living in a cosmopolitan world city, such as Munich, Germany?

“Home is where your people are,” Paul says. “My wife and I love the city of Windsor. More specifically I love the grind here, the automotive pulse, and the people. It’s a very unique town.

There are a ton of entrepreneurs here.

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Windsor is a city built on family businesses, big and small. I have always loved that about this community.”

It was certainly a bold move to buy a new company in 2021, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has had profound effects upon the economy as a whole.

“The pandemic has had a huge impact in this industry,” Paul concedes.

“The corrugated industry… there has been a massive increase in consumption, and a massive increase in raw material pricing. Online demand has definitely been a driving force. I don’t know that it’s going away. The demand in packaging will only grow.”

Balancing increased costs of raw materials with the everchanging needs of customers requires a tremendous amount of creativity. Post Packaging remains ahead of the curve in that regard.

“We’re looking to innovate, to do things differently” Paul says. “We’re questioning the norm now and asking ourselves: ‘What are the challenges in our industry and how do we create value for our customers by solving these challenges in a more efficient and economical way?’”

Another chief interest is sustainability.

“How can we do our part for the environment?” Paul continues. “You see it all the time. You order a toothbrush online and it arrives in a box that could hold four books, with bags filled with air used to fill the space. Generally speaking, the industry needs to offer solutions of a more appropriate size, which would help with consumption concerns.”

Paul explains that when people tour the Post Packaging facility, they are surprised by the thought leadership and design that goes into the packaging. It’s all about finding the right fit.

Mindful of his mentors’ examples of leadership during turbulent times, Paul is hopeful about the future after two years of social and economic upheaval.

“Windsor’s unique experience in the auto industry, with all the talented people in this region, in different businesses—including tool shops, manufacturers, and other businesses supporting 22

the auto industry—we are well positioned to benefit from one the major trends at the forefront of the news: electrification of vehicles,” he says. “Our history, workforce, and proximity to the U.S. are critical. As we come out of the pandemic, things look bright. We as a community need to show that we’re

open for business and that Windsor-Essex is a great place to invest.” W.E. And Post Packaging will be at the forefront, providing packaging solutions that keep their customers moving. For more information about Post Packaging, visit them online at postpack.ca.

23

Carpenters Union 494 Breaking Down Barriers

By Matt St. Amand | Syx Langemann

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Windsor Local 494, has looked out for the health, safety, and livelihoods of area members for more than a century. Founded in Chicago in 1881, the Carpenters Union established the Windsor local in 1912. Nearly the entire City of Windsor was built since that time—a few times over.

As the province of Ontario faces a skilled trades shortfall in the coming years, the Carpenters Union 494 is reaching out to the community, providing education about careers and benefits available to its members.

“Among other initiatives, we’re working in with the Greater Essex County School Board to bring the Enhanced Construction program to students,” says Logan Kane, Training Coordinator for Carpenters Union Local 494. “We’re taking students in grades eleven and twelve, who are interested in carpentry—and skilled trades in general—bringing them to our facility, providing them with training.”

Students then move on to actual job sites for their co-op placements, working with experienced tradespeople in the construction industry.

“There is nothing like seeing it for yourself,” Logan adds.

The co-op portion of the course is unpaid, but when students start their apprenticeships in Enhanced Construction, they can look forward to earning $21 per hour—straight out of high school.

From there, pay rates only rise, topping out in the industry at approximately $45 24

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per hour, plus benefits, plus pension.

“Union members can utilize the training center all they like, taking our courses at no additional cost,” Logan says. “The more training you have, the more valuable you are to your employer, and to yourself.”

Training includes working at heights, mobile elevator work platform, confined space awareness, hoisting and rigging, industrial forklift operator, rough terrain forklift, scaffolding, to name a few.

For all that, there remains the age-old stereotype/stigma about skilled trades.

Logan has encountered it during visits to area classrooms: “I’ll say to a class: ‘Raise your hand if you have been told that trades are a last option, that you should pursue university.’ Many hands go up. The stigma persists about the trades. I tell students: ‘If you want to live on your own, be able to buy a car, make six figures, stay committed, and get your journeyperson ticket.’

Jobs in skilled trades are well-paid and satisfying.”

And in the coming years, there will be many more job openings in that sector.

The Carpenters Union 494 is ready to help people find their place.

“One thing people need to know about the union is that we’re a not-forprofit organization,” Logan points out.

“There is no profit motive behind our initiatives. Anyone can come in for training—union members and non-members, alike. All training is free to members, and non-members will find that our courses are by far the most cost effective they’ll find anywhere.”

The training offered is invaluable, adding one marketable skill after another to one’s resume.

“We offer training in Health and Safety,” Logan says, “forklift, hoisting and rigging, working at heights, confined spaces. If it’s something you’ll be doing on a job site, we have training to show you how to do it safely.”

Because the fact remains, no one is immune to injury. One of the paramount goals of the Carpenters Union 494 is that everyone on a job site—regardless of where it is located—works safe.

New members are welcome. Anyone interested in joining Carpenters Union 494 should bring in a resume. They will be asked to take a practical skills test. If a candidate proves to have the skills that employers are looking for, they could be given a job on the spot.

“We’re interested in breaking down barriers,” Logan continues. “Unions in general have been trail blazers, setting the standard for everyone in the industry. The wages and benefits we secure for members ripples out to non-members.”

Other programs offered by Carpenters Union 494 include “Sisters in the Brotherhood,” which talks about unique issues women face on job sites. The pro-

gram is facilitated by women who have experience on those sites.

“Everyone is welcome to apply to join the union,” Logan says. “We don’t care about age, race, gender. As long as you’re capable and willing to work. We’re particularly excited about the apprenticeships because you learn more in two months on-the-job than in any year-long program. And you earn money at the same time.” W.E. To learn more about the courses and opportunities available through the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Windsor Local 494, visit their website local494.ca.

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Skilled Trades Ontario Where the Work Is A new agency has been formed in Ontario to help fill the shortfall in skilled trades jobs.

By Matt St. Amand I Photo by Syx Langemann

Monte McNaughton

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Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, has a message for the province: “The greatest economic challenge we face today is the labour shortage created by people in skilled trades retiring with too few young people lined up to fill their roles.”

Far from being a dire declaration, it is a positive reminder that there are jobs to be had in skilled trades, which are satisfying, lucrative, and lifelong.

“By the year 2025,” Minister McNaughton continues, “one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades. It’s my mission to get more people moving toward those important, well-paying jobs.”

The Ontario government, through its Ministry of Labour, has taken tangible steps to make this happen by launching “Skilled Trades Ontario”, a new Crown agency, to improve trades training and simplify services. Among this agency’s goals is promoting and marketing the trades, developing the latest training and curriculum standards, and providing a streamlined user-friendly experience for tradespeople.

“We’re redrawing the system to address Ontario’s labour shortage and make the trades a career of choice for more people,” Minister McNaughton is quoted in the agency’s press release.

“The skilled trades provide well-paying and rewarding careers that are vital for our economy. By creating this new agency, we are working for workers and delivering the generational change that labour leaders and employers have been calling for.”

How is the agency streamlining the process?

“Previously, it took sixty days to register as an apprentice,” Minister McNaughton points out. “Now, it takes twelve days.”

By the year 2025, one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades.

It’s my mission to get more people moving toward those important, wellpaying jobs.

As well, under the old system, run by the Ontario College of Skilled Trades (OCST), log books were all paper documents. The new Skilled Trades Ontario agency is launching a portal where these will be available in digital format, increasing ease of access.

“Industry needs more of a voice,” Minister McNaughton says. “The new Skilled Trades Ontario agency is industry led. Employers have a seat at the table, offering input to ensure we’re training people for jobs that exist, and that the training keeps pace as industry technology advances.”

Jim Hogarth, President, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, says of the new agency: “[We] welcome the establish-

ment of Skilled Trades Ontario. We look forward to working with their leadership team to promote and strengthen the construction trades, and to ensure that Ontario leads the way with the best, safest, and most up-to-date training standards in Canada.”

The spirit of the Skilled Trades Ontario agency has three distinct pillars: (1) Ending the stigma associated with jobs in skilled trades; (2) Simplifying entry into apprenticeship programs; (3) Encouraging employers to bring on apprentices so they can learn from experienced trades people in real-world environments.

“One of the things the new agency will do is coordinate more closely with businesses,” Minister McNaughton says. “For instance, if businesses

want to donate tools and equipment to a school or training program, Skilled Trades Ontario will help with that. The idea is to knock down barriers.”

“The skilled trades are the backbone of our province – offering 144 well-paying and in-demand careers for people to choose from,” says Skilled Trades Ontario CEO and Registrar, Melissa Young. “I commend this government for bringing generational change that will remove the stigma surrounding the trades, cut down on red tape, and ensure all young people know these jobs offer a clear path to a better life.” W.E. More information about this new agency can be found at skilledtradesontario.ca.

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YMCA Ontario Newcomer Trades Action Program

By Matt St. Amand I Photo by Syx Langemann

The YMCA has served Southwestern Ontario for nearly 170 years and is proving its relevance, yet again, by offering the Ontario Newcomer Trades Action Program (ONTAP). The purpose of ONTAP is to provide information and training related to opportunities in Ontario’s skilled trades. Supports are available to service providers, employers, and under-employed community members interested in long-term, rewarding career opportunities.

“What is so great about this program is that it’s truly a connected effort. It’s not just offered at one YMCA, but by six across the province,” explains Ronnie Haidar, Outreach Worker for Ontario Newcomer Trades Action Program at the YMCA. “The skilled trades are so important to the success of our economy and to our country.”

It’s a fact that in 2016, nearly one in three journeypersons in Ontario were aged 55 years or older. According to a November 24, 2021 article in the National Observer: “As many as one in five jobs in the province will be in the skilled trades by 2025, the government said, adding it expected a shortfall of 100,000 construction workers over the decade.”

To help counteract this shortfall of 28

Ronnie Haidar

skilled workers, the YMCA contributed toward a solution by launching ONTAP in May 2021.

“At this point in time we’re doing free virtual workshops and information sessions with our three stakeholders,” Ronnie says.

These three stakeholders are: service providers, newcomers, and employers.

“We’re making sure that when new Canadians go to service providers for information—applying for documentation, for example—that service providers have all the information they need regarding skilled trades—what skills are in demand, what services are available to help people get involved—in case they connect with someone who is interested.”

Ronnie says that he enjoys interacting with the newcomers, themselves, because they arrive in Canada filled with so much enthusiasm.

“We’re introducing the skilled trades to some of them,” he says. “Others arrive in Canada with skills already but don’t know how to obtain certifications in Canada through equivalency assessments that determine if their training outside the country is on par with Canadian standards.”

ONTAP provides information to employers on how to support new Canadians and how to assist them in the hiring process.

“By interacting and providing information to all three stakeholders,” Ronnie says, “we’re providing a comprehensive picture of skilled trades—what skills are in demand, understanding the job market, and understanding what an apprenticeship is.”

Ronnie continues: “The great news is that I have not had to convince anyone that this is an important project to be a part of. Everyone sees it. So often I hear: ‘This is extremely important and we’re with you.’”

It’s a win-win situation across the board: newcomers join the workforce and become productive taxpayers and employers bring on the skills they need to succeed in their sector.

A phrase that Ronnie personally found motivating was said to him by the CEO of Build a Dream: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Providing information is opening many people’s eyes. W.E. For more information about ONTAP visit ymcaswo.ca/ontap.

YMCA of Southwestern Ontario

ymcaswo.ca/ontap

I have not had to convince anyone that this is an important project to be a part of.

Everyone sees it. So o�ten I hear: ‘This is extremely important and we’re with you’.

To book a session or for more information please contact: ronnie.haidar@swo.ymca.ca 519-258-9622 Ext.2653 29

Devine Consulting The Art of the Hunt

By Matt St. Amand | Photos by Syx Langemann

Kyle Devine

Kyle Devine, founder, and principal of Devine Consulting, does not mince words: “Recruitment is a contact sport,” he says. “It’s like real estate, except I’m selling career opportunities instead of houses.”

Since 2013, Kyle has blazed a trail in the executive recruitment sector, carving out a niche in manufacturing, engineering, and management level verticals. Kyle does not restrict himself to the geographical boundaries of Windsor-Essex.

“I service manufacturing clients across Ontario and the Midwest United States,” he says. “I work closely with senior leadership teams and assist with the attraction, sourcing, and procurement of high-level talent to grow their organizations.”

It sounds easy, but talent is not always readily available in local markets.

A successful search requires creativity to cultivate talent and develop diverse recruitment strategies.

Kyle was born and raised in Windsor. He graduated from the University of Windsor with an Honours Degree in Social Work. He has always been interested in human behaviour, particularly the career paths people choose.

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“I’m an observer. I love to learn what people do, and who they are,” Kyle says.

“The intricacies are fascinating. To be a truly great recruitment consultant you must have a passion for what you do and genuinely care for the people you represent.”

This passion for people transfers to his customers. Kyle is customer focused and places an emphasis on finding the perfect fit for both his clients and his candidates.

“In this business you have two customers: the client retaining your services, and the candidate. You need to represent both of them with integrity, transparency, and rigor to achieve a positive outcome.”

The process is “educational and exploratory.”

“I educate my clients. I know the market, what competitors pay, where to cultivate talent, how to attract and successfully retain. This may also involve helping clients revise their compensation structure, value offerings, job descriptions, work scope, and overall search criteria because I do that market research on behalf of my clients.”

What is the difference between Devine Consulting and other recruiters?

“The depth of my industry knowledge and experience, and my retention rate is near perfect,” Kyle says. “The searches I conduct are extremely specialized, difficult, and require a great deal of effort.

No other firms have been successful performing these searches, nor do they even bother to attempt them. I have always enjoyed a challenge, and this creates a unique niche for me to challenge myself everyday while delivering quality results to my clients that they thought to be impossible.”

There is no recipe, no template for what Devine Consulting does. It’s simply hard work.

“I get ingrained at the ground floor of each client firm,” Kyle explains. “If the client is in a rush, if they need someone yesterday, I’m not interested. That leads to rash decisions, and there are plenty of services who can get someone in a pinch.

Going that route costs a ton of money and often leads to poor hiring decisions.” W.E.

For more information about Devine Consulting, and the difference it can make, please visit them online devineconsulting.ca.

www.victoriasteel .ca | Ph.(519)-737-6151 | Fx. (519)-737-6778

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Bear’s Performance Products Adaptability & Diversification

By Matt St. Amand I Photo by Syx Langemann

Charles Darwin once wrote: “In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out... because they succeed [in] adapting themselves best to their environment.” That is the key word when talking about Bear’s Performance Products: adaptability.

“We’re a company that takes a product from A to Z, design, manufacture, CNC, assembly, and delivery,” says Bears Performance President, Keith Grondin. We have a great team of people who make it possible.”

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What makes us different is that we adapt and accept a challenge.

we’re ed to move your forward.

One of the most common statements heard from customers is: “I don’t know if you can do this…”

Odds are the Bear’s team can.

“What makes us different is that we adapt and accept a challenge,” Keith says.

Celebrating their 40th year in business this year, Bear’s Performance Products has stood the test of time.

A recent project put Bears’ adaptability to the test: a mining company needed an efficient and lightweight differential for a personnel transporter.

“Not many shops would take this on,” Keith explains. “It required independent suspension style housing and required a lower quantity than we prefer, but the challenge of the project intrigued us.”

This involved experimentation on Bear’s part.

Navacord is one of Canada’s largest commercial insurance brokers “We started with a cast iron housing, but our end goal was with over $1 Billion in premium and teams of industry specialized advisors. to use aluminum,” Keith explains. “We created a design, built the tooling, and worked with the foundry to have it poured.

As a Navacord Broker Partner, one of Canada's largest commercial brokers, Ives Insurance offers increased sector expertise, expanded Then we mocked it up, installed the internals, and stub product offerings and stronger relationships with insurance companies. shafts—produced in-house—to ensure everything worked. It’s our business to know yours.

We now have over twenty of these units in the field without Our Relationship Team is committed to your business. We will take the time to und am is committed to your business. We will take and theprovide time to understand your business, banking solutions that can help you achieve your business goals. any issues.” g solutions that help achieve goals.

Bear’s also can designed andyou machined a wateryour cooledbusiness aluVisit tdcommercialbanking.com minum cover for this unit to reduce operating temperature within the tight confines of the vehicle.

“We integrated internal cooling lines in the rear cover, Lindsay Lovecky Peter Corio which resulted in a decrease of fifteen to twenty percent in Relationship Manager Senior Relationship Manager 519-945-1702 519-551-0169 operating temperature,” Keith says.

At TD Commercial It’s ourLindsay.Lovecky@td.com business to know yours. Peter.Corio@td.com The team at Bear’s Performance is not only adaptable, but Our Relationship Team is committed to your business. We will take the time to und Banking, we’re their roster of projects is also very diversifi ed. Bear’s is partic- and ky Peter Corio Jeremy Homer provide banking solutions that can help you achieve your business goals.

Rumfeldt to know yours.

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It’s ourRobert business Commercial At TD Commercial Visit tdcommercialbanking.com anager “We use machine custom billet Senior Relationship Manager Relationship Manager District ViceTeam President Manager, Cash Management blocks for customers who It’s Relationship our519-945-1333 business to know yours.

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Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com Peter.Corio@td.com Visit tdcommercialbanking.com to precise specifications. The finished product is approxLindsay Lovecky imately 140 pounds and are recognized as the most stable Lindsay Lovecky Relationship Manager Robert Rumfeldt our business to know yours.

519-945-1702 It’s our business toIt’s know yours. blocks available.”

Relationship Manager Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com Lindsay Lovecky Peter Corio Robert Rumfeldt Mark Bomben It’s our business to know yours.

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Our Relationship Team is committed to your business.

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We will take th Bear’s also works in rubber compression molds and rubOur Relationship Team is committed to your We will take the time to understand business, Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com and provide banking solutions that can help you achieve your business goals. and other trade-marks are the propertyManager of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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Visit tdcommercialbanking.com Visit tdcommercialbanking.com andmolds provide banking that can help you achieve your business Mark Bomben compression used in is committed to your and provide banking solutions that can help you achieve your business goals. @td.comanti-fatigue mats, floor tiles, and Robert.Rumfeldt@td.com Visit tdcommercialbanking.com business. We will take Mark Bomben landscaping.

Manager, Cash Management Visit tdcommercialbanking.com Visit tdcommercialbanking.com 519-945-1036 Visit tdcommercialbanking.com Lindsay Lovecky Peter Corio Jeremy Homer the time to understand “Probably the biggest thing we do, though, are custom axle Manager, Cash Management Mark.Bomben@td.com Mark Bomben Robert Rumfeldt Relationship Manager your business, and Senior Relationship Manager Relationship Manager 519-945-1036 provide 519-551-0169 519-945-1937 assemblies for industrial and off-highway applications,”519-945-1702 Keith Lindsay Lovecky Peter Corio Jeremy Homer Mark.Bomben@td.com Lindsay Lovecky Peter Manager, DistrictCorio Vice President Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com Peter.Corio@td.com Jeremy.Homer@td.com banking solutions thatCash Management Lindsay Lovecky Peter Corio JeremyManager Homer Relationship Manager Senior Relationship 519-945-1036 519-945-1333 Relationship Manager says. “We build to customer specifications and offer many dif519-945-1702 519-945-1937 achieve your Lindsay Lovecky can help you Peter Corio 519-551-0169 Jeremy Hom Relationship Manager Senior Relationship Manager Mark.Bomben@td.com Robert.Rumfeldt@td.com Peter.Corio@td.com Jeremy.Homer@td.com Managerin-house Senior Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com Relationship Manager Relationship519-551-0169 Manager ferent platforms. We produce as manyRelationship components 519-945-1702 business goals.

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519-945-1702 519-551-0169 519-945-1937 Manager, Cash Management District Vice President Mark Bomben Robert Rumfeldt ® The TD logo and other trade-marks are519-945-1333 the property ofPeter.Corio@td.com The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Jeremy.Hom 519-945-1036 Like most other projects at Bear’s Performance, Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com creating Mark.Bomben@td.com Robert.Rumfeldt@td.com Manager, Cash Management District Vice President 519-945-1036 519-945-1333 custom and unique components and assemblies is a continRobert.Rumfeldt@td.com It’sRobert ourMark.Bomben@td.com business to know yours. Robert Rumfeldt Mark Bomben Rumfeldt Mark Bomben uous challenge. The Bear’s team can handle it. Actually, they ® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the propertyWe of Thewill Toronto-Dominion Our District Relationship TeamRobert is committed take thB Manager, Cash Management Vice President Rumfeldt to your business.

Mark Bomben Manager, Cash Management District Vice President thrive on it. W.E. 519-945-1036 519-945-1333

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Relationship Manager 519-945-1702 Lindsay.Lovecky@td.com

Senior Relationship Manager 519-551-0169 Peter.Corio@td.com

Relationship Manager 519-945-1937 Jeremy.Homer@td.com

Mark Bomben

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Manager, Cash Management 519-945-1036 Mark.Bomben@td.com

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and provide banking solutions that help you achieve your busineB ® The TD logo andcan other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion 519-945-1333 519-945-1036

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M05602 (0319)

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M05602 (0319) ® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

M05602 (0319)

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35

Lindsay Lovecky

Peter Corio

Relationship Manager

Senior Relationship Manager

Driving Force UWindsor research moves Canadian automotive industry closer to environmental sustainability.

By Sarah Sacheli

Dr. Narayan Kar, director of The Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy (CHARGE) Lab in the University of Windsor's Faculty of Engineering, works with student researchers to test electric vehicle powertrain components.

Daniel Green — Professor Daniel Green displays a sheet metal specimen in the Mechanical Testing Lab at the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation. The specimen was stretch-formed in a formability test.

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Making vehicles easier on the environment is key to the global push for sustainability, and the University of Windsor is doing more than just going along for the ride.

UWindsor engineering researchers are driving innovation on eco-friendlier auto manufacturing by making advancements in the way cars are produced, improving the parts that go into them and coming up with new ways to power them.

Together with industry partners, they’re building better electric motors and finding ways to give electric vehicle batteries a second life. They’re testing alternative fuels, they’re researching how to make cars more lightweight and they’re looking beyond the tailpipe for ways to reduce emissions.

“The heart of Windsor has always been the automotive sector, and here at the University of Windsor’s Centre for Engineering Innovation, we honour this legacy by ushering in the next generation of automobility, said Dr. Bill Van Heyst, dean of the Faculty of Engineering.

“Our world-class researchers are literally addressing issues from cradle to grave that include the resources that go into manufacturing the vehicles, reducing the environmental impact of the vehicles on the road, increasing the efficiency of the power train and re-using components at the end of their life.”

The Canadian government has said it will ban the sale of new cars and light-duty

trucks that burn fossil fuels beginning in 2035. Britain has announced an even shorter timeline, with its ban on fuel-powered vehicles beginning in 2030. And while the United States has yet to set a date, California, the biggest U.S. auto market, has adopted the same 2035 timeline as Canada.

“We are not alone in our vision of the future car,” said Van Heyst. “The strength of the automotive sector in Windsor, along with their willingness to partner with us, will propel our city, province and nation to the forefront of automotive innovation.

At UWindsor’s Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy, or CHARGE for short, Dr. Narayan Kar leads a team of engineers looking to improve electric drive systems. The goal, said Kar, is to make these motors and drivers more powerful, efficient, and reliable, while making them less costly to produce and maintain.

“Major challenges the global automotive industry faces today related to mass adoption of electrified vehicles include purchasing cost, driving range, performance, and durability— key barriers for advancing technologies and ensuring consumer friendliness,” Kar said. “We are looking to overcome these barriers.”

Kar’s work is heartily supported by the federal government which has named him a Canada Research Chair in electrified vehicles. The CRC program is a federal strategy to attract and retain the world’s top researchers by providing them with consistent annual funding so they can work on innovations. The goal of the program is to propel our nation to the forefront of research and development in the world.

UWindsor engineering professor Dr. Daniel Green has used his CRC to research sheet metal forming processes to make car parts lighter. His research involves taking blanks of boron-grade steel and heating them to temperatures exceeding 900C. By heating up the metal before stamping it, it is not only easier to form, but the microstructure of the steel changes making it stronger when it cools, Green explained.

His team is paying special attention to parts that form the passenger compartment of vehicles. By design, some of the parts are rigid while others can crumple.

“You want to resist intrusion in the passenger compartment, but in a crash, you need some part of the structure to crumple

to absorb the energy of the crash.”

Green’s research is on developing ultrahigh strength steel parts that can be thinner. Thinner parts require less material, making resource harvesting more sustainable. Since heat-treated steel is softer, automotive parts with complex shapes can be formed more easily. And, since the parts produced are lighter, the vehicles they are put into will be more fuel- or energy-efficient.

“Our goal is sustainability without compromising passenger safety.”

Green’s research that improves automotive sustainability from the resource stage, through manufacturing then to driving is the kind of cradle-to-grave analysis UWindsor researcher Dr. Edwin Tam specializes in.

Tam conducts life-cycle assessment and circular economy research that follows the extraction of natural resources that go into auto parts, through manufacturing, transportation and delivery, use, and end-of-life recycling or waste disposal.

“In vehicles, the ‘use’ phase tends to dominate the sustainability story and that’s why we see the push for electrification,” Tam said. “But now we’re seeing a lot more emphasis on end-of-life issues… That’s where I come in.”

About 85 per cent of what’s in a vehicle can be reused or recycled, Tam said. “That pretty good, but the left over 15 per cent of a product that weighs more than 1,000 kilos is still a lot of stuff.”

His research group produced a major study on vehicle dismantling through a sustainability lens, which is often overlooked.

“But with electrification, the specialized electric vehicle batteries pose new challenges but also offer significant opportunities when they reach their end-of-life”, Tam said.

Enter electrical engineering researcher Dr. Balakumar Balasingam.

Balasingam is studying alternate uses for the batteries in electric vehicles once they have outlived their usefulness.

Since EV batteries can still have up to 70 per cent capacity when they can no longer power cars, they can be used to power your home, for short-range transportation, in microgrids or they can be repurposed for use in e-bikes.

“Even though considered irrelevant, in electric vehicles, these batteries have value in other applications,” Balasingam said. W.E.

Dr. Narayan Kar, director of The Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy (CHARGE) Lab in the University of Windsor's Faculty of Engineering

Dr. Xueyuan Nie is leading UWindsor research into eliminating the particulates brake rotors emit as they corrode over time.

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He is also researching ways to improve the thermal management of batteries in electric vehicles. Balasingam’s lab is developing a system to get real-time information on battery health to ensure safety and reliability. Called bOS, short for battery operating system, it’s connected to the Internet and provides a means to input information and obtain diagnostics.

“This proposed system functions similar to a healthcare system where a doctor takes blood samples and sends them to a laboratory for further diagnosis,” Balasingam said. “Similarly, a mechanic will measure and record voltage, current and temperature from a battery pack and send that information to the bOS via the Internet.”

The bOS can then help mechanics identify faulty cells in the battery pack, estimate the remaining useful life of the battery and provide updated data for optimal battery operation.

While Balasingam is looking to improve EV batteries, mechanical engineering professor Dr. Ofelia Jianu is looking to hydrogen as an alternate fuel.

Hydrogen can be produced from clean sources such as water, said Jianu, director of UWindsor’s Intelligent Fuels and Energy Laboratory (I-FuELs).

“Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be produced from local, zero-carbon sources and consumed by emissions-free devised such as fuel cells,” said Jianu. “Transitioning to a hydrogen-based economy would alleviate concerns related to climate, air quality and energy security, as well as create new economic opportunities for Canadians.”

The Government of Canada is striving to position the country as a global leader in hydrogen technologies. Its Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, released in December 2020, identifies hydrogen as a key part of the county’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Jianu’s lab is developing clean methods of hydrogen production called thermochemical cycles which involves splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through a series of chemical reactions at various temperatures. It’s a clean process which produces no particulates or greenhouse gases.

When it comes to reducing automotive emissions, UWindsor researchers are looking into every possible mechanism.

Dr. Xueyuan Nie is developing a cost-effective coating technology to make brake rotors resistant to corrosion and reduce emissions from wear. Nie foresees the rotors being used on electrical vehicles, making them truly emissions-free.

Non-exhaust emissions such as brake dust account for nearly half of all particulate matter emitted from vehicles. The problem is so significant, the United Nations has a working group looking into such emissions.

Nie is researching the use of plasma electrolytic aluminating to coat the brake rotors with hard ceramic to make them resistant to rust. The lack of corrosion will allow brakes to react faster, decreasing braking distance. It will reduce sticking and slippage, making braking smoother and more comfortable for passengers.

The coating will allow rotors to last the life of the vehicle, and, as an added plus, it will keep wheel rims cleaner.

“There are a lot of benefits from the customer’s point of view,” said Nie. “All of society will benefit from a sustainability standpoint. When the rotors don’t have to be replaced, it reduces waste and demands fewer natural resources. Air and water quality will improve through the reduction of particles which means a cleaner environment and better lung health for everyone.” W.E.

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Building Lifestyle into Our Homes Dory Azar Architect Inc. Photo by Syx Langemann

Dory Azar’s architectural designs take his clients’ dreams and desires and bundle them into the spaces of their future homes.

“It’s like we’re shrink-wrapping someone’s life with walls; we’re taking how they live and building a framework around it,” Dory explains the method behind his firm’s holistic approach to design.

The team behind Dory Azar Architect Inc. works to bring unique homes to the area while also encouraging homeowners not to shy away from their extraordinary visions. “People often want something unique and different, but they worry about fitting in and not offending their neighbours and they wind up living in something they don’t love. I want people to know that while it’s important to consider the context of the neighbourhood, you can do it without being an exact replica,” Dory says.

Dory has built his entire reputation on this belief. When he first established his residential portfolio after working on commercial architecture, Dory began by designing projects that were close to his heart — his own homes.

“I was a nervous wreck,” Dory says about taking the leap with his designs.

“But every sale since has shown a higher resale value than other homes in the neighbourhoods and I believe it’s because they’re unique”. When designing those first contemporary homes, Dory considered the size of the other homes in the neighbourhood and used comparable materials that would make the home “fit in” while also standing out with its unique structural features. With each build, he made a list of objectives by asking himself and his family how they wanted the home’s qualities to enhance their existing lifestyles. This approach is what continues to set Dory and his team

apart today, as they design around their understanding of how clients live and then build them in with flair.

With the decades of experience that Dory and his team have under their belts, clients now know exactly what type of design and energy they’ll receive through the process. “We’ve got enough work out that there’s a style there. It’s a little more contemporary, not so cookie-cutter, and is meant for someone who is looking for that special something.”

They take as much pride in the process as they do in the end-result, and they understand that there’s a lot of emotional energy on the clients’ part when designing and building a home.

“We always meet them with empathy because we want the process to be as enjoyable as the finished product. We challenge each other, we have fun, and we always make it through together.”

Dory and his team are motivated by the permanence that residential builds hold; how they go from being a kernel of an idea to someone’s home. Once that torch is passed, the homes and their stories outlive the architect and become a part of generations of legacies. That has been one of Dory’s main motivators for focusing on residential work: the influence that could be had and the impact that homes have on people’s souls.

“When you’re designing homes, you’re designing something that people can’t wait to get back to after a long day.”

Dory says he and his team can’t get to work fast enough. They spend their days designing good work for good people, and that’s all they’ve ever aimed to do.

You can see more of Dory Azar Architect Inc.’s designs and influence on the community on their website at doryazar. com or you can catch Dory’s high-energy and approachable self on his TikTok channel where he educates on architecture and design trends. W.E. 45

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