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ENTECH SOLUTIONS | JADEX INC.

w w w. n o r t h a m e r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 08

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the

walks us through the JGH over the past two years, with an update on the hospital’s latest developments

RANGER ENERGY SERVICES Generating positive energy that powers the world

ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. Buffalo, NY - the US heartland of Italian meatballs

TY J. SHATTUCK, CEO at McMaster Innovation Park, takes us behind the scenes of Canada’s leading research and life sciences hub

travel magazine I

n a changing world, where the travel industry must adapt to challenging global situations, our mission at Outlook Travel remains the same. We will continue to showcase some of the world’s most inspiring destinations, offering real insight and comprehensive travel guides for when global mobility resumes.

ISSUE 07

The major component of the publication takes the form of our Outlook Travel Guides, providing executives, avid travellers and our existing 575,000 international subscribers with the ultimate rundown of all the major economic drivers and thriving hubs across the world, with exclusive input from tourism industry associations and stakeholders – the people who know these places the best.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA T R AV E L G U I D E

Natural wonders and Aboriginal culture in the continent’s gem

T R AV E L B U S I N E S S

T R AV E L G U I D E

Accommodating the remote work revolution

The rock that’s on a roll

OUTSITE

You can join the vast numbers of tourism sector players enjoying the exposure we provide across our digital and print platforms with a range of options, from advertising through to free-of-charge editorials, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and increase exposure.

GIBRALTAR

Award-winning photographer, NORI JEMIL, discusses dismantling industry stereotypes and the tireless thirst for travel

THAILAND TRAVEL GUIDE

THAILAND

MALAYSIA TRAVEL GUIDE

This Southeast Asian country is a perennial favourite, thanks to an intoxicating combination of beautiful beaches, world-renowned cuisine and incredible temple complexes

M A L AYS I A

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

nown as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand is a friendly country that welcomed 38.27 million tourists to its shores last year. There are plenty of reasons why this Southeast Asian destination is so popular. For a start, there’s the beaches. In the south, Thailand’s two coastlines stretch for miles, populated by swathes of icing-sugar soft sand, the bays speckled with dramatic limestone formations. Thailand is also home to 1,430 islands, ranging from full moon party spots like Koh Pha Ngan to the more off the beaten track Similan Islands, a national marine park popular with scuba divers. Then, there’s the food. Thailand’s noodles, stir fries and curries are beloved around the

world, characterised by the fragrant taste of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and tulsi. Every town is bursting at the seams with floating markets, street food stalls and high-end restaurants where you can try delicious local dishes. Thailand’s rich spiritual heritage also attracts tourists. Golden temples and larger-than-life Buddha statues can be found across the country. Visitors can experience colourful religious festivals in the northeast of the country or explore the underground cave shrines in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi. Despite Thailand’s popularity, it’s easy to find a quiet corner to relax, be it on a deserted island or an eco-retreat in the craggy mountains north of Chiang Mai.

Malaysia is a melting pot with a unique culture, a world-renowned food scene and a spectacular landscape of islands, ancient rainforest and mountains Writer: Dani Redd Project Manager: Joe Palliser

NAMIBIA TRAVEL GUIDE

here are many reasons why Malaysia is a tourist favourite. For a start, there’s the landscape. Imagine 878 islands, ringed with white sand beaches leading down to translucent waters. Vibrant coral reefs lie just offshore, home to a profusion of marine life. Inland are ancient rainforests, the shaded canopy seemingly impenetrable. Take a guided walk to learn about this habitat’s astonishing biodiversity. You might even catch sight of a tapir, or a silver-leafed monkey swimming through the jungle canopy. Outdoor enthusiasts will also relish tackling some of region’s towering granite mountains or exploring the intricate networks of limestone caves. Then, there’s the culture. Malaysia

is a melting point of Malay, Indian, Chinese and aboriginal groups (Orang Asli). There’s a packed calendar of religious festivals, including Wesak, or Buddha’s birthday, celebrated with processions of flowers and candles. Cities such as Melaka and Georgetown boast fascinating heritage districts where you can experience this fascinating fusion for yourself. Make sure you take time out to try Malaysia’s delicious cuisine, which reflects its multicultural population. Of course, Malaysia has a modern side too. It can be found in the SEYCHELLES malls, skyscrapers and fine dining TRAVEL restaurants in larger cities, such as the GUIDE capital Kuala Lumpur.

S E YC H E L L E S Most people visit this archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the beaches, but it has much more to offer than that Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

escribing the Seychelles, it’s easy to veer into cliché. These picture-perfect islands are blessed with white sand beaches lapped by translucent water, fringed with palm trees and interesting rock formations. The dramatic sunsets, laidback atmosphere and a wide range of luxury accommodation make them a popular spot for honeymooners. The Seychelles consists of 115 islands and some small islets, located

NAMIBIA Namibia is a country of rugged, otherworldly landscapes; a desert realm with a complex history and culturally diverse inhabitants Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

amibia is known for its sparse, otherworldly landscapes. It gets its name from the Namib, the world’s oldest desert; a sparse, windswept region extending 1,900 kilometres down Africa’s Atlantic coast. The desert is characterised by its red dunes, which plunge down towards the ocean at Sandwich Harbour and Skeleton Coast. It’s also known for its white clay and salt pans, such as Deadvlei, where there are hundreds of ossified trees. Another scenic spot in the desert is Moon Landscape, named after its eerie, pockmarked topography. But sightseeing in Namibia isn’t just about deserts. Inland you’ll find the green-gold grasslands of the Kalahari, and rugged mountains such as the Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Damaraland.

Tourists flock to Namibia to experience its remote corners. Hot air ballooning, sand boarding and offroad quad bike excursions are all popular activities. When it comes to safaris, Namibia offers some unrivalled experiences – head to Etosha National Park to see big cats, elephants and black rhinos. Namibia has a fascinating history. It was inhabited as early as 25,000 BC, with tribes such as Ovambo and Herero gradually migrating into the country. In the “Scramble for Africa” Namibia became a German colony, known as German South West Africa, in 1884. After over a century of bloody battles, Namibia finally gained independence in 1990. These days it’s a country rich in historical attractions and cultural diversity; a country with plenty of stories to tell.

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in the Indian Ocean at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. Most of the action is concentrated around the three major islands: Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. Mahé is the largest and most populous; home to the capital, Victoria, and transport hub to the rest of the islands. La Digue is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the archipelago. Praslin, meanwhile, is home to the idyllic Vallée de Mai nature reserve. But there’s more to the Seychelles

than just the beaches. Trek through the granite mountains and lush rainforests of the Morne Seychellois National Park. Try some of the island’s traditional Creole dishes at a local restaurant. Or if you’re a nature lover, head to Bird Island to observe its population of fairy terns and common noddies, as well as the giant Aldabra tortoises endemic to the archipelago. You’ll be bowled over by what the Seychelles has to offer.

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

EDITORIAL Head of Editorial: Phoebe Harper phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com Senior Editor: Marcus Kääpä marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Jack Salter jack.salter@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION Production Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com Production Assistant: Courtney Solomon courtney.solomon@outlookpublishing.com Social Media Manager: Dan Nash dan.nash@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS CEO: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Managing Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Commercial Director: Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com REGIONAL DIRECTOR Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Felix Revell felix.revell@outlookpublishing.com Tom McConnell tom.mcconnell@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com SALES & PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com Krisha Canlas krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Assistant: Eleanor Bennett eleanor.bennett@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT North America Outlook 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom. Sales: +44 (0) 1603 363 631 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com www.northamericaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: @northamericaoutlook

Solutions in the Science For many industries, science is the lifeblood of innovation. Across North America, scientific strides are redefining the boundaries of what was once thought possible. Our frontrunner, Jewish General Hospital (JGH) is a visionary organization at the vanguard of leveraging scientific breakthroughs to advance healthcare treatment. As one of the first hospital centers designated by the Government of Quebec to receive COVID-19 patients, President and CEO Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg has witnessed the JGH’s evolution during this critical time. “As we emerge from this pandemic, we will continue to expand our research focus on emerging infectious diseases, informed by our clinical experience at the JGH as one of the busiest infectious disease hospitals in Quebec and Canada.” Also in Canada, we delve into the McMaster Innovation Park as a dynamic hub implementing an ecosystem of research and development for its tenant ventures on the ‘Life Sciences Corridor’ in Hamilton, Ontario. Meanwhile, for distributed energy specialist EnTech Solutions, Vice President of Renewable Fuels Paul Kane explores how the company is leveraging the scientific processes required to transform agricultural waste into renewable natural gas (RNG) to be used as clean fuel for transport. “Partnering with farmers and community members, our team of RNG experts has proven experience in anaerobic digestion and modular gas processing solutions to help drive value throughout the project life cycle,” he tells us. Elsewhere, we speak with WinCup – the innovative team behind the invention of the world’s first marine biodegradable and compostable straw made from the revolutionary substrate, PHA. Similarly, we unpack fuelling sustainable innovations through material science with the executive members of Jadex Inc. “As a leading material science company, we are driven to provide essential product solutions that help protect the health of our consumers and the environment,” says Jadex’s President of Marketing, Jodi Farina. Finally, discover a range of female voices making a difference in their industries – whether combatting the effects of climate change at the New York City Housing Authority with Joy Sinderbrand, to tackling the gender bias in FinTech with Vivienne Hsu, and dismantling systemic racism in US education with leading education consultant, Sydney Montgomery. We hope that you enjoy your read.

Phoebe Harper Head of Editorial, Outlook Publishing North America Outlook issue 08 | 3

CONTENTS N O R T H

A M E R I C A

O U T L O O K

REGULARS

6 NEWS Around North America in seven stories

8 EXPERT EYE Dismantling systemic racism in US education

BU SI N ESS I N SI G H TS

12 Local Government

I S S U E

0 8

20 TO P I C A L F O C U S

20 Women in Business Charting Female Representation in FinTech Unpacking gender diversity across the sector

106 THE FINAL WORD

What trends do you forecast for the year ahead within your sector?

The City Within a City Social housing in the city that never sleeps

14 Manufacturing The First, Best, and Final Straw

RTE SY OF WW W.P

IMA GE COU

phade® - the little blue straw that’s changing the world

HA DEP RO DU CTS .CO M

4 | North America Outlook issue 08

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 08

F E AT U R E S

24 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

F O O D & DR I N K

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

H EALT HCA RE

26 Jewish General Hospital Changing the Clinical Landscape Hospital rebuild and healthcare R&D in Canada

E NE R GY & UTILITIES

40 EnTech Solutions The Renaissance of Energy Distribution Putting the clean energy future into customers’ hands

68 Ranger Energy Services

82 Rosina Food Products, Inc. Real Italian Goodness

Rangers of the Oilfield

Buffalo, NY – the US heartland of Italian meatballs

Generating positive energy that powers the world

MA N U FAC TU R I N G

ECON OM Y

74 McMaster Innovation Park

90 Jadex Inc. Sustainable Science Jadex Inc., helping people make a material difference every day

The Threshold of Innovation Behind the scenes of MIP, Canada’s premier research and innovation park

90 S U P P LY C H A I N

60 Rubellite Energy Inc.

98 WTC Group

Energy Gemstone

Surmounting Challenge

Pure play Clearwater exploration and production in western Canada

Establishing supply chain synergies across North America

North America Outlook issue 08 | 5

NEWS

Around North America in seven stories… S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

TEXAS LEADS ENERGY PROJECTS IN THE US

TECHNOLOGY

DONALD TRUMP’S SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM HAS LAUNCHED TRUTH SOCIAL, DONALD Trump’s social media platform, has launched on the US Apple App Store in a limited form and has arrived as a controversial entry to the social media space. Created by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), Truth Social has become available to around 500 beta testers and is expected to be

fully operational by the end of March. The Truth Social app shares similarities with Twitter, a platform that Trump was banned from (as well as Facebook and YouTube) in 2021, and a recent screenshot shared by Donald Trump Jr showed his father’s first “truth” on the new social network: “Get ready. Your favourite president will see you soon.”

2021 SAW TEXAS as the leading state in the US when it came to undertaking new renewable energy projects, according to a report released by the American Clean Power Association. Texas established 7,352 megawatts (MW) of new solar, wind and energy installation projects during the last year, a significant number more than other states. In comparison, California installed just 2,697 MW of energy storage projects. 90 percent of Texas’ energy derives from fossil fuels, and the state still ranks as the 10th in the US for fossil fuel consumption. However, Texas is experiencing a rise in renewable energy projects due to the easy and relatively low-cost access to the likes of solar and wind development.

TRANSPORT

THE FORD MUSTANG Mach-E has been prompted as the “top pick” for an electric vehicle (EV) in 2022. Reliability data from Consumer Reports show that the Mach-E has fewer problems than alternative EVs, replacing the Tesla Model 3’s leading position. Consumer Reports still recommend the Model 3, yet there are claims 6 | North America Outlook issue 08

IMAGE BY VAUXFORD - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 4.0

FORD MUSTANG MACH-E TOPS 2022 EV LIST

that the Tesla model fails to match the Mach-E in certain areas, such as the notable hands-free driving

aspect and driver alerts. Despite this, both models remain the pinnacle of customer EV options in 2022 so far.

FOOD & DRINK

A E R O S PAC E

Lockheed Martin terminates multi-billion-dollar deal

ANIMAL WELFARE CONFLICT ESCALATES FOR MCDONALD’S CARL ICAHN, BILLIONAIRE and activist investor, has stepped up his fight with McDonald’s regarding the welfare of pigs used in the conglomerate’s food supply chain. The issue revolves around the claim that pregnant sows are kept in small crates, a practice that Icahn says to be “obscene”. Icahn has also said that McDonald’s’ has not been living up to its promise to reduce and phase out the use of pork sourced from pigs in these gestational crates.

Icahn owns 200 McDonald’s shares and believes that he has some leverage to fight for change. He has asked all the company’s pork suppliers in the US to transition to “crate-free pork”, as part of McDonald’s claim of improving animal welfare standards.

TECHNOLOGY

FORMER BRITISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER NOW WORKS FOR META NICK CLEGG, FORMER deputy prime minister of the UK, has been promoted to the position of President of Global Affairs for Meta by CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Clegg used to be the leader of the

IMAGE BY SOERFM - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

Entrance to Meta’s headquarters complex (pictured in 2014 as Facebook Inc.) in Menlo Park, California

UK’s Liberal Democrats party and joined Facebook in 2018 as Head of Policy and Communications. In his new position, Clegg will be placed in charge of “all policy matters” as Meta faces global regulation. Clegg will oversee decision making that impacts billions of users across the multiple platforms owned by Meta, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and Messenger.

US ARMS MANUFACTURER Lockheed Martin Corp (Lockheed) has said that it has terminated its planned acquisition of rocket engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc for $4.4 billion. The decision follows the unanimous vote of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block the deal due to antitrust concerns. The acquisition was announced in late 2020 but drew criticism as the merger would give Lockheed a dominant place in the solid fuel rocket motors space, a critical aspect of the US missile industry. Lockheed has recognized the FTC’s actions and terminated the deal in the best interests of company stakeholders.

TRANSPORT

General Motors to cut popular features VEHICLE GIANT GENERAL Motors (GM) has been forced to temporarily drop popular features such as heated seats due to a shortage of semiconductor chips in the industry. The company is not alone, with many automakers having to respond in similar ways to the industry crisis that is spiking prices and delaying orders. GM does, however, have a future answer to the problem; a retrofit option will be available to the owners of said vehicles later this year to rectify the issue. North America Outlook issue 08 | 7

EXPERT EYE EDUCATION

Intentionally Combatting the Higher Education Gap As a passionate advocate for dismantling systemic racism in the US education system, educational consultant Sydney Montgomery discusses disrupting the professional landscape Written by: Sydney Montgomery, CEO of S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting

s much as we want to say we are doing things to address the higher education gap in this country, the reality remains that we continue to look at this issue through such a narrow lens that the solutions we continually deploy fail to make meaningful change. A 2020 Education Trust report showed that since 2000, Black enrollment at the 101 most selective colleges and universities decreased by 60 percent. The report further shows only nine percent of the 101 selective colleges enroll representative numbers of Black students and only 14 percent of those same colleges enroll representative numbers of Latinx students. Most disturbingly, in states that had the largest Black populations, those colleges had the least accessible colleges and universities. 8 | North America Outlook issue 08

Equitable education begins before high school Equitable access to higher education is integral to the discussion of upward mobility and wealth and income disparities in this country. Education is one of the centerpieces and gears perpetuating structural racism. However, in order to have equitable access to higher education, students need to have equitable preparation in their elementary and secondary schools in order to level the playing field. Without rebalancing at the elementary and secondary schools, some students will end up being placed into an elite education pipeline at the age of five. One of the greatest disparities in elementary and secondary schooling is private school enrollment. Black

students account for 9.3 percent of all private school students. By comparison, White students account for 67 percent of all private school students. Of private schools that enrolled at least 750 students, Black students make up only six percent of the private school population. In fact, the rise of private schools in this country can be directly correlated to White parents pulling their students out of public school in response to desegregation efforts in the early 20th century. As it stands, private

schools still account for 15 percent of racial segregation and they are also increasingly segregated by income. We need to examine the racial makeup of elite private schools and raise the educational standards (and pay teachers accordingly) at public schools. Otherwise, we will continue to operate in a paradigm in which some public schools students will receive a rudimentary education while some private school students will receive a collegiate education in the fifth grade. As it currently stands, data shows that

high schools with 90 percent or more students of color spend an average of $733 less per student per year than schools with more white students. The results of this disparate spending show when you look at the national achievement metrics in reading, math, and writing. It is also important to note that systemic racism in education is not only limited to lower-income Black students. Systemic racism does not stop affecting Black individuals just because they become the CEO of a

company, even if that company makes the Forbes 500 list. Data continually shows that even wealthy Black students have to overcome implicit bias from teachers and counselors in their recommendation letters and college lists. We should be aware of and have an understanding of work such as that in We Want Black Students, Just Not You: How White Admissions Counselors Screen Black Prospective Students, from Ted Thornhill, an assistant professor of sociology at Florida Gulf Coast North America Outlook issue 08 | 9

University, which shows how racism operates on the college/university admissions level. There is also research on Gender and Ethnic Bias in Letters of Recommendation that directly affects the college applications of the students we serve. College Equity First, a non-profit organization that was co-founded by myself and two other educational consultants evaluates the campus climate for Black students at 103 of the nation’s more popular and elite private institutions through the College Equity Index. Overwhelmingly, the data is clear that even if students are able to matriculate to these schools, colleges and universities need to do more to make the environments conducive to their success.

Shifting education policy We cannot continue to only blame funding and teachers for the national

10 | North America Outlook issue 08

“ W E N E E D TO E X A M I N E T H E R AC I A L M A K E U P O F E L I T E P R I VAT E S C H O O L S A N D R A I S E T H E E D U C AT I O N A L S TA N D A R D S AT P U B L I C SCHOOLS” – S Y D N E Y M O N T G O M E R Y, C E O , S . M O N T G O M E R Y A D M I S S I O N S C O N S U LT I N G

education gap. We must also look toward creative and retributive education policy that acknowledges the effects of systemic racism in America and the long-lasting effects of systemic obstacles to educational opportunities for success. The desire to become part of the solution to change the higher education landscape in this country led me to pivot from practicing law to becoming an educational consultant full-time. As the first lawyer in my family, the daughter of military and immigrant parents, and a graduate

from Princeton and Harvard Law School, I could see the immediate and tangible benefits of access to elite institutions on my own career path. As the first student from my high school to go to Princeton, however, I could also see the numerous structural blockades in the way of firstgeneration and minority applicant success. Unfortunately, there are so few diverse attorneys in this country that having leaders to advocate for the legislative and policy needs of minority students has been an uphill

EXPERT EYE EDUCATION

battle. Despite making up 13 percent of the general population, only five percent of lawyers in this country are Black, whilst only two percent of lawyers are Black women. Looking at the national landscape, Black and Latinx lawyers disproportionally enroll in lower-ranked law schools and have 97 percent more debt than their white counterparts when graduating from law school. The same structural inequities that prevent students from being as prepared as their elite white counterparts for selective colleges and universities continue to be a roadblock for future success in the law school admissions process. In 2017, 49 percent of Black applicants did not get into a single law school that they applied to.

Combatting the higher educational gap with quality and personalized guidance I started my company, S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting, to help change this landscape. We have worked with almost 200 college and law school applicants. 91 percent of our students identify as first-generation or minority applicants and 95 percent of our high school students have received admission to one of their top three colleges. 78 percent of my law school students matriculate to a Top 30 law school and over 56 percent of my students receive at least a half-tuition scholarship to law school. My company offers private consulting packages, small group boot camps, and asynchronous courses and workshops. In addition to paid services, we run a free Barrier Breakers® Facebook group where I host the weekly Break Into Law School™ live stream and podcast. As one of the only prominent law school consultants of color in the industry, we have started partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as Minority Serving Institutions to increase representation and success rates for minoritized

applicants. We are also launching software that will continue to increase access to quality essay writing and coaching to underserved populations. Too often, educational consulting is seen as part of the problem instead of part of the solution in combatting systemic racism in education. According to the 2018 Independent Educational Consultants Association State of the Profession, there are over 2,700 consultants across various professional organizations. Despite this growth, educational consultants represented in these organizations continue to be overwhelmingly White. If we want to be intentional about combatting the higher education gap, we need to push for more educational consultants from diverse backgrounds and for more relationship and pipeline programs between these diverse consultants and the elite institutions that purport to care about diversity metrics. We would also benefit from licensure and recognition of the profession to combat bad actors from using educational consulting to unfairly and unscrupulously benefit the elite wealthy. Research by Christine Mulhern at Harvard University, cited in this 2019 article states that there is a 3.8 percent increase in the likelihood of a lowincome minority student graduating from high school when paired with a counselor of the same race. In the Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work (2011), Robert Mindrup, Alicia Lambergheni-West, and Beverly Spray note in their article, White Privilege and Multicultural Counseling Competence: The Influence of Field of Study, Sex, and Racial/Ethnic Exposure[1] that many counselors work and interact with minority students in their daily activities, yet many White school counselors have limited knowledge of how whiteness and White identity development may influence their interactions with these students.[2] Beyond just working with students,

educational consultants can make it apparent that diversity is a priority to our students. We can mention this during webinars or tours; we can write to our alma maters. We should be inquiring how many admissions recruiters/enrollment managers are Black. We don’t have to accept the tagline when colleges continue to say diversity is important to them while doing very little to actually increase their numbers and foster a welcoming and safe racial environment.

ABOUT THE EXPERT Sydney Montgomery, CEO of S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting, specializes in helping firstgeneration and minoritized college and law school applicants. A graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law, Sydney works to dismantle systemic racism in education, pushing counselors and universities to be culturally competent through published articles, speaking engagements, and the College Equity Index™. Sydney also empowers women, especially women of faith, to be ambitious in their pursuits of higher education and entrepreneurship that benefit social good. Sydney left practicing law in 2020 to grow her business full-time. S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting produces two YouTube channels, two podcasts, and hosts a free Barrier Breakers® Facebook group. Sydney has been awarded the Making a Difference Award (IECA), was named a 2021 Counselor of the Year (PCACAC), named a Kappa Alpha Theta 35 Under 35, and was named as one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century by Women’s eNews.

Footnotes [1] Mindrup, R. M., Spray, B. J., & Lamberghini-West, A. (2011). White privilege and multicultural counseling competence: The influence of field of study, sex and racial/ ethnic exposure. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 20, 2038. doi:10.1080/15313204.2011.545942 [2] Moss, Lauren, Singh, Anniliese, White School Counselors Becoming Racial Justice Allies to Students of Color: A Call to the Field of Counseling; See also, Helms, J. B. (1990). Black and White racial identity: Theory, research, and practice. New York, NY: Greenwood. doi:10.2307/2073777;

North America Outlook issue 08 | 11

n a city that is home to over eight million people, and one that spends $3.5 billion annually on homelessness, the need for reliable public housing is critical. As New York City, and indeed the rest of the world, weathers the extreme effects of climate change with shifting weather patterns bringing severe storms and unprecedented heavy rainfall, it is the vulnerable members of the population who are the most exposed. In this climate, inadequate housing facilities are being tested like never before, often resulting in unliveable conditions for the tenants inside, in the form of rot, water damage, mold, and vermin infestations. These effects are mostly prevalent in the slew of historic apartment buildings originally built throughout New York between 1945 and 1970 that are now in dire need of renovation. A 2021 report by Bloomberg estimated that the cost of undertaking repairs and restorations across the city’s housing projects increases by $1 billion, every single year. Although the significant infrastructure plan proposed by President Joe Biden – but not passed by congress –offers some promise 12 | North America Outlook issue 08

THE CITY

W i t h i n a C i ty Arming its buildings against the impacts of climate change, we speak with Joy Sinderbrand, Vice President of the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Recovery and Resilience Department Writer: Phoebe Harper

in rebuilding the country in the wake of COVID-19, the portion of funds allocated to public housing are slim $40 billion across the whole of the US (not just New York City) of the total $1.7 trillion infrastructure allocation. As the largest public housing authority in North America, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has the momentous task of preserving residents’ rights and protections whilst providing permanently affordable accommodation for a vast number of individuals seeking assistance in this area. Its services extend to approximately one in every five New Yorkers. “Protecting existing public and affordable housing against the impacts of climate change is critical to

New York City’s continued success,” states Vice President of the Recovery and Resilience Department at NYCHA, Joy Sinderbrand. Since 1935, NYCHA has been the agency that people with low or moderate income have turned to obtain affordable housing. The Recovery and Resilience Department is an essential component of the work that NYCHA does. Presently, the department is engaged in a $3.2 billion program dedicated to repairing the lasting damage in the aftermath of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy. The funds are also being used to invest in precedentsetting resilience elements to protect various structures and infrastructure across NYCHA’s developments. This

NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY LOCAL GOVERNMENT

spans 35 developments, housing over 60,000 low-income New Yorkers. “The Recovery and Resilience Department is preparing NYCHA’s portfolio and residents to withstand the impacts of climate change in synergy with the overarching agency goals and initiatives of other departments and City, State and Federal agencies,” she notes. Sinderbrand herself brings considerable experience to the role, with a background spanning government work and developments to advance infrastructure investment and public-private partnerships. This has included work on the redevelopment of the World Trade Center and expanding the capacity of New York’s Penn Station during her time at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “I came to NYCHA because public housing is a critical piece of New York City infrastructure,” she says. On a tangible level, NYCHA is implementing significant strategies to protect its own portfolio of over 2,500 multi-family buildings spread across five boroughs. Stormwater solutions are currently in development on NYCHA campuses, as part of the agency’s partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). To date, DEP has invested $13 million in five campuses, with an additional 14 under construction and 21 being designed. As a result of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Ida, a further $84 million is being invested in stormwater management at seven developments impacted by heavy rain and extensive flooding. NYCHA is leveraging the DEP’s expertise to expand its own cloudburst protection designs and specifications, as a critical part of measures to reduce the neighborhood impact of heavy rainfall. “We are working with landscape architects to design flood protection that is also part of the placemaking efforts at the sites and adds to the

ground amenities and seating areas available to residents.” Many of the agency’s largest projects funded by the recovery funds in the wake of Superstorm Sandy are still underway. These recovery plans include major structure and infrastructure improvements being implemented on fully occupied buildings. “We want to complete as much of this work as possible by the 10th anniversary of the storm in October and anticipate almost $2.8 billion of investment at 35 campuses by that date. “As part of the Sandy recovery and resilience scope, NYCHA is installing new heat and hot water systems at 20 campuses that are more energy efficient and emit less pollution than the boilers they replaced.” The Energy and Sustainability Department’s work developing a solar infrastructure falls into the overall Sustainability Agenda, along with the ‘green retrofits’ it is undertaking to mitigate the environmental footprint across the developments. The energy savings resulting from this have been used to fund the installation of interior and exterior LED lighting and building management systems that will improve temperature control to prevent under-heating inside apartments. The agenda also includes a host of additional energy efficiency, solar power, resource management and health and well-being efforts made by NYCHA. One such example includes NYCHA’s partnership with external companies to develop 1.8 megawatts (MW) of solar power on the rooftops of 27 buildings across its Queensbridge North and South developments. “Over a dozen NYCHA residents were trained and hired to work on the installation crews,” Sinderbrand shares. “The Queensbridge solar system provide approximately 470

Joy Sinderbrand and the Generator lift at Ocean Bay

New York households with access to low-cost solar power below the ConEd residential rate.” Additionally, NYCHA also has a solar lease that will cover 40 roofs at three other developments, which will eventually generate 1.2 megawatts of solar power, and facilitate the employment of a dozen NYCHA hires, and another 400 low- and moderateincome subscribers. Across several of its new annexes that have been constructed to protect critical infrastructure from flooding, the agency has installed green roofs, not only as a beautification measure, but also for water retention purposes. With the aim of protecting some of New York’s most vulnerable, NYCHA remains unwavering in its mission. “As additional Federal and State grants become available, NYCHA is aggressively competing for additional resilience funding for developments at risk of impacts from extreme heat, rain, flooding and the effects of climate change,” Sinderbrand concludes. North America Outlook issue 08 | 13

WINCUP MANUFACTURING

The First, Best, and Final Straw WinCup is the foodservice manufacturer producing worldfirsts for the industry. We peel back the lid on the innovative company with President and Chief Revenue Officer Michael Winters Writer: Phoebe Harper

hen the Super Bowl took place in the SoFi Stadium in California earlier this month, all audience members in the 70,240-capacity arena had one choice of drinking straws and stirrers to use - a compostable and biodegradable option to combat plastic pollution at the event. Type ‘drinking straw’ into Wikipedia, and only one branded product appears under the alternative plastics section - phade®. WinCup is the name behind this industrydefining innovation, as the manufacturing company that is bringing a new substrate called PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) under the phade® brand name to the Foodservice world and creating Marine Biodegradable, Home and Industrial Compostable products.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.WINCUP.COM

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With eight manufacturing locations spread across the US, WinCup is a national manufacturer, hosting about 1,000 team members and serving a vast network of end-users throughout the country from restaurants, to professional sports stadiums, to hotels, and mass merchandisers. Traditionally a manufacturer of petroleumbased foodservice disposable products, WinCup stands as North America’s secondlargest producer of foam cups, containers, lids, bowls and straws. In recent years, WinCup has departed from this 16 | North America Outlook issue 08

traditional model, entering the brave new world of environmental products. “Our environmental products are

relatively new for us – we’re really focusing on environmentally friendly, sustainable new products for the market,” opens President and CRO Michael Winters. Although a new pursuit for the company, in a relatively short window of time, WinCup has already earned an esteemed reputation as an industry innovator. This is evidenced by the company’s two landmark products - VIO™, the world’s first biodegradable foam cup, and phade®, the world’s first marine biodegradable, home and industrial compostable straws and stirrer that is sustainable, and made from the revolutionary new substrate PHA. This latest innovation has triggered a watershed moment for the company, as it is the first manufacturer to bring to market a straw solution that is both resilient, usable, and has the ability to biodegrade in a matter of months in almost any environment when exposed to bacteria. WinCup has also produced a time lapse video that is out on it phadeproducts. com website, social media and Youtube that shows phade® straws completely biodegrading in a marine environement in just 58 days. Winters goes on to say that, “we believe that PHA is the Holy Grail of biopolymer substrates that the world has been looking for, that can replace traditional petroleum-based plastics.” Previously, WinCup has specialized in foam as a highly versatile substrate that offers significant environmental advantages over paper. Indeed, it takes approximately 46 percent less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to produce a foam cup, over a paper one. “There’s roughly 50 percent less energy and half the amount of airborne water

WINCUP MANUFACTURING

IMAGE AND VIDEO COURTESY OF WWW.PHADEPRODUCTS.COM

pollutants created during the production of a foam cup compared to paper, yet in many environmental communities, foam gets poked at for not being environmentally friendly,” says Winters. A large reason behind this is simply to do with the visibility of plastic pollution that is most evident in a marine environment. Rather a matter of physics, foam’s properties as a floating substance mean that we are more exposed to these products when they have been disposed of improperly, as opposed to the paper cups and products lurking beneath the surface. “Perceptions are hard to change in the mind of the beholder, so we began to really focus all of our energy, resources and intellectual horsepower to come up with the world’s first green foam cup.” The efforts of WinCup and a highly qualified team of PhD’s and scientists resulted in VIO™, the world’s first foam cup that biodegrades at 92 percent in a four-year period in an active landfill, exceeding the performance of both traditional foam and paper cups.

THE DROP IN THE OCEAN THAT’S MAKING WAVES The environmental disadvantages behind a paper cup in comparison to foam, also apply to paper straws as a popular plastic alternative. Although commonly recognized as an ecofriendly option, which is largely true thanks to the sustainable fibers used to make the straw itself, many paper straws are assembled using nonbiodegradable glues, thus defeating their status as an entirely eco-friendly option. Aside from this, the poor functioning qualities of a soggy paper straw are well known and felt across the service industry, with restauranteurs often having to provide multiple paper

straws for consumers to get through just one drink. Launched just last year, phade® has emerged as WinCup’s defining innovation. In 2018, when a video went viral of a turtle suffering from a plastic drinking straw stuck up its nose, the world awakened to the threats of plastic pollution. “Every customer in the free world who saw that video called me and said, what can you guys do about that?” recalls Winters. With an extremely limited number of bio-polymers available on the market that might fuel the production of ecofriendly straws, WinCup’s worldwide quest for the perfect material began.

“ O U R L I T T L E B L U E S T R AW WA L K E D AWAY WITH THE BLUE RIBBON. WE HADN’T EVEN M A D E I T O R S H I P P E D I T Y E T, W E J U S T T O L D T H E W O R L D – H E R E ’ S W H AT W E ’ R E G O I N G TO B R I N G – G E T R E A DY ” – MICHAEL WINTERS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, WINCUP

phade® time lapse video

North America Outlook issue 08 | 17

WINCUP MANUFACTURING

What ensued was a series of trials and errors, with WinCup quickly deciding against the use of the substrate PLA, finding that it’s ‘eco-friendly’ promise was more a case of “smoke and mirrors”, since the material is only compostable in industrial composters and simply doesn’t function well in a high heat environment. When WinCup encountered Danimer Scientific – the world’s leading supplier of a substrate called PHA – on the lookout for R&D partners to trial the production of plastic-like products using this material, WinCup found the answer the company was looking for. “We quickly teamed up with Danimer Scientific, but the first time we trialled their material in one of our

straw-making plants, we pretty much burnt the place down!” After smoking out the entire plant and evacuating all employees, it soon transpired that additional research into the material was required. “That did not deter us at all, it just made us even more committed to figuring out how best to try to run this product,” says Winters. After multiple R&D trials, and successfully extruding the product on the company’s existing assets, WinCup had a solution ready for certification. Equipped with tangible PHA straws and stirrers, WinCup went first to Organic Waste Systems (OWS) as one of the world’s leading biodegradable materials assessors to run the appropriate testing. TÜV then certified these results, with

“ W E D I D A LOT O F H O M E WO R K , A N D W H E N W E T E L L T H I S STO RY TO C U STO M E R S , U S U A L LY T H E R E S P O N S E I S H O W Q U I C K LY C A N Y O U S TA R T S H I P P I N G T O M E , B E C A U S E THIS IS THE REAL DEAL” – MICHAEL WINTERS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, WINCUP

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additional accreditation from worldleading bodies including BPI and the Composters Manufacturing Alliance (CMA). “We wanted to make sure that we had all the appropriate documentation and certifications for whenever we launched this product, if any customers were to question how we know that it biodegrades. “The certifications mean that this product that we’re making straws out of is marine degradable, soil degradable, home compostable, industrial compostable, and it’s sustainable,” Winters tells us proudly. With the necessary certifications in place, an exercise in great branding followed as WinCup creatively brainstormed the name and appearance of its exciting new product. “We knew we wanted to make this product look totally different from anything else on the market,” he says. Standing out from the typical reds, blacks and whites of drinking straws, the Caribbean blue hue of phade™ combines the feel-good factor of enjoying a drink by the sea, with the marine biodegradable element that makes it an ocean-friendly alternative.

IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.PHADEPRODUCTS.COM

Meanwhile, the phade® name plays on the combination of PHA and the concept of fading as the product biodegrades from the environment, leaving no trace with a natural end of life. In the Fall of 2019 WinCup showed phade® to a major trade show in the US, where the company was blown away by its reception. “It was an event attended by tens of thousands of people, where everyone got to vote on the ‘coolest’ new green item at the show. “Our little blue straw walked away with the blue ribbon. We hadn’t even made it or shipped it yet, we just told the world – here’s what we’re going to bring – get ready.”

IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.PHADEPRODUCTS.COM

WINCUP MANUFACTURING

And ready they were. When the major logistical hurdle of COVID19 threatened to delay WinCup’s product rollout scheduled for July 2020, the call from customers urging it to launch was so deafening that it couldn’t be ignored. Winters says, “what we heard from customers was that they felt phade® was relevant meaningful innovation that the world disperately needed. And they encouraged us to move a quickly as feasible. “By that time, so many people had found out what we were working on, we started getting a lot of phone calls encouraging us to launch as a relevant innovation that the world so desperately needs,” Winters tells us. WinCup went ahead, and just one month later phade® became the recipient of the bioplastics of the year award by the

Plastics Industry Association. This was followed in 2021 by the accolade of Sustainability Award Winner from the National Restaurant Association, with more titles to follow. “I am incredibly humbled that we have received this amount of attention in such a short period of time.” Unsurprisingly, WinCup has plans in store to rollout a family of PHA products, fueled by the exciting possibility of bringing a material to market that biodegrades at such a fast rate. “I think you’re going to see PHA made into lots of different types of products in the years to come. There are a lot of other large CPG companies working on PHA solutions - we were just fortunate that we got on to it before anyone else did. “We did a lot of homework, and when we tell this story to customers, usually the response is how quickly can you start shipping to me, because this is the real deal.”

www.wincup.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 19

TOPICAL FOCUS WOMEN IN BUSINESS

CHARTING FEMALE R E P R E S E N TAT I O N IN FINTECH

fter entering the realm of brand marketing and advertising 20 years ago, Vivienne Hsu has gone on to pursue a meteoric career trajectory. Working her way up the ranks of finance and FinTech, Hsu’s career has spanned multiple markets, across the US, Canada, and London. Moving on from a consultancy role, Hsu went on to join the FinTech start-up Sokin, as Chief Communications and Marketing Officer. In the traditionally maledominated sector of finance, Hsu is a passionate advocate for improving gender diversity in the industry, with Sokin itself working with a 50-50 gender split. We speak with Hsu to find out more.

North America Outlook (NA): What is your current take on the state of gender diversity within the finance sector? Do you think there is still progress to be made with female representation in this space?

In a sector where just 30 percent of the workforce are female, we explore gender diversity in FinTech with Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Sokin, Vivienne Hsu Writer: Phoebe Harper

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Vivienne Hsu (VH): I have been working in the finance and technology industry for more than 10 years now and I can say that I have seen progress when it comes to gender diversity and representation. However, there is still more to be done. Finance, as it is such a traditional industry, has been dominated by Western banking systems, and therefore has generally been very closed, which not only shuts out women, but others in regions who have not been able to easily access parts of the financial sector. This has started to change in the last

generation. The impact technology has had on driving the speed of change in finance can be seen as a catalyst for driving a faster and greater need for change and diversity in the industry. How this has impacted gender diversity is enormous. There are a lot of great women and leaders out there who are championing greater diversity and equality, particularly in sectors that have been very conservative and traditional, but these industries are also typically very difficult for women and minorities to have longer careers in. You have people like Helena Morrissey who started the ‘30% Club’, a global campaign led by Chairs and CEOs taking action to increase gender diversity at board and executive-committee levels which has driven a lot of visibility on

this topic. There are also mandates to get more women appointed to FTSE companies. Change has been positive, but progress remains to be made. Recently, there was a study done by McKinsey that revealed the banking and finance workforce starts at around 50 percent female, but when you start moving to senior levels it drops to less than 30 percent. More than 20 percent of these women are therefore not making it to the more senior roles, so we need to tackle this issue head on and focus on getting more women into senior positions where they can most influence and drive changes. The fact that we are having open and honest conversations about diversity and female representation in the workforce, is certainly a step in the right direction.

NA: Could you expand on your own career journey and the challenges you have encountered as a woman in a male dominated sector? VH: When I began working in the mid 2000s, there was still a huge percentage of men in very senior roles, with all the PA and executive assistant positions being filled by women. When I moved into finance and technology, I could see a high level of sexism and a lot of gender bias. It was a traditional, very maledominated environment, and many times I would be in a meeting where I was the only woman in the room. There is one scenario which has always stuck with me that happened more than once… I would be in a meeting and would get asked, “Are you taking the notes?” It was quite shocking for me the first time North America Outlook issue 08 | 21

it happened, but then I started to respond with, “No, I’m running the meeting.” What I learnt is the importance of women finding their voice and standing up for themselves. We should be proud of the work we’re doing and the responsibilities we have. It was an important lesson for me, that as a young professional, I needed to speak up and challenge those assumptions. That didn’t mean I had to be rude or aggressive, I just needed to state the facts. I have had my fair share of challenges, whether people presume I’m there to do a job that I’m not, or that as a young woman who is in a senior role I must have got there in a way that wasn’t above board, or having people who are more senior approach me and create awkward 22 | North America Outlook issue 08

“ T H E FA C T T H AT W E A R E N O W H AV I N G O P E N A N D H O N E S T C O N V E R S AT I O N S A B O U T D I V E R S I T Y A N D F E M A L E R E P R E S E N TAT I O N I N T H E W O R K F O R C E , I S C E R TA I N LY A S T E P IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION” – V I V I E N N E H S U , C H I E F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S A N D M A R K E T I N G OFFICER, SOKIN

situations. These are all scenarios which have affected how I manage my own reputation. You learn from them, but you also realize that it’s not an individual’s fault; it’s just the way that society has these constructs which lead to incorrect conclusions. The biggest lesson I have learnt is that the more senior you become, the more people are looking to you to set

a good example, and to be a leader. If you don’t speak up, it doesn’t create a safe space for others to speak up, or it doesn’t foster an environment where others feel comfortable coming to you if they have an issue. This starts with charting your own path, being clear about your own values and what you represent as an individual.

IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.SOKIN.COM

TOPICAL FOCUS WOMEN IN BUSINESS

NA: Since approximately 30 percent of the FinTech workforce are female, why do you think more women aren’t involved in the cross-border payments and remittances space?

NA: How does Sokin promote diversity and inclusion as a FinTech with people at the heart of its operation?

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VH: Sokin’s foundation has always been around accessibility and diversity. Because we are a minority owned and led business, diversity is incredibly important, it’s in our DNA. Diversity and inclusion are a massive part of what makes Sokin really special, and I think it has elevated our team’s sense of belonging. Feeling like they’re part of something that is not just about the product, but at its core is about accessibility. We also have an open culture where we encourage people to share their opinions, so we can collectively improve how we build the product and how we grow as a truly global business. We have an entirely remote workforce which means we can choose talent that is based all over the world, making Sokin incredibly diverse. It also helps us dispel a lot of assumptions that we have about

different markets. If I’m sitting here in the UK, and I think an idea is going to work for the Indian market, having people in India that I can test those hypotheses with is the first step in trying to validate what we’re doing and understand how we do it better. That kind of diversity and inclusiveness across different departments and functions is very unique. However, we are not just diverse in terms of ethnic background, as we’re also very aware of how people live their lives across different cultures, and we cater to their needs and embrace those differences.

IMA

VH: I think it’s because women haven’t had as much access to the cross-border payments and remittances space. A large reason why the finance and tech sectors are male-dominated goes back to what courses women are taking in school. There is now a big push for women in STEM, but when I was in high school and university, this type of programming didn’t really exist, like it does now. Additionally, if a woman goes into a sector knowing that she may already face an uphill struggle to progress, she may choose an area that is easier to access with a clearer career trajectory. In finance, cross-border payments and remittances aren’t necessarily the most direct areas of finance to go into after school compared to investment or consumer banking, so this could be a reason as to why we haven’t seen as much interest in these areas. Also, remittances up until the last 10 to 15 years hadn’t really changed much. It was ultra-traditional, and therefore people weren’t that interested in entering into it because it wasn’t particularly innovative, whereas now, there’s a huge amount of innovation happening in crossborder payments and remittances.

Sokin is a great example of that. Not only is it more interesting, but there are also more avenues for people, especially women, to enter the sector, whether it’s on the technical side, operations, sales, or marketing.

North America Outlook issue 08 | 23

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world. NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent. With content compiled by our experienced editorial team complemented by an in-house design team, the resultant Outlook Creative Services department ensures delivery to the highest standards in promoting the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories across the length and breadth of the US & Canada. As a bi-monthly publication, North America Outlook constantly has its finger on the pulse of the latest trends, biggest developments and business successes from each corner of the region, epitomized by the diversity displayed across each magazine. It incorporates an annual calendar-tailored front-of-book section, a showcasing segment dedicated to the most fascinating success stories in North America, and an event focus assortment sure to fill executives’ diaries throughout the year. The aligning North America Outlook website is also honed and ready to serve as a host for these facets and much more. To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, James Mitchell, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for FREE, in one of our upcoming editions.

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ENTECH SOLUTIONS | JADEX INC. JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

T w w w. n o r t h a m e r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 08

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the

he healthcare services and technology sector has acquired added importance over the past two years, as global businesses and organizations have worked with exceptional intensity to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and improve the lives of the people in the communities they serve. Based in Montreal, the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) is one such entity. With a proud history of helping those in need of medical attention, the JGH was one of the first of two adult hospital centers designated by the Government of Quebec to receive COVID-19 patients. “The JGH, which opened its doors in 1934, was founded as a general hospital to welcome all patients, regardless of race, religion, language or ethnic background,” states Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the organization.

CHANGING THE

walks us through the JGH over the past two years, with an update on the hospital’s latest developments

RANGER ENERGY SERVICES Generating positive energy that powers the world

ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. Buffalo, NY - the US heartland of Italian meatballs

CLINICAL LANDSCAPE In a highly prominent position in Canadian healthcare stands the Jewish General Hospital (JGH). Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the organization, walks us through the JGH’s experiences over the past two years, with an update on the hospital’s latest developments Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Felix Revell

2 | North America Outlook issue 08

“The hospital was established in a less enlightened era, when Jewish doctors in Montreal could not find jobs due to prevailing prejudice. Similarly, Jewish patients could not be cared for in an environment that was sensitive to their unique cultural and religious needs. “To emphasize the hospital’s opposition to discrimination of any type, it became the first healthcare institution in Quebec to officially designate itself as being ‘nonsectarian’ – that is, open to everyone (patients and employees alike), regardless of their background.”

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL The JGH is a tertiary-care academic medical center, one of McGill University’s flagship teaching hospitals. During its first 81 years, it functioned as an independent institution. However, in 2015, as a result of a reorganization of Quebec’s public healthcare system, the hospital became the hub of a newly constituted Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal, commonly known as CIUSSS West-Central Montreal. (“CIUSSS” is an abbreviation of the French term for the network.)

CIUSSS facilities are located on 34 different sites in an area covering about 21 square miles. In addition to the JGH, this network includes six long-term care facilities, five community clinic/services organizations, 25 group medical practices, two rehabilitation hospitals and three rehab centers. “Officially, the CIUSSS is responsible for providing services to a population of 380,091, with growth of 9.1 percent anticipated by 2036,” Dr. Rosenberg informs us. “In reality, we already serve well over 750,000 people, half of whom come from outside our North America Outlook issue 08 | 3

TY J. SHATTUCK, CEO at McMaster Innovation Park, takes us behind the scenes of Canada’s leading research and life sciences hub

www.northamericaoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

CHANGING THE

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JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL The JGH is a tertiary-care academic medical center, one of McGill University’s flagship teaching hospitals. During its first 81 years, it functioned as an independent institution. However, in 2015, as a result of a reorganization of Quebec’s public healthcare system, the hospital became the hub of a newly constituted Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal, commonly known as CIUSSS West-Central Montreal (“CIUSSS” is an abbreviation of the French term for the network).

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

territory. These users of the system span the entire age range, with 18 percent being 17 years old or below; 64 percent between the ages of 18 and 64; and 18 percent over 65. “Interestingly, more than 42 percent of the people in our territory are immigrants, who represent 34 percent of the population of Montreal. This is truly the immigrant basin of Canada.”

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND HOW THEY IMPACT THE JGH? DR. LAWRENCE ROSENBERG, PRESIDENT AND CEO: “Our stateof-the-art warehouse has permitted us to pick, pack, deliver and replenish throughout the institution with an automated bar code system. This has enabled us to standardize and minimize the amount of stock distributed to the nursing units and external clinics. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to cross-dock all PPE distribution, while onboarding 110 additional sites across our territory (beyond the hospital walls) – an approach we have maintained into the fifth wave. “As part of adopting best practices, the JGH introduced case cart picking when the new OR opened in Pavilion K. This is accomplished with sophisticated software called PPG, an application that is used in the diamond business for inventory management. It permits us to batch-pick, with a carousel system, up to eight cases at a time, to be more performant and to virtually eliminate the need for nurses to pick medical supplies in the sterile core of the OR.”

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Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg

The JGH is also home to the Segal Cancer Centre, a provincial referral center that has become one of Canada’s (and the world’s) most renowned facilities in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Of key importance is the Centre’s research and its many collaborative endeavors with cancer centers around the world. Especially noteworthy are efforts to develop novel approaches to personalized medicine that offer each patient the most effective targeted treatments for their particular form of the disease. Also worth noting is the JGH’s in-depth and pace-setting expertise in geriatric medicine, developed through decades of treating a patient population which has consistently had a disproportionately high number of elderly individuals. This led to the launch in 2021 of the expanded

Lieberman Family Wellness in Aging Geriatric Centre, whose aim is not only to treat illness, but to help each elderly person to maintain an optimum level of health and autonomy that is appropriate for their particular condition and circumstances.

COMBATTING COVID-19 In the course of leading his organization, Dr. Rosenberg has seen it – and the broader sector – evolve during a unique period of enormous change and development, prompted largely by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the JGH played a leading role in Quebec in treating infected patients, extensive preparation was required. Included was the development of protocols for the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, the medical units and the specialized areas, such as operating rooms, the

Roche: Ushering in the golden era of diagnostics Across the healthcare industry and especially on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of diagnostics is now undisputed. With tests that detect and monitor diseases, conditions, and infections, diagnostics are a critical part of a patient’s journey while informing and supporting about 70 percent of healthcare decisions.

As a key partner to the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), Roche is a pioneer in the field and a trusted partner and leader in the delivery of diagnostic and pharmaceutical solutions for over 125 years globally, and for over 90 years in Canada. By leveraging the combined strengths of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals, Roche is dedicated to advancing science to improve people’s lives. “With the purpose of Doing Now What Patients Need Next, Roche has a culture of going beyond the product and a tradition of looking to the past to develop innovative solutions that improve the present, but never at the expense of the future,” opens François Drolet, Executive Director, Access, Policy and Government Relations. The company is on the cusp of reaching a new level of possibilities as diagnostics leverage the technological advances of artificial intelligence (AI), digital health and advanced data analytics, to realize its vision of personalised healthcare, ensuring that we can fit the right test and the right treatment, to the right patient at the right time. “Diagnostics is the backbone of the healthcare system, and we are entering the golden era of diagnostics right now in terms of both technology and public knowledge,” continues Drolet.

A LEADING PARTNER Roche’s partnerships are a testament to the company’s commitment to science, innovation and excellence in service, in and outside the laboratory.

gained significant efficiencies throughout the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases of testing.” Critically, the automated platform minimized potential for error by preserving limited human resources and reducing hands-on time and fatigue.

This is evidenced by Roche’s ongoing partnership with the Jewish General Hospital, one of Quebec’s leading healthcare facilities and an early adopter of Roche’s core lab and molecular technologies making it a key player in a network of hospital-based clinical laboratories affiliated with McGill University (Optilab Montréal - MUHC).

“We were also able to automate screening for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. With Roche’s assistance we were able to quickly adapt our screening strategy for new mutations using a laboratory developed test on the cobas® 8800’s open Omni-channel.”

“Our customers tell us that partnerships with Roche help them demonstrate the value of the lab to the hospital and the lab’s role in patient outcomes, which helps the lab improve access to novel high medical value tests for patients,” says Executive Director, Medical and Scientific Affairs at Roche, Michele D’Elia. Roche Diagnostics’ innovation comes as a result of its relentless investments in R&D that accounts for more than its three major competitors combined. Lab automation is a key area of focus, providing critical resources in times of understaffing and exhaustion as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), Roche installed a fully automated molecular testing system that was instrumental in increasing the capacity of the province of Quebec’s COVID-19 testing network. Medical leadership at the JGH attest to this solid partnership that continues to adapt and develop over time. For Dr. Jerry Zaharatos, Medical Microbiologist at the JGH, Roche’s installation of the cobas® 8800 instrument has expanded the hospital’s strengths in molecular microbiology and innovative testing measures. “Before the arrival of the cobas® 8800, assuming ideal conditions, we were able to do under 800 tests a day. After its addition, we were able to provide between 2,000 to 3,000 test results per day,” he says. “Our workflow was streamlined, biosafety was optimized and we

“We went live with SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing in April of 2021. In order to further automate our workflow, this was eventually complemented by a p512 pre-analytical instrument,” Zaharatos adds. Both partners anticipate the continuation of a fruitful working relationship, furthering the possibilities of molecular microbiology at the JGH. As the COVID-19 pandemic de-escalates, the cobas® 8800 may be utilized to expand the variety of pathogen specific tests with the expansion of the molecular lab. “As we shift more of our tests to the automated molecular in vitro diagnostics milieu, we hope to continue to improve the quality of care for the patients we serve both in our hospital and in the community,” concludes Zaharatos. DIAGNOSTICS: THE POWER OF KNOWING IN COVID-19 & BEYOND Throughout the course of the pandemic, Roche has been at the forefront of investment in COVID-19 diagnostics, leading the way with PCR, antibody and rapid testing as well as the automated instruments that made it possible to undertake at the required scale. Diagnostics proved invaluable as outbreaks of the virus were identified thanks to the high-quality tests for SARS-CoV-2. As is the case in every clinical situation that requires an intervention, diagnostic testing plays an important role in the management of the COVID-19 disease. Key biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and procalcitonin (PCT) are used in intensive care units to respectively monitor the inflammatory response and diagnose bacterial infections in hospitalised patients. The information delivered by these biomarkers gives additional insights on the disease progression and allows clinicians to make informed and timely decisions. “The previously inconspicuous laboratory in the public sphere has come out of the shadows during the pandemic through its contribution, its value and the importance of test results - we call it: the power of knowing,” D’Elia affirms. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been clear that access to a strong and diverse diagnostics infrastructure was crucial in tackling this enormous risk to healthcare and the global economy,” comments Drolet. As the catalyst to introduce this revolution in diagnostics at the Roche laboratories, this has exposed a potential that the company intends to exploit well into the future of healthcare. The true value of diagnostics laboratories is rising to the fore, with Roche at the vanguard in exploring their potential in cancer identification thanks to diagnostic test results, and a host of other infectious or chronic diseases and pathologies. The same instruments applied for COVID-19 testing are now performing other key molecular tests, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis/ Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT/NG) testing. “Just imagine if we were to look at these other life-threatening diseases and conditions in the same way - the good that could be done for people and for the system as a whole,” D’Elia adds. Testing is an integral part of a patient’s journey, streamlining and improving communication between doctors and patients with requisition of tests based on that patient’s symptoms, paving the way for adequate medical advice and the appropriate targeted therapy.

ROCHE - BUILDING THE FUTURE In the face of an ageing population with increasingly complex healthcare needs, the need to keep up to date with the everexpanding advances in technology and medicine, increasing patient expectations, and all against a backdrop of limited resources and the widespread impact and disruption of a global pandemic - diagnostics holds the answer. “We at Roche, believe we have key solutions acting as fundamental pieces of the puzzle in tackling this ongoing healthcare crisis. We believe the starting point has to be prevention and early detection,” says D’Elia. “Tomorrow, I think it is going to be obvious to healthcare providers and patients that we can use these same tools to manage

other diseases in a different and more effective way. We have before us a new way of looking at the patient journey and assessing value in the healthcare system,” he surmises. As diagnostics enters the realm of public consciousness like never before, Roche is creating a connected care pathway for patients that encourages the integration of innovative solutions that simplify patient care, lift the burden from the shoulders of the healthcare system, and ultimately – save lives. As Drolet affirms, “Through better diagnostics, we can seize this moment to build a future where every Canadian has access to the right care, at the right time, and in the right place.”

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JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

cardiac catheterization laboratory and the various clinics. “In addition, we have had to redefine patient pathways, including admission, transfers and discharges,” Dr.

JGH – VISION, MISSION, VALUES The vision of the institution is “Care Everywhere” – that is, providing care in whichever setting is safest, most convenient, and most comfortable for the patient. JGH VALUES: A. Highest Quality of Care: The JGH values excellence and is committed to providing the highest evidence-based quality of care for all. B. Compassion, Dignity and Respect: An exceptional user experience is the JGH’s goal. C. Safety: The JGH is committed to providing care and services within a safe and secure environment. This is a shared responsibility. D. Teamwork: The JGH recognizes and acknowledges the important contributions of each member of its staff and partners. E. Knowledge Creation and Innovation: The JGH values excellence in teaching and research, which leads to the very best quality of care. The organization encourages creativity and initiative in its staff, so that they can identify and implement innovative ways to enhance the care and services that the JGH provides. The JGH’s mission is to provide value-based, patient-driven care that puts a premium on the user experience, while at the same time empowering the JGH’s care providers to take collective responsibility by using a “team of teams” approach.

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Rosenberg explains. “We have greatly increased extensive training in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), with support from our Infection Prevention and Control team, so that we can function effectively in a pandemic environment. “As the first wave of the pandemic rolled on, the hospital engaged in a very significant transfer of staff among our CIUSSS’s facilities, so that support could be provided to the COVID-19 units that had been set up. “Telehealth, which had been in its preparatory stages before the pandemic struck – as part of the hospital’s very aggressive strategic plan for digital transformation – was rapidly rolled out to support patients and their families. Most of our ambulatory clinics established telehealth capabilities, and the cancer center, in particular, was able to maintain up to 85 percent of its usual activity through telehealth technologies.” At the same time, the JGH established a digital command center to proactively manage beds and patient flow across the hospital and the rest of the CIUSSS. The command center was underpinned by artificial intelligence (AI) modelling, which permitted the JGH to predict COVID-19 hospitalizations one week in advance, with an outstanding accuracy rate of nearly 97 percent. As a result, the JGH was able to plan bed capacity and staffing, while ensuring an adequate supply of PPEs in the right places at the right time.

R&D This type of support is intrinsic to the nature of the JGH as a medical institution, extending into the area of medical education and training, as well as research and development. The hospital’s principal R&D facility is the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI), whose researchers have cross-appointments and strong connections to McGill University.

GE Healthcare GE Healthcare has been honored to work with the leaders and frontline heroes at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), as a long-term partner committed to a shared goal of leveraging innovation to deliver world-class patient care. JGH has long been recognized as a leading Healthcare provider both in Canada, and globally, due to their focus on delivering patient care of the highest quality. Further, JGH consistently leverage advanced technologies as they strive to deliver clinical excellence. In collaboration with JGH, we continue to focus successfully on reducing patient backlogs, optimizing patient care, and enhancing operational efficiency. Like JGH, our commitment to customers can be felt both globally and locally though our technologies and solutions with a devoted local Applications and Service team. Our GEHC ecosystem delivers precision health: digitizing healthcare and driving productivity to improve outcomes for patients, providers, health systems, and researchers around the world. As a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, we enable clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications, and services, supported by our Edison intelligence platform. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture of respect, transparency, and unyielding integrity. Today, we are actively working on cutting edge solutions in cardiology, medical imaging, and critical care. We are also proud to share that JGH is using the GEHC Centricity High Acuity Care Solution to address surgical backlogs and increase OR performance. Moving forward, emerging challenges will bring further opportunities to work together to drive innovative patient centered solutions. We are grateful to be part of the patients’ journey with the JGH in moments that matter.

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JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

ADSS As a Security Systems Integrator, ADSS continues to be involved in several projects and renovations for the Jewish General Hospital. At the beginning of the pandemic, we assisted in the construction of one of the first COVID-19 test centers in Montreal. Due to the unprecedented urgency, most of the technical teams worked tirelessly, allowing the center to open several days ahead of schedule.

“ T H E C O N T I N U E D F O C U S O N M E N TA L H E A LT H I S E S S E N T I A L A S W E R E B O U N D F R O M T H E C OV I D - 1 9 PA N D E M I C ”

We remained onsite until the last minute and witnessed the many healthcare workers waiting to receive and test patients for this new potentially deadly virus. Our healthcare workers are the epitome of courage, and we are humbled to have been able to support them with this undertaking.

– D R . L AW R E N C E R O S E N B E R G , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O , J E W I S H G E N E R A L H O S P I TA L

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Since opening in 1967, the LDI has been at the forefront of health research, becoming one of the premier research institutes in Canada. “In the early 1980s, Dr. Mark Wainberg conducted pioneering work on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, leading to the discovery of the anti-viral drug 3TC (Lamivudine) in 1989,” Dr. Rosenberg elaborates. “This drug is still used in combination with other medications to treat infections caused by HIV. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Brent Richards of the LDI has been prominent in gaining an understanding of the genetic risk for COVID-19 and establishing genetic predictors for the severity of the disease. “As we emerge from this pandemic, the LDI will continue to expand its research focus on emerging infectious diseases, informed by our clinical experience at the JGH, one of the

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34 | North America Outlook issue 08

busiest infectious disease hospitals in Quebec and Canada.” As well, the LDI has been at the forefront of mental health research, with Dr. Laurence Kirmayer’s pioneering achievements in cultural psychiatry, and Dr. Brett Thombs’ work in screening for depression in his international, collaborative DEPRESSED PROJECT. The continued focus on mental health is essential as society rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic.

LDI’S EPIDEMIOLOGY CENTER According to Dr. Rosenberg, the LDI’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology, led by Dr. Samy Suissa, plays a central role in assessing, monitoring and improving healthcare interventions. To do so, it relies on its leaders in pharmaco-epidemiology, which involves studying the risks and benefits of medications in the realworld conditions of clinical practice.

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North America Outlook issue 08 | 35

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

This has led to the development of new research and the extensive publication of articles about methods of accomplishing more rapid and accurate assessments of drug safety and effectiveness. Over the past 10 years, analysis of the data has been conducted by the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effects Studies (CNODES), which is based at the LDI. CNODES includes a panCanadian team of scientists who draw on provincial healthcare databases to evaluate the effects of medications used by Canadians. “This vision will now be expanded to include the development of our Centre for Digital Health and Applied Precision Medicine,” Dr. Rosenberg continues. “Its program will include the entire spectrum of research: basic research, including target identification and molecular pharmacology; prevention through the identification of diseasesusceptibility genes and pathogenetic mechanisms; translational clinical research that specializes in clinical trials that incorporate correlation studies based on patient-derived bio specimens; and lastly, the identification of epidemiological and psychosocial contributors to health and illness. “The focus will be on a bench-tobedside-to-community approach. We aim to capture an Evolving Digital

The Eyes of the Pandemic. Some personal portraits of our frontline workers during the pandemic

36 | North America Outlook issue 08

Patient Passport that will incorporate diverse datasets, including genomics data, epigenetic data, microbiome data combined with socio-economic data, clinical data and environment exposure data to personalize our approaches to human health and disease.” This patient passport will evolve over time in the form of a “learning health journey”. With the changing demographics of Canada’s aging population, the JGH recognizes that most people will be living with multiple chronic diseases. Therefore, a focus on the early diagnosis of chronic diseases will be essential in improving the health of its patient populations. “This will include an emphasis on innovative technologies, such as wearables and liquid biopsies,” Dr. Rosenberg says. “Can you imagine the day where an annual blood sample will be able to screen for early onset cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes? The change in focus to early diagnosis represents an inflection point that could change the course of the chronic disease trajectory and have major health benefits for society.”

HOSPITAL REBUILD – PHASE ONE The JGH has also invested significantly in better patient care

by building a new critical-care wing, known as Pavilion K, a project that has been implemented in three phases to date. The fourth and final phase, renovation of the legacy building, is soon to get under way. The Pavilion K project was named the 2017 PMI (Project Management Institute) Project of the Year (Elixir Competition). Phase one was the launch of the new JGH Emergency Department (ED) in 2014. Between 2010 and 2014, the ED team pursued an innovative design that followed the adage, “form follows function”. Members of the team visited new EDs across Canada and the US, while contacting top ED architects and conceptual ED innovators in North America. A peripheral entry, linear pod design, was retained and married to the splitflow concept of ED patient flow. “For many years, the JGH’s ED had been the busiest in Quebec,” Dr. Rosenberg tells us. “This occurred in the years that followed SARS and H1N1, and thus, preventive isolation issues remained at the forefront of the hospital’s concerns. This preoccupation resulted in a design consisting mostly of individualized patient examination rooms, with true ceilings, individualized ventilation and many negative pressure rooms in the pods. There was also a pressing need to manage the volume within the constraints of the designated space for the ED. “Historically, the ED was an exceedingly noisy, stressful area where staff retention and the safe care of patients were preoccupying issues. This prompted us to implement an innovative design and use special materials to decrease the impact of noise. The ED became the first in Quebec to have a designated Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ), the split-flow concept, peripheral entry for families, a linear pod design, and – somewhat presciently – an ED designed to handle a sudden influx

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

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North America Outlook issue 08 | 37

of infectious patients in case of a pandemic crisis. Since then, these concepts have spread to the planning of other new EDs in Quebec. The JGH’s ED remains the busiest in the province, with close to 95,000 visits annually, prior to COVID-19.”

HOSPITAL REBUILD – PHASES TWO AND THREE Phases two and three were designed to deliver on the promise of a “healing environment” on the nursing units and in all of the critical care areas, centered around the needs of patients and their families, and the requirements of medical professionals. Moreover, four clinical programs were completely reimagined to produce two units with integrated care trajectories based on the integrated practice unit (IPU) model. These were the Cardiovascular IPU (Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, CVICU) and the Neurosciences IPU (co-localizing Neurology and Neurosurgery to provide an intermediate level of 38 | North America Outlook issue 08

“ R E C R U I T M E N T A N D E M P LOY E E W E L LB E I N G W I L L A L S O R E M A I N A K E Y PA R T O F O U R F O C U S M O V I N G F O R WA R D , T O E N S U R E T H AT M E M B E R S O F O U R S TA F F F E E L T H E Y ARE BEING WELL SUPPORTED IN THE I N C R E A S I N G LY B U S Y D E C A D E T H AT L I E S AHEAD” – D R . L AW R E N C E R O S E N B E R G , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O , J E W I S H G E N E R A L H O S P I TA L

care, including a state-of-the-art rehabilitation room). “A particularly noteworthy feature of the new pavilion resulted from intentional planning back in 2010: This was the design of a dedicated pandemic ward, the first of its kind for any new expansion project in a hospital in Quebec,” Dr. Rosenberg explains. “Our experience with H1N1 in 2009 raised questions about our preparedness for future pandemics. As a consequence, during the early design phase of Pavilion K, we incorporated a 24-bed unit, in

which all rooms are single-bedded, equipped with negative pressure ventilation and including negative pressure antechambers. “In addition, each nursing unit in Pavilion K is equipped with a certain number of negative pressure rooms – with and without antechambers – to accommodate additional patients requiring isolation. Accordingly, the JGH was designated as Montreal’s first adult COVID-19 site during the first wave of the pandemic, when as many as 176 COVID-19 patients were admitted at the peak.”

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

STERILIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY Pavilion K’s operating rooms (OR) were designed to prioritize strict infection control and to optimize the flows of patients and materials. The stand-out features include a direct link with sterilization (elevators for clean and soiled items); a sterile core, with automated dispensing cabinets; case cart trajectories; pre- and postoperative patient flows, previously mapped out using RFID; a dedicated robotic surgery theater, and a hybrid robotic room, enabling cardiac surgeons and cardiologists to work together concurrently. “Special mention must also be made of the use of DMI machines in the sterile core,” Dr. Rosenberg adds. “These are automated dispensing machines, tracked by dedicated software in real time, that require no human interaction. Their installation has permitted us to have 100 percent control of ophthalmology lenses, including use by specific surgeons. This has enabled us to track the type of lens implanted into which patient, thereby reducing costs and theft.” Furthermore, the Sterilization Department was renovated in 2016 and remains to this day a showcase of best practice for hospitals in Quebec. With Pavilion K, the JGH has been able to centralize all sterilization activities across its 34 sites. All of the norms of

Discover Our New Energy Efficient Project

the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) are respected, and the JGH has had 100 percent compliance, as documented in four accreditations in a row. “Lastly, we would like to draw attention to the important green issue of energy saving and sustainable development (ESSD),” Dr. Rosenberg says. “An $18.8 million ESSD project is now under way, with more than 85 percent of the measures completed. Ultimately, savings are estimated at $1.3 million per year. The project focuses on traditional energy management measures, but will also ensure the development of more ambitious and innovative measures, such as the installation of an aerothermal system to supplement the heating network of the JGH.”

DIGITAL HEALTH

JGH, a member facility of the West-Central Montreal Health Authority (CIUSSS), have pioneered the first application of the Microsoft HoloLens for use in real-time, extended reality (XR) clinical support of a minimally invasive heart procedure.

Looking forward, the JGH will continue to implement its digital health strategic plan, including its Connected Health Record, a nextgeneration electronic health record (EHR) under co-development; expanding data analytics and the data science portfolio with an international partner; introducing digital assistants – for example chatbots –to facilitate user interaction and experience. “We will expand the operations of our command center to include AI-based modelling and data

analysis,” Dr. Rosenberg notes. “Virtual care will also be a focal point of our future activities, and we will scale up our COVID@HOME program to a full HOSPITAL@HOME program.” Of key importance is OROT (“illumination” in Hebrew), the CIUSSS’s connected health innovation hub which is based at the JGH. OROT is bringing together healthcare professionals and privateHealthcare entrepreneurs to better understand the needs of healthcare users, co-develop prototypes, and integrate and commercialize the next generation of digital innovation. In a broader sense, Dr. Rosenberg explains, OROT is challenging its participants to do nothing less than “re-imagine the future of healthcare networks,” but always with an eye toward human-centered design. “Recruitment and employee wellbeing will remain a key part of our focus moving forward,” Dr. Rosenberg adds. “This will ensure that members of our staff feel they are being well supported in the increasingly busy decade that lies ahead.”

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL Tel: 514-340-8222 communications@jgh.mcgill.ca www.jgh.ca North America Outlook issue 08 | 39

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

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We are constantly pushing the edge of what’s possible and redefining what’s possible for our clients.” EnTech Solutions (EnTech) was born from a vision to bring clean energy solutions into the future. As a division of Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), EnTech is breaking new ground in the business of renewables, natural gas and sustainable fuels.

North America Outlook issue 08 | 41

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EnTech specializes in distributed energy, eMobility charging, innovative sustainable fuel technologies and asset management for businesses looking for reliable, clean energy solutions. This entails end-to-end microgrid development, installations and optimization. As the orator of the opening statement, Paul Kane touches on the concept of innovation that is the essential crux underpinning EnTech’s

continual success on the North American energy stage. Kane oversees a key segment of EnTech’s operations as the Vice President of Renewable Fuels. He brings to the role a wealth of experience in both project development and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project execution, gained during his prior tenure at CB&I – a leading contractor in both the oil and gas and

THE ENTECH DIFFERENCE SCALABILITY – EnTech Solutions leverages its unique, one-of-a-kind technology to enable clients to achieve peak energy performance and expand as their energy needs grow. EXPERTISE – With decades of experience in engineering, onsite integration and manufacturing, the EnTech Solutions team is comprised of well-versed professionals who simultaneously implement advanced technologies to exceed clients’ needs. INTEGRATION – EnTech Solutions’ highly trained experts analyze the situation, develop a solution, and seamlessly integrate it to provide clients with efficiency in the most sustainable way possible. RISK REDUCTION – EnTech Solutions recognizes that every client’s vision is unique, and provides full service from its inception. From design and assembly to installation and integration, the EnTech Solutions team is ready to bring your vision to life. VISION – EnTech Solutions diverges from the traditional idea of energy to provide energy resilience and independence on behalf of its clients.

44 | North America Outlook issue 08

renewable energy (RE) spaces. When CB&I acquired leading process technologies provider Lummus Technology, Kane became familiar with the realm of sustainable and clean fields projects, overseeing the engineering and modularization of components destined for largescale energy projects. Kane joined the FTI organization in 2018, and the EnTech division of the business was introduced the following year. “We formed EnTech Solutions as the renewable energy (RE) business unit of the overall FTI company,” he notes. Operations within EnTech itself are divided into three major areas of focus. The first pertains to distributed energy, delivering systems that ensure customers are always benefitting from the highest value, least expensive and most reliable electricity. Second, the company is a full-solution eMobility infrastructure provider, developing innovative and scalable charging solutions for customers across the US. Kane also supervises the other primary unit, what he refers to as “the gas side of the business.” This unit is the sustainable fuels division which encompasses the work in renewable natural gas (RNG); green hydrogen and other clean fuel projects.

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VAN METER VAN METER SHARES TIPS FOR GAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE IN CONSTRUCTION There will always be challenges to staying competitive in the construction industry – everything from managing total installation costs and sourcing the right materials to keeping pace with technology and navigating labor shortages. Gaining an edge is about how you prepare for and respond to these challenges. Here are three simple tips to break through the status quo.

“ I N T H E R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y B U S I N E S S , THERE’S A HUGE PUSH FROM ENERGY C O R P O R AT I O N S T O A C H I E V E N E T- Z E R O A N D D E C A R B O N I Z E PA R T S O F T H E I R P O R T F O L I O. T H E A N S W E R S T H AT W E H AV E D E V E L O P E D I N T H E R N G S PAC E H E L P O U R PA R T N E R S A N D C L I E N TS AC H I E V E T H OS E G OA L S BY REDUCING THEIR CARBON EMISSIONS” – P A U L K A N E , V I C E P R E S I D E N T R E N E WA B L E F U E L S , E N T E C H

Throughout all channels of business, EnTech upholds a continuous commitment to developing the latest technologies, providing world-class opportunities for its people and its resources. The newest division within FTI, EnTech is bolstered by half a century of energy experience from the wider FTI business. This equips EnTech with the expertise and technological prowess to take energy solutions to the next level, elevating clean energy resources. “Innovation is at the core of everything we do,” comments Kane. “Microgrids, RNG and green hydrogen – these are all still fairly new concepts to the energy industry that will play a large part in the energy transition.” Without innovation, EnTech would 46 | North America Outlook issue 08

not deliver comprehensive and differentiated capabilities to provide solutions tailored to their customers’ individual demands. “Every client has different challenges, and every facility is unique, so if you’re unable to innovate and provide creative, sustainable solutions, then you’re probably not achieving business success for the long term,” surmises Kane.

HITTING THE GAS – WASTE-TO-ENERGY As a major component of the company’s renewable fuels business, EnTech is taking great strides in the RNG industry. EnTech works from project conception to commissioning and transforming waste into a clean

#1 CREATE MORE LIGHTBULB MOMENTS An open mind opens the door to possibility, but more importantly, it can spark a lightbulb moment that leads to saving countless hours. Utilizing the latest technology isn’t always the easiest option, but it certainly moves the needle the most. Be open to change and adapting to new ways of doing things. #2 FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE SMALL WINS DAILY A handful of small changes that save a little time can result in big impact when added together. Fine-tuning processes and involving your distributor partner in planning discussions from the get-go is paramount to increasing efficiencies down the road. #3: PARTNER WITH THOSE WIRED FOR INNOVATION The industry is moving at record pace. From inventory needs, order accuracy and local accessibility, demands are high to get the right product, right away. In addition to speed, finding partners who are not only experienced but also geared towards innovation can tip the scale in your favor. Look for people who are progressive and push themselves and you to be the best. Learn more at www.vanmeterinc.com

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POWERING WHAT’S NEXT Providing you the electrical supplies and solutions to power your next construction project in a way that takes service and innovation next level is what we’re all about. We believe partnerships power progress, and when the right partners work together, incredible things happen. Let’s win your next job together!

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ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Anexinet Corporation From intelligent, full-stack engagement strategies and solutions to modern, secure infrastructure products and services, Anexinet focuses on technology-enabled business transformation that drives value. For over two decades, Anexinet has helped companies worldwide solve their most complex challenges—from engaging frontend interactions to dependable backend solutions. Anexinet’s record of client success springs from a culture rooted in thought leadership and delivery excellence.

and renewable gas source. EnTech’s greater penetration into the RNG industry reflects a movement gaining momentum across North America. In the past five years alone, the number of RNG projects undertaken across the country has practically doubled, according to a 2020 report by Wood Mackenzie. This comes as RNG – a pipelinequality gas that is interchangeable with conventional natural gas – receives increasing attention as an eco-friendly and reliable alternative to fossil fuels that can effectively power natural gas vehicles. Today, a record number of Americans are relying on natural gas as a clean-burning fuel that can be used across a host of applications. Although the chemical compounds of both natural gas and RNG are the same and can substitute each other, the environmental impact of the two fuels differs greatly. RNG is the cleaner alternative due to the many sources that can produce it – whether agricultural waste or captured methane gas offloaded by the decomposition at landfill sites. Essentially, as biogas is processed and purified, RNG boasts a lower carbon intensity (CI) rating than fossil fuel natural gas. This reduced CI score translates to an overall reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 48 | North America Outlook issue 08

and methane avoidance. When used in vehicles, natural gas emits six to 11 percent lower levels of GHGs than gasoline throughout the fuel life cycle. In addition, studies show significantly lower GHG emissions from RNG compared to conventional fossil fuel natural gas. Within this dynamic area of activity, in late 2020, EnTech acquired an active biogas facility in the town of Springfield, Dane County, Wisconsin. As such, EnTech significantly expanded its clean energy portfolio with the commitment to providing a sustainable energy future by working with local agriculture and county officials. At this facility, anaerobic digestion is used to convert organic waste from local dairy farms into RNG. A key component in the regional ecosystem, the biogas plant also utilizes advanced filtration technology to reduce phosphorus in the watershed. Caused by overfertilization, the phosphorus found in farm water runoff can be harmful to nearby water bodies. This agricultural partnership is also significant to the dairy farming community for counteracting the harmful effects of methane – the second most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG) after carbon dioxide.

Anexinet is renowned for its organizational transformations and digital modernization capabilities that have helped companies align their technologies to better serve their business and customer needs—this is especially true with renewable energy, power management. Faith Technologies partnered with Anexinet to develop a software monitoring and management solution for their microgrids. The Anexinet solution taps into IoT devices on the grid to extract and aggregate telemetry data in near real-time. The data is presented on user-friendly dashboards where it’s used for managing energy consumption, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, as well as to estimate customer savings when embracing renewable energy. With the help of Anexinet, Faith Technologies enables a frictionless transition to scalable, renewable energy by: • Facilitating proactive identification of inefficiencies, • Rapidly responding to identified issues, and • Continuously improving customer experience Learn more about how Anexinet can help your organization. Contact us at www.anexinet.com

www.anexinet.com

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Electrical Reliability Services

“GREEN HYDROGEN IS A BUILDING BLOCK FO R M A N Y C L E A N F U E L S AC R OSS T H E G LO B E W H E R E C O M PA N I E S A R E T R Y I N G TO D E C A R B O N I Z E T H E I R P O R T FO L I O S . W E A R E L O O K I N G AT H O W W E C A N U S E R N G O R W I N D P OW E R TO P R OV I D E G R E E N H Y D R O G E N T O S U C H FA C I L I T I E S ” – P A U L K A N E , V I C E P R E S I D E N T R E N E WA B L E F U E L S , E N T E C H

Indeed, according to EPA.gov, the agricultural sector alone accounts for 10 percent of US GHG emissions. “Partnering with farmers and community members, our team of RNG experts has proven experience in anaerobic digestion and modular gas processing solutions to help drive value throughout the project life cycle,” Kane states. “This is a great example of what can be done at other digester sites to produce RNG from biogas streams.” Today, EnTech has partnered with four farm families in this project, gathering manure from more than 4,000 cows to process in air-tight digester tanks. While this process produces a significant amount of biogas, those emissions are captured within the digester rather than released into the atmosphere. That same biogas stream also holds the potential to be transformed into RNG, offsetting the dependence on fossil fuel-based natural gas with the potential to reduce emissions by more than 11,000 metric tons of carbon 50 | North America Outlook issue 08

dioxide equivalent per year. Research shows that when allclimate benefits are considered together, RNG from dairy manure can reduce GHG emissions by up to 400 percent when it is used to replace traditional vehicle fuels. In recognition of this potential, EnTech has repurposed the plant into an RNG facility within this past year. That same feedstock of agricultural waste is now processed into RNG and injected into an interstate pipeline used for transportation fuel on the West Coast. “We sell the RNG that we’re producing at that facility for use in vehicle fleets, to help the end-users reach net-zero goals for their carbon emissions,” says Kane. The pivot into RNG at the facility was born from shifting priorities within the renewable market. EnTech concluded that producing RNG would bring more value compared to the renewable electricity that the existing system had previously generated.

In business since 1971, Electrical Reliability Services, Inc. (ERS) is an electrical engineering and testing company providing comprehensive testing, maintenance and engineering services to a variety of industries including utilities, data centers, renewable energy, commercial and industrial industries. For over 50 years, our team of NETA certified engineers, technicians, and service professionals bring their experience and expertise to every project to ensure compliance and, most importantly, safety. Our corporate mission is to ensure a world that is sustainable, electrically safe, and reliable so every person can return home to their families each night. That is why we don’t compromise on safety or delivering quality, qualified services. ERS’s services are designed to support our customers’ needs throughout the entire project lifecycle from initial planning and electrical design to commissioning to ongoing maintenance and testing. We provide a wide range of services including: • Commissioning • Acceptance Testing and Maintenance • Electrical Engineering • DC Power Testing and Maintenance • Protection and Controls • Compliance Programs We strive to help our customers wherever they are on their project timeline. We are privileged to partner with Faith Technologies to deliver world-class expertise in engineering, construction, manufacturing and clean energy. With over 30 service center locations nationwide, ERS can serve the Faith Technologies customer base wherever they are located. Our technicians and engineers bring specialized expertise and experience to every project so we can deliver “Next Level Reliability”. Visit ERS.vertiv.com

ERS.vertiv.com

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Engineered Rigging Engineered Rigging’s engineers and equipment experts have a hardearned reputation for overcoming the most challenging heavy lifting projects. By providing engineering and design-build services, as well as equipment rental and sales under one roof, the company delivers clients a trifecta of benefits: affordability, time savings, and innovation. “From heavy lifting equipment rental and sales to customized, turnkey solutions for complex heavy lifting projects, Engineered Rigging is a nimble partner on the global stage,” shared Christopher Cox, P.E., co-founder and president of Engineered Rigging.

Above all, not only does this facility produce clean energy, but it also runs on it. The site is becoming carbon neutral through the installation of a microgrid to power the electrical demand of the facility. “To add to the facility’s sustainability, EnTech integrated distributed energy technology which produces clean energy for the site,” says Kane. Demanding large capacity, EnTech’s DCentrlQ™ microgrid platform provided the perfect solution. Taking advantage of the microgrid’s batteries and inverters, the system was paired with solar panels to effectively add a further 2.8 Megawatts (MW) of clean power. This translates to enough energy to power over 400 homes. “This was a huge investment that we made in acquiring that facility and then expanding it into a complete solution, adding a microgrid to offset our dependence on fossil fuel energy from a power plant and power the facility with renewable electricity.” The microgrid system is then monitored remotely through the 52 | North America Outlook issue 08

advanced software of the EnTech Energy Center™, and used to power equipment throughout the plant, including the dryers used to remove moisture from the biogas and compressors. In the West Coast marketplace where this RNG is destined, the CI score of the gas determines its value. Every environmental improvement made in the production of that source is reflected in its market value as indicated by the CI score. In turn, the CI values attributed to the RNG can also help various industrial clients reduce the overall carbon footprint of their operations. “By producing RE at the facility, via microgrid technology, the RNG’s CI score will improve, making the fuel more valuable in the marketplace,” Kane explains. “Overall, the facility will reduce emissions by more than 13,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. This reduction equates to removing the emissions of nearly 34 million miles driven by passenger vehicles.”

Engineered Rigging’s people and equipment know no boundaries, with work around the world serviced from three strategically located offices in the USA, The Netherlands, and Chile. The company’s expertise also spans a variety of industries including civil construction, power and energy, oil refineries, aeronautical and defense, ports and ship building, and industrial maintenance and construction. Engineered Rigging contributed lifting equipment and expertise on noteworthy projects including the Cline Avenue Bridge in East Chicago, Indiana, the Alto Maipo hydropower plant in Chile, and plant upgrades at an Indianapolis-based package processing facility and industrial plants across the US. For Faith Technology Incorporated’s Excellerate manufacturing division, Engineered Rigging provided the powerful hydraulic gantries needed to advance its efforts in 2021. The company is an authorized distributor and service provider for Enerpac Heavy Lifting Technology including cube jacks, jack-up systems, strand jacks, synchoists, skidding systems and gantries. You can explore Engineered Rigging’s fleet, expertise, and case studies at www. EngineeredRigging.com.

www.EngineeredRigging.com

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

United Wire & Cable MAXIAMP® Underground Cablebus represents a significant innovation as the industry shifts to larger power loads. It’s the most flexible, reliable and technically advanced below grade power feeder system on the market. It’s the first system of its kind to provide a patented venting system achieving free air ampacity rating below grade. Designed to overcome the limitations of traditional underground power feeder systems, MAXIAMP® is chosen by Engineers for its design flexibility, appreciated by Electricians for its ease of installation and preferred by Owners for safe and reliable power.

Leran more, visit: www.MAXIAMPunderground.com

THE COMPLETE SOLUTION As a champion of a clean energy future, it is a complete solution that EnTech provides, centered on the pillars of resilient, smart, and economical power. “The solutions that we provide are not only technology solutions to help companies better operate their assets, but they are also EPC solutions where we can work with people in the industry to provide them with a total solution from product development through engineering and design, fabrication, modularization and then construction and commissioning,” Kane explains. This cements EnTech’s position as a reliable and trusted partner, effectively serving as the one touchpoint of accountability for all major projects in delivering a total energy solution. EnTech’s pursuits are devised with the farmer and the end-user in mind. Such undertakings and innovations 54 | North America Outlook issue 08

would be futile if they did not add value to the agricultural community and a client’s business. In the current energy climate where sustainable development goals (SDGs) and commitments to decarbonize and reach net zero are growing rapidly, there is ample market demand for EnTech to answer. Such declarations have become commonplace to a whole generation of corporate entities, and it is these companies and businesses that EnTech is primed to serve. “In the renewable energy business, there’s a huge push from energy corporations to achieve net-zero and decarbonize parts of their portfolio,” Kane comments. “The answers that we have developed in the RNG space help our partners and clients achieve netzero goals by reducing their carbon emissions.” As evidenced by the company’s foray into the RNG space, EnTech

Intecrowd Intecrowd is a boutique Workday Services Partner trusted by customers to deploy and support Workday. Example services include: • Deploying Workday FunctionalityFinance, HCM, Integrations, and Planning • Application Management ServicesBreak-Fix, Functional and Technical Enhancements, and more Ways we’ve supported over 140 Workday customers, like Faith Technologies, include: • • • •

Benefits Integrations Learning Deployments Vaccine Management Solutions Strategic Reporting and Dashboard Services • Enhancing Functionality Using Workday Extend Whether you are thinking about buying Workday or are already live, we work with you to ensure you get maximum value out of your Workday investment.

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

CABLEBUS SYSTEM • Patented venting system achieves maximum cable ampacity based on Free Air Ratings. • Engineered to carry phase current loads up to 8000 Amps in a voltage range of 480V to 46kV. • Requires considerably less space and installation labour when compared to duct bank.

PROVIDES FREE AIR RATING BELOW GRADE!

• Smaller and unarmoured power cables enable easier routing options and provide cost savings.

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North America Outlook issue 08 | 55

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

NOX Innovations NOX Innovations specializes in virtual design construction services for electrical contractors nationwide. We help our customers meet the ongoing demands of an everevolving construction industry through modeling, coordination, and fabrication. We continuously adapt our software to remain compatible with the cuttingedge technology it pairs with, which is also constantly changing. It’s our team of experts and the implementation of the technology available that brings forth the innovation, techniques and processes that allow us to provide solutions for the various obstacles our customers face.

noxinnovations.com

diversifies beyond electrification, providing companies with resilient energy solutions that enable a greater level of autonomy, controlling their energy destiny and the costs involved. EnTech Solutions utilizes proprietary energy modeling and optimization software to ensure intelligent, comprehensive, and resilient electricity is delivered from an infrastructure that prioritizes the use of all available resources, such as renewables, storage and the utility grid. ”We continue to bring industrydisrupting energy solutions to the market, breaking out our offerings and continuously optimizing our systems,” Kane states. As a tech-fueled enterprise, EnTech leverages leading software to deliver customized energy solutions to clients. Energy DNA™ is the company’s energy modeling software, effectively used to model a customer’s electrical 56 | North America Outlook issue 08

load to assess the feasibility of distributed energy resources – whether in microgrids, solar battery storage, EV charging and more. The tool is invaluable in energy project planning, allowing EnTech to quickly and efficiently run iterations of solar, storage, EV charging, grid-tied and backup scenarios. This software helps their customers take control of their energy future and unlocks the possibilities of distributed energy. Complementary to this, the EnTech Energy Center software provides advanced optimization capabilities that help to drive businesses forward. Offering full visibility and control of microgrids, the platform provides instantaneous performance information utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence. As the foundation of the EnTech digital energy platform, EnTech Energy Center acts as the nucleus of the system, providing critical and

Werner Electric Supply By focusing on the strengths of its construction partners and supplementing them with industryleading services and product expertise, Werner Electric Supply enables companies to increase their profitability and maintain a safe, sustainable operation. Since 1948, Werner Electric continues to adapt its construction capabilities to align with customer demands and best practices, leading the Midwest in the distribution of electrical products and services. From custom assemblies to premodified products and clean energy solutions, Werner Electric’s expanding offerings and trusted insights make it the preferred choice for any construction operation.

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ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

L EV E R AGIN G THE U SE OF C UT T ING E DGE TECHNO LO GY MODELING COORDINATION FABRICATION NOXINNOVATIONS.COM

Visit WernerElectric.com to see what we can do for you.

Werner Electric Supply is a customer- and employee-focused, world-class distributor of electrical products and services for contractors, industrial manufacturers and diverse global OEMs. With 450 dedicated employees across 11 locations in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Werner Electric works diligently to exceed our customers’ expectations. • Custom Assemblies and Services • Lightning Pull Wire and Cable Bundles • Lighting Services • Clean Energy Solutions • And more!

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North America Outlook issue 08 | 57

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

instant information on performance levels across both the system and at the component level controlling the relevant microgrid. EnTech Energy Center prioritizes all assets in real-time to ensure customers are receiving the highest value, least expensive and most reliable electricity from all available energy sources. EnTech’s microgrids embody flexible, resilient and smart solutions that cater to a varied range of energy needs – ideal for when quick deployment is necessary or a larger capacity is required. As an actively managed energy generation and storage system, a microgrid can generate electricity from all major renewable sources. This combination of distributed energy assets allows users to harness and store electricity for later use.

Indeed, across North America alone, the market for microgrids is one defined by healthy growth. As forecasted by Graphical Research, the use of microgrids is expected to escalate significantly by 2027 due to the rising integration of sustainable electrical infrastructure and a growing reliance on RE. The industry outlook, as a whole, is accelerating thanks to the expansion of smart electric networks combined with advanced distributed generation technologies. EnTech’s smart microgrid solutions are at the vanguard of this dynamic market shift. The company’s portfolio includes two primary models of microgrid solutions –Xcape™ and DCentrlQ. A rapidly deployable microgrid solution designed for quick installation, Xcape delivers renewable grid-tied or off-grid power whenever

Mattox Welding We specialize in production welding with semi tight tolerances for mainly Faith Technologies and Excellerate along with other companies in the Midwest. We offer CNC plasma cutting, aluminum mig welding, tig welding, process piping fabrication, structural mig welding, as well as manufacturing of small and large components. From small to large orders our company can handle the simplest to the most complex quickly, efficiently and with the utmost quality.

Rich.mattox@gmail.com

and wherever clients need it. Xcape operates on power generated from solar panels while storing excess energy in the battery system to meet customers’ needs today and in the future. In other words, Xcape guarantees uninterrupted operations. If solar power is unavailable due to cloud cover or during the night, it will continue to provide resilient power by sourcing electricity from the battery system, the grid, or a clean-fueled generator. As a smart choice for on-demand access, Xcape is equipped with real-time digital access to energy production and consumption stats, with system intelligence maximizing the use of renewable clean energy. It is also an expandable and scalable solution that can adapt to evolving energy needs. Meanwhile, for clients in the commercial, light industrial, eMobility charging, agriculture and off-grid 58 | North America Outlook issue 08

ENTECH SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Mattox Welding We do all welding and fabrication processes such as, Structural Mig, Process piping, Cnc design and plasma cutting, Structural steel fabrication, Electrical Skid Fabrication, Underground piping and fabrication, and we have recently started building skid loader attachments. Most of the work we do is fabricated in house and shipped to a jobsite ready to be bolted. We can do on site fabrication if needed. We are also certified in Api 1104 and Asme B31.3.

Rich Mattox: 816-813-7328 | Rich.mattox@gmail.com sectors, DCentrlQ is an efficient direct current (DC) based microgrid solution providing sustainable and costeffective energy. “For clients with larger or more complex needs, EnTech’s DCentrlQ is an efficient DC-based solution delivering sustainable energy to help lower your utility costs and provide energy resilience.” DCentrlQ is an integrated distributed energy solution that can support any energy source, load, power system and entry point with an innovative DC technology that reduces system complexities and caters for higher efficiency. Since it is a modular platform, DCentrlQ is easily scalable to power growing energy needs. “The platform utilizes an architecture that can accommodate nearly any electrical load. Integration is simple, and DCentrlQ units can be built to meet a client’s specific needs,” he informs us.

With all the solutions that EnTech offers, security is paramount. The company continuously implements next-level security measures to keep both systems and data secure. Constant monitoring and industryleading safeguards ensure critical infrastructure elements are protected for reliable system operations.

ACCELERATING THE GREEN FUTURE Across the globe, the call to transition to green energy is deafening. In this realm, the token elements of our everyday lives are changing, from the transport that we take to the petrochemicals found in the clothes we wear and the plastics we use. In the context of this widespread concern and the many sources of application where clean energy has a role to play, EnTech’s growth areas are varied as the company seeks to decarbonize facilities on behalf of its clients on a global scale. Unleashing

the potential of green hydrogen will be critical in this regard. “Green hydrogen is a building block for many clean fuels across the globe where companies are trying to decarbonize their portfolios, so we are looking at how we can use RNG or wind power to provide green hydrogen to such facilities,” Kane concludes. With its industry-leading expertise, advanced suite of solutions and reputation as a trusted and reliable partner, for EnTech Solutions, the future is green.

ENTECH SOLUTIONS Tel: 920.225.6737 entechsolutions@faithtechinc.com www.energybyentech.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 59

RUBELLITE ENERGY INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

E N E R GY G E M S TO N E Newly-formed Rubellite Energy is the latest jewel in the Clearwater crown, as President and CEO, Sue Rose, informs us Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: David Knott

nearthed in July 2021, Rubellite Energy (Rubellite) is a true gem. This new, pure play Clearwater oil company was created last year by Perpetual Energy (Perpetual), an active player in the Canadian oil and gas industry for close to two decades. Over the past four years, Perpetual had accumulated a material land position in the exciting, emerging Clearwater oil play in eastern Alberta, where it is well-capitalized to deliver on its ambitious growth plan. Rubellite raised close to $83 million in equity capital in October to close the acquisition of the Clearwater assets from Perpetual, and fund an initial drilling program to delineate and develop established pools and also test several exploratory prospects. The company has also been successful in expanding its land base and location inventory through bolt-on land purchases in its core operating areas, and negotiating

access to additional exploratory lands across the Clearwater play fairway. “A large inventory of potential drilling locations in the Clearwater play have been identified and captured by Rubellite,” begins Sue Rose, President and CEO of Rubellite. “We have a robust, organic growth plan, investing capital into the drill bit to increase production, reserves, cash flow and value for shareholders.”

DRILLING PROGRAM Through a management services contract with Perpetual, Rubellite hit the ground running with an experienced team to drive its exploration activities, optimize the development of its Clearwater assets, and produce and market its heavy oil. As Clearwater formation occurs at relatively shallow depths of 450 to 800 meters, the opportunity to produce heavy oil from these unconventional reservoirs has been unlocked by innovative new multilateral drilling technology.

North America Outlook issue 08 | 61

Three core areas, namely at Marten Hills, Figure Lake, and Ukalta, were targeted in Rubellite’s initial drilling program

“From a single wellbore, generally six to eight legs are drilled horizontally, opening up close to 10,000 meters of fine-grained sandstone reservoir for production,” Rose explains. “At current oil prices, rapid payouts on the modest capital investment per well translates to high rates of return, ranking this play amongst the most economically viable in North America.” With access to capital firmly in hand, the drilling program was launched to follow up on the seven successful wells that grounded Rubellite’s initial production base at inception. Three core areas, namely at Marten Hills, Figure Lake, and Ukalta, were targeted in Rubellite’s initial drilling program, which launched last summer. “Production was established at Marten Hills with two drills in early July. The rig then moved south and four exploratory wells were drilled on two separate pad sites, targeting to establish production across the large, contiguous land base assembled in 62 | North America Outlook issue 08

the Figure Lake area and delineate the economic development potential,” states Rose. “From there, the planned drilling program shifted to the development of the proven Clearwater zone in the Ukalta area at the southern end of the Clearwater play fairway.” As strong initial production rates were established from two wells on the south pad at Figure Lake, Rubellite contracted a second rig to follow up on its success. Four additional wells have since been drilled in the area, and have recently been placed on production. “Once the wells get through their initial oil-based mud recovery period, sales production rates will be closely monitored to refine expected type curves and inform future development plans,” Rose outlines. Meanwhile, a continuous development drilling plan at Ukalta remains ongoing, and production is growing quickly as new wells are drilled and placed on production. As a result, Rubellite expects to hit its 2,000 bbl/d heavy oil sales milestone late in the Q1 of 2022. In addition to investing in development drilling, capital will be allocated over the next 12 months to continue to execute its land capture strategy and to fund exploratory drilling in several of these new areas.

SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY Rubellite’s capital activities are executed through the management of a network of highly skilled, reliable partners and suppliers. “Multi-well pad sites are built to host concurrent drilling and production operations, so they require significant coordination,” elaborates Rose. “We have forged strong relationships that we can depend on for safe and efficient operations, through from padsite construction, drilling operations, wellbore equipping, and the installation of our permanent production facilities.”

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP is thankful to have such a valued longstanding relationship with the teams at Perpetual and Rubellite and it is a privilege to help these companies with their dynamic transactions and evolving legal needs.

www.bdplaw.com

McDANIEL We find value in the details. Our dedication to every fine point that makes for technical innovation, intuitive expertise and excellence in service with a collaborative approach, makes all the difference. For over 60 years we have established a trusted name that brings us to the forefront of evaluating and advising in reserves in the oil and gas industry. We are proud of our bold, unique vision of the future; one that does not compromise on everything that counts.

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RUBELLITE ENERGY INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

Use our insights Future-focused legal solutions anchored in experience

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| VALUE THE DETAILS

Congratulations to the entire Rubellite Team For over 60 years Mcdaniel has established a trusted name that brings us to the forefront of reserve evaluations and advising in the oil and gas industry.

We see the world differently. Find out more at Mcdan.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 63

RUBELLITE ENERGY INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR? SUE ROSE, PRESIDENT AND CEO: “I come from a family of geologists, and we have deep roots in the oil and gas industry in western Canada. “I studied geological engineering at university, and in my third year I had a summer job at Shell Canada. I was fascinated by the industry, the ingenuity of the people, and the intricacies of the hunt for oil and gas. “It is exciting to be part of discovering and developing energy resources that are so critical to society. Energy is foundational to prosperity in the modern world; access to clean, affordable, reliable energy makes life better for literally everyone.”

Complete with two fully-trained crews carrying out drilling operations on a 24/7 basis, Rubellite is currently running a pair of Precision Drilling (Precision) rigs that directly and indirectly employ close to 100 people and are well-suited to its multi-lateral drilling techniques, utilizing an oil-based mud system to minimize reservoir damage. “Using Secure Energy Services’ (Secure) innovative Enviromax system, we are cleaning our drill cuttings on-site and reusing the oilbased mud on a continuous basis,” says Rose. Further, wellsite geologists work closely with the directional drillers to optimize the placement of the lateral legs, steering continuously and reacting to reservoir changes encountered by Rubellite. “Experienced and talented drilling superintendents keep this complex operation running like clockwork, working to reduce drill times, minimize mud losses and formation damage, and drive ever-better capital

efficiencies.” Safety is job number one at Rubellite, and the company has a track record of excellence in this regard thanks to its management service agreement with Perpetual and a field operations team that is committed to a comprehensive health and safety management system. Rubellite’s independent board of directors oversee its environment, health and safety programs, striving for ‘triple zero performance’ – zero spills, zero injuries, and zero vehicle incidents. “Through the cost-effective management service contract with Perpetual, almost 50 employees and contractors in our Calgary head office and in the field operate Rubellite’s assets with a focus on safety first,” Rose emphasizes.

REDUCING EMISSIONS With strong balance sheets, unprecedented collaborations and innovative solutions driving evercleaner operations, responsibly North America Outlook issue 08 | 65

“Exploration will continue to be front and center for the coming year, and capital will be deployed to capture additional opportunities and expand our acreage and prospect inventory” ‑ Sue Rose, President and CEO, Rubellite Energy

produced Canadian oil and natural gas is poised to play a greater role in the global energy mix. “The Canadian oil and gas sector is up for the challenge and excited to be part of bringing ever-cleaner and much needed energy to society, improving the lives and livelihoods of Canadians and helping to build prosperity in emerging economies throughout the world,” affirms Rose. The Clearwater play is the poster child for environmentally-responsible heavy oil production, with a minimal surface land footprint for as many as eight wells, each with six to eight laterals, reaching as far as a mile away in every direction. No fracture stimulation is required in the Clearwater play, with the multi-lateral drilling technology and oil-based mud system eliminating the 66 | North America Outlook issue 08

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT TAKE ON THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN CANADA? SUE ROSE, PRESIDENT AND CEO: “The oil and gas industry in Canada is becoming an exciting place to work in again. Commodity prices have recovered from the lows of 2020 induced by a supply-demand imbalance exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These stronger prices are providing companies with the opportunity to firm up balance sheets and return value to shareholders. “Access to capital is slowly coming back as western Canadian provinces have worked hard to improve the industry’s competitiveness and secure line of sight to reliably access export markets. Concerted efforts by several provincial governments to cut red tape whilst modernizing regulations to keep up with technological change is also helping to restore investor confidence. “The oil and gas resources in western Canada are world class, and we have a tremendous pool of talent with that entrepreneurial spirit needed to drive new ideas forward every day and commercialize innovations that produce an evercleaner molecule.”

RUBELLITE ENERGY INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

“ W E H AV E A R O B U S T, O R G A N I C G R O W T H P L A N , I N V E S T I N G C A P I TA L I N T O T H E D R I L L B I T TO I N C R E AS E P R O D U C T I O N , R E S E R V E S , C A S H F L O W A N D VA L U E F O R SHAREHOLDERS” – SUE ROSE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RUBELLITE ENERGY

need to use any fresh water. “Solution gas is used to fuel production and oil treating facilities, and we are currently working on a low emissions pad site battery design to further reduce emissions,” Rose shares. “Looking forward, our consolidated land position presents pipeline tie-in opportunities to reduce and perhaps eliminate the trucking of oil to sales terminals.”

UNLOCKING VALUE In 2022, Rubellite plans to deliver a robust, organic production growth profile to unlock free funds flow. As the company hits its stride with its continuous drilling program, learnings will be applied to drive increasingly stronger capital efficiencies. “Investing through the drill bit is expected to materially grow our heavy oil reserves and inform type curves to refine expectations from our

extensive drilling location inventory,” Rose says. “Exploration will continue to be front and center for the coming year, and capital will be deployed to capture additional opportunities and expand our acreage and prospect inventory.” Coming off a busy period of corporate consolidation in the Canadian sector, growth-focused start-ups such as Rubellite are a rare find, almost as rare as the gemstone itself.

Tel: 403-269-4400 info@rubelliteenergy.com www.rubelliteenergy.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 67

RANGER ENERGY SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

RANGERS OF THE OILFIELD The oilfields of today require more than just conventional support. Mark Haubert, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, tells us how Ranger Energy Services is providing exactly that Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: David Knott

We exist to generate positive energy.” This is the motto and purpose by which Ranger Energy Services (Ranger) has lived since it was founded in 2014, providing oilfield services to major unconventional plays in the United States land market. The company services most of the active oil and natural gas basins in the country, focused on the well completion, production maintenance, workover, intervention, and plug and abandonment stages of a well’s lifecycle through its three business units: Ranger Well Services, Ranger Wireline Services, and Torrent Energy Services. “Ranger has partnerships with most of the integrated, major, and large independent exploration and production companies that operate 68 | North America Outlook issue 08

in the basins we serve,” opens Mark Haubert, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Ranger. “The well servicing market has not changed for several decades, however we believe that Ranger offers our customers a unique value proposition based on many factors that are driven by our purpose and our core values.” Indeed, Ranger is leading the way in redefining service and providing superior performance and value, as it continuously strives for customers, stakeholders and communities to have a positive experience when interacting with the company. “We accomplish this through our highly qualified teams, state-of-theart equipment, the Ranger Live™ mobile platform, and a culture of high performance,” Haubert states.

EXPANDED CAPABILITIES Ranger has a large fleet of modern equipment that is designed to complete, maintain and workover long lateral wells in unconventional basins. Following the acquisition of certain assets from Basic Energy Services (Basic), mostly associated with Basic’s well servicing, fishing and rental, coiled tubing, and rig assist snubbing services, Ranger is now the largest provider of active high-spec mobile service rigs in the US. Not only that, but it is now also one of the country’s largest completion,

production and well intervention wireline service providers, having acquired both PerfX Wireline Services (PerfX) and Patriot Well Solutions (Patriot) last year. “Ranger has worked hard over the past five years to position ourselves so that we could be acquisitive,” shares Haubert. “We have built our business on strong customer relationships, safety performance, operational performance, enhanced technology, financial performance, and a positive energy culture. Therefore, we were in position to close three significant

acquisitions over a six month period in 2021,” he reveals. The acquisitions of PerfX and Patriot have significantly increased the scale of Ranger’s existing Mallard Completions wireline business, allowing the company to extend its range of services beyond completion-oriented work by adding a full suite of production and intervention services, as well as facilitating significant geographical diversity by expanding from one to five basins served. Together with the assets acquired from Basic, these acquisitions have

made Ranger the largest active provider of onshore high-spec well service rigs and complementary services in the US. It has also made Ranger a formidable and complete wireline service provider across most active unconventional basins in the country.

MAJOR PROJECTS After the closure of these three sizeable acquisitions, a major project of focus for Ranger is the continued integration of operations and personnel into the organization and its systems. North America Outlook issue 08 | 69

1,200 members of staff were recruited in the past year to increase Ranger’s employee base to just under 2,000, and the Ranger Live™ system was deployed, delivering a customized suite of applications to the company’s field crews for observation and incident reporting, learning management, audits, asset management, job reporting and field ticketing. “The Ranger Live™ Customer Portal offers access via any device from any location to real-time job data and post-job metric reports. Providing real-time data and analytics to decision makers leads to safer and more efficient operations,” observes Haubert. During 2022, Ranger will continue to optimize facilities within certain basins, documenting an inventory of major acquired assets and cutting up old assets that are no longer useful. So far, the company has cut up 120 rigs and recycled nine million pounds of metal and rubber in a major recycling initiative. “We will also consolidate the Ranger brand; this will include the 70 | North America Outlook issue 08

The Ranger Live™ Customer Portal offers access via any device from any location to real-time job data and post-job metric reports

rebranding of all equipment, facilities, fire-retardant clothing, websites, and marketing content. Finally, we will unify our company culture by integrating recently-onboarded employees into our philosophy of positive energy,” Haubert says. Having significantly expanded the scope of its services and the geographical presence of its wireline offering, another major project for Ranger will be the further expansion of several of its service lines, including the application of Torrent Energy Services’

natural gas processing capabilities. Meanwhile, Ranger is in the process of expanding Ranger Elite, a comprehensive frac plug drillout and refrac completion solution that goes above and beyond operator expectations. Ranger Elite includes elite personnel with Ranger Readiness Personnel (RRP) certification, state-of-the-art RRP-certified Elite equipment, and Elite systems and solutions based on the Ranger Live™ mobile platform.

RANGER ENERGY SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

COMPANY CONDUCT Ranger is dedicated to providing the highest quality of service, whilst protecting its employees and the environment in which it works. The company’s Tong Operating and Positioning System (TOPS), for instance, allows closed mouth power tubing tongs to be operated from a remote location on a mobile service rig to make up and break out tubing connections. “TOPS is intended to be controlled by the rig operator so that floorhands can keep their hands away from dangerous operations. This decreases the risk of hand injuries while maintaining the operational speed of a mobile service rig,” explains Haubert.

The Mobile, Hydraulic Pipe Handler Solution Proud to be a preferred partner of Ranger Energy Services

IN DETAIL – RANGER’S BUSINESS UNITS Ranger Well Services is the largest active provider of onshore high-spec well service rigs in the United States, designed to support growing US horizontal well demands. With around 500 primarily high-spec mobile rigs, Ranger Well Services also has a wide variety of pumps, power swivels, pipe handlers, and rig assist snubbing equipment to support completion and production rig operations.

ForumDP.Sales@f-e-t.com

+1 320 491 8336 Proud part of the FET portfolio of oilfield solutions.

Further, Ranger Well Services offers coiled tubing, rental and fishing, and plug and abandonment services.

Ranger implements an award-winning, behavior2/16/2022 10:07:32 AM Ranger Wireline Services provides wireline completion Hawker - Ranger Ad 3.indd 1 services, including perforating and pumpdown services during plug and perf operations. Offering experienced crews, state-of-the-art technology, and standard operating procedures to deliver reliable wireline operations with high operating efficiency, Ranger Wireline’s production and intervention wireline services provide the information and the means to resolve production problems through its cased logging, mechanical, pipe recovery, perforating, pressure pumping and acidizing solutions. Torrent Energy Services is a premier, full-service turnkey solutions provider that enables its completion, production and midstream customers to achieve their ESG goals while improving profitability. Providing modular equipment for the processing of natural gas in basins, Torrent Energy’s solutions include mechanical refrigeration units, pressure reduction units, natural gas coolers, NGL storage tanks and natural gas generators, complemented by applications such as natural gas cooling, fuel gas conditioning, duel fuel, gas lift, gas capture, power generation, NGL recovery, and VOC emission reduction.

based quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) management system supported by a team of QHSE professionals, and deploys highly-qualiified completion and workover teams. “Our employees’ training and experience give us a competitive edge in exceeding our customers’ needs and expectations, allowing us to provide elite service and safety performance,” Haubert acclaims. “Because we view competency assurance as being an integral part of providing high-quality services, all new employees complete a virtual onboarding, which includes SAFE LAND safety training and Ranger Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) training. “Ranger also offers a Leadership Development Workshop to frontline and mid-level management that emphasizes the company’s values, positive energy culture, and various leadership skills,” he continues. A focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is essential to the company, in order to create longterm, sustainable value for employees, shareholders and stakeholders. For Ranger, leading ESG performance is yet another way for the company to generate positive energy. It has adopted an aggressive approach to spill prevention, recycling, reducing fuel consumption, and

North America Outlook issue 08 | 71

“ W E H AV E B U I LT O U R B U S I N E S S O N ST R O N G C U STO M E R R E L AT I O N S H I P S , S A F E T Y P E R F O R M A N C E , O P E R AT I O N A L PERFORMANCE, ENHANCED T E C H N O L O G Y, F I N A N C I A L PERFORMANCE, AND A POSITIVE E N E R G Y C U LT U R E ” – M A R K H A U B E R T, V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F B U S I N E S S DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING, RANGER ENERGY SERVICES

RANGER ENERGY SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

lowering hydrocarbon emissions, whilst strong workplace diversity has provided opportunities to collaborate and innovate. “Ranger strives to make a positive impact on the communities where we operate by participating in community service initiatives focused on education, military veterans, and poverty alleviation,” affirms Haubert. “We expect every employee to conduct all business activities with the highest level of integrity, and we have created an ‘ethics hotline’ to ensure that our Code of Business Ethics is being followed.” To improve its ESG performance and sustainability efforts, Ranger is implementing a number of initiatives, from the utilization of B20 biodiesel fuel and increased use of Tier 4 engines to the implementation of a dual fuel rig and an electric-powered rig and wireline package.

“Going forwards, our objectives are to continuously improve our environmental impact, our social responsibility, and our focus on ethics.”

GLOBAL DEMAND Looking ahead, Ranger’s goal is to become a leading completions and production oriented service company that generates sustainable cash flow through all business cycles. To do so, the company is implementing a three-pronged approach: create leading positions in select basins to promote in-basin scale; build efficient field operations and back office functions to costeffectively deliver world class customer service; and maintain a conservative balance sheet to promote financial resilience and enable opportunistic mergers and acquisitions.

“Ranger has the financial strength to meet our customers’ needs for the long term. We have peer-leading stock performance, one of the best debt-to-EBITDA ratios of our peer group, the most modern equipment, and the highest free cash flow yield to reinvest in growth opportunities and asset maintenance,” Haubert states. With global demand for oil and gas expected to grow, Ranger anticipates increased drilling and completion activity to bring more wells on production and increased workover activity to maintain production rates. Naturally, it means that demand for Ranger’s services is likely to follow suit.

Tel: 1-713-935-8900 contact@rangerenergy.com www.rangerenergy.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 73

Ty J. Shattuck, CEO

McMASTER INNOVATION PARK (MIP) ECONOMY

THE THRESHOLD OF

I N N OVAT I O N Ty J. Shattuck, CEO at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) explores cultivating innovation and world-leading research at the Canadian research and life sciences park bridging the gap between research and industry Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

amilton, Ontario has become a hotbed of innovation. The port city is the Western anchor of the developing ‘Life Sciences corridor’, spanning the Greater Toronto, Mississauga - Hamilton area. At the nexus of this progressive shift is McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) - a 58-acre site that is nurturing an ecosystem dedicated to world-changing discoveries, research and development. This dynamic hub has earned a reputation as Canada’s premier research and innovation park, where start-ups, SMEs and large corporations congregate to make their mark in their respective industries.

“MIP’s mission is to work with our tenant ventures and be the bridge between academia and industry, to provide the resources and the ecosystem they need to excel,” opens CEO Ty J. Shattuck. “Within our network, we can provide access to capital, business partners, lawyers and other critical services.” Through Shattuck’s direction and an exceptional support staff, MIP provides a receptive and enabling environment catering to future endeavors under the umbrella of Life Sciences and Biotech, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, and Data Sciences. “At MIP, our priority is to ensure that when our

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About McMaster Among Canada’s most research-intensive universities, McMaster is home to some of the best minds and laboratories in the country, with its research income and output rivaling those of universities more than twice its size. Our core research community comprises individuals from around the globe: some 1,000 full-time faculty, nearly 5,000 graduate students, almost 300 post-doctoral fellows and hundreds of skilled technicians and research associates. Many of our 31,000 undergraduate students work with researchers on leading-edge projects, gaining “hands-on” research experience through a number of creative programs across our six faculties – business, engineering, health sciences, humanities, science and social sciences.

Research that drives innovation McMaster is recognized as a powerhouse in health & life sciences and materials & advanced manufacturing research – among the core sectors of focus for McMaster Innovation Park – and has a track record as a trusted and reliable partner. Along with our partners, we’ve created a robust innovation ecosystem – centred at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP), the core of one of Ontario’s fastest growing life sciences hubs – that provides our researchers a natural pathway to commercialization and the necessary infrastructure to create start-ups; for start-ups to scale up; and for international companies to enter Canadian and North American markets. Our world-class academic programs ensure we are graduating highly qualified personnel who are immediately prepared to enter the workforce, with many of our graduates building their careers in our community, working alongside like-minded researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators who are driving our region’s innovation and diversifying Its economy.

Culture of collaboration McMaster’s interdisciplinary approach to research is part of our culture and a hallmark of our research brand. It’s what differentiates us and has positioned the University to tackle some of the most complex challenges of our time. Case in point: Canada’s Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats, soon to be headquartered at MIP, builds on the University’s collaborative spirit and worldleading infectious disease research. Karen Mossman, McMaster’s vice-president, research, and chair of MIP’s board of directors, says bringing experts together from across disciplines, sectors and borders – the rationale behind Canada’s Global Nexus – is critical to solving global challenges. “Coordinating our research and development efforts to test novel treatments, vaccines and diagnostic tools is absolutely essential, but we must also work together to better understand the associated human, social, economic and ethical challenges,” she says. “It’s only through that collective knowledge that we can – and will – effectively inform public policy and ensure evidence is guiding decisionmaking at all levels.” As the bridge that connects academia and industry, Mossman says MIP is the ideal location for Canada’s Global Nexus. The new eco-friendly, purpose-built building is designed to foster collaboration among connected experts across scientific, medical, social, economic and political dimensions. It will integrate world-class biomedical research infrastructure, front-line clinical care facilities, multidisciplinary education and workforce training space, plus co-located public and private pandemic preparedness teams.

A commercialization powerhouse With the help of the expert team in McMaster’s Industry Liaison Office, there’s a long and growing list of McMaster spin-off successes – high-profile, ground-breaking companies that are attracting tens of millions in venture capital investments. Here’s a look at just a few:

McMaster Industry Liaison Office 175 Longwood Road South, Suite 305 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8P 0A1 Gay Yuyitung - Executive Director E: yuyitun@mcmaster.ca | T: 905-525-9140, 23164 W: research.mcmaster.ca

Fusion Pharmaceuticals Fusion Pharmaceuticals spun out of the McMaster-based Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, led by John Valliant, McMaster professor of chemistry and chemical biology. Now headquartered at MIP, with offices in Boston, and Valliant as its CEO, the company has created a proprietary linker to connect cancer-seeking molecules and alpha emitting medical isotopes. Known as Fast-Clear™, the linker is specifically engineered to improve the safety of radiopharmaceuticals by helping the drug clear from normal, healthy tissues.

Century Therapeutics Canada McMaster start-up Empirica Therapeutics – now Century Therapeutics Canada after a 2020 acquisition – is a leader in curative cell therapies for cancer. Headquartered at MIP, the company was co-founded in 2018 by neurosurgeon Sheila Singh, professor in the Department of Surgery at McMaster, with a focus on developing immunotherapies for aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of cancer, including glioblastoma (GBM) and brain metastasis. The company is expanding patient access to life-saving cell therapies by developing innovative products that are more effective, tolerable, accessible, and affordable versus existing cells therapies.

Elarex Inc. Elarex was co-founded in 2019 by McMaster chemical engineering professor Carlos Filipe who now serves as its science advisor. Their technology – a patented mixture of natural products, considered safe by the US FDA and do not require freeze drying – can be used for safe storage of vaccines, small molecules, enzymes, biologics, DNA and RNA. The company is helping vaccine manufacturers solve the cold-chain problem by reducing spoilage, enabling accessibility to developing countries where infrastructure is often unreliable or unavailable, and improving the stability of vaccine candidates.

VoxNeuro Co-founded by McMaster professor John Connolly, VoxNeuro is pushing the boundaries of brain health and empowering physicians. The breakthrough technology uses validated brain-based biomarkers to measure cognitive health in real time, and can be used to assess the impact of any type of pathology on cognitive function. VoxNeuro exposes pure cognitive function, independent of symptomatology, to instantly generate clinical reports with universally understood insights.

Allarta Life Sciences Allarta is a pre-clinical life sciences company developing proprietary cell encapsulation technology to enable cell-based cures for chronic endocrine disorders such as diabetes, hemophilia and lysosomal storage disorders. Its proprietary technology LifeSpheres™ which protects implanted cells and stem cells against the body’s immune recognition, grew out of the early research of founder and CEO, Harald Stover, McMaster professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and his team at McMaster.

Canada’s Global Nexus for Pandemics & Biological Threats at McMaster Innovation Park (Credit: mcCallumSather LNG Studios)

McMaster neurosurgeon and co-founder of Empirica, now Century Therapeutics Canada, Sheila Singh

VoxNeuro is a breakthrough technology that measures cognitive function in real-time

McMASTER INNOVATION PARK (MIP) ECONOMY

researchers and innovators develop world changing solutions, that they have a channel to let the world know about their discoveries,” elaborates Shattuck. “In the research and innovation industry, we question the impact of a brilliant discovery - if its potential is never discovered or its solution never tested to prove its brilliance, is that discovery still good?”

WHY MIP? In terms of what makes MIP a destination of choice, Hamilton’s strategic location is truly advantageous.

“Some of the larger benefits of coming to the city of Hamilton is the talent that is produced from our universities, our close proximity to the US border and the supportive business environment that encourages innovation and allows start-ups and entrepreneurs to thrive,” comments Shattuck. As a center, MIP is dedicated to providing the ingredients for entrepreneurs, researchers and industry partners to effectively scale – whether that’s through securing capital, customers, or resources. Thanks to MIP’s intrinsic working

relationship with McMaster University, the park fully leverages the research priorities of the university and the synergies therein. “Some industries require complicated and expensive infrastructures to innovate so that is where we focus our energies, and we don’t do it alone.” This touches on the all-pervading essence of collaboration that translates across the MIP campus. “The hallmark of an ecosystem is that no-one controls it, no-one manages it. It runs on the collaboration of all our entities – our partners, venture capitalists and regulatory partners.

“ O U R P R I O R I T Y I S T O E N S U R E T H AT W H E N O U R R E S E A R C H E R S A N D I N N O VAT O R S D E V E L O P W O R L D C H A N G I N G S O L U T I O N S , T H E Y H AV E A C H A N N E L T O L E T T H E WO R L D K N OW A B O U T T H E I R D I S COV E R I E S ” – T Y J . S H AT T U C K , C E O , M c M A S T E R I N N O VAT I O N P A R K

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McMASTER INNOVATION PARK (MIP) ECONOMY

“ W E A R E A C T I V E LY L E A S I N G O U R P R O P E R T I E S A N D T H I S I S A N O P E N I N V I TAT I O N T O C O M P A N I E S T H AT WA N T T O G R O W T O C O N S I D E R M I P T H E I R FUTURE HOME” – T Y J . S H AT T U C K , C E O , M c M A S T E R I N N O VAT I O N P A R K

“You can think of MIP as the place where you can find the supportive resources to advance your company,” he declares. MIP is currently undergoing an expansion strategy to cement its footprint and further its esteemed reputation. A significant component of this concerns the establishment of a Life Sciences Innovation Cluster. “Our expansion plan for Life Sciences has us increasing from 700,000 square foot (sq. ft) to 3.5

Where companies come to grow, MIP is the bridge between research and industry, solving real industry problems. MIP has created an ecosystem that requires diversity to drive innovation and venture success.

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million sq. ft,” Shattuck tells us. At full build-out, this quantum expansion will encompass purposebuilt facilities that will have the capacity to host over 5,000 people. At 3.5 million sq.ft, the site is four times the size of New York City’s Chrysler Building. Complementary to this, the development of a biomanufacturing campus is also in progress, after MIP confirmed that it will be partnering with CCRM, a leading developer

in regenerative medicine-based technologies. The project will facilitate CCRM’s progress with facilities, services and support in the field of cell and gene therapy ventures, significantly impacting domestic manufacturing capacity in medical advances. “CCRM presence at MIP is critical to expanding our region’s efforts in biomanufacturing and through this, other economic benefits, partnerships and collaborations.”

GREEN EFFORTS The park itself embodies the spirit of innovation that binds the enterprises hosted within its network. “As a research and innovation hub, we want to ensure that innovation extends even to our infrastructure.” MIP champions an ambitious sustainability agenda and has the commitment to reach net zero by 2050. “Our vision for a Net Zero Energy Campus by 2050 is an ambitious one,” comments Shattuck. “In pursuing this, MIP is dedicated to continue exploring and investing in the energy and geothermal systems that will help us achieve this, including solar photovoltaic (PV) and eventually green hydrogen.” Alongside other energy efficient practices, electric vehicle (EV)

charging stations are being installed throughout the park. Development for an integrated community energy system (ICE harvesting) is already underway, which will allow MIP to store heat from the summer season that can then be reused during winter. Buildings across campus are being renovated and refashioned to become more sustainable, both environmentally, and from a human health perspective. “Our sustainability efforts focus on the economic, cultural and environmental pillars which will not just maximize the use of green space and amenities but will also connect people and space.”

the park itself are equally promising, as MIP continues to pursue an exciting trajectory of growth. “The best part about our expansion plan is that we can build a custom lab for potential tenant ventures who want to call MIP home. “We are actively leasing our properties and this is an open invitation to companies that want to grow to consider MIP their future home,” concludes Shattuck. In accelerating the many varied journeys of the innovators that it hosts, MIP will continue to put Hamilton on the map.

FUELING THE FUTURE Dedicated to fostering future-defining breakthroughs, the years ahead for

www.mcmasterinnovationpark.ca

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R E A L I TA L I A N GOODNESS T

here is nothing more Italian than pasta and meatballs enjoyed with friends and family. For nearly 60 years, this has been the beating heart of Rosina Food Products, Inc. (Rosina or RFP), a family-owned company based in upstate New York that is honoring this Italian tradition. “As with many family businesses, you are drawn in by the natural family connection that develops 82 | North America Outlook issue 08

We speak to the executive team at Rosina Food Products, Inc., whose flair for Italian food is thriving in Buffalo, NY Writer: Jack Salter Project Manager: Tom Cullum

within that business,” opens the CEO and President of Rosina, Russell Corigliano, whose father James Corigliano founded the Company in 1963. Russell joined RFP in the mid-1970s together with his brother, Frank Corigliano, shortly before a new, larger facility was purchased to allow the Company to expand into new markets and make its products available across the United States.

ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. FOOD & DRINK

Following the purchase and renovation of a 90,000 square foot facility in West Seneca in late 2002, together with a select number of strategic acquisitions over the years, RFP’s brands today can be found in supermarkets, wholesale clubs, commissaries, cafeterias and restaurants in North America, and Latin America.

Rosina Food Products Inc., Buffalo, NY

THE ROSINA DIFFERENCE A flexible and innovative frozen speciality food products manufacturer that provides exceptional quality and service, RFP offers a comprehensive portfolio

of frozen meatballs, pastas, pizza toppings and entrées to consumers, operators and even Fortune 500 brands looking for high quality ingredients for their product innovations. Under the Rosina, Celentano, Italian Village and Mama Lucia brands, the Company’s experienced R&D and culinary team is tasked with creating new and innovative products and recipes inspired by Italian cuisine. North America Outlook issue 08 | 83

ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. FOOD & DRINK

Striving to stay one step ahead of the latest trends, the department is led by Herb Stockschlaeder, Director – R&D and Strategic Channels, a certified research chef and himself a notable culinary expert with a deep understanding of food science as well as processing. In 2018, RFP cut the ribbon on its new 10,000 square foot Customer Focus Center, featuring a stateof-the-art test kitchen and pilot lab to support the Company’s product development efforts. The Center welcomes ingredients and foodservice partners to collaborate as well as experience the Company’s culinary creations first-hand, whilst taking a hands-on approach to

product development. “We have grown into a diversified company that services multiple divisions, including Consumer Packaged Goods, Foodservice, Ingredients, and International,” outlines John Zimmerman, Rosina’s Senior Vice President of Business Development. “We remain committed to having a diversified portfolio of products that satisfy consumers within these divisions and are focused on meeting and exceeding expectations within the industry. “The food industry has been, and continues to be, an exciting space to be a part of, as significant changes and innovations continue to take place,” he adds. RFP’s food science and culinaryNORTH AMERICA trained R&D staff work with OUTLOOK: WHAT ARE customers to create custom recipes YOUR KEY PRIORITIES and develop unique solutions to meet FOR THE COMING their specific needs. YEAR? With an understanding that quality and consistency are critical to “RFP has developed a quality, success, RFP’s choice of ingredients service and price strategy that is what makes the Company different is very simple but painstakingly from the rest. From oven-baked difficult to copy. meatballs made with premium meats “Service means so many things to individually quick frozen (IQF) at RFP; our expertise and levels pasta made from high-quality flour of service when it comes to sales, and eggs, all products are frozen at marketing and the supply chain, we peak freshness to ensure that they are believe are second to none. farm-to-table fresh. The secret ingredient, however, “We are considered by our is what it calls the ‘Rosina customers to be a ‘low Difference’. Offering maintenance supplier’, and the all-important our sales and marketing personal approach teams take pride in that is intrinsic to working with clients the Company’s and building that level family culture, RFP of trust. is passionate about “It is our duty and Frank and exceptional quality responsibility to always Russell Corigliano and service, and goes deliver competitive the extra mile to satisfy pricing. We operate very customers. efficiently at all levels of the “Our team is truly amazing, and organization and those efficiencies uniquely positioned to drive the pass on to our customers.” Rosina Difference to the nth degree,” lauds Russell Corigliano.

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Heat and Control® Heat and Control®, a world-leading equipment manufacturer, is proud to be in partnership with Rosina Food Products. Their family-owned company honoring real Italian goodness, pairs well with Heat and Control’s mission to provide industry leading production line equipment and support. We offer the latest technology and the highest quality equipment for processing, coating and seasoning, conveying, weighing, packaging, and inspection systems and have developed innovative solutions and solved production challenges for many of the world’s largest food manufacturing companies. Our Heat and Control brands include FastBack® (horizontal motion conveyors and on-machine seasoning), Mastermatic (fryers), and Spray Dynamics® (coating and seasoning application systems), and we partner with other global manufacturing leaders, including Ishida (weighing packaging and inspection) and CEIA® (metal detection). We customize all our solutions according to your priorities-from a single machine to several integrated components to a complete system, and we assume singlesource responsibility. We can assist you with equipment for all types of food, pharmaceutical, and non-food products, as well as provide pre- and post-sale technical support, including applications assistance, engineering, installation, parts, service, and training to maintain peak efficiency and achieve your production goals. Established in 1950, we are a privatelyowned family company and have 11 manufacturing facilities, 12 testing centers, and more than 30 offices around the world.

heatandcontrol.com

PROCESS PREPARED FOOD SOLUTIONS • • • • • • •

Helping you bring your best products to market. Delivering Results. With Heat and Control, you have a partner with the scale to support your success, the innovation to advance your operations, and a commitment to quality that will help you offer better products for consumers.

Batter, breading and ﬂavor application Frying and oil management Ovens and dryers/roasters Conveying and product handling Filling and weighing Foreign object and defect inspection Controls and information systems

We are successful when you are successful. That’s why we apply creativity, engineering excellence, and determined perseverance to every project to help our customers get the performance their business demands—whether measured by ﬂavor, efﬁciencies, sustainability, improvement, or innovation.

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info@heatandcontrol.com | heatandcontrol.com

20 LOOKING BACK. PRESSING FORWARD. ALWAYS INNOVATING.

ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. FOOD & DRINK

“Manners go a long way at RFP, and we have created an environment in which everyone pulls in the same direction, does the right things for the right reasons, feels part of the team, and works to support one another.” To go hand-in-hand with this philosophy, the Company envisages a team of customer engagement specialists, responsible for proactively delivering the Rosina Difference to internal and external customers daily. It comes as RFP was recognized with an Independent Marketing Alliance (IMA) Supplier of the Year award in 2021, as well as numerous other prestigious industry and customer awards, for demonstrating the Rosina Difference by meeting and exceeding the needs of its customers.

DIVERSIFICATION IS KEY Product diversification has proven to be vital in RFP’s ability to maintain and drive growth, even in the volatile

climate of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the US market, much like the rest of the world, has gone through major upheaval due to COVID-19 in terms of supply chain disruptions and changes to consumer shopping and dining habits. “As the industry goes through rapid transformation, RFP finds itself in a sweet spot in terms of organizational size and approach,” says Greg Setter, Rosina’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are large enough and sophisticated enough to service the largest customers in North America, yet nimble enough to quickly develop products based off data and insights steeped in a deep understanding of our food and beverage; that generally leads to a successful outcome.” In response to the pandemic, RFP moved decisively to launch new products, significantly increased its digital presence, opened new segments and strengthened its focus

Capital Ingredients Corp Capital Ingredients Corp. (C.I.C) was founded with the following mission: import and distribute the best food components efficiently, safely, and responsibly. We are headquartered in Doral, Florida with warehouses spread throughout North America. C.I.C offers a wide range of ingredients and industry solutions such as hydrocolloids, natural fibers, vegetable proteins, gluten-free solutions, sugar replacers, custom blends and more. We are proud to be accredited with IFS Broker and IFS Logistic Standard Certifications, known to guarantee the highest requirements of safety, quality and legal compliance. Discover more on: www.capital-ingredients.com

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ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS’ PORTFOLIO – AT A GLANCE MEATBALLS – Delivering superior flavor, texture and color in custom sizes and flavors, including beef, pork, turkey and chicken. IQF FILLED PASTA – Using only the finest ingredients to ensure great taste, pasta products are available in a selection of custom shapes, sizes and fillings. EGGPLANT – As the largest eggplant supplier in North America, no one offers

Mushroom ravioli

more choice than Rosina. PIZZA TOPPINGS – Superior flavor, texture and color in custom sizes and flavors, including beef & pork.

Eggplant

Curried meatball sub

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ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. FOOD & DRINK

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ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. FOOD & DRINK

James Corigliano founded the Rosina company back in 1963

Frank and Russell back in the early days

Today’s Rosina Food Products promotional video

Rosina Food Products’ pasta plant

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on supporting the supply chain. Rosina also opened the doors of its brand new Rosina University in 2020. The university and its courses are designed to onboard its many new associates, develop and support leaders, train associates to have deep understanding of its products, and generally foster the Rosina Difference. As well as integrating new systems and processes such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM), the Company has invested in a new $73 million, 105,000 square foot state-ofthe-art automated protein manufacturing facility, located adjacent to its pasta facility in West Seneca, NY. “With our continued growth and the need for product innovation across all our divisions, we believe that our investment in this facility will set the course for even further expansion,” an upbeat Setter affirms. “Phases two and three of the protein facility are already in the works, and Rosina has also completed multiple stages of a pasta expansion with another phase to be executed in mid-2022, adding even more capabilities to the Company. “Moving forwards in the postpandemic era, we believe the demand for our products will continue to remain strong and that there will be a full resurgence in the food and beverage industry we participate in, with foodservice and entertainment most likely to lead the way.”

BRAND GROWTH RFP has placed major emphasis on the growth of its branded business over the past three years and is making solid progress across all divisions. Respectively, the Celentano and Italian Village brands represent the number one and number four brand of frozen filled pasta in the United States and across Latin America. RFP has recently launched five new frozen filled pastas under the Celentano brand, three of which are key line extensions and two that are based on a new toasted pasta platform that was designed to reach all divisions. “Our line extensions include a Four-Cheese Ravioli developed by our chefs, who created a product that features a delicious blend of cheeses targeted at millennial and Gen-Z shoppers that are looking for more flavorsome, interesting filling combinations,” shares Chris Tirone, Rosina’s Vice-President of Marketing, International and Customer Engagement. “This was followed by Spinach, Roasted Garlic and Cheese Ravioli, Four-Cheese Lasagna Rolls, and most recently our Toasted Cheese and Beef Ravioli’s, which takes us into the snacking food and beverage segment. “These new items are currently being rolled out across North America and are expected to penetrate Latin American markets in late 2022 and into 2023.” Meanwhile, Rosina has emerged as

“ W E R E M A I N C O M M I T T E D T O H AV I N G A DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO OF PRODUCTS T H AT S AT I S F Y C O N S U M E R S ” – JOHN ZIMMERMAN, SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

the second-leading meatball brand in the US over the past four years. Rosina produces a wide variety of meatballs, including a traditional Italian Style meatball range, as well as classics like Swedish and Angus. Most recently Rosina has a created a new range of breakfast-flavored meatballs such as Western Omelette and Bacon, Egg and Cheese also designed to cut across multiple channels and into such segments as C-Store and National Account Chains where easy prep is required. To complement the Rosina brand, RFP has also seized the opportunity to acquire and drive another brand of meatballs in the market. “Mama Lucia rolled out of Rosina’s new manufacturing facility in late 2021 and currently has high penetration in the markets that RFP was looking for expansion in,” says Frank Corigliano, Executive Vice-President and

Co-Owner of Rosina. “Acquiring Mama Lucia was a natural next step for our continued growth in the meatball category and was born out of a great relationship between Rosina and Quaker Maid Meats, Inc.” adds Frank Corigliano.

COMMUNITY FOCUS Be it staff, customers, suppliers or business partners, all are of equal value to RFP, who long ago recognized the vital importance of each to the Company’s success. “We would not be able to thrive or survive without them, so we all get along well with each other and know exactly what to expect from one another,” Russell Corigliano shares. “What makes us most proud is that, as an organization, we have evolved into something that is very meaningful to everybody involved. As such, RFP takes the time to

celebrate its successes, grow from the challenges it has faced, and enjoy the relationships it has developed, with this community spirit also reflected by its support for local and national organizations. “I believe that we qualify as an outstanding corporate citizen. Many of us devote our time to various notfor-profit groups, and we represent RFP as a welcoming organization that is good for the community and worthy of people’s time.” Inspired by Italian neighborhood traditions for over 50 years, communities are at the core of RFP, to whom the Company say: “buon appetito!”

ROSINA FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. Tel: 1.888.767.4621 cservice@rosina.com www.rosina.com Rosina Food Products can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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JADEX INC. MANUFACTURING

S U S TA I N A B L E SCIENCE Leveraging cutting-edge material science and innovation, Jadex Inc. is delivering a sustainable future for everyday materials. We take a deep dive into the enterprise to find out more Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: David Knott

At Jadex Inc. (Jadex), we produce indispensable products used in everyday life, but we understand it’s crucial to make our products more sustainable,” says Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jodi Farina. “As a leading material science company, we are driven to provide essential product solutions that help protect the health of our consumers and the environment. “We are committed to launching new products into the market that minimize the impact on our planet,” exclaims the company’s passionate marketing leader. On the worldwide industrial stage, material sciences are fueling the development of sustainable products. From its headquarters in South Carolina, Jadex is a manufacturing enterprise leveraging scientific innovation and advanced technologies to leave a sustainable footprint. The Jadex group in its entirety encompasses four separate manufacturing companies and 90 | North America Outlook issue 08

Jodi Farina

key brands: LifeMade®, Alltrista®, Shakespeare®, and Artazn®. Complementing their claim of material science expertise, these companies have filed a combined total of approximately 90 patents over the past 20 years, with nearly a third of these filings occurring since 2019 - the year Jadex was established. The company’s broad portfolio

is going through an evolutionary shift from its traditional offerings to products that are more sustainable. This shift will help Jadex meet the sustainable drivers of its key customers in the industrial, medical, and consumer markets. For the consumer market, Jadex’s product offerings are comprised of everything from compostable plastic cutlery and straws, degradable foam coolers, and reusable ice substitutes, to trimmer line for lawn and garden equipment. Meanwhile, commercial business segments cater to the needs of healthcare and industrial customers with custom-designed moulded plastic components, pharmaceutical bottles, child-resistant closures, engineered nylon resins and monofilaments, zinc products, and temperature-controlled products for cold chain shipping. “Our manufacturing footprint spans across the US, UK, and Puerto Rico, with a total of 19 facilities and a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,000 employees,” continues Farina.

Today, Jadex is embracing an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standpoint, with the company positioning itself to align with the worldwide demand for greater environmental sustainability in the products of our everyday lives. “Later this year, Jadex will publish our ESG report to provide details on the progress we have made and status of our goals for a sustainable future,” Farina tells us. This comes as the call for sustainability at Jadex became impossible to ignore. As Sam Bhargava, Chief Innovation Officer at Jadex attests, “across each of its businesses, greater than 50 percent of Jadex’s existing

customers ask for sustainable products. “We are focused on reducing waste, energy use, and raw materials, Sam Bhargava along with exploring superior beginning of life and end of life scenarios for the products we produce,” he continues. Excelling beyond the role of delivering tangible manufactured results, the Jadex parent entity and its respective operating companies adopt a position as thought leaders in their respective fields and across

markets, all of whom are riding the tailwinds of innovation and evolution across various industries. “Each of our four operating companies prides itself on being a material science leader. They understand the needs of the markets they serve, as well as the potential environmental impact of the product solutions they develop,” adds Farina. The path to sustainability is an ambitious one, necessitating patience and gradual progress in order to truly effect change. In this respect, Jadex recognizes that there is still a long way to go. “Sustainability is a journey, and although I would love to tell you we North America Outlook issue 08 | 91

have made a shift to 100 percent greener products and manufacturing practices, we are not there yet,” she admits. However, significant headway is being made across Jadex, as manufacturing plants across the enterprise, and the processes therein, are being closely examined aiming to reduce environmental impact while not curtailing meeting current customer demand. As the cornerstone for both product and operational development, sustainability is one of the core values embedded in the company’s DNA. Elsewhere, a reliance on robust partnerships fed by an innovation-centered agility, and the pursuit of a strong growth trajectory, unite all Jadex companies.

THE GOOD CITIZEN Consumers worldwide have awoken to the reality of plastic pollution and the need to limit our reliance on single-use plastics. A 2020 study by Plastic Oceans reported that of the roughly 300 million tons of plastic produced each year, half consists of single-use items. 92 | North America Outlook issue 08

JADEX COMPANIES AT A GLANCE LIFEMADE – THE GOOD CITIZEN BUSINESS LINES: Healthcare, commercial, consumer, sustainable ABOUT: A market leader in temperature-control packaging and disposable tabletop products across the consumer, commercial and healthcare industries, LifeMade is committed to marrying conservation with convenience so consumers can afford to make a difference.

SHAKESPEARE – THE PLASTICS INNOVATOR BUSINESS LINES: Conductive and anti-static fibers, engineered nylons, monofilaments, lawn and garden, marine antennas, military antennas ABOUT: Entrepreneurial material scientists who find ingenious, sustainable solutions, Shakespeare is helping those who work and play in the natural environment to make a difference.

ALLTRISTA – THE MASTER MAKER BUSINESS LINES: Medical, packaging, tooling, engineering services ABOUT: Alltrista specializes in making manufacturing breakthroughs to solve problems, enabling even the most regulated clients to make a difference.

ARTAZN– THE SUSTAINABLE ORIGINAL BUSINESS LINES: Coinage, industrial, cathodic production ABOUT: Masters of zinc products that marry sustainability with practicality, Artazn helps millions make a difference every day.

JADEX INC. MANUFACTURING

“The reality of plastic waste impacting our planet is sobering, but we see this as an opportunity to make a genuine and positive impact for our industry, our customers, and our communities,” opens President at LifeMade and Shakespeare, Brian Searfoss. Brian Searfoss Both LifeMade and Shakespeare channel the philosophy that binds all Jadex companies – with challenge comes the opportunity for reinvention. The operational efficiency and consistency within each business have been refined for over decades through experience, with Searfoss identifying a “disciplined process improvement” as a critical factor to both companies’ success. Strong relationships across the supplier and customer base are instrumental in aiding both companies to drive the strategic adoption of sustainable solutions in their respective markets. Creating customized solutions for everyday needs, LifeMade specializes in disposable cutlery, straws and temperature-control packaging across the consumer, commercial and healthcare industries. Complementary to this, Shakespeare leverages the common tenets of innovation and expertise as an integrated provider of engineered material science solutions, offering a comprehensive range of products. “Driving change by focusing on the science-based exploration of new and innovative materials and methods is our focus,” adds Searfoss. This centers on a shared commitment to delivering superior products that are likely to advance consumer behavior by offering innovative, sustainable everyday solutions to transition them away from single-use plastic products. “We are challenging ourselves to focus on striking the right balance between scientific and engineering investment with the need for enhanced testing standards, a thorough understanding of the waste and recycling streams, and consistent monitoring of changes to local, state, and federal legislation,” he outlines. At LifeMade, Manager of Innovation and New Product Development, Josh Russo, recognizes the outdated product standards that apply throughout the market. “Plastic cutlery has been made of polystyrene for generations, so standard performance tests are onedimensional in nature. These tests are designed to prevent manufacturers from quietly “light-weighting” products, removing material, and sacrificing performance to pad Josh Russo profit margin. For the evaluation of

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non-petroleum-based polymers, these tests lose meaning because of the different mechanical properties of the polymers,” he explains. As a result, LifeMade has invested significant resources into developing advanced tests in order to compare and fully understand such comparisons, thereby optimizing the material characteristics. “Also, if you’ve ever had a biopolymer fork (a product our competitors make) snap into bioplastic shrapnel while trying to dine with it, we are developing a solution to eliminate this problem as well,” he reveals. At Shakespeare, the company’s affinity for eco-friendly alternatives is evidenced by its dedicated research into integrating biodegradable properties into nylon-based products. “Given the generally non-environmentally friendly nature of nylon, we feel there are a lot of opportunities to improve the material and our Shakespeare team is excited about making those improvements,” continues Searfoss. Product packaging is another major area of focus for Shakespeare, with improvements being made in material type and weight for more sustainable options. The company is presently undergoing an exciting rebrand to align its image with these shifting priorities under its new tagline, ‘Solutions are in the Science™’. North America Outlook issue 08 | 93

JADEX INC. MANUFACTURING

The Shakespeare logo had changed very little from its inception in 1897, but now has a clean modern look and feel, better representing this innovative company. Searfoss states, “we are eager to see the customer and end consumer reaction to our brand’s facelift and change.”

THE MASTER MAKER In the realm of medical, consumer and high-end industrial packaging, Alltrista stands out as an industry innovator. “When we look at the development of mature product categories, we invest in technology Raul Casillas and innovation to

94 | North America Outlook issue 08

have a competitive edge,” says Vice President of Sales, Raul Casillas. Creating superior solutions through tailored product development, Alltrista leverages a collaboration of material science innovation and cutting-edge manufacturing technology to implement practical sustainability. This is primarily focused on pharmaceutical and healthcare markets. “Specifically, we are reducing the use of plastic through light-weighting bottles while meeting stringent performance requirements, including barrier properties,” Casillas continues. “As an up and coming player in town with the latest technology, customers are eager to learn how we are accomplishing excellent results in light-weighting through compression blow forming. This is very exciting,

and doors are opening because of it.” New manufacturing assets and the refinement of testing methods form the backbone of Alltrista’s investment strategy. Currently, Alltrista is also committed to developing new evaluation standards to be applied to new materials for use in the burgeoning rigid packaging market. “We value early involvement and collaboration with our entire value chain, from suppliers to customers. These kinds of relationships have been instrumental to the development of our sustainable rigid packaging product line and are critical to our continued success,” says Casillas.

JADEX INC. MANUFACTURING

THE SUSTAINABLE ORIGINAL For over 130 years, Artazn has specialized in working with zinc. With innovation and expertise as its competitive edge, Artazn stands as the largest producer of zinc strip and applied zinc products in North America. “We have been producing zinc-based products since 1880, processing roughly 10 million pounds of zinc every month. We supply to the domestic and international coinage, building and construction, automotive, and cathodic protection industries around the world,” states Artazn President, Tom Wennogle Tom Wennogle.

As this invaluable material enters a new age of application, the visionaries and craftsmen behind the company are unlocking the potential of the fourth most widely used metal in the world. Artazn has developed a line of cathodic protection products that find vital application in the construction industry to help preserve and protect materials within infrastructure such as bridges, mitigating the need for expensive rebuilds. In the building products industry, Artazn also supplies zinc for applications that would otherwise require lead or other harsh chemicals. Elsewhere, the company’s specialty zinc alloys are utilized across industries, applied in everything from automotive fuses to skincare products.

“Sustainability and environmental stewardship are core principles for Artazn,” says Wennogle. “Most importantly we have optimized our processes to be more environmentally conscious by obtaining ISO 14001 certification.” Sustainability is naturally embedded into working with zinc, a material that is 100 percent recyclable. In addition, approximately 90 percent of the raw zinc purchased by Artazn comes from recycled materials. One of these materials is steel mill dust, a hazardous waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills. “Artazn’s production maintains a 99.8 percent utilization rate, meaning we use and recycle all but about 0.2 percent of waste which is unable to be recycled,” he explains. North America Outlook issue 08 | 95

JADEX INC. MANUFACTURING

“ W E H E L P P E O P L E M A K E A M AT E R I A L D I F F E R E N C E E V E R Y D AY ” – JADEX INC.

In 1982, Artazn was the first company to introduce a plated zinc coin blank. This innovation led to the company becoming the sole supplier of penny blanks for the U.S. Mint. Zinc pennies are fully recyclable, as old pennies can be fed directly into the company’s furnaces to be repurposed into new ones. However, the life cycle for penny recycling can be long, since most zinc pennies stay in circulation an average of 25 years. Capitalizing on their material knowledge, as well as advancements 96 | North America Outlook issue 08

in currency security, Artazn has become one of the leading coin blank manufacturers in the world, with over 300 billion coin blanks circulating across more than 20 countries. Recently, Artazn added another innovation to its portfolio with the development of LifeRibbon® technology, as the newest addition to the company’s cathodic protection product line. “LifeRibbon® technology uses optimized zinc ribbon anodes that serve not only to help protect vital

infrastructure and the environment but also as a safety device. As a sacrificial anode, LifeRibbon® technology supports significant lifetime cost savings of water and power infrastructure by redirecting corrosion that could cause significant damage to metal and concrete. As a safety device, LifeRibbon® technology grounds the dangerous AC charge which can develop along pipelines that run concurrently with power transmission towers,” outlines Wennogle. For all these endeavors, Artazn relies on a concrete network of suppliers and partners, supplying base zinc alloy and various other elements, with the majority of the zinc being mined, refined and fabricated in the Southeast US.

JADEX INC. MANUFACTURING

The ability to maintain a stable supply proved critical throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Artazn weathered some turbulence in metal supply, allowing the company to grow in this challenging time. “As a producer of vital products to global customers, it is not only important to have a stable supply chain, but also to maintain the quality of the 99.99 percent high purity zinc we purchase. The stability of our workforce and supply has enabled Artazn to consistently provide a premier customer experience throughout 2020 and 2021,” shares Wennogle.

THE PLASTICS INNOVATOR Across the enterprise, the Jadex family is well-geared for growth, fostering and nurturing synergies between the companies it unites. “We have aggressive growth targets and are pushing hard to become a leaner, more sustainable, and more integrated company that leverages our core competencies,” says Farina. For Searfoss, across LifeMade and Shakespeare, this will entail the continued rollout of new products onto the market. “I expect we will execute multiple launches in both retail and commercial channels for compostable straws and cutlery, as well as additional compostable shippers,” he shares. Alltrista intends to follow a similar course, as growth continues for the sustainable business with an ongoing focus on the launch of its lightweighted rigid packaging product line. Finally, at Artazn, Wennogle will ensure the company sticks to its guiding principles as the foundation of the company’s reasearch and development growth as it continues to focus on utilizing zinc’s natural and distinct characteristics to elevate existing products or the design and function of new ones.

“We look forward to continually growing and developing with our partners to expand the possibilities of zinc,” he concludes. As a whole, Jadex remains relentless in its pursuit of new materials as an alpha tester for new biodegradable polymer formulations, with an exciting future ahead having just patented and commercialized a mouldable bead foam called Bioffex™ which has the ability to compost commercially in under one month. “Our end goal is to utilize our expertise, combined with the latest manufacturing innovations, to provide

our customers with more sustainable and responsible products that protect the health of both consumers and the environment,” closes Farina. Jadex’s tagline says it all, “We help people make a material difference every day.”

JADEX INC. Tel: 864.879.8100 info@jadexinc.com www.jadexinc.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 97

SURMOUNTING

CHALLENG

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WTC GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

Jordan Atkins, Vice President at WTC Group, unpacks two decades of industry-leading logistics services, and the cutting-edge technology that makes the difference Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

Vice President, Jordan Atkins

“The past six months alone have been more challenging than anyone in the logistics industry could have imagined even a year ago.” The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the mettle of logistics companies across the globe. In the context of Canada and North America, the region has weathered an unprecedented imbalance of imports versus exports, with port yards full to breaking point, significant truck chassis shortages and escalating prices across the industry that in some cases have increased by almost 3,000 percent. Supply chain bottlenecks have resulted in export cargo being suppressed, as ocean carriers scramble to facilitate an import boon. “The global shipping industry has been completely turned on its head.” But as Vice President of comprehensive logistics provider WTC Group (WTC), Jordan Atkins doesn’t shy away from such challenges. It is a philosophy that was fostered in him as a 14-year-old boy by his father — WTC founder, Brian Atkins — whilst helping out in the company’s container terminals during summer holidays.

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“ I A M P R O U D O F T H E C O M PA N Y A N D T H E W O R K T H AT W E D O , W H AT W E ’ V E B U I LT A N D THE DIRECTION WE’RE GOING IN” – J O R D A N AT K I N S , V I C E P R E S I D E N T, W T C G R O U P

“He instilled such a strong work ethic in me. He used to relay the saying, ‘if you wake up early, go to bed late, and work hard in between, then good things will happen to you.’ That always resonated with me.” Indeed, it was the trials and tribulations of the logistics realm, and the rewards from overcoming such challenges, that saw Atkins return to his father’s business after pursuing higher education. “This industry is one where you go to work every day and there is always something new. It’s never mundane or repetitive,” he muses. “There’s something to be said about overcoming the challenge – when 100 | North America Outlook issue 08

something is put in front of you and you overcome it, it makes that prize at the end all the more validating.” This spirit of tenacity applies across the entire WTC group and has been truly tried and tested over the past two years, particularly since Atkins stepped into a management role almost a decade ago. “We’ve seen that the nimble and agile companies are the ones that are going to survive and will ultimately thrive. If you stay in the mindset that you’re going to keep doing things the way you always have, you’re going to struggle to get through the next two years.”

A LEGACY OF VERSATILITY Since the company’s inception in 2002, WTC has demonstrated an industry-leading multi-faceted approach that encapsulates true versatility. With two decades of operation under its belt, this longevity has only served to refine these capabilities. Formerly known as Western Transloading Corporation, WTC continues to pursue rapid expansion in both size and scope. What began as a modest agri transloading company on a five-acre property has ballooned to represent a world class cargo and bulk commodity handling logistics provider with capabilities to ship via land or sea (FCL or LCL), subject to the customer’s requirements from its Canadian base in British Columbia (BC). Here, three state-of-the art facilities equipped with advanced proprietary technological systems form the bulk of WTC’s operations. The company’s

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North America Outlook issue 08 | 101

WTC GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

warehousing and container depot has ample capacity to store goods both affordably and securely. Just last year, WTC opened a complementary 170,000 square foot cross-docking facility to expand its consolidation and deconsolidation capabilities for both inbound and outbound traffic. Each year, the company handles over one million metric tons of bulk and packaged cargo, with the majority of that being imports for Canadian markets passing through WTC’s terminals, container freight stations (CFS) and transloading facilities. Whatever WTC lacks in its own abilities, it compensates for with strategic and robust partnerships, for instance by partnering with local carriers to deliver air freight, and with complementary agents enacting on WTC’s behalf across all five continents for ultimate reach and reliability.

This wide-reaching network combines to make WTC the obvious answer for bulk loading and specialized packaging on the West Coast. With a team of over 150 talented members supporting this diverse offering, the WTC team is arguably the company’s greatest asset. It is these people as the powerhouse of the company that Atkins has revered and admired since childhood, and a sentiment that remains just as pertinent today in a management position. “I grew up idolizing many of the individuals on the operating side of the company — the ones physically loading the cargo and driving the container handling machines,” he recalls fondly. “Today, WTC has a great team. I think that the diverse nature of our employees and the skillsets that

THE WTC EMERGENCY OVER THE ROAD PROGRAM WTC has become adept at leveraging technology to streamline operations in times of adversity. “When the wildfires hit BC in August 2021, both Class I railroads were shut down. For an import export company in Vancouver, that was an extremely large speed bump,” says Atkins. As the vital link connecting both the rest of Canada and the port terminals, the closure of the railways saw cargo backing up at the ports with major congestions. “WTC had to get pretty creative with many of our customers. We jumped in as we normally do when a challenge presents itself, and developed an over-the-road program, whereby a network of truckers created a land bridge between Calgary and Vancouver rail station so we could divert rail cargo by road. We were able to recover a large amount of our shipping capacity rather quickly.” Still a manual solution, after the successful implementation of the program, the IT department at WTC were put to work on an automated system should such an event repeat itself. When Vancouver was hit by significant flooding the following quarter, once again cutting off the railroads, WTC’s endeavors proved astute. “I couldn’t imagine a better rollout for such a program than being able to go and tell our customers – you now have live, automated access to seven different touchpoints coming out of our facilities to keep your over the road program running. It really made WTC look like the leader in the field that it is.” concludes Atkins.

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they each possess puts us in a great position for success in these turbulent times.” In spite of growth, Atkins preserves the close-knit ethos that has bound together the WTC team for twenty years. “Although we’ve grown to a size where I would no longer consider us a family company, that mentality is still core to our values. Any one of the members of our team has an open-door policy with either Brian or myself. “With that kind of communication

and an organization that is generally flatter than some of the larger corporate entities in our industry, it allows us to react quickly to changes and be in touch with the struggles of the boots on the ground.”

COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGY Of equal importance to the physical power behind its operations, WTC excels in the technological field — to the extent that this has come to define the company as one its greatest differentiators. The company’s client-facing

“ W T C H A S A G R E AT T E A M . T H E D I V E R S E N AT U R E O F O U R E M P L O Y E E S A N D T H E S K I L L S E T S T H AT T H E Y E A C H P O S S E S S P U T S U S I N A G R E AT P O S I T I O N F O R S U C C E S S I N THESE TURBULENT TIMES” – J O R D A N AT K I N S , V I C E P R E S I D E N T, W T C G R O U P

‘ShipSmpl’ portal embodies WTC’s overarching mantra of helping its customers to ‘ship simpler’. Through this virtual platform, WTC can exchange track and trace

information with partners, effectively saving its customers from having to communicate with each separate link in what can be a long and complex supply chain. North America Outlook issue 08 | 103

WTC GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

This enables full client transparency and visibility, offering oversight through live inbound cargo trucking across North America, real-time reports and container loading updates to name just a few examples. This development is something that Atkins has personally championed since stepping into management. “WTC has always used proprietary software, but certainly not to the extent that we do today,” he says. “I had a knack for software programming, so with some guidance, I started creating some custom software to help automate the communication between different members of the supply chain.” Today, WTC’s software engineering division accounts for nearly 10 percent of its workforce.

A PARTNER OF CHOICE – WTC AND CP When Canadian Pacific sought an operator for its the state-of-theart cross docking facility adjacent to its Vancouver rail operations, WTC Group was the successful proponent. Featuring a 170,000 square foot warehouse with interior and exterior railroad access, WTC proved the perfect choice to exploit the facility to its full potential. The company was awarded the contract in late 2020, and immediately set about establishing supply chain synergies across the location, eliminating unnecessary transportation and delivering both economic and environmental benefits thanks to its multicommodity and multi-movement model. Within six months, WTC has multiplied the average cargo moved through the facility threefold, enabling WTC’s business to grow in alignment with CP.

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WTC GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

Its cutting-edge services extend to GPS monitoring across all drivers and loading equipment throughout WTC facilities, sending critical electronic data interchanges (EDIs) from its container terminals, and XML communication with rail companies that automatically imports the live tracking information for every unit in their network tagged to WTC. “Transloaders are in the unique position of interacting with every other member of the supply chain, connecting them all to one another. That allows WTC and specifically myself, a unique perspective in the industry. “You learn from each of those links, and at the same time, you have to create a fluid communication connection between them,” Atkins expands. Reaping the benefits of advanced handling technologies, WTC leverages container logistics and custom software including AI-based applications for automatic container identification and RFID readers for rail equipment. Meanwhile, custom sensor networks enables real-time decision making at its terminals through automatic updates by WTC’s proprietary technology. WTC continues to sustain its growth through continual investments in both internal and client facing IT infrastructure. “There’s a variety of these different projects that we have built one by one and are coming together as a cohesive total solution. Now,

technology has certainly become a key differentiator at WTC and allows us to provide that high level of service to our customers.”

NEW HORIZONS As WTC enters its third decade of operation, Atkins and the team continue to expand on their mission to simplify shipping services on behalf of customers. “We’ve spent the better part of the last five years crafting this model to perfect our footprint across British Columbia, refining our technologies and processes to find synergies that reduce cost and carbon footprint.” Having finetuned the processes behind WTC, the company is now ready to introduce its model to other major logistics hubs across North America. “It’s a rare quality in these times to be expanding at the pace that WTC is, and that’s a testament to the team that we have and the focused vision that we have been implementing. “I am proud of the company and the work that we do, what we’ve built, and the direction we’re going in.”

WTC GROUP Tel: 1 (604) 515-9116 info@wtcgroup.com www.wtcgroup.com North America Outlook issue 08 | 105

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

What trends do you forecast for the year ahead within your sector? Jodi Farina Senior Vice President, Jadex Inc. "We will continue to see a shift towards more sustainable alternatives for packaging and consumer disposables. Consumer sentiment for greener methods of manufacturing, distributing, and disposing of goods is beginning to influence shifts in political policies and regulations. These regulations are pushing manufacturers to become greater environmental stewards. “For Jadex Inc. and its affiliated companies, this will mean increased research and development of products made from biobased materials and continued investment in manufacturing processes and equipment that allow for the downgauging of materials without impacting the integrity, quality, and safety.” 106 | North America Outlook issue 08

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg President and CEO, Jewish General Hospital “Staffing shortages in healthcare will continue to worsen, as per the World Health Organization (WHO) prediction, however, virtual care will take off alongside an increasing reliance on and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies. We will also experience budgetary compression as governments come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Mark Haubert Vice President of Business Development & Marketing, Ranger Energy “Within our service segments, we expect the labor market to continue to be tight. We could mobilize many more crews if we could attract and hire more people in our industry, but we are now competing with other verticals.”

Sue Rose President and CEO, Rubellite Energy “The forward market is forecasting a positive outlook for oil and natural gas prices globally, in North America and specifically in Western Canada. With strong balance sheets and unprecedented collaboration for innovative solutions driving evercleaner operations, responsibly produced Canadian oil and natural gas deserves to play an increasingly larger role in the global energy mix. The Canadian oil and gas sector is up for the challenge and excited to be part of bringing ever-cleaner and much needed energy to society, improving the lives and livelihoods of Canadians and helping to build prosperity in emerging economies throughout the world.” Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact North America Outlook now!

Hospital rebuild and healthcare R&D in Canada... JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

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24 26 JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE

CHANGING THE

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND HOW THEY IMPACT THE JGH?

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL CIUSSS facilities are located DR. LAWRENCE ROSENBERG, The JGH is a tertiary-care academic 34statedifferent sites in an area PRESIDENT AND on CEO: “Our of-the-art warehouse has permitted medical center, one of McGill covering about 21 square miles. In us to pick, pack, deliver and the institution University’s flagship teaching replenish throughout addition to the JGH, this network with an automated bar code system. hospitals. During its first 81 years,This has enabled usincludes to standardize six long-term care facilities, and minimize the amount of stock it functioned as an independent distributed five community clinic/services to the nursing units and institution. However, in 2015, as aexternal clinics. organizations, 25 group medical Family Wellness in Aging The JGH is also home to the Segal “During the COVID-19 pandemic, result of a reorganization of Quebec’s practices, two rehabilitation hospitalsLieberman Geriatric Centre, whose aim is not only Cancer Centre, a provincial referral we were able to cross-dock all PPE to treat illness, but to help each elderly centercenters. that has become one of onboarding 110 rehab public healthcare system, the distribution, whileand three person to maintain an optimum Canada’s (and the world’s) most additional sites across our territory hospital became the hub of a newly “Officially, the CIUSSS responsible level of health and autonomy that renowned facilities inis the diagnosis (beyond the hospital walls) – an appropriate for their particular treatment of cancer. Of key approach we have maintained into constituted Integrated Health and for providingand services to a populationiscondition and circumstances. importance is the Centre’s research the fifth wave. and itsgrowth many collaborative Social Services University Network ofbest 380,091, with of 9.1endeavors percent “As part of adopting practices, COMBATTING COVID-19 with cancer centers around the world. the JGH introduced case cart for West-Central Montreal, commonly anticipated by 2036,” Dr. Rosenberg In the course of leading his Especially noteworthy are efforts picking when the new OR opened organization, Dr. Rosenberg has to develop novel approaches to is accomplishedus. “In known as CIUSSS West-Central in Pavilion K. This informs reality, we already seen it – and the broader sector – personalized medicine that offer each with sophisticated software called Montreal. (“CIUSSS” is an abbreviation serve well over 750,000 people, half evolve during a unique period of patient the most effective targeted PPG, an application that is used in enormous change and development, treatments for their particular form of the diamond business inventory come of the French term for the network.) of for whom from outside our prompted in large part by the the disease. Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg

management. It permits us to

batch-pick, with a carousel system, up to eight cases at a time, to be

Also worth noting is the JGH’s in-depth and pace-setting expertise

COVID-19 pandemic. Since the JGH played a leading role in Quebec in

treating infected patients, extensive in geriatric medicine, developed North America Outlook issue 08 | preparation 3 was required. Included through decades of treating a patient

2 | North America Outlook issue 08

more performant and to virtually

eliminate the need for nurses to pick medical supplies in the sterile core of the OR.”

population which has consistently had a disproportionately high number of elderly individuals. This led to the launch in 2021 of the expanded

was the development of protocols for the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, the medical units and the specialized areas, such as operating

4 | North America Outlook issue 08

Jewish General Hospital has told its story. Now, why not tell yours? Our bi-monthly magazine North America Outlook is essential reading for business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting US and Canada businesses across all industries. Reaching ever increasing audiences across the continent and beyond, your company can take advantage of this global exposure with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business. To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

ENTECH SOLUTIONS | JADEX INC.

w w w. n o r t h a m e r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 08

www.northamericaoutlookmag.com/work-with-us Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the

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