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Issue 09

ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE Raising healthy, happy, sustainably farmed salmon in Florida

VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS Doctor-partners given more opportunity in the veterinary industry

TRINITY INDUSTRIES,INC. At the vanguard of modern rail solutions and freight innovation, we hit the railroads with the Executive Team behind Trinity Industries, Inc.

RICH TAJER, Enterprise CCO of Commericial Vehicle Group, discusses innovation and engineering perfection

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

Green Prosperity

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

The publication of this latest issue of North America

Junior Editor: Ed Budds ed.budds@outlookpublishing.com

Outlook coincides with an occasion that we should all

PRODUCTION Production Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com

Social Media Manager: Fox Tucker fox.tucker@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

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE Sam Love sam.love@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com SALES & PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com 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: Suzie Kittle suzie.kittle@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

be paying attention to – Earth Day 2022. With this year’s theme dedicated to ‘investing in our planet’, this edition echoes those priorities as we all confront a historic moment to shape our planet’s fate. A prosperous future must be a green one. As the revolutionary platform delivering accessible climate action to the masses, Ecologi is the organization committed to planting 100 trees for each new subscriber that registers on Earth Day. Offering a traceable digital platform through a monthly subscription, to date Ecologi has reduced over 1.7 million tons of CO2 through carbon offsetting practices. Taking the lead in this issue is Trinity Industries, Inc – a true titan of the US freight rail supply chain. Speaking with members of the executive team, Trinity shines a light on rail as the most sustainable and efficient mode of land transportation. Indeed, the sector accounts for just six-tenths of one percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. “If just 25 percent of truck traffic in long-haul freight movements were to use rail instead, it would result in a 13-million-ton reduction of GHG emissions,” attests President and CEO, E. Jean Savage. In recognition of the fact that a green planet needs ocean-safe, sustainable seafood, Atlantic Sapphire is a champion of responsible fish-farming in the US - the world’s largest market for salmon. “At Atlantic Sapphire, we aim to raise awareness about sustainable salmon farming and to supply millions of people with a healthy, sustainable, and delicious product,” says co-founder and CEO Johan Andreassen. Finally, we foreground the thoughts of Mindy Lubber, President and CEO of the sustainability non-profit organization Ceres, as she advises how and why corporates must take action now. “A stable climate offers companies, communities, and nations greater economic strength and increased physical security. The tools to make that future—and not the one we’re currently on the path for - are in our hands. Let’s get to work.”

Tel: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com www.northamericaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: @northamericaoutlook

We hope that you enjoy your read.

Phoebe Harper Head of Editorial, Outlook Publishing North America Outlook issue 09 | 3

CONTENTS N O R T H

A M E R I C A

O U T L O O K

I S S U E

0 9

REGULARS

6 NEWS Around North America in seven stories

8 EXPERT EYE Aligning global capital with the climate crisis

BU SI N ESS I N SI G H TS

10 Aerospace Piloting the Recovery Complete crew management that is “All About People”

12 Healthcare Data-Driven Diagnostics

4 | North America Outlook issue 09

Changing the face of cancer care in the US

TO P I C A L F O C U S

14 Sustainability Embracing Earth Day with Ecologi Making climate action accessible for the masses

186 THE FINAL WORD What is your greatest success story of initiating change within your company?

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 09

CO N STR U C TI O N

F E AT U R E S

132 Truly Nolen of America

16 SHOWCASING LEADING

Truly the Best

COMPANIES

Pest control across Florida

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

140 Reflection Window + Wall

S UPPLY CHAIN

18 Trinity Industries, Inc.

Rail, Revolutionized

F OOD & D R I N K

Forward-thinking freight solutions with North America’s premier provider of railcar products and services

82 Atlantic Sapphire

36 Arctic Gateway Group The Arctic Advantage Connecting people and ports in Canada

Window to the Future Building the face of the urban space

Hook, Line and Sustainability Raising healthy, happy, sustainably farmed salmon

HEA LT HC A R E

94 Veterinary Practice Partners

140

Vetting for New Ownership Doctor-partners given more opportunity in veterinarian industry

150 Curtain Wall Design and Consulting, Inc. Raising the Roof An enviable reputation for design and engineering in the international curtain wall industry

42 Allport Cargo Services

TE C H N O LO GY

Cargo is All Go Premier global supply chain and logistics services

MANUFACTURING

106 Hardy Diagnostics

50 Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc.

Improving Health Together

Vehicle for Change

114 Cosmetics Alliance Canada (CA)

Driving innovation and diversity in vehicular manufacturing

156 Gordon Flesch Company Winning Business Office Equipment and IT needs answered

Bettering the world one test at a time

The New Face of Canadian Cosmetics Canada as a hotbed for innovation in cosmetics production and export

OI L & G AS

122 Robison Oil The Home of Comfort

New York’s go-to for green energy in the home

Evergreen East of the Mountains Urban and utility developments in Spokane

Metal Built Better A new age of nanolayered materials

170 Commonwealth of Virginia

74 Parkway Products Advanced materials solutions via diverse product technologies

LO C A L G OV E R N ME N T

162 City of Spokane

66 Modumental

Breaking the Mold

156

122

Virginia’s Technological Future Designated IT services for the Commonwealth

North America Outlook issue 09 | 5

NEWS

Around North America in seven stories… R E TA I L

TRANSPORT

AMERICA UNMASKS

APPLE STAFF FORM FRUITFUL UNION EMPLOYEES AT APPLE’S Grand Central Station store in New York have announced a plan to start a new worker’s union. If this bid is successful, it will be the first of its kind at one of the tech giant’s US stores. Known as Fruit Stand Workers United, the staff must gather signatures of support from 30 percent of colleagues within the store in order to qualify for a union election. With Apple yet to comment, this move follows similar drives for

unionization by the staff at both Starbucks and Amazon. The group has explained how they continue to work through extraordinary times with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and once-in-a-generation consumer price inflation. The collective is also campaigning for a $30 minimum hourly wage for all employees, additional holiday time and provision for more robust safety protocols at the Grand Central location.

FACE MASKS WILL no longer be required to be worn on public transport in the US, after a judge voided the previous national mandate. The White House press secretary Jen Psaki has described the decision as “disappointing” and details how the Centers for Disease Control are still recommending that people wear masks on public transit. The judge, in Tampa, Florida, has ruled that the guidelines previously enforced, which covered airlines, airports, mass transit and taxis, were unlawful and will be scrapped immediately. Shortly after the change in policy was announced, several major airlines rapidly switched to an optional mask policy, including Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. However, despite this ruling New York City’s public transit system says it will continue to enforce its strict mask requirements.

S U P P LY C H A I N

GROUNDS FOR CONCERN A TURBULENT AND trying month of struggle for ‘The Ever Forward’ container ship, has finally come to an end after the 1,096-foot vessel ran aground in the perilous shallow waters of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. The vessel has now finally been freed from its predicament. The ship became entrenched in water just 25 feet deep after leaving Baltimore. Coincidentally, her sister ship ‘The Ever Given’, became stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal last year, causing 6 | North America Outlook issue 09

huge disruptions to global supply chains. Two previous attempts to dislodge the vessel had proved unsuccessful, leading to the deployment of barges to remove approximately 500 of the total 5,000 containers on board. Finally, salvage vessels were able to free The Ever Forward from the treacherously shallow, murky waters. The ship’s hull will now be thoroughly examined by inspectors before being allowed to return to Baltimore. Thankfully no injuries, damage or pollution was sustained during the incident.

A E R O S PAC E

LO CA L G OV E R N M E N T

HISTORY IN THE BAKING

THE DEBUT FLIGHT of NASA’s new Artemis mega moon rocket is set to face additional delays in scheduling, following a series of unfortunately failed fueling tests. Officials have detailed that it will be highly difficult to meet the originally proposed launch window of early June. The impressive 30-storey space launch system rocket has been resting on the pad at Kennedy Space Center for the last month, returning to the hangar next week for valve and fuel leak repairs. The problems occurred earlier this month, preventing NASA from filling the rocket’s fuel tanks for the critical dress rehearsal. The rocket will now likely spend several weeks in the hangar before heading back to the pad for a testing

IMAGE CREDIT: NASA/FRANK MICHAUX

BETWEEN A ROCKET AND A HARD PLACE

Artemis mega moon rocket

rerun. With various solutions for getting back on schedule being considered, NASA wants this test flight completed smoothly before putting astronauts on board for the second launch, a lunar fly-around targeted for 2024.

A G R I C U LT U R E

GOING WITH THE FLOW THE STATE OF California is giving rivers more room to flow in order to prevent flood risk. Land that farmers no longer desire will be used to rediscover old floodplains as a means to let the rivers breathe, meaning when heavy rain causes the water levels to cascade over their banks, it will run onto the land allowing traditional ecosystems to flourish once again, whilst also lowering the risk of flooding further downstream. The Dos Rios Ranch Preserve is California’s largest single floodplain restoration project, part of the state’s central valley, located at the meeting point of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers. It is an agricultural powerhouse covering 20,000 square miles, and hosting around 250 different crops. The affluently diverse

region constitutes about one percent of US farmland and produces a staggering 25 percent of the nation’s food. As climate change alters the nation’s environments, California aims to fund and prioritize similar projects that will reduce risk to property while also restoring wildlife habitats.

THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL Zoo’s most famous occupants, a pair of giant pandas, had an enthusiastic birthday breakfast in front of adoring crowds of onlookers, as the zoo celebrated 50 years of its iconic panda exchange agreement with the Chinese government. Made from frozen fruit juice, sweet potatoes, carrots and sugar cane, the cake lasted just 15 minutes once giant panda mother Mei Xiang and her cub Xiao Qi Ji got their paws on it. Xiao Qi Ji’s father Tian Tian largely sat out the morning’s celebrations, instead choosing to munch bamboo in the neighboring enclosure, understandable behavior for these mostly solitary gentle giants. AUTOMOTIVE

PASSENGERLESS POLICE PERIL SAN FRANCISCO’S POLICE officers have been faced with a brand-new challenge after apprehending an autonomous vehicle with no one inside driving it. Officers cautiously approached the car, because it had been driving without headlights, to investigate further. Cruise, the company responsible, has said the headlights issue was the result of human error. The company, which is owned by General Motors and develops self-driving technology, has been test running autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the US recently. Earlier this year Cruise started allowing members of the public to join a waiting list to hail free nighttime rides. The AVs can detect lights and sirens so they will come to a stop if intercepted by the police, although glitches with driverless cars have inevitably occurred as the technology develops gradually. North America Outlook issue 09 | 7

EXPERT EYE SUSTAINABILITY

A moment like no other, calling for faster, bolder action On Earth Day 2022, Mindy Lubber, President and CEO of the sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres, encourages industries worldwide to invest in our planet Written by: Mindy Lubber, CEO and President, Ceres

he risks posed by the climate crisis are rapidly becoming reality. We now know that no one is safe from the fires, floods, hurricanes, heatwaves, and droughts that have devastated nations across the globe. The latest climate science shows that without dramatic action within the next eight years, we will reach a tipping point that guarantees a catastrophic future for our planet and economy. This month’s latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provides the starkest assessment yet of just how far we are today from the level of action required to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Yet the report also affirms that we have the tools and capital required to take this action. It will take an immediate, concerted response from all market actors – investors, companies, policymakers, consumers, employees, and regulators – to respond to this crisis while we can still avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis and seize the massive opportunities that come with decisive action. 8 | North America Outlook issue 09

Companies can start by decarbonizing not only their own operations, but their full value and supply chains, and improving their water stewardship practices to better safeguard freshwater supplies. Investors and financial institutions can work to rapidly redirect flows of money toward clean energy and clean water solutions, rather than fossil fuels. We must ensure global capital flows to the right places. That’s why the recent landmark draft rule from the US Securities and Exchange Commission to mandate climate risk disclosure for all publiclytraded companies is so important. It would level the playing field for companies, allow investors to better protect their investments, and catch the US up with many countries around the world, where mandatory disclosure is already law. Companies and investors alike can voice their support for this critical proposal. Last year, the largest number of investors ever – 733 investors managing $52 trillion in assets – joined us in calling for mandatory disclosure.

Disclosure provides insight, but it has to be paired with strong tools to drive urgent, bold, ambitious action. Climate Action 100+, the world’s largest investor engagement initiative on climate, found in its latest Net Zero Company Benchmark that while 69 percent of the initiative’s focus companies – many of the world’s largest emitters – have set net zero goals, the vast majority have not set adequate medium-term emissions reduction targets or fully aligned their capital expenditures with the goals of the Paris Agreement. There has been progress – but it’s not at the pace and scale to meet the crisis we face. Every company must issue a climate action plan aligned with operating in a net zero emissions economy, and raise their ambition to meet the standards

EXPERT EYE SUSTAINABILITY

of the Benchmark. Furthermore, investors are dramatically ramping up their pressure on companies that fail to act. This proxy season, shareholders have filed a record-shattering 209 climate-related resolutions at their portfolio companies, calling for proof of progress on emissionsreduction goals, transition plans with interim targets, climate lobbying in line with a 1.5 degree Celsius future, and assurance of strong climate governance. And this barrage is racking up wins. So far this year, investors engaged with companies at an unprecedented pace, negotiating 92 agreements under which companies must act in exchange for proposal withdrawals. Now, this proxy season – with the

future of our planet and economy hanging in the balance – is the time for shareholders to support these climate proposals. And, all investors need to make their own commitments and pair them with strong Investor Climate Action Plans (ICAPs) that map out how they will help accelerate the transition to net zero emissions economy by 2050 or sooner and protect the long-term value of their investment portfolio. When large market actors take action, they help to transform industries and drive wholesale change. That’s the aim of Ceres Ambition 2030 initiative, focused on decarbonizing six of the world’s highest-emitting sectors. If top companies act on strong climate commitments with time-bound,

science-based, short- and mediumterm targets, peers will be pulled along through a competitive cascade powered by investor, employee and consumer expectations. Emphasis on ‘scope 3’ emissions will ensure that corporate climate action impacts suppliers and purchasers, propelling change throughout supply and value chains. The financial costs of the status quo are massive for both companies and investors. The science is clear: there is no room in our global carbon budget to support new oil and gas infrastructure. Investors and fossil fuel companies already risk holding trillions of dollars in stranded assets. Without early retirements or reductions in use, the world’s current fossil infrastructure will make it impossible to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the IPCC report warns. Investors, whose job it is to protect shareholders, must engage with fossil fuel holdings to align their business models with a sustainable future. A stable climate offers companies, communities, and nations greater economic strength and increased physical security. The tools to make that future – and not the one we’re currently on the path for – are in our hands. Let’s get to work.

ABOUT THE EXPERT Mindy Lubber is CEO and President of the sustainability nonprofit Ceres and a founding member of the global steering committee for Climate Action 100+ and The Investor Agenda. She was the recipient of the Champions of the Earth award –the United Nations’ highest environmental honor – for her leadership on climate change and sustainability. Lubber was also named one of Barron’s 100 most influential women in US finance.

North America Outlook issue 09 | 9

hough the aviation industry was hit tremendously hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, North America has so far recovered impressively well compared to many other regions. After a resilient 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects US passenger numbers this year to reach 94 percent of 2019 levels, with a full recovery forecast for 2023. Brighter skies undoubtedly lie ahead, but for now, clouds of uncertainty continue to circle when it comes to crew availability. The shortage of pilots in the US, exacerbated by COVID-19, has led to 10 | North America Outlook issue 09

PILOTING t h e Re cove r y

As aviation bounces back from COVID-19, there remains a looming pilot crisis. We speak to Espen Høiby, CEO of AAP Aviation, about crew management in a post-pandemic world Writer: Jack Salter

airlines cutting schedules and having to boost pay and bonuses to staff their operations. Faced with this challenge, we find out how AAP Aviation (AAP) is taking full responsibility for the entire crew management process, after speaking with CEO, Espen Høiby.

North America Outlook (NA): What is your take on the industry across North America, as it seeks to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic? Espen Høiby, CEO (EH): The US domestic market is the world’s largest

AAP AVIATION AEROSPACE

air travel market, and North America as a whole is in that sense particularly interesting for us at AAP. Prior to COVID-19, the US was among our largest markets in which we employed close to 1,000 people. However, the looming pilot crisis is already becoming evident in the region and I believe this is one of the biggest challenges that the industry as a whole will be facing in the years to come. Although airlines have been able to innovate their service offerings for travellers, they have failed to innovate in ways to attract core personnel. As with many other industries, gender diversity is a key element in ensuring sustainability. Whilst I’m sorry to say that only about five percent of all operating pilots are women, I choose to see the huge potential of this tremendous lack of gender balance, as we promote and facilitate career opportunities and management for the next generation. North America is a very mature market and less fragmented than what we still see in Europe, yet it is also very traditionally managed. As our solutions in essence are offering airlines optimized cost structures, enhanced efficiencies and more flexibilities, they ought to be greatly embraced by the industry. People want, and operators need, accessibility, simplicity and quality in crew management. I believe that we provide operators with the comparative advantage and agility they need to succeed, and our employees with the best working conditions. NA: As a company that’s ‘All About People’, how does AAP Aviation attract and retain talent? EH: We are actively reinvigorating the status of a career in the sky by offering employment security, competitive wages and benefits and flexibilities for the individual.

We also promote diversification and accentuate female role models to dissolve the old-fashioned pilot stereotypes and motivate and support more women to choose what is currently a male-dominated profession. AAP is focusing heavily on industryspecific technological developments and advanced tools in order to streamline the everyday duties of our crew and make routine tasks a lot more efficient. People also want to work where they live, so our structure is to enable crew bases in outstations. There is also a business imperative for the operators to leverage us in this sense. The industry has paradoxically been very locally organized as airlines mainly operate out of their “home market” to their respective destinations. Seeking additional flexibility by a more global approach represents a huge competitive advantage in terms of access to sufficient competent personnel. NA: Similarly, what strategies does AAP Aviation deploy to source the right pilots, cabin crew and aviation professionals on behalf of its customers? EH: First and foremost, we acknowledge the uniqueness of our clients and there is not one profile that necessarily fits all customers. Thus, we have developed our own crew matching and recruitment tool, CrewMatch™, which currently holds more than 160,000 candidates. This uniquely built tool for the mass recruitment of standardized workforces allows us to filter and pre-screen candidates extremely efficiently based on the exact requirements of our clients. That in turn enables our recruitment and selection specialists to focus their efforts on the candidates most likely to succeed in the subsequent recruitment process. Having a very

experienced and capable team of aviation experts and people specialists is key in order to select the right candidates. We are not just fixed on finding a candidate that meets the hard requirements, but we ensure that we have the right profile to best fit the needs and uniqueness of each client. NA: What are your predictions for the aviation industry in a post-COVID-19 context – are you confident that the industry will bounce back in the near future? EH: Absolutely. The fundamentals that have driven air travel for the past five decades remain intact, there is a substantial underlying predicted market growth for the next 20 years, and the North America region will be the fastest market to fully recover. We are seeing positive signs and people will want to travel, but airlines will need to revisit their economies of operations and opt for more aggressive cost-cutting solutions and alleviate indebtedness and future liabilities going forward. AAP Aviation is well positioned for the post-pandemic era. Airlines worldwide are now positioning themselves for a rise in activity, and we are increasingly receiving enquiries from companies that want to collaborate with us. That’s undoubtedly because they see our model and solutions as competitive. We will now build the company further and ensure that our business model becomes an even greater success than before the pandemic.

North America Outlook issue 09 | 11

DATA-DRIVEN Diagnostics

Championing digital cancer care services in the US, we take a look at EMRO Doctors Inc and speak with co-founder Dr Eva Szabo, about the innovative advantages of virtual healthcare Writer: Marcus Kääpä

ealthcare is evolving. The past two years have seen the healthcare industry adapt and transform in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and amid concerns about physical contact and the spread of viruses in the hospital environment, the sector has increased its adoption of digital tools as a means to help answer this new challenge. In the realm of cancer care, EMRO Doctors Inc (EMRO) is one such company supplying these tools. EMRO provides an integrative and innovative virtual consulting telehealth platform for professionals, cancer patients and their families, and

12 | North America Outlook issue 09

businesses and their employees. “The whole concept of EMRO developed from the need to provide digital services for cancer patients in 2019, aimed to revolutionize cancer care and allow patients to take their cancer journey into their own hands,” introduces Dr Eva Szabo, co-founder of the company. “My business partner and fellow co-founder Dr Brandon Meyers, a medical oncologist, recognized this same need for physicians when it came to offering more available services and help to both patients and professionals. “There are many telehealth platforms across the globe, but a lot of these are focused on prescriptions

or mental health, or general issues that patients face. EMRO was built for specialists to interact with their patients.”

EMRO.CLOUD EMRO.Cloud is the company’s primary offer; a platform that enhances cancer care by providing fast, safe, and quality care through an integrative, one-stop digital healthcare platform that is accessible from anywhere at any time. “EMRO.Cloud offers the patient a safe and easily accessible virtual platform for them to see and speak to their physicians, to ask medical questions as well as receive first and second opinions on their cancer diagnosis,” Szabo explains. “It also allows patients’ family physicians or family members to join virtually from anywhere in the world, yet this kind of video conferencing also provides additional advantages for both medical professionals and their patients. “When a patient makes a physical visit to speak to a doctor, they may often forget important information or details because they don’t know what to ask for due to nerves or any

EMRO DOCTORS INC HEALTHCARE

number of distractions. Through EMRO.Cloud, the patients are able to communicate more frequently and bring up points they may have missed before, or simply email the physician with regular updates.” EMRO.Cloud allows the patient to become fully involved with their specific medical needs and cancer journeys, while keeping them continually updated using an easily accessible system that retains a digital and current account of diagnosis and notes. “The physicians are able to access a patient’s virtual data from laptops, tablets and smart phones, and send this information securely to additional medical specialists for second opinions,” Szabo continues. “This allows physicians to have access to a global patient pool and for patients to receive the best diagnostics and medical help from experts worldwide. “In this way, the physician is able to help the patient fully understand their cancer journey, and help them by utilizing expertise from across the globe.”

MOVING FORWARD WITH DIGITAL EMRO.Cloud not only represents the newest form of cancer care services, but it is also incorporating the latest technology to best serve those who use it. “One of the biggest projects that we are undertaking is training our systems to have machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, so that we are able to pull from different medical sources and give patients their personal treatment strategies that are specifically based on their genetic profiles,” Szabo elaborates. “This relates to individual patient DNA, what kind of mutations the cancer is showing, and as a result, offering patients an individual path of treatment. “This is a significant part of EMRO. Cloud moving forward, and we are training up physicians to use the

systems which will save them time as well as produce more accurate results and help better monitor each patient’s status and files. Gone are the days when physicians had to sift through hundreds or thousands of pages of patient records.”

THE ORIGIN OF EMRO For Szabo, EMRO’s founding was a result of COVID-19’s impact over the past few years. Starting her career as an academic researcher after undertaking a PhD in stem cell research (that overlapped with cancer research), Szabo followed up with a post-doctoral fellowship that also involved many aspects focusing on both areas.

EMRO DOCTORS INC – AT THE CORE MISSION Provide cancer patients a safe, virtual environment where they can connect with cancer care experts, offering timely and customized support and consultations.

VALUE Provide patients and oncologists an online medical communication service, with diagnosis and personalized treatment options that are safe and easy to use, to offer a one-stop virtual space for cancer opinions on demand.

VISION Provide safe and easily accessible cancer care to every patient from anywhere and anytime.

“As I moved forward, I became more involved with the pharmaceutical industry and enjoyed the continuous development of the sector, realizing that I was more interested in the industry side of healthcare over the academic,” she tells us. “I pursued an MBA at Cornell-Queens in 2019, and within that program each of us

developed an individual project. “I focused mine on digital transformation in the cancer care field. At the time of starting this project COVID-19 suddenly impacted the globe, and I realized that there actually wasn’t much readily available for vulnerable patients when it came to digital services.” The project became a business plan, and together Szabo and Meyers brought to life a much-needed virtual service for cancer patients.

THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES Moving ahead into 2022 and beyond, EMRO.Cloud is at the core of the company’s focus, with the virtual medical environment becoming a new and recognized frontier on the stage of global healthcare. “Everything is moving towards the digital side,” Szabo says. “People want to have access to their specialists from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Patients want to be able to access their files and stay up to date with their records, because it is their right to have access to these files whenever they wish, and they should also be able to share whatever they want with the specialists trying to help them. On top of this, patients deserve to have access to alternative opinions, especially when it comes to information that could be lifechanging or potentially fatal. “Having the future of the healthcare system incorporate digital records and services is critical to helping patients and professionals in the sector. In just two years we have done 10 years of work in the healthcare system; this comes down to digital transformation, and I believe that every area of healthcare will begin to utilize some form of digital service, from mental health and social workers to psychologists.”

North America Outlook issue 09 | 13

E M B R AC I N G E A R T H DAY W I T H E C O LO G I

ackling the climate crisis has never been more accessible. Based in the UK but with a global mission, Ecologi is the start-up empowering both individuals and businesses to take action in supporting climate solutions through a simple monthly subscription. By signing up to the Ecologi platform, individuals can compensate their carbon footprint, fund climate projects and set eco-goals, all of which are captured on your profile. Centered entirely on transparency, the platform provides a clear and detailed paper trail of where exactly your money is directed. This includes evidence of carbon reduction through carbon offset certificates, and purchase receipts that provide proof of tree planting. To mark this Earth Day 2022, the company has teamed up with iconic entrepreneur and host of top-ranking podcast ‘The Diary of a CEO’ Steven

14 | North America Outlook issue 09

Ian Hambleton, Co-founder, Ecologi

Putting climate action at your fingertips, Ecologi is the accessible platform championing impactful solutions to compensate your carbon footprint Writer: Phoebe Harper

Bartlett, to remind both businesses and individuals of the pressing need to take action. Measuring its business success in impact, Ecologi champions the overriding ambition of reducing half the world’s projected emissions by 2040. As Earth Day urges us all to invest in our planet, we catch up with Ecologi and co-founder Ian Hambleton, to find out more. North America Outlook (NA): Through Ecologi, how can pocket change contribute to tackling the global climate crisis? Ian Hambleton, co-founder (IH): For as little as the price of a cup of coffee, users can offset their carbon footprint, fund global climate projects and set environmental goals for themselves. Through collective action, we have been able to plant over 39 million trees and reduce over 1.7 million tons of CO2 to date.

TOPICAL FOCUS SUSTAINABILITY

NA: How does your platform empower users to take collective action? IH: Ecologi’s mission is to make climate action accessible to everyone. Sourcing the world’s most effective climate solutions and enabling individuals and businesses to easily fund these through the Ecologi platform removes one of the biggest barriers (confusion about where to direct their money) that people face when they decide they want to do something to help the planet. By providing both businesses and individuals with the tools to amplify and quantify their contributions beyond their own carbon footprints, they’re able to make an impact that feels tangible and significant. This, we feel, provides all of our subscribers with a sense of agency and the opportunity to join our community, regardless of their budget. Through the Collective Action resource on our website, subscribers can also track the broader impact their community is having in the fight against climate change.

to a carbon offsetting project or planting trees for every product sold, or for every customer that completes an online survey or signs up for a newsletter. For example, as an organization, for every new Ecologi subscriber on Earth Day we will plant 100 trees. From a consumer

32,562 Ecologi members are making a huge impact with 39.6 million trees planted and 1.7 million tonnes of CO2e reduced

perspective, you can sign up to a climate action platform, set yourself personal climate goals, or even just use the occasion to start a discussion about climate change with your friends, family or colleagues. A simple conversation could lead to a lifetime of climate action.

NA: Looking ahead, what are Ecologi’s key priorities for the coming year? Are there any plans for expansion? IH: We want to become the first port-of-call for climate action for both businesses and individuals. From a numerical perspective, we anticipate the 100,000 trees we plant each day will increase to 300,000. We also hope to reduce a further four million tonnes of CO2 via carbon reduction projects.

NA: What action do you encourage people to take this Earth Day 2022? IH: One of the most effective things businesses can do this Earth Day is to engage their own communities in climate action by either contributing

www.ecologi.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 15

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.

FREE Marke ti

R O BI SO N O I L | MO D UME TA L TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

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 09

ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE

The North American rail system is the envy of the world in terms of moving freight.” As rail receives increasing attention as a favored means of land-based freight transportation, Trinity Industries Inc. (Trinity) is the visionary organization to encapsulate efficiency, visibility, and resiliency – both throughout its expansive portfolio of railcar products and services, and within the workings of the company itself. Trinity has operated as a major player in the North

American supply chain for more than 85 years, originally founded by Ray Wallace, and followed by his son Tim Wallace, who presided over the company until 2018. Now, under the leadership of President and CEO, Jean Savage, Trinity performs as a wholly railfocused entity. “The company has a long history in diversified industrial products,” she explains.

“Now, Trinity is one of the top five railcar lessors in North America, and we also specialize in new railcar manufacturing and maintenance.” Joining Savage is Eric Marchetto, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and orator of the opening statement, and Gregg Mitchell, Trinity’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. In recent years, Trinity’s core

quality of resiliency has proved paramount, as the freight rail industry continues to weather a volatile market environment, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant supply chain disruption, and now facing eight percent inflation and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, whose full impact is yet to be fully realized. “Though this could potentially take away some of our growth opportunity, the market is still improving – which is always more exciting than challenging,” Marchetto shares confidently.

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TRINITY INDUSTRIES,INC. At the vanguard of modern rail solutions and freight innovation, we hit the railroads with the Executive Team behind Trinity Industries, Inc.

RAIL, R E VO L U T I O N I Z E D Safe, economic, and sustainable, rail is the undisputed leader of land transportation. At the vanguard of modern rail solutions and freight innovation, we hit the railroads with the Executive Team behind Trinity Industries Inc. Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom Cullum Hourglass Autorack

2 | North America Outlook issue 09

North America Outlook issue 09 | 3

RICH TAJER, Enterprise CCO of Commericial Vehicle Group, discusses innovation and engineering perfection

www.northamericaoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

RAIL, R E VO L U T I O N I Z Safe, economic, and sustainable, rail is the undisputed leader of land transportation. At the vanguard of modern rail solutions and freight innovation, we hit the railroads with the Executive Team behind Trinity Industries Inc. Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

18 | North America Outlook issue 09

ZED Hourglass Autorack

North America Outlook issue 09 | 19

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

FROM MANUFACTURING TO MAINTENANCE AND BEYOND As a leading freight railcar lessor, Trinity’s leasing division is a primary component of the company’s offering, in keeping with the shifting dynamic of railcar ownership in the industry. “In the past, the railroads owned a lot of the railcars alongside some of the major customers, but now railcar lessors own roughly 50 percent of the cars in the U.S., while railroads own approximately 30 percent,” Savage explains. As Trinity increasingly builds and then leases its railcars, within the past 25 years its fleet has grown significantly, expanding from 8,000 railcars and $4-500 million of invested capital, to 130,000 railcars and roughly $8 billion in invested capital. Today, aside from these physical assets and tangible market offerings, Trinity is dedicated in its pursuit of becoming a truly service-oriented enterprise, demonstrating an

unwavering commitment to people both through its customers and company culture. “We service a lot of customers under a broad group,” says Marchetto. “Sure, we’re an equipment leasing business, but more than that, we’re a service business that is in constant contact with our customers. “There’s a lot of expertise that goes into managing a rail portfolio, and we’re able to do that more efficiently for our customers while bringing a higher level of service,” he adds. This is best evidenced by Trinity’s forward-thinking adoption of advanced technologies that leverage industry innovation to deliver true transparency for the customer experience and significantly heighten service levels. With an established legacy and unrivalled reputation for building, selling, leasing, administering and maintaining railcars, Trinity’s foray into the service experience for rail

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: COULD YOU EXPAND ON THE ROLE THAT INNOVATION PLAYS AT TRINITY? GREGG MITCHELL, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER: “From an innovation standpoint, we look at both improving the ease of use of the products we make and developing new products. We also find new ways to use our products and create ones that have never been seen before. “We formalized our new product development program by identifying products that we could incrementally improve based on shippers’ feedback. One example of a new product that we’ve introduced to the market within the past year by soliciting some of the pain points that shippers experience in using rail is the Hourglass Autorack.

Hammond Machine Works Partnerships are important. Relationships are important. For nearly 25 years Hammond Machine Works and TrinityRail have worked together to bring the very best to the railcar industry. Over the years, this history of rewarding and mutually beneficial collaboration has consistently yielded positive results. Whether your business is looking for manufacturing solutions, prototyping, or design and engineering consultation, Hammond Machine Works is there to help. Serving the railcar industry for 114 years and counting, our machinists, fabricators, welders, and manufacturing engineers possess the requisite skill and experience to think critically to solve problems, and ensure your project runs smoothly from start to finish. Through continuous improvement initiatives, ongoing investment in the latest CNC machining centers and robotic welding systems, and advanced development and training opportunities offered to our employees, Hammond Machine Works continually strives to promote quality, cooperation, and growth. If you need the very best in contract manufacturing, prototyping and development, manufacturing engineering consultation, or CAD design look no further than Hammond Machine Works, Inc. With two AARcertified facilities (Hammond, IN and Addison, TX), our motivated and qualified staff is ready for your next project.

“Standard width autoracks used to move vehicles across the country don’t have a lot of room inside the car to manuever. The Hourglass Autorack is 10 inches wider on the tail or on the nose, which opens up more space and reduces the potential for damage to vehicles caused in transit. “By expanding the width on both ends for wider trucks and vehicles, employees that move these on and off the rail system can do it safer with that additional space. It is a far more efficient system.”

— Est. 1908 — ONE STOP. ONE SHOP. ONE COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO MANUFACTURE YOUR PARTS.

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20 | North America Outlook issue 09

CERTIFICATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:

M-1003 | M-1002 | AWS D15.1

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Whether you aretoready for production, need a prototype production assessment, or need to reve Whether you are ready for production, need a prototype for production assessment, need reverse Whether you are ready for production, need aorprototype for production assessment, or need tofor reverse engineer an obsolete part, Machine Works delivers all the services you need under one ro engineer an obsolete part, Hammond Machine deliverspart, all the servicesMachine you needWorks under one roof engineerWorks an obsolete Hammond delivers all Hammond the services you need under one roof tosolutions. provide cost-effective manufacturing solutions. to provide cost-effective manufacturingto solutions. provide cost-effective manufacturing • Precision Machining

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TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

METRADING International Metrading International AG is a global commodities distributor headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland with a primary focus on steel and aluminum distribution. Formed by a group of individuals with over 80 years of combined experience in commodities distribution, the company’s guiding principles focus on achieving growth through innovation and sustainability. Metrading invests in companies that drive innovation, such as the purification process of graphite for battery manufacturing which will shape the future electrification of machines and energy storage through environmental and sustainable processes.

“ W E ’ R E P R OV I D I N G A N E CO N O M I C S O LU T I O N T O S H I P P E R S T H AT E N A B L E T H E M T O G O T H E R E N O W. T H E R E A R E A L O T O T H E R P R O G R A M S I N D E V E L O P M E N T, B U T W E ’ R E R E A DY TO G O ” – G R E G G M I TC H E L L , E X E C U T I V E V I C E P R E S I D E N T A N D C H I E F COMMERCIAL OFFICER, TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC.

customers effectively gives the company a truly competitive edge as the complete solution – a one-stopshop for all customers’ rail needs.

WHY RAIL? Aside from the major shift in railcar ownership as industry players lean more towards leasing assets, freight rail has also witnessed a decline in modal share, which is related to the implementation of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) across the Class I railroads that has restricted growth by enforcing a focus on metrics. “In 2006 in the U.S., rail had 33 percent of modal share, and by 2019 we had 27 percent. Since the Great 22 | North America Outlook issue 09

Recession while all other modes of transportation went up by 20 percent, rail volumes remained nearly constant,” Savage outlines. As freight continues to increase despite the modal share, for Mitchell, by “unlocking rail sustainability advantages”, the company has made a mission of questioning how this can be improved, for what Trinity believes to be the most efficient land-based mode of transportation. Indeed, it is widely acknowledged that, in spite of these declining figures in modal share, rail today stands as a clear frontrunner in terms of safety, economically competitive efficiency, and crucially, environmental sustainability.

Metrading has offices in Switzerland, the U.S., Turkey, and Mexico, with new offices scheduled to open in Germany and Canada by early 2023 to better support our clients in these regions. Our vision is to expand our business by adding value to the supply chain of steel, aluminum and processed raw materials which enables a more direct supply to our customers, while using just in time deliveries and financial planning to hedge pricing and minimize market volatility.

info@metrading.ch

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

“In a world with high fuel prices, labor shortages, and where people are more sensitive than ever to environmental issues – rail wins on all of those issues,” states Marchetto. With environmental concerns growing in significance, faced with the context of climate change, ESG has become a major focus of Trinity’s offering to its customers. As Mitchell informs us, recent surveys have shown that more than 50 percent of all respondents will use ESG as an indicator in making logistics and procurement decisions in today’s world, thereby offering Trinity a real opportunity to advance the field. Industrial players in rail have become well-versed in statistics that support its status as a leader in environmentally-friendly freight transportation, which currently accounts for just six-tenths of one percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 24 | North America Outlook issue 09

Eric Marchetto, Executive Vice President

Such common figures include the estimation that if just 25 percent of truck traffic in long-haul freight movements were to use rail instead, it would result in a 13-million-ton reduction of GHG emissions. Similarly, it is often remarked that with rail transportation, just one gallon

of fuel can transport one ton of freight 480 miles – a clear winner compared to truck transport. Trinity also recognizes the major role that rail plays within the energy supply chain, as a vital mode of transportation for commodities in a country blessed with a wealth of natural resources – whether in coal, natural gas, crude oil, or agricultural products. Catering to the explosive growth of the energy sector has historically been, and continues to be, one of the industry’s greatest tasks; from transporting its largest commodity of coal, to playing a role in expediting more environmentally friendly energy resources. “The U.S. is an energy superstar, with major competitiveness on the global stage,” comments Marchetto. “U.S. natural gas as an energy resource and feedstock has propelled U.S. energy production and the U.S. chemical complex. Coal remains the single largest commodity moved by

WHEN YOUR BUSINESS RELIES ON RAIL, RELY ON US. TrinityRail® is North America’s leading railcar equipment and services provider. With a comprehensive platform of leasing, manufacturing, maintenance and professional services, you can rely on TrinityRail to fully deliver trusted expertise, innovative solutions and supply chain optimization. Learn more at TrinityRail.com.

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

New York Air Brake Worldwide Leader in Heavy-haul Train Control Innovation New York Air Brake® (NYAB) is a leading supplier of air brake systems, electronically-controlled braking systems and foundation brake systems for use by freight cars and locomotives. “Every component we build is engineered to perform safely, reliably and profitably on heavyhaul freight railroads,” says Deepak Kumar, NYAB Director of Marketing.

“ W E A R E A H U M B L E C O M PA N Y F O C U S E D O N T H E C U S T O M E R , T H AT VA L U E S S A F E T Y A N D I T S E M P LOY E E S ” – G R E G G M I TC H E L L , E X E C U T I V E V I C E P R E S I D E N T A N D C H I E F COMMERCIAL OFFICER, TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC.

rail. Energy is a major piece of our portfolio, but our business and our outlook for the industry goes beyond crude oil and coal production. From that standpoint, rail can play a major role.” Within the company itself, sustainability is a significant consideration in Trinity’s manufacturing work, best embodied by the company’s recent launch of a sustainable railcar conversion program. This initiative repurposes underutilized railcars into a different cartype, while preserving much of the raw material into the new car. “For customers that are driving sustainability, this creates a great opportunity for them to take existing real assets in undercarriage and utilize them for a different need,” says Mitchell. 26 | North America Outlook issue 09

“Our engineers are always thinking about how to make new cars work for customers’ problems, particularly in terms of how it affects ESG. Our sustainable conversions lower GHG because we’re already reusing 10,000 lbs of material and this program is only just starting,” Savage tells us excitedly.

UNPARALLELED CUSTOMER COMMITMENT Trinity’s ability to model its offering to customer demand thanks to its expert operational capabilities, as seen with facilitating ESG commitments, encapsulates the company’s core belief in remaining versatile. “Since we don’t provide a standard product, we are always trying to solve customers’ problems to give them the most value,” Savage says.

NYAB products and services are engineered to outperform. Extensive testing done in partnership with railroads, locomotive manufacturers and car builders confirms that the performance, safety and reliability of NYAB products are real and substantial. We earn the continued trust of our railroad partners by working hand-in-hand with them as they deploy, operate and maintain new and ever-more capable train control technology. Rail services further supports our customer by supplying spare parts, repair services and technical ability. The company’s wide array of train control products include: DB-60 II Control Valve with Brake Cylinder Maintaining™ (BCM), a patented AAR approved feature that replenishes brake cylinder pressure when a leak occurs. CCB-II Computer-Controlled Brake is recognized as the industry’s most reliable air brake – and data proves it. LEADER Train Handling System reduces operating costs and boosts network efficiency by delivering superior train handling and significant reductions of in-train forces. New York Air Brake is recognized worldwide as a leading supplier of heavy-haul freight railroad control systems. From multiple locations, the company serves customers across the United States, Canada and Mexico – reaching across the globe to South America, Africa, the Middle East, India, China and Australia.

PROUD TO PARTNER WITH TRINITYRAIL®

DB-60 II Control Valve

Universal Brake Cylinder

Vertical Wheel Hand Brake

EL-60 Empty & Load Valve

WE ARE PROUD TO BE A DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR TRINITYRAIL AND THE HEAVY-HAUL FREIGHT RAILROAD INDUSTRY. At New York Air Brake, our focus is to build world-class solutions that perform safely and reliably. For over 25 years, our robust air brake systems – as well as our responsive Field-Service Team – have helped TrinityRail produce some of the best railcars in the world.

E₂O : Engineered to Outperform 748 Starbuck Avenue | Watertown, New York 13601 | 315.786.5200 | www.nyab.com

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

“Our people are always listening and responding to problems very quickly – you can’t force that quality, it’s something you have naturally and that’s part of our culture here at Trinity.” This is reflected by the customer loyalty that Trinity has fostered over the course of its operation. “Over the past 25 years, we have been growing with our customers

President and CEO, Jean Savage

28 | North America Outlook issue 09

while acquiring new ones along the way, and it’s been incredibly rewarding from that standpoint,” says Marchetto. “We like to say that we have a rail platform to help the customer fulfill their needs,” affirms Mitchell. This feeds into Trinity’s growing emphasis on the service division of the business. “Our industry needs to do a better job of raising the service levels against other modes of transportation,” Marchetto continues. “Where we can improve in our service to shippers is reducing the variability and volatility in timing.” As Marchetto suggests, at Trinity it is just as much about identifying and responding to the customer’s individual problems, as it is in the wider playing field of the industry as a whole. This people-centric stance in dedication to the needs of the customer translates across all levels of the Trinity enterprise, particularly in the company’s commitments to its industry-leading workforce. Indeed, at Trinity, the

Amsted Rail At Amsted Rail, we believe what we do matters. From manufacturing world-class freight and transit railcar systems to designing nextgeneration technology to track, trace, monitor and manage fleet assets, Amsted Rail is moving the transportation industry in exciting new directions. And with more than a century of success and a rich culture of innovation, we are, every day, renewing our commitment to our employees, communities and environment. We believe our passion for learning is the key to unlocking growth, and we strive to build a culture that embraces creativity at every level.

amstedrail.com

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

Unmatched scope of INTEGRATED systems GLOBAL leaders in reliability IoT platform drives fleet VISIBILITY Performance-driven SOLUTIONS A century of INNOVATION

TR AIN SMARTER F R E I G H T | T R A N S I T | D I G I TA L amstedrail.com

With 20 years of experience, Grupo Fox, has distinguished itself in manufacturing and engineering of custom-made parts for the metallurgical industry. Aside from developing new personalised projects to satisfy the necessities of our clients, we specialise in fabrication of components for the railcar industry with full service starting from the rolled steel plate up to the delivery of parts.

T: 8666971022 E: ventas@grupofox.com

www.grupofox.com

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TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

Metelmex Since 1981, Metelmex has successfully provided products and services to different industries. By offering high quality and competitive prices, we have gained prestige as one of the most important Mexican companies of its field worldwide. Even though our main area of expertise is Steel Bar Grating manufacturing, due to our client´s requirements and highly demanded standards by the market, we have grown our products range to: • Industrial Gratings • Railcar Sub-assembly Welding and Component Fabrication • Structural Steel Fabrication • Hot Dip Galvanizing • Logistics Services

people make the greatest difference. It is an area of focus that has well and truly risen to the fore over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the company’s team united to navigate challenging market conditions in spite of the healthcare risks. “Our market was hit really hard during the second quarter of 2020. Freight activity was down by 25 percent, compared to the same period in 2019. It’s been an unprecedented decline that we’ve seen,” says Marchetto. Much of the Trinity workforce was unable to work from home and continued to operate while implementing safety procedures that were soon copied across the board to allow everyone’s safe return to work, resulting in an overall improvement in safety measures. The pandemic heightened Trinity’s safety protocols and drove a change in philosophy centered on resiliency. “Our team really came together to make sure that we were successful and supported people during that difficult time,” Savage comments proudly. “We owe a lot to those staff members for getting us through this pandemic. They were resilient, flexible, 30 | North America Outlook issue 09

and took it in stride while continuing to deliver essential products to customers. I’m really proud of what the team did,” she adds. During this time, a can-do attitude and never losing sight of the customer proved essential ingredients for success. Savage herself has championed a major transition towards a collaborative working ethos, reinforcing Trinity’s peoplecentric culture at a time when the company’s leaders had to re-align their management styles to adapt to new staff joining during remote working, who were unfamiliar with the team and company. “Before, as a diversified industrial company, we were very siloed, but now with a rail focus, it’s all about collaborating and working as a team. That’s starting to take hold and we’ve made real progress there.” Savage adheres to a style of leadership honed during her military service and peppered with the experience that she has gained during previous tenures at both heavy industrial firm Parker Hannifin, and Progress Rail. “The values for someone in the military really match well with those at Trinity. What I learned from the

With strategic locations in Mexico and Houston, Texas.

www.metelmex.com

Samuel Roll Form Group At Samuel Roll Form Group, we have the selection, innovation, capacity, and capability to meet your railcar requirements and have served this industry for over four decades. From a wide range of structural roll formed components, to fabricated doors, roofs, floors and uncoupling levers, we are your supplier of choice. We have achieved certifications for ISO 9001 and AAR Quality Assurance (American Association of Railroads) – a proven record of our commitment to manufacturing products that exceed our customers’ expectations.

www.rollformgroup.com

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

Hot Dip Galvanizing

Your Railcar Industry Integrated Partner Strategically Located in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico

Major Railcar Sub-assembly Welding and Component Fabrication

Steel Bar Grating

Logistic Service

www.metelmex.com

SAMUEL ROLL FORM GROUP IS PROUD TO BE A STRATEGIC SUPPLIER OF TRINITY RAIL. For over 45 years, we’ve been supplying innovative, custom made steel formed products for the railcar and rail transportation industry.

WWW.ROLLFORMGROUP.COM

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TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

military was the servant leadership style – you are there to take the roadblocks away that let people do their job and unleash their talents. “In those first years in the rail industry I had to learn many ways of doing business with different rules and regulations,” she recalls, mastering the spirit of resiliency and versatility that is so central to Trinity today. As Trinity’s first female CEO following Tim Wallace’s retirement after 45 years of service, Savage has also witnessed the welcome diversification of the people behind the industry. “When I went to a conference back in 2002, I would be one of maybe two or three women. Now, about 25 percent of that room are female,” she says.

EMBRACING INNOVATION Informing Trinity’s position on innovation, this understanding of the

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customer and their needs represents a crucial starting point to fuel future progress, by listening to and identifying their pain points. Mitchell is particularly alert to the fact that fostering a connection with customers is a critical foundation to solicit ideas for innovation. After all, progress is futile without first understanding where it is needed. “Our customers have three primary complaints. First, it’s difficult to control the cost when moving commodities across great distances,” he outlines. “Second, it’s consistency, in that you can’t always count on freight being where you need it to be, so certainty is important. The third is complexity – in today’s world of changing market conditions and supply chain congestion, it is becoming more difficult for supply chains to optimize the equipment they have.” As a result, innovation at Trinity is leveraged to address the question of

Steel Warehouse Steel Warehouse’s partnership with Trinity Industries goes beyond being their steel provider. SW is their ally in providing responsive solutions. This relationship stems from years of understanding the needs and demands of every aspect of Trinity Industries. Whether it be a product to innovate or steel shortage to navigate, SW’s prides itself on delivering results for its partners. Since 1947, Steel Warehouse has provided new processing techniques, sophisticated inventory management, commercial flexibility and metallurgical expertise. For the past 15 years we’ve supported our customers on both sides of the border.

www.steelwarehouse.com

TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

WE KNOW FABRICATION

We have 75 years of experience in the U.S. and 15 years in Mexico of providing steel solutions to fabricators.

WE KNOW STEEL

Steel Warehouse has the knowledge to discern which are the best steel sources for you to make a quality part. We have relationships with the best mills across the globe, helping us to identify exceptional solutions for your needs while managing your inventory and saving you time, money, and worry.

WE KNOW LOGISTICS

We buy steel and transport specialty products around the world. We are experienced in container loads, bulk, rail, and trucking, so we can determine the best transportation and logistics course to meet your deadlines.

+1 800-348-2520 (USA) +52 800-00-STEEL (MEX) STEELWAREHOUSE.COM

HOT ROLLED SPECIALISTS Sinton, TX | Decatur, AL | Hickman, AR 1-800-527-8671

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TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

how the company can go to market to make it easier to use rail, while also improving the rail shipper’s experience. This is best evidenced by technological advances that are setting a precedent for the industry. “Technology is one area where rail is quite far behind, as we are trying to get on par with the trucking industry and provide the customers with a better experience,” says Savage. Two of the company’s innovative technological products are critical in this regard: Trinsight™ and RailPulse. As one of Trinity’s latest innovations, Trinsight™ uses software to provide shippers with invaluable visibility for their railcar. The technology is similar to that used in trucking to bring the industry on par using data connectivity. The innovation enabled through Trinsight™ marks a significant departure from the data provided by wayside readers that the railroads have traditionally relied on, with typically just 80 percent accuracy. “Trinsight™ is our web-based platform that helps our customers see their freight and railcars regardless of whose railroad it’s on. It’s starting to change the way that people do their business and is simplified to make their experience better,” outlines Mitchell. “We can help shippers through transparency, visibility and real-time telematics, by providing them with information on the condition of the railcar and its exact location within their supply chain.” For Mitchell, Trinsight™ returns to the key advantage of rail in terms of economic efficiency. “Imagine the amount of dollars saved if a supply chain leader can reduce or improve the turn of equipment and optimize the entire chain through real-time visibility.” Not only does this allow more astute decision-making, but it opens up the possibility for a host of other 34 | North America Outlook issue 09

applications, arguably most crucially in resolving disputes between the railroads and shippers by creating detailed views of freight movement. Complementary to Trinsight™, Trinity is a founder of a coalition that is building an open-architect platform (RailPulse) to enhance supply chain visibility in allowing customers to bring their own devices to the system. The combination of the two provides

a unique differentiator in the technological prowess that Trinity can offer. “We can also take the existing car location message (CLM) data that the railroads provide and reverse that information with the data we’re providing in real-time to give a complete supply chain visibility tool for our customers. That’s very unique in today’s world,” Mitchell explains.

While Trinsight™ is the analytical tool, RailPulse is the platform where the critical data resides. It is this combination of CLM with telematics that differentiates RailPulse as a standout solution in supply chain efficiency. RailPulse is the result of an industry coalition, where transport leaders collaborated to address how technology could be brought into a real-time environment to make the rail industry more accessible and easier to use, eliminating unpredictability and uncertainty. Crucially, the coalition behind RailPulse assembles the Class I railroads, shippers, railcar lessors,

and short line railroads – each of which are evenly represented by four board seats to ensure each category has an equal stake in the concept, to guarantee that it works for the whole industry. “This is a game-changer for the industry and probably the most exciting thing that’s going on right now,” says Mitchell. With cutting edge sensor capabilities and cargo tracking, Trinity is delivering rail’s technological future through RailPulse. Meanwhile, for Savage, the years ahead for Trinity will center on its all-important people, as the crucial ingredient that will keep the wheel’s

turning for the company’s future. “We are focused on developing the next set of leaders – we’re here to help guide and set strategy to develop who’s going to come next,” Savage says. “We must ensure that talents are unleashed, and people are equipped with the skillsets they need to lead the company.”

Tel: 800-631-4420 TrinityInvestorRelations@trin.net www.trinityrail.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 35

ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

THE ARCTIC A DVA N TAG E Canada is home to many seaports shipping goods across the world. We speak to Sheldon Affleck, CEO of Arctic Gateway Group, about the company opening the Arctic region to European trade Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

ven today, Canada and the Arctic circle remain the wild frontiers of North America. The region’s geography comprises alpine forests, freshwater lakes and strings of dramatic mountains that make up the country’s iconic skyline. This rough and varied terrain makes transport and connection vital for those who live in the region, both when it comes to livelihood and work. Strategically located on the west coast of Hudson Bay, the Arctic Gateway is the front door to Western Canada, linking Canadian resource exports to the global marketplace. The Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) owns and operates the Port of Churchill, Canada’s only Arctic seaport serviced by rail, on the Hudson Bay Railway, running from The Pas to Churchill, Manitoba. “AGG is a lifeline to the communities of Northern Manitoba, and a supply line that feeds the Arctic and the world,” introduces Sheldon Affleck,

Sheldon Affleck, CEO of Arctic Gateway Group

CEO of the organization. “These Canadian communities rely on the Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) as their lifeline, and through the efforts of those who work the railway and port, the world is supplied by all the necessary resources Canada has to offer.” When it comes to such resources, Canada is increasingly becoming a focus on the global stage. AGG is building a natural resources corridor through the Arctic to connect the region to the rest of the world. “The Arctic is home port to a great deal of varied resources, from minerals to grain and energy products such as oil and natural gas. It is slowly being recognized as one of the globe’s growing areas, especially with improvements to infrastructure, logistics and shipping. “We are in a very strategic position because Canada’s Arctic exists on the top of our round world, meaning that moving goods from Churchill to anywhere in Europe is as close as moving goods from Montreal, for example. Therefore, we are saving thousands of miles of rail travel by opening up multiple hubs of trade in Canada and interconnecting the world. “We also have many opportunities shipping from the Port of Churchill. While the key product has for a long time been grain, I see a lot of potential when it comes to alternative products North America Outlook issue 09 | 37

ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

such as Canapux, which is an environmentally friendly, innovative and safe way to transport extra-heavy crude, also known as bitumen. Canada alone has around 52 percent of the world’s heavy oil, and this is used to make

ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP – OFFERS AT A GLANCE ARCTIC GATEWAY FREIGHT SERVICES Shipping supplies or goods? With regular freight rail service from The Pas to Churchill and back, stopping at dozens of communities along the way, AGG provides a low-cost supply route for vital commodities. Goods are also shipped from the Port of Churchill to mines and communities in Nunavut. HUDSON BAY RAILWAY Hudson Bay Railway is ideal for hauling perishables, automobiles, frac sand, heavy equipment, scrap, construction or hazardous materials, kraft paper, concentrates, containers, wood pellets, wheat and other grain products, as well as energy commodities. Hudson Bay Railway connects with CN in The Pas, running north through Manitoba to the Hudson Bay at the Port of Churchill. PORT OF CHURCHILL Whether you’re looking to import or export, the Port of Churchill creates a vital tidewater connection to port facilities worldwide. The Port of Churchill is Canada’s only Arctic seaport serviced by rail. CHURCHILL MARINE TANK FARM The Churchill Marine Tank Farm handles storage of fuel for distribution to northern communities, the Town of Churchill, and the Churchill Airport.

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pavement, carbon fiber for manufacturing, textiles, and waterproofing products.”

CONNECTING PORTS AGG prides itself on connecting Canadian business to the rest of the world, delivering resources and products across vast stretches of wilderness to the many global areas that they are destined for. “70 percent of our employees are indigenous, and so it is a massive source of employment and economic activity for the area; the ownership group itself is also indigenous and community owned,” Affleck tells us. “On a personal level, it’s been great to see our people work with optimism, driven by the knowledge that they are an essential part in creating a new frontier in Canada. “There are no new ports being created in Canada anymore, as all the potential locations are already utilized. Because of this, freight connections to Churchill are more important than ever, with the strategic advantage of Churchill’s close proximity to Canada’s resources, and an uncongested transportation corridor to move goods on. “With the global changes that we are currently undergoing, such as the rising cost of fuel, no form of freight will be cheaper than that of the ocean. Maintaining and improving rail connections to this Arctic seaport is therefore critical to continued growth, and it is our focus right now. “We are currently improving the under structure of railroads by replacing the existing sand railbed with more stable crushed rock. This restructuring of the railroad will make port connections more viable and durable.”

SMOOK Contractors Smook Contractors Ltd. is a community-oriented provider of heavy civil construction services in both the public and private sectors. We are committed to being an industry leader through our quality of work, standard of safety, employee satisfaction, and the protection of the environment. As the leading provider of heavy civil construction services in northern Manitoba Smook Contractors Ltd. is strategically located to partner with Arctic Gateway Group to supply large quantities of railway ballast and other support items to assist in the operation and maintenance of their critical rail infrastructure line.

THE LATEST AND BEST This focus on rail improvement will go hand-in-hand with AGG’s technological investments for its railway fleet.

www.smook.ca

Delivering Excellence in Workmanship “We are committed to being an industry leader through our quality of work, standard of safety, employee satisfaction and the protection of the environment.” • • • • • • • • • • • •

Machine control/ surveying/ GPS technology Aggregate production; crushing and screening Road construction Clearing and landscaping Drilling and blasting Earth and rock excavation Earthwork on lagoons, tailings ponds and waste contamination Sewer and water projects Environmental clean-up and soil remediation Oversized and heavy hauling Mine construction and site restoration Open pit operations

www.smook.ca

Hudson Bay Port

Hudson Bay Railway

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ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP SUPPLY CHAIN

“We will be properly revamping the railroad track between Gillam and Churchill, the 180-mile network, and if everything goes to plan, we will have this completed by August of 2023,” Affleck explains. “We have a fleet of 12 locomotives that will be new to the railway, that have been refurbished with the latest electronics so that we can remotely monitor and control them. “Running a railway in the Arctic is difficult. Everything is very remote and there are often adverse conditions, and the only communication system has been through satellite radio. We are changing this by adding the SpaceX’s Starlink system to each of these locomotives to provide high speed internet for these trains anywhere in the Arctic.” AGG’s use of Starlink systems will allow the company complete remote monitoring capabilities across its fleet, which will both help to reinforce

“A G G I S A L I F E L I N E T O T H E C O M M U N I T I E S O F N O R T H E R N M A N I T O B A , A N D A S U P P LY L I N E T H AT F E E D S T H E A R C T I C A N D T H E W O R L D ” – S H E L D O N A F F L E C K , C E O , A R C T I C G AT E WAY G R O U P

the performance, reliability and reputation of AGG for its new and long-standing customers. “Last year we also deployed a new technology called Toughcel geocel,” Affleck adds. “It’s very innovative. Basically, you can use it to build a road, highway or railway in complete muskeg, and it will support the heavy loads without stability issues. “It is very useful for when a weak area of the original track or road requires maintenance, or simply providing support for such existing infrastructure. Using this Toughcel technology, heavy loaded railcars will be transported without safety concerns.”

AGG is moving forward with technology as the central driving force behind its investments. Through increased monitoring capabilities and tools to streamline rail performance and repairs, the company is set to grow as one of Canada’s primary seaport rail services, bringing the region’s goods and resources to the global market into the future.

ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP info@arcticgateway.com www.arcticgateway.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 41

ALLPORT CARGO SERVICES SUPPLY CHAIN

CARGO IS ALL GO 42 | North America Outlook issue 09

For supply chain management, Allport Cargo Services is North America’s modern service provider of end-to-end cargo solutions. We delve into the company’s operations Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

Our passion is servicing our clients.” The relentless pursuit of excellence is the cultural centerpiece of premier global supply chain services provider, Allport Cargo Services (ACS). Throughout the company’s 30-year history, ACS has focused on developing customer-centric supply chain and logistics solutions for many leading brands and customers, who have extensive networks to orchestrate and massive

challenges to solve. Part of the Cargo Services Group (CGS), a privately held third party logistics (3PL) provider based in Hong Kong, ACS has operated in North America since 2015, a new region for CGS. As an independent 3PL, ACS is not affiliated with an ocean carrier and is not part of a global forwarding entity, whose focus and priorities are on brokering and creating margin on air and ocean freight. North America Outlook issue 09 | 43

ALLPORT CARGO SERVICES SUPPLY CHAIN

Emerge The only freight-specific RFP Platform. When tackling complex supply chain and logistics issues, enterprises are increasingly looking for solutions to save time and money. Freight optimization is now squarely a daily boardroom conversation. The standard RFP process can be tedious and time-consuming; Emerge’s platform allows shippers to automate processes end-to-end, saving value time and resources in the process. • Support All Modes: FCL, FTL, Drayage, Intermodal

‘INFOR NEXUS IS THE WORLD’S LEADING C L O U D - B A S E D M U LT I -T E N A N T N E T W O R K F O R M U LT I - E N T E R P R I S E S U P P LY C H A I N O R C H E S T R AT I O N A N D C O N N E C T S A C S ’ C U S T O M E R S T O T H E I R E N T I R E S U P P LY C H A I N ’

The company believes in the development of a technology-enabled supply chain, and in the last decade has developed a “source-to-shelf” retail supply chain solution, which has helped several retail customers worldwide to deliver best value for the products they source directly from China, South-east Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. ACS’ unique systems and serviceneutral operating model enables customers to leverage the company’s pioneering IT platform and supply chain management application, Infor Nexus, to plug and play their transportation providers without disrupting their product, supplier, information or documentation flow. Infor Nexus is the world’s leading cloud-based multi-tenant network for multi-enterprise supply chain orchestration and connects ACS’ customers to their entire supply chain, from suppliers and manufacturers 44 | North America Outlook issue 09

to transportation partners, dray partners, brokers, and distribution networks. The platform, on which ACS fully operates and executes everything it does in real-time, creates a single version of the truth, allowing multiple participants to work, automate processes, and collaborate globally. It combines real-time tracking via ACS’ ‘live’ suite of products (Live Ocean, Live Road, Live Air) with the most comprehensive set of exception management tools available, which lets customers focus on running their business as efficiently as possible. Because there are so many moving parts in global supply chain management, finding the right operating system was a challenge for ACS. The Infor Nexus global visibility network platform has, however, provided the company with a gamechanging end-to-end supply chain management solution.

• Extend Your Carrier Reach with Thousands of Vetted Carriers and Partners • Easily Run Annual, Seasonal, and Mini Bids • Automate Your Entire RFP Process Complete your RFP with a few clicks instead of weeks. Emerge gives you all the tools you need to administer your bid in a fraction of the time it used to take. Bring your network partners, plug into marketplace capacity providers, and benchmark lane data for your entire route guide in one easy-to-use platform. Powerful AI-driven decisionmaking that can award optimize your route guide in a matter of seconds, saving shippers tons of time. Contact us today for a demo and see it in action.

www.emergemarket.com

Reinventing Freight Procurement from Port to Final Destination Evolve your transportation procurement by running your FCL container bids, FTL, drayage, intermodal, and more on the Emerge RFP platform. Built by transportation professionals, Emerge is the only RFP platform that automates end-to-end processes to save shippers valuable time and money.

The world's leading brands are using the Emerge platform to drive profitable business value and optimize transportation spend. • Digitize your transportation procurement • Reduce freight spend • Improve the efficiency of procurement teams and processes • Scenario optimization and network improvements

www.emergemarket.com

ALLPORT CARGO SERVICES SUPPLY CHAIN

ACS was selected by a panel of Infor solution and industry experts to receive the 2021 Infor Customer Excellence Award for Distribution/3PL

In recognition of driving such innovation and showcasing exceptional business results, ACS was subsequently selected by a panel of Infor solution and industry experts to receive the 2021 Infor Customer Excellence Award for Distribution/3PL. The ACS model is built around integrating all partners in customers’ supply chains into one holistic view. Its data integration hub processes traditional EDI, APIs, as well as custom formats through a variety of communication protocols so that operating applications and Infor Nexus are always in sync.

ORIGIN MANAGEMENT The ACS network comprises a global team of more than 7,000 employees, operating in over 40 countries worldwide and managing more than 1.5 million TEUs of cargo. 46 | North America Outlook issue 09

THE ACS CULTURE CLIENT-FOCUSED – ACS knows what ‘great’ looks like, and strives to be great in everything it does for clients and each other. PASSIONATE – Building the team from within, and investing in the best and brightest young supply chain college graduates with traits that match ACS’ positive culture. LEADERSHIP – Operating in an environment where the best decisions are made for the company. GROWTH – ACS seeks and embraces leaders who guide, energize, excite and develop people. TRUST – Working everyday to build trust with customers, vendors, and each other. PERSONALITY – Having fun and creating stories that tell people about ACS and how the company thinks. MOTIVATED – Showing up and never giving up, regardless of position within the company and no matter the circumstance.

ALLPORT CARGO SERVICES SUPPLY CHAIN

Origin management is the fabric of ACS’ services and an extension of clients’ import operations, with all solutions designed around the origin pillars of purchase order, vendor, carrier, and documentation management. ACS, whose role is to be an extension of customers’ import operations, works directly with suppliers, carriers and other partners to ensure that their supply chain is both responsive and adaptive, whilst Infor Nexus provides absolute real-time data so decisions can be made in the moment to satisfy ever-changing demand. Purchase order management begins with a comprehensive understanding of the environment surrounding each origin market. Sourcing teams are provided with the logistical knowledge by ACS to understand their landscape, and with an appreciation of what makes each sourcing region unique, buyers are suitably equipped to navigate what is often a complex space. The foundation to a successful vendor relationship is for clients to have clear, meaningful goals and expectations for their outsourced vendor community. With knowledge

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of how vendors are performing through ACS’ active real-time and customizable set of metrics, which yield real, actionable data, the best performing vendors can be recognized and rewarded, and specific guidance and corrective actions can be suggested where necessary. ACS also gives customers the oversight to decide on the best carrier strategy for their company, knowing that whichever carrier they choose will be held accountable to a measurable set of KPIs and managed to the same set of standards and scorecards. However, even the very best executed vendor and carrier logistics at origin can be derailed by the simple matter of inaccurate or incomplete documentation. Indeed, collecting documents on time that are complete and fully accurate is what makes the difference between being consistently compliant with all government rules or not. With ACS’ documentation management, customs teams are given the confidence that documents will always be on time, complete, and fully audited, for their reputation with US Customs is too important to leave to chance.

ALLPORT CARGO SERVICES SUPPLY CHAIN

A Proud Partner ArentFox Schiff is a proud partner of Allport Cargo Services USA. ArentFox Schiff LLP is internationally recognized as a destination where business and the law intersect for an international roster of companies, governments, individuals and trade associations operating in a wide variety of core industries. Smart In Your World

PROBLEM SOLVERS Partnerships across all areas of customers’ operations, including logistics, purchasing and planning, are formed by ACS’ destination account teams, whose goal is to provide logistics expertise to help solve real world problems. Offering an “outside-in” look at the challenges faced, ACS’ teams are able to determine what is or what isn’t working, and a path to change. Business reviews, meanwhile, are available on demand, ensuring that they occur when customers need them. ACS offers forward-thinking ideas drawn from industry best practices, coupled with an exception-based management approach supported by Infor Nexus, which allow issues to be pinpointed and reacted to, and new processes to be built to prevent reoccurrence. When it comes to destination management, it means that ACS has the capabilities needed to help efficiently navigate today’s most complex supply chains.

VALUE-ADDED CARGO No two supply chains are the same, and complex supply chains naturally require complex services. Leveraging best-in-class assets, infrastructure and talent at origin to optimize customers’ supply chains, ACS’ valueadded services are designed to offer solutions to the everincreasing demands for product customization.

afslaw.com

From labeling and pre-inspection to the most complex kitting and assembly programs, ACS’ suite of services includes product reworking, kitting and assembly, pre-shipment inspection, and much more, providing customers with a seamless integration of data and product transformation to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. As packaging engineering is the new frontier in cost savings, ACS’ mission is to improve supply chain performance via greater control over transit packaging, and increase product protection and survivability. The company’s PacD solutions provide the right combination of world class packaging expertise and “hands-on” factory support to capture savings. Preserving the safety, integrity and confidentiality of customers’ data is also the responsibility of all at ACS, with every employee undergoing rigorous cybersecurity education programs to ensure that the company keeps abreast of the latest threats. In response, ABS’ cybersecurity team utilizes the most sophisticated tools and processes to monitor threats continuously and act accordingly. With cybersecurity and origin management at the core of ACS’ DNA, the company’s customer-centric supply chain and logistics solutions remain a key enabler of growth and expansion for customers around the world. North America Outlook issue 09 | 49

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

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VEHICLE FOR CHANGE Driven by innovation, engineered to perfection. We speak to the executive team at Commercial Vehicle Group about diversifying the future of manufacturing Writer: Jack Salter Project Manager: David Knott

We find a way.” Problem-solving is in the DNA of Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) and energizes every aspect of how it does business, from the people it hires to the products it makes. Headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, CVG partners with companies leading the way in global commercial vehicles, technology integration, electric vehicle innovation and warehouse automation. With a strong worldwide presence that includes 39 locations across 10 countries, CVG is finding a way to solve the industry’s toughest problems. North America Outlook issue 09 | 51

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

“Historically, we followed the legacy commercial vehicle manufacturers so that we were right where they needed us to be,” says Rich Tajer, Enterprise CCO and President of the Electrical Group. “The pioneering spirit that CVG was built upon has helped sustain growth over the years while allowing us to confidently move into complementary markets to safeguard our future.”

Since it was formed in 2000, CVG has experienced significant growth and is poised to further strategically expand operations across the globe. While the company remains focused on the design, development and continuous improvement of its core products, it has also positioned itself to move into high-demand growth markets.

CVG BRANDS AND CAPABILITIES – AT A GLANCE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS CVG is a leading manufacturer of custom wire harnesses, control panels, electromechanical assemblies, and cable assemblies for the electric vehicle market, automated warehouse market and more. WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION CVG’s capabilities in this space are rapidly expanding and currently include upper transitions and belt drives, pneumatics, palletizing and crating solutions, control panels and electromechanical integration. VEHICLE SOLUTIONS: SEATING BRANDS NATIONAL SEATING – Premier seating solution for North American motor coach, school bus, and truck applications. BOSTROM SEATING – Specialists in comfort and innovation since 1935, offering a range of stylish seating options. KAB SEATING – Manufacturing and supplying comfortable, practical work seats for a variety of industrial vehicles. STRATOS SEATING – Australia’s leading supplier of automotive aftermarket and industrial seating, light truck and 4WD suspension seating, and specialized seating. PLASTIC MANUFACTURING BRANDS ADVANCTEK – Creating value in plastics manufacturing through injection molding, RIM, compression molding, and thermoforming solutions. FINISHTEK – Providing high-quality finishes for painting and hydrographic applications. PARTS AND COMPONENTS BRANDS MOTO MIRROR – Known for decades as the premier mirror solution for trucks. SPRAGUE DEVICES – Application-specific windshield wiper and washer systems for the commercial vehicle markets. ROADWATCH – Road surface temperature sensors that use state-of-the-art measuring technology.

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Chief Enterprises Chief is not your average distributor of electromechanical components. Over the past 30 years they have served as the critical link between component manufacturer and tier suppliers through four vital functions: logistics, engineering, power distribution expertise, and their integral relationship with Bosch Powertrain Systems. Logistics: With centralized locations in Chicago and Chihuahua, MX are able to react quickly, supplying 7,000+ SKUs worldwide. They have formed and nurtured strategic vendor partnerships with 10 key suppliers, providing services including customer service, forecasting and warehousing; all of which reduce lead times and increase customers’ speed to market. They also have the capability to source a variety of essential components through 125+ vendors worldwide. Engineering: Chief has an on-staff team of degreed engineers that yield innovative solutions including specialty wire harnesses, assemblies, mechanical and electrical modifications, 3D prototyping, custom tooled parts, and much more. They are trained by product line and have extensive systems knowledge. Power Distribution Expertise: As an experienced manufacturer’s representative of power distribution modules for multiple decades they saw firsthand, in demand needs, that were not being met in the industry. With their inhouse engineering, they designed and manufactured their own line of IP67 sealed power distribution modules, fuse and relay holders, known as the BRIC family. Authorized Distributor of Bosch Components: Chief is the sole North American distributor of Bosch Connector components handling all logistics, customer service, engineering, and quality support for the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Parts Specialist. Solutions Driven.

Our mission is to provide superior design, engineering, and distribution solutions for today's electro-mechanical component needs and tomorrow's technological advances. Services: • • • • • • • • •

Warehousing & Distribution of electro-mechanical components Sole North American Distributor of Bosch Connector Parts Electrical & mechanical modifications of components Small speciality wire harnesses & assemblies Engineering & Technical Services 3D Printed Prototyping Custom Tooled Parts Gluing & Potting Kits, Laser Marking, Labeling

sales@chiefent.com | 1-800-831-7294 | www.chiefent.com

ENTERPRISES

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

Although CVG made a name for itself in the commercial and heavyduty trucking industry, the company has recently seen substantial growth in the electric vehicle market and is ramping up production for its automated warehousing customers. CVG still offers the range of commercial vehicle solutions that it became known for, but also specializes in automated warehouse solutions and robotic assemblies, electric vehicle assemblies, and plastic molded parts across a range of industries. “We’ve had a broad spectrum of capabilities that apply to multiple markets for many years, but more recently, we’ve expanded on this, and aligned ourselves with industries more heavily focused on technology and the environment,” Tajer says. “As a result, we are changing our customer mix, value proposition, and the way we play in the market. One of our primary focuses is electrical system design, which will enable the vehicles and products of the future for our EV customers.”

Expansion into key industries is one of CVG’s strategic initiatives, along with core business growth and the strengthening of product design and innovation capabilities. CVG is rapidly moving into new markets and the company is well-positioned to handle this momentum to ensure stability, guided by one of its core values: meaningful growth.

NEED FOR SPEED The state of manufacturing is ever-changing as new technologies and global priorities emerge, so organizations must be adaptable and fast-moving to keep up. CVG has already shown its agility by pivoting to high growth industries and is further preparing for the future by injecting the organization with a breadth of talent while investing in innovation. “We are bringing very talented, capable people into the organization, both from within the manufacturing industry and from other industries, who provide technical aptitude as well as other skillsets that round out what we are able to offer,” Tajer tells us.

Optimas You can’t possibly be ready for anything… or can you? Every step of the supply chain has risk right now. That’s why industry leaders like Commercial Vehicle Group are elevating efficiency with Optimas Solutions and finding the fewer steps, the better. Through regionalized sourcing and onshoring, including our in-house manufacturing, they reduce risk. With our tech-enabled inventory management and replenishment programs, combined with advanced demand planning and forecasting software, they optimize inventory. Leveraging our best-in-class transportation and logistics applications, they enhance operations. Through our in-house engineering expertise and world-class ISOcertified quality labs, they elevate product quality. CVG isn’t hoping things will get better. They are finding a better way. They’re making a confident choice in Optimas for availability, stability and quality in today’s unprecedented times. And you can, too.

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: HOW IS CVG LEADING THE GAME IN THE EV MARKET? RICH TAJER, ENTERPRISE CCO AND PRESIDENT OF THE ELECTRICAL GROUP: “We’ve been targeting customers that need to move fast, focusing on those that respect or require our value proposition. We then align with them and strategically move forward together. There are a lot of new entrants and a lot of laggards in this space that need help, people that are trying to come from behind and go fast, and that’s where we can really excel with our speed and engineering capabilities. “We’re looking for those niches everywhere in the marketplace. We’re not planning to be the primary EV solution for the entire automotive market, but we’re looking to play in the middle space where our value and expertise will give our customers a competitive edge. We want to work with customers that value what we bring to the market.”

With over 9B parts, from 150,000 SKUs supplied to over 5,000 customers globally, Optimas is committed to simplifying and strengthening your supply chain for fasteners, C-Class components and consumable products. With 1,500 teammates worldwide, delivering resilient supply chain solutions to industry leaders like CVG, Optimas customers are ready for anything. Optimas is a leading global industrial manufacturer and distributor of fasteners and C-Class components that provides supply chain solutions for producers looking to increase productivity and profits. To learn more, please visit optimas. com or email engage@optimas.com.

www.optimas.com

54 | North America Outlook issue 09

EFFICIENCY

UP! Optimas is proud to provide hundreds of parts directly to CVG production lines so they can efficiently manufacture their products and deliver on customer promises. — Mike Tuffy, President, Optimas International

optimas.com

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

Senoplast Senoplast is a globally recognized producer of high quality extruded plastic sheets for a wide variety of applications. Senoplast is a leader in the production of multilayer co-extruded senosan®️ plastic sheets and films for use in the thermoforming process. Distribution of its products takes place from three production locations in Austria, México and China which enable a quick and efficient supply for customers worldwide. And each geographic region is supported locally by sales, customer service and technical teams. The applications for senosan®️ plastic sheets are used in many markets and products including: agricultural and commercial vehicles, heavy and light trucks, electrical vehicles, and extend all the way to sanitary, travel and leisure, white goods and furniture. Most of these applications call for high performance resins and a very high surface quality.

“We have the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup, but the experience of a global organization which gives us a unique edge. We’re particularly excited about expanding our presence in markets that are rooted in environmental sustainability and technology, and we’re unleashing that energy into the rest of the organization.” One of CVG’s recent successes has been in digital wiring boards. These LCD screens replace traditional harness boards, and several can be strung together for larger harnesses. Securing cables and wires and protecting them from wear and tear, wire harnesses are provided for a variety of industrial applications by CVG, whose electronic wire harness assemblies are integrated with its electrical distribution systems to provide user control over multiple operational functions and features. CVG has already experienced the benefits of the innovative digital wiring boards on a global scale. 56 | North America Outlook issue 09

“Our digital wiring boards have been one of our key enablers for improving speed to market,” Tajer explains. “The ability to move quickly is an integral part of our value proposition because it enables our customers to beat their competition to market and differentiate themselves with their new ideas.” While speed is one crucial factor in helping customers succeed, CVG’s design and engineering capabilities provides its customers with even greater advantage in the market. “We do so much more than creating parts to spec, although we can do that too; our real value comes to play when we can ideate, design and engineer alongside our customers to ensure that they are striking the right balance between materials, technology and function,” says Tajer. “It could be part of our current mix of products or something new entirely – our capabilities are extensive and we’re able to bring our expertise to many different markets.”

Senosan®️ multi-layer co-extruded plastic sheets and films may include any of the following resins: ABS, PMMA, ABS/PMMA, ABS/ASA, ABS/PC-Blend + PMMA, TPO, ABS/ TPU, TPR and PC. The multi-layer constructions are engineered to meet the demand of the end-use application. The business relationship with Commercial Vehicles Group and Senoplast has grown over the last three years, and this is a result of the shared efforts of the technical and product development teams between both companies. We look forward to the continued relationship and the opportunity to satisfy the material needs of CVG through our Senosan®️ product lines. We can see a bright future of partnership and opportunities ahead.

www.senoplast.com

We are your commercial vehicle or an important part of it.

Commercial vehicles, trucks, bus, rail Applications for the mobile world of tomorrow Senoplast produces high performance plastic sheets and films under the brand names of senosan® and senotop® for thermoforming applications in automotive, commercial vehicle and other related industries. Product development according to customer specifications The demand for individualisation, new drive train technologies and special purpose vehicles reduces the annual quantities per model for automotive and other original equipment manufacturers. Since tooling investment is comparatively low, this trend makes thermoforming an increasingly interesting production technology. Quality leadership and many years of automotive experience make Senoplast the logical partner for new vehicle concepts in thermoforming. The sum of product features speaks for senosan® Many of the major automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturers rely on senosan® and senotop® brand plastic sheets and films which have a broad range of applications in the automotive industry and related branches. senosan® and senotop® products stand out with their unique variety of colors and huge range of surface designs. UV-stability, high impact resistance, high temperature stability, recyclability and excellent thermoforming behaviour are the main reasons why automotive customers choose Senoplast products.

Senoplast S.A. de C.V. · Parque Industrial Querétaro, Av. La Noria No. 123 C.P. 76220 Santa Rosa Jáuregui, Qro., México Tel.: +52 442 192 46 00 · Fax: +52 442 215 93 49 · mexico-office@senoplast.com Senoplast USA · 75 Executive Drive, Suite 129, Aurora, IL 60504, USA Phone: +1 / 630 / 898 / 0731 · customers-us-ca@senoplast.com

www.senoplast.com ·

Senoplast

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

Swiss Technologies Swiss Technologies has a commitment to EXCELLENCE in Precision Machined Parts. Swiss Tech has over 150 years of combined experience in screw machine and Swiss machining. We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality machined parts with zero defects on time, every time. We specialize in creating intricate Swiss and screw machine parts using Swiss Escomatics, Swiss Star CNC’S, HAAS CNC, Mazak CNC’S, Fanuc EDM, Davenports, Warner Swasey, New Britain, and Acme Gridley Multi Spindles.

CVG CORE VALUES CVG is united by its five core values: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT – CVG is committed to getting better every day, both individually and collectively. INTEGRITY – Building trust and long-lasting relationships with customers, vendors and coworkers. TEAMWORK – Encouraging input from all stakeholders, demonstrating respect for others’ ideas, and sharing credit for successes that the team achieves. SENSE OF URGENCY – Working smarter and finding ways to rid itself of activities that add little value, thereby making room to focus on what does matter dayto-day. INNOVATION – Product innovation is a primary focus of CVG and one of the main reasons that it has become an industry leader.

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CVG manufactures efficient, dependable and optimized cable assembly products for a wide variety of applications and will soon launch high-voltage distribution boxes and a revolutionary new seat for the entire industry. Regardless of the product, CVG leverages state-of-theart manufacturing capabilities to consistently delivery higher efficiencies and throughput, collaborating with customers to develop tested, reliable and expertly engineered solutions that stand the test of time.

We serve a variety of customers in the following fields: Automotive & Heavy Truck, Medical, Electronics, Consumer Products, Gas & Hydraulic Industry, Gun, Knife and some Defense Industries. We are open 24/5 for most needs and 24/7 for emergency needs. We produce medium to high volume parts. Typical production runs are 5,000 to five million of any one part number or family of parts. We turn most metals and plastics. Sizes from 0.019 inches to three inches OD to 18 inches long, with holes as small as 0.010 inches. We are ISO Certified using sophisticated measuring with lot traceability on all orders. Visit our website below and look at what Swiss Tech has to offer.

ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY More than a manufacturer, CVG provides design and development, coupled with engineering capabilities, experience and scale to help customers across the product development life cycle. This allows the engineering team to anchor largescale engineering programs, while the company’s software platforms help OEMs and suppliers design electrical systems and save significant time and money.

T 865-560-1011 www.swisstechinc.net

TEC H N O L O G IES

PRECISION MACHINED PARTS

SWISS TECHNOLOGIES CAPABILITIES • EDM MACHINING • Machine Processes: Contour Turning, Form Turning, Taper Turning, Straight Turning • Threading: Internal and External • Drilling, Slotting, Knurling, Milling, and Broaching • Materials: Alloy Steels, Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, Plastic, PEEK, Nylon And Delron

ADVANCED TURNING EQUIPMENT FOR ALL YOUR PRECISION MACHINING NEEDS

• Types of Turning Machines: Swiss Star CNC’s and Lathes, Escomatic Wire Machines, Mazak CNC’s, HAAS CNC, Nexturn Swiss CNC, Multi Spindles (New Britian’s, Acme Gridleys, Warner Swasey and Davenports) • Secondary Services Available: Heat Treating, Plating, Deburring, Tumbling and Polishing • Part diameters: (0.508 mm) 0.020” to (76.2 mm) 3” Lengths to 18” • Tolerances: +/- 0.0003” (Depending on part configuration) • Inspection: ISO CERTIFIED • Production Volume: Prototyping for Production ( Medium to High Volumes) up to 5 Million per part number • In House Quoting with RUSH SERVICES AVAILABLE

Phone: 865 560 1011 Email: info@swisstechinc.net www.swisstechinc.net

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

RECMAR Products RECMAR Products is the leading provider of curtain track systems and drapery hardware to heavy truck manufacturers and other Tier 1 suppliers in the US, Mexico, and Australia. Our company also supplies many aircraft, boat/ship, and RV manufacturers with curtain track components and interior trim extrusions, including multiple US defense contractors. For over 35 years, RECMAR Products has collaborated with most of the US heavy truck brands and interior cab Tier 1 suppliers. We offer consultations during the cab design phase as new models are developed, and quickly bring production on-line to deliver custom curtain hardware solutions.

A wide range of manufacturing processes provide nearly unlimited cost and design options, bolstered by CVG’s engineering expertise which includes processes such as pre-launch inspections, routing consultations, document changes or improvements, and customization of wiring systems. This variety of processes and expertise provide the ultimate level of flexibility in terms of cost, design, lead time and styling options. As such, CVG can mix and match any combination of its engineering offerings to suit the needs of clients. “We become part of their program teams – we understand the engineering they need to do and the standards they need to meet,” Tajer states. “We embed our engineers into the customers’ teams, meaning we take that product development weight off of them, develop it, test it and launch it.” It means that from the initial concept to the finished product, customers keep coming back to CVG for design, manufacturing and value-added assembly services. With years of experience in demanding applications, CVG quickly analyzes the challenges at hand and develops solutions best fit 60 | North America Outlook issue 09

for each application. “We’re making a difference for customers with our products and our people, and we’re trying to have fun while doing it. If we’re not having fun, we’re not doing it right,” emphasizes Tajer. As well as working together with customers, CVG collaborates with key suppliers to identify and implement saving opportunities for total cost improvement. CVG’s supplier partnerships deliver results that increase value for everyone, and create a mechanism to encourage and foster mutually beneficial ideas and shared goals. It is this exchange of ideas that provides CVG with the opportunity to improve margins for its partners, who can expect greater profitability through shared savings and the continual improvement of delivered products. Likewise, CVG is committed to sustainability as it continuously finds new ways to improve its products and processes. The company believes that it cannot thrive without meeting the needs of employees and customers, giving back to the community, and minimizing its

We offer a wide range of existing track systems that can be integrated into cab designs, including hardware for windshield wrap-around curtains, divider curtains, and window coverings. RECMAR Products also manufactures more snap tape for the heavy truck industry than any other supplier in the country. Whether it’s a new track design or customization of existing track systems, RECMAR Products is the premier choice. RECMAR Products also supplies interior trim extrusions and other extruded and injection molded components. We can provide tooling or utilize existing injection molds for production. Our capabilities include injection molding, CNC bending, CNC routing, sonic welding, punching, riveting, drilling, custom snap tape, and component assembly. RECMAR Products is IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 certified and has been recognized as a PACCAR 10 PPM and 50 PPM supplier 14 different years. Quality is our top priority.

www.recmar.com

SUPPLYING THE HEAVY TRUCK OEM MARKET FOR OVER 40 YEARS • Curtain Track Systems • Snap Tape • Custom Injection Molding & Extrusion • Track Customization • Bending • Routing • Punching/Drilling • Assembly • Interior Extrusions & Trim • Heavy Truck & Bus • Aircraft • RV • Boat/Marine • Military

+1 (713) 944-4885 service@recmar.com

www.recmar.com IATF 16949 Certified

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

negative environmental impact. For this reason, CVG strives daily to improve the company and explore progressive ideas, while building a company that its people, shareholders and global community are proud to be a part of. As commercial vehicle companies add electric vehicles to their fleets with the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality and a lower impact on climate change, CVG is there to support that goal with state-of-theart technology and equipment.

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY A company culture where people from all walks of life can connect and feel welcome continues to be cultivated by CVG. CVG is committed to providing a safe work environment that celebrates different cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints. CVG is also building an inclusive community diverse in age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation and more, and elevating its understanding of diversity and inclusion through training, workshops and honest conversations. “We are committed to our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. We know that the strength of our company comes from the diversity of our employees and the regions that we operate in because it gives us a broad range of ideas which makes us all stronger,” says Kristin Mathers, Chief Human Resources Officer at CVG. The business case for diversity and inclusion is stronger than ever. Companies that value diversity are widely believed to experience greater levels of both operational and financial success, courtesy of a greater capacity to solve problems and reduce bias. The most diverse companies are now more likely than ever to outperform less diverse companies when it comes to profitability. DEI is therefore proven to drive business performance and innovation, 62 | North America Outlook issue 09

as not only do companies with a more diverse workforce experience increased productivity, but they have been shown to have a competitive advantage in the industry. As a global company, CVG strives to create a workplace that is reflective of the communities where it lives and works, recognizing the need for an environment where all backgrounds and perspectives are respected, and everyone can work to the best of their ability. CVG’s shared diversity mission is to build and sustain a diverse workforce, and to advance a global culture of acceptance and inclusion. “We are a globally diverse company; of the 7,500 employees at CVG, about 80% are located outside of the U.S. While we’re proud of that, we recognize the need to do more to ensure that everyone feels included regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or other life choices they make.” Mathers affirms. “While every person in the organization needs to act on DEI

initiatives for this to succeed, it’s the responsibility of the leadership team to demonstrate their commitment and play an active role in moving the needle,” she continues. “We’re injecting DEI measures across the system, but leadership is taking it a step further with initiatives like our DEI Counsel where people can share ideas and we can really create change across the entire organization. It’s tangible actions like this that will lead us to a stronger company, more integrated communities, and more fulfilled teams and individuals.”

WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING In the manufacturing Manufacturing, DEI is often focused on women because the industry has been historically male-dominated. Fewer than one in three manufacturing professionals today are female, despite the fact that women make up nearly half of the overall workforce in the US. Women are also more likely to leave the manufacturing industry than their

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

KYODA PLASTICS LIMITED 1407 SHAWSON DRIVE, MISSISSAUGA, ON CANADA L4W 1C4 T 905.670.7222

Proud to be a trusted supplier to CVG

KYODAPLASTICS.COM

1407 Shawson Drive, MISSISSAUGA, ON, L4W 1C4 CANADA Phone: - 905-670-7222 | Email: joda@kyodaplastics.com kyodaplastics.com

North America Outlook issue 09 | 63

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

male counterparts, perhaps owing to a number of factors such as a lack of work-life balance and flexible working arrangements. CVG is a proud member of Women in Manufacturing (WIM). WIM is the only national and global trade association dedicated to providing year-round support to women who have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry, working to empower female workers and strengthen the Manufacturing. “While the manufacturing industry is known to be very male-dominated, CVG has done a tremendous job to ensure that women are represented in our facilities around the world, with nearly equal representation. Our real opportunity for growth is at the leadership level, where it’s very difficult to acquire female talent,” says Mathers. While smart technology has facilitated the automation and digitization of manufacturing processes, and thereby increased female participation, the manufacturing Manufacturing still lags in terms of gender diversity. “There is plenty of female talent out there, but it’s up to us at CVG, and the manufacturing industry as a whole, to create the kind of careers that provide people with a good life; sure, part of that is competitive pay, but it’s also job security, benefits, flexibility and a sense of belonging and purpose.” Manufacturing is an industry that is constantly innovating, and varied perspectives allow companies such as CVG to remain at the forefront of their Manufacturing. A recent report by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer companies in the fourth quartile. Moreover, it found that companies with more than 30 percent female representation on their executive 64 | North America Outlook issue 09

teams are significantly more likely to outperform those with a lower percentage of women in executive roles. “We, as women, won’t typically raise our hand unless we know we are 100 percent capable of doing the job. We need to get to a place where we are comfortable with 80 percent, so we are given the opportunity to show what we’re really capable of.” Mathers joined CVG in September 2021, but she has already observed positive change at the company, after some restructuring that occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “What I’ve seen is the ability of the company, even in a demanding manufacturing environment, to remain flexible. We have a lot of essential workers that need to work at a physical location, but we can do our part to ensure that we encourage flexibility where possible for current workers and those coming in. This doesn’t always mean work from home; it could mean flexible hours, part-time work or other ways of working differently in our manufacturing plants if they need it,” Mathers notes. “Culturally, we are now more accepting of remote and flexible working, and we ask all of our employees what they need from us to be successful, be it work environment or otherwise. We are figuring out what that balance is for us to ensure that everybody feels respected, engaged and happy.” Creating an inclusive community takes teamwork, and CVG knows firsthand how innovative a diverse team can be as it helps to shape the future of transportation.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP Phone: (614) 289-5360 Jason.Gray@cvgrp.com www.cvgrp.com

Part Hunters Part Hunters, a distributor supporting the hectic and constantly evolving supply chain for commercial, industrial, automotive, and aerospace markets connecting OEMs, CMs, and EMS companies to allocated, long lead-time, or obsolete electronics and electromechanical components. We understand that customers such as CVG require more than a supplier; but a strategic partnership and extension of their purchasing and quality group to stay competitive in their marketplace. Leveraging 20+ years of Fortune 500 company’s asset management for R.O.I on E&O with custom supply chain programs. No part is out of our scope!

www.parthunters.com

Superior Die, Tool and Machine As one of CVG’s intragal supply partners, Superior takes our commitment to customer service and dependability to the next level. We understand what it means to deliver the right part, at the right time, every time. Superior has built our reputation on over 100 years of service to our customers, supported by skilled tool & die makers, trained productions inspectors and discplined production professionals. We take on the parts that most stamping companies would avoid. We make lemonade out of lemons, that just what we do, that a Superior Experience.

www.superior-dietool.com

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GROUP MANUFACTURING

Meeting the demands of OEMs and contract manufacturers PartHunters is an independent U.S. based distributor specializing in obsolete, hard to find, and long lead time industrial and commercial electronic components. We are primarily focused on meeting the demands of OEMs and contract manufacturers. With access to millions of parts worldwide, Part Hunters will immediately locate available parts through our extensive resource network.

1-727-939-4824 ext. 109 | tony@parthunters.com www.parthunters.com

WWW.SUPERIOR-DIETOOL.COM

As one of CVG’s integral supply partners, Superior takes our commitment to customer service and dependability to the next level. We understand what it means to deliver the right part, at the right time, every time. Superior has built our reputation over 108 years of service to our customers, supported by skilled tool & die makers, trained production inspectors and disciplined production/engineering professionals. We take on the parts that most stamping companies would avoid. With 36 presses located in 2 facilities, from 250 to 2000 tons, robotic, progressive or manual, there isn’t much we can’t accommodate. We make lemonade out of lemons, that’s just what we do. Think big, we do. Headquarters: Superior Die, Tool and Machine, LCC, 2301 Fairwood Ave, Columbus, OH 43207

North America Outlook issue 09 | 65

M E TA L B U I LT BETTER Modumetal’s innovative nanotechnology makes metal more corrosion resistant, safer, and sustainable. President and CEO, Dennis Creech, explains how Writer: Jack Salter Project Manager: David Knott

he science of metals is changing. Modumetal, a global nanotechnology company headquartered outside Seattle, is revolutionizing the essential building blocks of major industries. Creating new possibilities across entire sectors, from transportation and energy to infrastructure and beyond, Modumetal is focused on improving the performance of industrial materials by developing new applications and scalable 66 | North America Outlook issue 09

processes. “Our technology exceeds the performance limitations of materials today, at a cost that is competitive with conventional metals,” opens the President and CEO of Modumetal, Dennis Creech. The company’s cutting-edge technology produces nanolaminated materials that demonstrate unique characteristics such as increased environmental resistance, durability and wear performance, fundamentally

changing the effectiveness of metals used in many applications and solving corrosion problems across a variety of industries. A nanometer is an inconceivably small unit of measurement, approximately 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, yet Modumetal has managed to achieve an impressive industrial-scale manufacturing process that delivers nanolaminated alloys. Precision wave form technology,

MODUMETAL MANUFACTURING

tailored with Modumetal’s proprietary chemistry, causes metal ions to bond together in layers of nanometric thickness, an environmentally sustainable process superior to conventional methods. “Modumetal’s nanolamination technology provides a tenfold performance increase and cost parity with existing products, driving consumer demand and revolutionizing the metals field – customers love our products!” acclaims Creech.

PROVEN TECHNOLOGY With a fully automated production line in Houston, Texas, Modumetal nanolaminates fasteners for use in the energy industry along with licensees in Scotland and Malaysia. The company is investing to quadruple capacity by mid-2022, having impressively sold out the full capacity of its Houston production facility last year. “North American industry is bouncing back, and manufacturing is

tremendously fun and exciting to be working in as it plays a key role in driving the US economy,” Creech tells us. “The US has exported much of its manufacturing prowess overseas but is now bringing it back as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the need to create meaningful jobs in the country.” Modumetal products have now been added to the specifications of most leading energy companies, and its technology has been North America Outlook issue 09 | 67

MODUMETAL MANUFACTURING

Tri-Star Industries Tri-Star Industries have been at the forefront of providing innovative corrosion prevention solutions to the energy industry for the past 40 years. We have been the market leader in corrosion resistant fasteners with our MASTERCOTE, MASTERGARD and MASTERNiZCote coating systems, setting class-leading records in ASTM B117 salt-spray tests. Now, with the latest partnership with Modumetal, we offer the NanoGalv range of fasteners that perform even better even without a barrier PTFE or ceramic top coat.

substantiated via joint industry papers. Field trials have also been successfully completed in the world’s harshest environments, proof that the technology works. “This provides us with a unique competitive advantage and barrier to entry for competitors,” notes Creech, who cites NanoGalv® as the best performing corrosion-resistant

MODUMETAL’S 2022 BUSINESS PRIORITIES 2022 is a critical year for Modumetal, whose four key priorities for the coming year are to: • Continue penetrating energy industry end users. • Expand its licensee network for both NanoGalv® and NanoPlex®. • Qualify products with automotive and other industrial end users. • Build out the Modumetal team to support growth and drive the latest nanolamination technology innovations.

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coating used in the oil and gas industry. A nanolaminated zinc-nickel coating designed for highly corrosive applications, NanoGalv® can be used as a drop-in replacement for cadmium, conventional galvanize, epoxy, and PTFE coatings. “If you damage a homogenous coating during installation, for instance, you can create a corrosion path vertically down to the substrate (base metal), whereas if you damage the NanoGalv® coating, the exposed layer directs the corrosion horizontally,” Creech explains. NanoPlex®, meanwhile, is a nickelcobalt nanolaminate technology that commercially addresses corrosion and wear resistance in subsurface applications, designed to protect industrial tubulars and couplings. Modumetal, whose final product, ModuGalv®, has been field trialed to address corrosion and extended life expectancy in infrastructurerelated applications, generates revenue through product sales and by licensing its technology to steel manufacturers and automotive electroplaters to reduce logistics and capital costs.

The NanoGalv naonolamination technology is ground breaking and changes conventional engineering designs. It provides for the ability to use 2A fit fasteners to API 20E specifications, yet with unmatched corrosion resistance. No over-sizing or under-sizing of nuts or bolts is required. Tri-Star’s NanoGalv technology is also utilized to coat parts outside of the offshore and energy industries. With very thin yet super effective nano layers of corrosion protection, the technology is suitable for any high precision engineering or parts, from semiconductor to automotive industries. Together with our patented series of hydraulic bolt tightening tools and bolting integrity software, we provide a comprehensive solution to ensure every bolt and joint is tightened optimally and guaranteed leak-free. Tri-Star also engineers cathodic protection solutions to protect underwater structures - from jetty walls to jackets and wind monopiles and tripods. Offering either the DIMET sacrificial anodes system or the impressed current system of cathodic protection, we offer the most appropriate and cost effective solution for our clients. Other Tri-Star products include M*RAK cable support system, made of steel, aluminium or FRP, specified as the preferred brand for offshore, onshore and critical infrastructure installations. Tri-Star’s products are manufactured in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the U.A.E. and Australia, and supplied globally.

sales@tristar.com.sg

www.tristar.com.sg

Supplying FPSOs, drilling and production platforms, subsea equipment, power and petrochemical plants, tunnels, pipelines, jetties and wind farms since 1979.

FASTENERS API 20E and 20F fasteners for critical applications. • Shell global frame agreement holder Corrosion resistant, cryogenic and engineered fasteners to designed specifications • Preferred supplier to some of the biggest LNG plants in the world •

•

BOLTING SOLUTIONS SWIFT-TORQUE Aluminium torque wrenches offering lightweight, speed and durability • Patented split-nut TRISTAR subsea tensioners for easy diver operation • Bolting integrity software Y

CATHODIC PROTECTION ENGINEERING •

Foundries manufacturing sacrificial anodes - DNV, and NORSOK M-503 Type Approved; Shell deepwater DEP 37.81.20.31-EPP • Subsea retrofit and refurbishment solutions • Impressed current engineering design and commissioning • Boundary Element Modeling (BEM) design verifications CABLE SUPPORT SOLUTIONS •

Aluminium, steel and FRP options - IEC and NEMA certified • PDMS catalogue • Load tested and fire rated

• SINGAPORE • MALAYSIA • AUSTRALIA • INDONESIA • UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: COULD YOU PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO YOUR CAREER TO DATE?

“We sell a nanolamination design and licensing package that includes our NanoPro® controller, commissioning support, necessary training, and proprietary chemistry to begin producing Modumetal nanolamiated products quickly and easily,” outlines Creech.

DENNIS CREECH, PRESIDENT AND CEO: “I worked in the upstream energy industry for roughly 40 years with Shell, both domestically in the US and internationally, before heading up supply chain

SUSTAINABLE COATINGS Modumetal has focused on fasteners both to support the offshore energy industry, and as a means to prove the technology on a real-world application. Since then, it has entered into joint development agreements to apply the technology to additional product families. For instance, the company has entered the automotive market with a focus on electric vehicle requirements. 2021 saw Modumetal nanolaminate a pickup truck chassis and other automotive parts, whilst this year it has been approached by key customers to nanolamiate select drivetrain parts, 70 | North America Outlook issue 09

operations and lean deployment at Hess. “I then joined the Modumetal board in 2019 to help the company understand and navigate the oil and gas industry. After being introduced to the Modumetal technology, I was convinced that it was industry-disrupting. “Working in offshore oil and gas, and seeing the impact of corrosion on facilities and process safety, I was convinced that this was a game-changing technology. We worked with the technical authorities at most major energy companies, and they provided us with direction on lab test standards, field trial criteria, and ultimately specifications that included our nanolamination technology. “We have been installed in offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Australia and offshore Middle East for more than six years with no red rust. Our technology works!”

MODUMETAL MANUFACTURING

NanoGalv® Fasteners NanoGalv® is a zinc-nickel nanolaminate applied to carbon steel alloys that provides distinct corrosion resistance, durability and wear performance under harsh conditions. This product has been extensively field trialed in offshore platforms and is used in both onshore and offshore facilities.

Nanolayers impedes the path of corrosion to create unprecedented performance in environmental resistance and durability

Rust >1.5 Years

The Complete Solution

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Rollstud Limited are proud to be the first European license holder for the application of Nanogalv and are industry leaders in the manufacture, distribution and coating of all types of bolting and fasteners in all grades of material. We are committed to quality at every step – our aim is to provide a quality product, at a competitive price, whilst every time delivering exemplary customer service.

Rollstud Limited Unit 1,2,5, 6 & 7 Denmore Industrial Estate Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB23 8JW

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Company Overview

Metal Microstructure

Proprietary Chemistry

Waveform Modulation

Nanolaminated Products

Modumetal Patented Technology 1

North America Outlook issue 09 | 71

invertor covers, stamped metal components, and more. Oil and gas customers have also requested that the company move to other troubling areas in which they struggle to manage corrosion, such as offshore walkway grating and subsurface pump parts. “Since Modumetal’s technology offers a much longer lifecycle, customers don’t experience unplanned downtime or have to purchase replacements parts, and cars and trucks stay on the road for longer before being replaced. We believe this has a true ripple effect on the environment and sustainability,” says Creech. It is Modumetal’s values that guide its culture of innovation and sustainability, the latter of which is viewed as a responsibility of the company and an essential feature of its business strategy. 72 | North America Outlook issue 09

“ O U R T E C H N O LO GY E XC E E D S T H E P E R F O R M A N C E L I M I TAT I O N S O F M AT E R I A L S T O D AY, AT A C O S T T H AT I S C O M P E T I T I V E W I T H C O N V E N T I O N A L M E TA L S ” – D E N N I S C R E E C H , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O , M O D U M E TA L

Sustainability is integral to everything Modumetal does, representing an investment in society, the environment, and the long-term future of the company. “It is a priority for us to innovate – to offer technology that lowers carbon intensity and improves our operational efficiency to reduce emissions,” Creech informs us. “Technological innovation and our people are key to creating sustainable processes and products that will improve the lives of future generations and ensure a cleaner planet for us all.

“At Modumetal, we collaborate both internally and externally to develop novel ideas based on the perspectives of others that harness this innovation. We look forward to helping customers to solve their corrosion challenges in an environmentally sustainable manner.”

LICENSE TO INNOVATE Partnerships are critical to the success of Modumetal’s technology. Working with chemical providers, applicators to license the technology, and distributors to get products to the end

MODUMETAL MANUFACTURING

customers, Modumetal views partners as an extension of the business and a competitive advantage for the company. These relationships allow for a free flow of feedback and ideas which, over time, creates a more streamlined, effective supply chain that has a positive impact on costs, availability and customer service. One such partner is Tri-Star Industries, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of fastening solutions designed for oil and gas, power and petrochemical applications. The group’s Fasteners of Singapore division was the first licensed manufacturer of Modumetal’s NanoGalv® fastener coating, and the first supplier of NanoGalv® coated fasteners in Asia and Australia as it continues to grow its regional presence.

The technology has also been licensed to Rollstud, an industry leader in the manufacture, distribution and coating of all types of fasteners. Based in Aberdeen, Rollstud is committed to providing quality products at a competitive price, while delivering exceptional customer service. “Modumetal will grow by licensing our innovative technology to steel producers, traditional electroplaters, and early adopters,” Creech shares. “In addition to our supply chain and applicator partners, we also work with customers to jointly develop our technology to solve some of their key challenges. “When developing a new technology, we take the critical steps needed to ensure our process can be applied consistently across licensees so that end users can be confident in

the product they are receiving.” Modumetal’s staff, driven to produce the highest quality products and technologies, are duty bound to flag up any safety or quality concerns on the job. As well as having company-wide priorities, Modumetal also formulates individual performance targets and goals for each employee, in order to meet or beat customer expectations and help to build the business together. It’s clear that Modumetal has created a high-performance, resultsdriven culture amongst staff, who are committed to making a difference through world class products and services. “For anyone looking to make a difference in the future of metals, please reach out as we have plenty of opportunities to join the team!”

Tel: +1-346-388-4399 info@modumetal.com www.Modumetal.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 73

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BREAKING THE MOLD On the leading edge of technology, Andrew Green, CEO of Parkway Products, talks us through North America’s premier injection molder Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: David Knott

One key attribute of Parkway is that we have the ability to bring technologies together to solve complex challenges.” Andrew Green is the CEO of Parkway Products (Parkway), whose reputation as a premier supplier of complete molded process technology solutions has remained unsurpassed. The pathway to Parkway’s success began in 1946,

and today the company is a leader in five niche process technologies, namely high-performance polymer molding, machined plastic solutions, magnesium thixomolding, thermoset composite molding, and thermoplastic injection molding. Parkway thus provides a single source for precision molded products to customers that require both high performance and advanced materials. North America Outlook issue 09 | 75

PARKWAY PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: IS ENSURING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN ALL ACTIVITIES A KEY PRIORITY FOR PARKWAY? ANDREW GREEN, CEO: “Environmentally speaking, we grade ourselves in five key areas including energy usage, water consumption, waste disposal and recycling, policies and compliance, and environmental trend risk awareness. “For 2021, we found no major issues; all metrics indicated good performance for a company of our size. We understand that plastics are a big concern for the health of our environment, however, it is important to note that the products we make are not single-use plastics. They are reused without any significant exceptions, often contain recycled materials, and we send very little waste plastics to landfill.”

“Offering an array of molding technologies is what truly sets Parkway apart,” Green says. “For firms that require traditional injection molded components, or more advanced solutions that provide thermal stability, complex designs, or chemical and frictional resistance, Parkway is the only supplier they need.” Parkway has established thermoplastic injection molding as one of its core flagship technologies, having first entered the industry in the 1950s. The company injection molds a number of polymers in all colors, shapes and sizes, ranging from polypropylene to high-performance ultra polymers such as Torlon® and PEEK™, to provide a lightweight alternative to metal whilst maintaining metallic characteristics such as high heat and chemical resistance, and lack of friction and wear.

ADDED VALUE Only a handful of suppliers in North America can provide magnesium thixomolding, and Parkway employs experts who were pioneers in the market when the process was introduced. 76 | North America Outlook issue 09

Thixomolding results in lightweight, thin-walled, high-strength and stiff components for products that need thermally conductive EMI/RFI shielding and impact resistance. Thermoset molding, meanwhile, is another impressive string to Parkway’s bow, particularly given that most plastic molders will specialize in either thermoplastics or thermosets, rather than both, due to the difference in processing techniques. Molding thermoset resins and composites in three different ways produces electrical, thermal, and chemical resistance for products that need to be fire retardant or enclose electrical systems. “The injection molding of thermoplastics, including highly engineered resins, is value-added for sure, but being able to leverage thermosets and thixomold magnesium really opens up the value that we can bring to the customer based on their needs and applications,” Green tells us. “Parkway also offers intricate and complex machined plastic services with more than 30 CNC machining centers. We provide customers with solutions to precise design

Technology Applications Group Technology Applications Group, Inc. (TAG) has been proud to apply coatings to the high quality magnesium thixomolded components produced by Parkway Products for over 15 years. We deeply appreciate their trust in us to handle the final touches to their customers’ components. TAG is best known as the inventors of Tagnite, the anodic coating system for magnesium. Tagnite is widely recognized as the most corrosion and abrasion resistant anodic coating available for magnesium. In addition to applying Tagnite anodize, we are also expert applicators of Cerakote which is available in a wide variety of colors. We apply these coatings and E-Coat to all types of magnesium components including sand castings and forgings.

www.tagnite.com

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TAGNITE

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Protective and Decorative Coatings For Magnesium Thixomoldings Magnesium Extrusions Magnesium Casting

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1.800.TAGNITE

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PARKWAY PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING

requirements that are not achievable with just injection molding.” Secondary processes such as machining, assembly and ultrasonic welding are also performed at almost all Parkway facilities. With over 750 dedicated employees working in nine manufacturing facilities throughout the US and Mexico, it is Parkway’s broad geographical reach within North America that gives it a competitive advantage over other molders in the region. Complementary to this is a field services office headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, whilst $5.7 million is being invested to expand existing operations at the company’s injection molding facility in Greeneville, Tennessee, creating 160

PARKWAY TECHNOLOGIES AT A GLANCE HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS – Parts molded using ultra polymers

new jobs over the next five years. “The majority of our products are sold in the US and Mexico, but we ship to clients all over world in more than 20 countries outside of North America,” reveals Green. “We produce components for a variety of sectors with a focus on aerospace, electronics and semiconductors, medical devices and healthcare, battery electric and off-road vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, agriculture, lawns and gardens, infrastructure, and general industry.”

TARGETED EXPANSION Parkway services more than 200 customers and has consistent longterm supply relationships with more than 25 Fortune 500 companies. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain crisis, Parkway has been able to partner with its key customers and position itself for growth, the latter of which Green anticipates will continue through both organic

such as Torlon® and PEEK™. MACHINED PLASTIC SOLUTIONS – Machining from stock parts or molded components in a wide range of materials. MAGNESIUM THIXOMOLDING – Combining the material benefits of die casting with the manufacturing flexibility and fine detail of injection molding. THERMOSET MOLDING – Thermosets can keep their shape after they’re heated above their cure point. THERMOPLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING – Using engineeringgrade polymers and other differentiating processes and manufacturing capabilities such as multi-shot molding, insert molding, and structural foam molding. Coil Terminal Housing TST

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growth and mergers and acquisitions. The company’s latest acquisition of Littlestar Plastics came in 2019, adding machined plastic solutions technology to its repertoire. A robust five-year growth plan has been developed by Parkway, in which there is a laser focus on expanding in several key markets. “We currently supply several products to the semiconductor market. Molding high-performance polymers such as PEEK™ gives us a leg up, and we plan to expand further in this market to serve more customers,” Green states. Non-invasive medical devices, ones that do not enter the body, are another area of expansion identified by Parkway. The company already produces several of these devices, including exterior components for surgical robots, and has the ability to create complex, durable, lightweight parts using its magnesium thixomolding technology.

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“We have created a target list of customers with which we would like to build a relationship over the next five years,” adds Green. But it is the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market that presents the most immediate new market opportunities ahead. Parkway manufactures thrust washers and seal rings using high-performance polymers for heavy trucks and off-road vehicles, products similar to those being designed for BEVs. “The explosive growth expected in the emerging BEV industry, combined with our expertise, will make this an ideal market for us to grow in.” As Parkway has a diverse portfolio of end markets, it was able to shift from industries that experienced a downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as aerospace, to the likes of healthcare where medical devices had to be manufactured to combat the virus. “We participated in the supply

chain for oxygen concentration equipment with thermoplastics, magnesium parts, and the robotic assembly of components. There is no doubt that this helped to save lives throughout the COVID-19 crisis, so I’m very proud of that!” Green acclaims.

TOP TALENT To successfully stand the test of time as Parkway has done for more than 75 years, the company has been built on a foundation of strong values. COVID-19 is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the challenges Parkway has resiliently stood up to in that time, from wars and recessions to technology shifts. People are Parkway’s greatest asset in this regard, always faithfully stepping up and working together to adapt and move with the times, and overcome whatever obstacles they have faced in order to serve the company’s valued customers.

“Parkway is built on the value of being a true benefit to many and harmful to no one. Keeping this statement front and center is what has earned us our reputation,” says Green. “Practically speaking, it has guided our efforts to help Parkway remain the employer of choice for our core team members.” One of Parkway’s more recent key investments has been in its people. It is currently in the process of building out the organization from the bottom up to support growth, and maintain a keen focus on product quality and customer satisfaction. “We have added talent at all levels of the company, recently recruiting Steve Meyer as Chief Operations Officer, and promoting two other individuals, Patrick Hunter and Amber Galford, to the roles of Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer, respectively,” Green informs us. North America Outlook issue 09 | 79

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“In addition, we are planning to increase the size of our business development team, add a supply chain expert, and have hired a Director of Continuous Improvement. We believe these key members of staff will play a vital role in the growth of Parkway.” New, comprehensive technical

Original shop exterior

1946 shop crew

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training programs have been designed to train, develop and retain top talent across the entire company, in tandem with investments in technology and automation to improve the efficiency of Parkway’s operations, increase productivity, and put it in a position to facilitate higher quality at a lower cost.

Several of Parkway’s recent additions are bringing a new perspective to how it measures production, with what it calls a Daily Management System. Each facility has recently had a visual key metrics board installed on the shop floor, providing a production snapshot of the previous day to easily identify problem areas and celebrate successes. A rapid response team has also been created that analyses root causes and corrective actions before a problem area affects any customer. With this new system, the company is implementing a ‘ONE Parkway’ Performance Excellence (Px) initiative to better align its operations around the daily management systems needed to take Parkway’s performance to the next level. “By our best research, only around one in every 200 companies that goes into business can reach the 100-year

Current shop floor

“ P A R K WAY I S B U I LT O N T H E VA L U E O F B E I N G A T R U E B E N E F I T TO M A N Y A N D H A R M F U L TO N O O N E ” – A N D R E W G R E E N , C E O , P A R K WAY P R O D U C T S

mark. At Parkway, we believe that we have the ability to reach that goal based on the tremendous ingenuity and capability of our people.” Parkway emphasizes safety, employee satisfaction, and diversity within its workforce, as evidenced by the fact that 57 percent of its employees are women or ethnic minorities. “We offer excellent benefits including health, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage. Educational assistance is also provided to employees seeking to continue their education, and we measure our employee happiness by conducting satisfaction surveys and

benchmarking ourselves against peer companies in our industry and in our geographic areas,” Green continues.

MUTUAL SUCCESS As Parkway understands that its performance as a supplier allows its clients to grow and prosper, it strives to have a reciprocal relationship with suppliers of its own. Starting with open communication, the company builds strong, healthy supplier relationships, which dictate how the supply chain operates. “By building a solid relationship with our suppliers, it not only ensures a smooth and efficient supply chain between ourselves, but also between

our respective customers,” explains Green. “In the past year, the entire world has faced extreme supply constraints rarely seen before. Having good supplier relationships has helped to mitigate the negative effects of those constraints, both on us and our customers. “We have been able to keep to our commitments better than most in our industry, and see key customers rewarding us with more projects as a result,” he notes. For Green, it altogether results in a belief that Parkway has the best team of people manufacturing parts and assemblies for the North American market.

PARKWAY PRODUCTS Ph: 864-484-8700 info@parkwayproducts.com www.parkwayproducts.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 81

oday, the food and drink sector is responsible for 25 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are warming our world. A greener planet begins with oceansafe, sustainable seafood that keeps the seas blue and the planet green. And that’s exactly what Atlantic Sapphire does. Norway is the world’s largest salmon producer, and as a nation has remained at the forefront of the sustainable development and evolution of the industry. Atlantic Sapphire, a company that champions innovation as its core value, and the drive to provoke change, has both these qualities built deeply into its DNA. Aiming to revolutionize the way that conventional salmon is farmed, Atlantic Sapphire firmly believes that by pioneering Bluehouse™ salmon farming locally in the US, there will follow a global transformation for protein production. Despite facing operational challenges, Atlantic Sapphire has continued to show a willingness to change and adapt to a completely new organizational structure, with the ultimate goal of raising healthy, happy salmon in its Bluehouse™ facility. Coming from a family of fishermen, Johan Andreassen, co-founder and CEO of Atlantic Sapphire, naturally found himself growing up around the ocean and the fishing industry. Today, he identifies himself as a sustainable salmon entrepreneur. Originally from Norway, he has been involved in the sustainable development of the industry since the beginning of his career.

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ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE FOOD & DRINK

HOOK, LINE & S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y Atlantic Sapphire is leading the way in sustainable salmon farming. We learn more from Johan Andreassen, CEO Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

North America Outlook issue 09 | 83

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“Together with Bjorn-Vegard Lovik, my business partner and co-founder, we had the idea to help shape the salmon farming industry toward a more sustainable future,” Andreassen explains. “Initially, we established Villa Organic, Norway’s first organic salmon farming company, with the revolutionary use of cleaner fish to fight sea lice in net-pen salmon farming without the use of pharmaceuticals or chemicals. “However, we knew there had to be a better alternative, and we partnered with Thue Holm, co-founder of Atlantic Sapphire, who had extensive experience in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and worked to build a commercial pilot of a Bluehouse™ to eliminate farming with net pens in remote areas.” Think of Bluehouse™ essentially as a greenhouse. Where a greenhouse gives plants an ideal space to thrive in optimal conditions, Atlantic

Sapphire’s Bluehouse™ does the same thing, but for fish. In their land based Bluehouse™ in Homestead (Florida), the salmon swim healthy, happy, and stress-free. This fish farm of the future means we can all feast away while our oceans continue to thrive. Andreassen strongly believes that the salmon farming industry is a highly exciting space to be active in. As an incessant demand for healthy sources of protein such as salmon only continues to grow, he remains thrilled to be a part of this sustainable change. Atlantic Sapphire is a company that is pioneering land-raised salmon farming with its proprietary Bluehouse™. Sustainability is at the centre of all forms of production, from farming to the distribution of the product. “We reduce GHG emissions by eliminating airfreight transportation. Our production has minimal impact

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE THAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT? JOHAN ANDREASSEN, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO: “Since its founding in 2017, our Homestead Bluehouse™ facility is undergoing a multiphase long-term development plan to gradually increase our capacity and production until finally reaching 220,000 metric tons of salmon a year by 2031. “We’re very excited about this facility’s success as it continues to grow. Phase Two of the plan is currently underway with completion projected for 2023. As

GSI Restoration GSI Restoration, Inc. prides itself on providing high quality pressure washing and cleaning services, which is why major corporations such as Atlantic Sapphire Bluehouse have enlisted our company to assist them in meeting their strict food quality standards. Our disinfecting and sanitizing services allows our customers to have peace of mind in knowing that the job will be done right, allowing them to focus on their business product. What separates us from the competition is our ability to personalize our workforce to meet the needs of our customers. That is why our services go beyond simply cleaning and disinfecting. We also can improve the aesthetics of our customers property by providing pressure cleaning, floor repair, concrete work, and vegetation management. With our industry knowledge and investment in the best equipment on the market, paired with our hands-on management approach, our team can guarantee that we are providing the best quality of work everyday that we are on the work site. We also have the resources to increase our workforce in order to meet whatever seasonal demands our customers may have. We are fully licensed and insured, and safety is a top priority at GSI Restoration. Our employees are continuously trained in OSHA safety standards, as well as following all company safety protocols to ensure a safe working environment for our employees, customers, suppliers, and the general public.

the expansion of the Miami facility continues, it also opens up the opportunity for more interactive consumer experiences in the future. We will be welcoming a limited number of visitors to tour the facility in an educational, exhibit-style experience to learn more about our unique salmon-raising process. “Other exciting consumer-centric projects we have in the works include our partnerships with celebrity chefs who are known for their sustainability focus as well as our educational campaigns, which aim to share the wonderful benefits of Bluehouse™ raised salmon, for both health and planet. We’re very excited to see these partnerships continue to flourish as we launch new products and continue to grow.”

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ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE FOOD & DRINK

MMC First Process MMC First Process meets the needs MMC First Process was chosen because their solutions satisfy our strict requirements for fish handling. MMC First Process is a company we know well, and is a world leader in the gentle handling of live fish, says CEO of Atlantic Sapphire Johan E. Andreassen. Andreassen further says that an efficient and gentle system for fish handling is the key to optimized utilization of the production capacity in Atlantic Sapphire’s land-based facilities. Securing fish welfare

“AT AT L A N T I C S A P P H I R E , W E A I M T O R A I S E AWA R E N E S S A B O U T S U S TA I N A B L E S A L M O N FA R M I N G I N T H E U S A N D T O S U P P LY M I L L I O N S O F P E O P L E W I T H A H E A LT H Y, S U S TA I N A B L E , A N D D E L I C I O U S P R O D U C T ” – J O H A N A N D R E A S S E N , C O - F O U N D E R A N D C E O , AT L A N T I C SAPPHIRE

on the ocean, we don’t have salmon escapes and we recirculate 99 percent of the water we use while all aquaculture waste is treated and can be recycled for other purposes, instead of sitting on the seabed.” In terms of the company’s supply chain operations, such as packaging, feed, raw material utilization and by-products, there remain many opportunities for more environmentally sustainable practices. For some of these processes, Atlantic Sapphire already has agreements and logistics in place, and they are looking to continue to constantly explore more diverse options in these areas. Some of these have featured in the news 88 | North America Outlook issue 09

recently, which include the intention to construct a feed plant in close proximity to the Bluehouse™ by Skretting, who is currently the world’s largest salmon feed producer. Founded in 2010, Atlantic Sapphire is headquartered in Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, as well as the US OTCQX market since 2021, and has continued to grow ever since. The Homestead Bluehouse™ began construction in 2017 and is currently in Phase Two of its long-term development plan. It currently holds around 166 employees, who are highly engaged in their mission to innovate and revolutionize the market with a heathier and eco-friendlier protein source.

There is solid development work behind the technology to be delivered to Atlantic Sapphire, and an important principle for our technology is to ensure that the entire fish is in water at all times when handled, says Børre Haanes Waagan, Sales Manager at MMC First Process.

Skretting Skretting is the global leader in providing innovative and sustainable nutritional solutions for the aquaculture industry. We are a trusted supplier of fish nutrition in North America across all production platforms, with three facilities serving the continent in Vancouver, BC, Tooele UT and St Andrews, NB.

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ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE FOOD & DRINK

Securing fish welfare in land based farming

m mc f i rs t p ro ce s s .c o m

Nurturing your fish, filtration systems & sustainable success For more information vist www.skretting.ca

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The product line at Atlantic Sapphire now includes both fresh salmon and smoked salmon, with more products promised to arrive further down the road. Atlantic Sapphire’s Bluehouse™ Salmon from the Miami Bluehouse™ is sold all across North America in grocery stores such as Publix, Sprouts, Safeway, and more. Alongside this growth, the company’s client base now extends to food service and retailers across the US and Canada. Atlantic Sapphire prides itself on the way in which it has carved out an impressive degree of separation from the direct competition. The biggest factor setting Atlantic Sapphire and its Bluehouse™ technology apart from competitors is the unique ability to use the naturally given resources that the water from the Florida aquifers represent, to farm sustainable salmon at scale. It was always the goal to be based in the US for the company, as it is the world’s largest market for

90 | North America Outlook issue 09

salmon and therefore became the key factor in the decision-making process to establish its Bluehouse™ in Florida. Another influential component was the underground aquifer located beneath the state. Florida’s aquifer system allows an ample supply of freshwater, saltwater, and safe return of treated wastewater to be slowly recycled by nature. Raising fish on land means no antibiotics, no pesticides, no hormones, no risk of escape, and no contamination of coastal areas, and using untapped water from the aquifer means impressively there are zero microplastics or other harmful particles found in ocean-farmed fish. “Because we use around 95 percent saltwater, we also conserve fresh water that can be used for drinking water and irrigation. Florida’s unique geology gives us the ability to dispose our treated wastewater to the boulder zone 3,000 feet underground where mother nature will filter it back to

DeLoach Industries DeLoach Industries Inc. is one of the oldest water treatment equipment manufacturers in the USA. Pioneering Reverse Osmosis to manufacturing the first Aeration, Degasification, and Air Stripping tower systems for the removal of Hydrogen Sulfide, Carbon Dioxide, and Volatile Organics for the Aquaculture, Municipal, Food & Beverage, and Industrial markets. We are proud to have been selected by Atlantic Sapphire to provide a “one of a kind” process treatment solution for their water requirements. To manufacture and install multiple treatment systems to fulfill their vision to successfully raise and harvest salmon fish all within a landbased operation. With our in-house professional design and support team, we strive to deliver comprehensive solutions to our customers for all of their water needs.

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ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE FOOD & DRINK

A pillar of Florida’s manufacturing community since 1979. B&K specializes in custom agricultural facilities and metal fabrication. With a full fabrication shop, machine shop, and waterjet on site, B&K is fully equipped to make your concepts a reality.

North America Outlook issue 09 | 91

pure salt water before it goes back into the Atlantic Ocean in thousands of years,” Andreassen concludes. Atlantic Sapphire has invested significantly in Bluehouse™ technology, aiming to meet its objective of offering an environment that is ideal for salmon, eliminating stress and allowing the fish to thrive as they grow. The revolutionary technology at work with the Bluehouse™ initiative includes a complex assortment of controls for water chemistry, temperature, salinity, current and lighting. There are more than 28 different parameters being monitored and analyzed in real time across all tanks and systems. “Knowing that our systems have an average 95:5 ratio of water to fish, it is important to highlight that water is recycled every half-hour and removed every 10 days, while oxygen is added to the water,” Andreassen explains. Another method employed is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize feeding, as well as to maximize efficiency and growth ratios. All this is overseen from 92 | North America Outlook issue 09

‘AT L A N T I C S A P P H I R E H A S I N V E S T E D S I G N I F I C A N T LY I N B L U E H O U S E ™ T E C H N O L O G Y, A I M I N G T O M E E T I T S OBJECTIVE OF OFFERING AN ENVIRONMENT T H AT I S I D E A L F O R S A L M O N , E L I M I N AT I N G ST R E SS A N D A L LOW I N G T H E F I S H TO T H R I V E AS THEY GROW’

a control room, allowing staff to visually and analytically monitor system conditions and fish health and performance 24 hours a day.

LOOKING FORWARD In the US, more than 90 percent of the salmon consumed is imported. While US salmon demand is the world’s largest in terms of total volume and is increasing year over year (not considering the exceptional impact of COVID-19), per capita consumption is still lower than many European nations. Andreassen explains how, “this gives us huge room for growth and the opportunity to reduce the

existing deficit in production in the country. Consumers are showing increasing interest in healthy, sustainable protein, and sustainably raising salmon is a key part of the solution.” A crucial element of Atlantic Sapphire’s mission is “to remove marine-derived ingredients from our feed, to eliminate completely our impact on the oceans”. The initial first step in this process was to introduce algal oil to start replacing fish oil. The company has already replaced 25 percent and will continue working towards this figure, in line with its 2025 sustainability goals.

ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE FOOD & DRINK

Atlantic Sapphire is currently engaged in a major $225 million expansion development. “This phase two expansion is part of our multiphase development plan as well as part of our long-term goal to increase our capacity to targeted harvest volumes of 220,000 tons by 2031.” “At Atlantic Sapphire, we aim to raise awareness about sustainable salmon farming in the US and to supply millions of people with a healthy, sustainable, and delicious product. As we increase harvest volumes in our Bluehouse™ we will be able to provide more and more Bluehouse™ Salmon meals to the American market,” Andreassen adds. The role of product development at Atlantic Sapphire is a key component to the company’s success story. Market trends continue to indicate a strong desire to include seafood and especially salmon in people’s diets, which the company is continuing to capitalize on. “Some segments are driven by the health benefits, others by convenience, but whatever the underlying reason, we see an opportunity to offer our high-quality Bluehouse™ salmon in different ways. For instance, seasoned portions, planks, salmon burgers and others can all be part of our product offering,” details Andreassen. Looking ahead to the company’s key priorities for the coming year, Atlantic Sapphire is aiming to hit several specific targets, such as reaching ‘steady state’ production, whilst continuing the construction of its phase two expansion to 25,000 tons of capacity. Later in April this year they plan to publish the company’s latest ESG (Environmental Social Governance) report, which will thoroughly detail all proposed plans for future goals, expansion and general diversification, covering all existing aspects of the company going forward.

As Atlantic Sapphire’s exciting growth continues at such a rapid trajectory, there are also plans to launch additional salmon products this year, including a ready-to-eat Smoked Bluehouse™ Salmon. Atlantic Sapphire continues to manufacture seafood that’s safe for our seas, alongside the production of protein that’s better for our planet.

Tel: 1-786-292-3632 investorrelations@atlanticsapphire.com www.atlanticsapphire.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 93

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VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

VETTING FOR NEW OW N E R S H I P Veterinary Practice Partners is handing back control of the veterinary industry to veterinarians, as CEO John McDonough explains Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Felix Revell

North America Outlook issue 09 | 95

VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

eterinary Practice Partners (VPP) is giving ownership and clinical control back to veterinarians. John McDonough, CEO at VPP, has been a healthcare executive in operational and financial roles for more than 25 years. “I am a true believer in fostering alignment through co-ownership, which creates a better environment for serving patients and communities, and also increases the economic benefit for our veterinarian-partners and their families,” McDonough says. The veterinary industry in the US finds itself at an interesting point right now. It continues to grow due to an increasing number of pets and higher average spending by pet owners. However, due to the fragmented nature of the industry, which consists of more than 30,000 hospitals, significant opportunity for more sophisticated networks and increased infrastructure and efficiencies exists. As a result, the industry has 96 | North America Outlook issue 09

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: WHAT ARE YOUR KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING YEAR? JOHN MCDONOUGH, CEO: “What we focus on daily is nurturing our existing doctor-partner relationships and network to identify other hospital owners and veterinarians that are a good match for and see value in the VPP partnership model, either for their existing clinic or for a de novo hospital. We believe our best business development resource is our 102 doctorpartners. Today, our referral network accounts for more than half of our new partnership opportunities, whereas three years ago, it was less than 10 percent. “As a result, many of the new partnerships we are entering into have some familiarity with our model already because of their relationships with our network. That is leading to quicker collaboration once we enter the new partnership, which creates benefits for the hospital more rapidly and for the broader VPP network. The new partner then has a network of veterinarians that she/he might refer us to, and it becomes a virtuous cycle.”

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attracted significant capital from investors. This influx of resources impacts both the older veterinarians who are looking to sell their practice before retiring, as well as the younger generation of veterinarians who are looking to establish themselves. “The emergence of corporate owners has many veterinarians concerned that they will no longer have control over the clinical practice if they work for a corporate group,” McDonough explains. “Furthermore, a common sentiment among young veterinarians is that they feel ownership is out of reach due to their excessive student debt and their inability to compete with the prices corporate buyers are offering to existing hospital owners.” McDonough believes this dynamic is creating a great opportunity for VPP right now, with co-ownership as 98 | North America Outlook issue 09

“I AM A TRUE BELIEVER IN FOSTERING A L I G N M E N T T H R O U G H C O - O W N E R S H I P, W H I C H C R E AT E S A B E T T E R E N V I R O N M E N T F O R S E R V I N G P AT I E N T S A N D C O M M U N I T I E S ” – J O H N M C D O N O U G H , C E O, V E T E R I N A R Y P R AC T I C E PA R T N E R S

the core tenet of the business model. “We believe the alignment it creates and the division of responsibilities it enables, with our doctor-partners leading the clinical side at the hospitals and VPP focused on the business elements (recruiting, marketing, operations, finance, etc.), ultimately creates a better outcome for our clients, patients, doctors, and staff,” he adds. VPP owns and operates general practice veterinary hospitals in partnership with the company’s

doctor-partners throughout the US. In a typical situation, VPP will own 70 percent of the hospital, while doctor-partners will retain the other 30 percent, creating true economic alignment. Today, VPP has 90 partner hospitals across 24 states, as well as 102 doctor-partners that are co-owners at these various locations. Of those 102 doctor-partners, 50 are first-time owners where VPP has enabled their purchase of equity in the hospital and helped them to achieve ownership.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: NexGard is for use in dogs only. The most frequently reported adverse reactions include vomiting, pruritus, lethargy, diarrhea and lack of appetite. The safe use of NexGard in pregnant, breeding, or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. For more information, see the full prescribing information or visit NexGardClinic.com. *Assessment was conducted by IDEXX and leveraged veterinary clinic PIMS transaction level data for 2021. This analysis included veterinary practices with consistent data from 2019 to 2021. To be included, patients needed to have at least one parasiticide transaction in 2020 and 2021. The analysis was limited to loyal patients, where loyalty was defined as having one flea/tick control brand during the full three-year period. The average number of months of NexGard purchased per year was 6.8. The average number of months of BRAVECTO purchased per year was 6.7. This analysis overestimates the duration of efficacy for BRAVECTO. For comparison purposes, each BRAVECTO chew was assessed as providing three months of flea & tick protection versus the labeled 12-week coverage for fleas and three species of ticks, and 8-week coverage for Lone Star ticks. 1. Data on file at Boehringer Ingelheim. 2. Data on file at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Westbrook, Maine USA.

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VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

STANDING OUT FROM THE COMPETITION What differentiates VPP from direct competitors is the company’s carefully curated culture of partnership, which is grounded within three crucial elements. The first is VPP’s co-ownership model. “At our hospitals, we have one level of ownership that is the same for VPP and our doctor-partners, and we ensure that our doctor-partners have meaningful stakes in their clinics,” details McDonough. “Consequently, as the hospital grows, they benefit personally from its success, creating a true partnership between VPP and the doctors.” The second factor is a focus on collaboration. “When we enter a new partnership, we spend considerable time at the beginning asking questions of and 100 | North America Outlook issue 09

listening to the doctors and staff before collectively developing our plan for the hospital. This collaborative process leads to a strategy that best fits the hospital and the community it serves,” explains McDonough. The third element is the promise to respect the individuality of each hospital. VPP doesn’t approach new partnerships with the idea that one-size-fitsall, and that every hospital should function the same way. Instead, VPP views each hospital as unique, and through proven best practices develops and implements measures that will most benefit each specific hospital. By fusing together these three elements, VPP creates a customized and guaranteed recipe for success and hones a culture in which everyone is seen, heard, and plays a role in the future of the hospital.

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VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

Zoetis Here at Zoetis, we believe in taking care of pets, just like pets take care of us. Pets are always there for us – so it’s only fair that we’re always there for them, too. That’s why our Zoetis team of pet-lovers, scientists, vets, and more, have dedicated over 65 years to advancing pet health. Our products are so trusted and effective, they’re in almost every vet practice in the country. We’ve innovated many firsts in animal health and our team continues to research and develop new and better ways to help pets live their best lives.

RAPID EXPANSION “Since 2018, we have more than doubled the size of VPP, and our goal is to do that again in the next two to three years. For us, managing this rate of growth has been about having the right people, processes, and culture,” outlines McDonough. A primary focus for VPP over the last three years has been building not only the company’s senior leadership team, but also the functional teams to support its hospitals during the rapid expansion, with a particular focus on recruitment and training. It is not enough however, to simply hire the right people. VPP needs to make sure they have the management tools, resources and processes that enable them to be productive and efficient, which ultimately leads to job satisfaction too. “For us, that means a big focus on analytics and data-driven decision making in all areas of the business, from recruiting and marketing to business development and hospital operations,” adds McDonough. “Still, we 102 | North America Outlook issue 09

balance all of this with the core tenet of our business model, co-ownership.” Even though VPP’s team has grown significantly, and the tools and processes used to manage the day-to-day have evolved, VPP continues to emphasize and curate a culture of transparency, collaboration, alignment, and clinic individuality with both doctor-partners and hospitals. “Maintaining our laser-focus on VPP’s culture of partnership, while building the team and evolving our processes to scale the business has been the key to managing our growth,” McDonough tells us. “Co-ownership is the key differentiator of our business model. At our hospitals, we have one level of ownership that is the same for VPP and our doctor-partners, and we ensure they have meaningful stakes in their clinics. The key advantage of this is that it creates real alignment between VPP and our doctorpartners. When a doctor-partner is committed to their patients, staff, and community, they provide great

Our range of medicines, treatments, and diagnostics are designed to help you and your vet actively prevent diseases, manage skin conditions, treat infections, reduce pain, minimize anxiety, and much more. By actively using our Zoetis range of health products, you can rest easy that your pet is protected no matter what.

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VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

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VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

Helping Companies Succeed

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leadership at the hospital, and the hospital grows, they benefit personally from the collective success. “In building a culture of collaboration, we have made listening to our doctor-partners a central theme. As we have grown over the past few years and look to our future growth, creating an environment for honest communication and encouraging feedback has been a focal point for us,” adds McDonough. In late 2020, VPP created a Medical Advisory Board (MAB) led by its Chief Veterinary Officer. This comprises a diverse group of doctor-partners contributing their knowledge and experience to improving the co-ownership model for all existing practices. These dedicated doctors bring their voices to the conversation and serve as a sounding board to help develop optimized solutions. The input from the MAB has been instrumental in the development of two of VPP’s most important current

initiatives. Firstly, the establishment of VPP Academy, a week-long immersive program, designed to its specifications, delivered with support from the company and industry partners, and held at the Viticus Center in Las Vegas. The objectives are twofold. Most importantly, the program is an investment in the next generation of veterinarians, advancing their clinical communication and technical skills in dentistry and surgery, and developing their confidence in practice. In addition, the program delivers value to VPP’s hospitals, as patients benefit from better care and clients experience better service. Secondly, the creation of educational programs for veterinary technicians, who are critical members of the clinical teams at VPP’s hospitals. One program provides full scholarships for selected staff members interested in earning

this valuable credential through a distance learning program that leads to an associate degree. In support of already credentialed technicians, with the blessing of the MAB, VPP has also held several full-day workshops on dentistry in its clinics, allowing for increased efficiency and more effective dental health for all patients. “Both programs are great examples of how the MAB is enhancing the collaboration with our doctorpartners to build capabilities and commitment within our teams, which in turn creates long-term value and positively impacts our hospitals,” concludes McDonough.

VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS Tel: 866-838-7278 partnership@vetpartners.com www.vetpartners.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 105

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS HEALTHCARE

We are committed to producing and distributing the finest products for the detection of microorganisms, as we collaborate with our laboratory partners to diagnose and prevent disease.” This is the uncompromising mission of Hardy Diagnostics, whose medical devices have been helping people to live healthier lives for more than 40 years. 106 | North America Outlook issue 09

With microbiology products used all over the world to diagnose and prevent disease, it is the dedication and skill of Hardy Diagnostics’ 450 members of staff, which includes microbiologists, medical technologists, engineers, and biochemists, that has resulted in the fully employee-owned company’s remarkable success. “We are 100 percent owned by the employees that work here. This is called an Employee Stock Ownership

Plan (ESOP), whereby all employees are granted shares in the company each year at no cost,” opens Jay Hardy, President of Hardy Diagnostics. Jay Hardy comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and business owners. His father, Pat, was an innovative pharmacist for 50 years and was one of the first to implement the drive-up window, mail order prescriptions, and computerized labels on prescription bottles in his drug store.

I M P R OV I N G H E A LT H TO G E T H E R Employee ownership has fostered a highly motivated “culture of service” at Hardy Diagnostics. President, Jay Hardy, discusses disease diagnosis and prevention Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Felix Revell

The company was founded in 1980, but it wasn’t until 2012, when Jay Hardy sold the majority of his shares to the employees, that Hardy Diagnostics became an ESOP, a very important and definitive feature for a company that this year is celebrating a decade of being employee-owned. Only one in every thousand companies in the US is in fact 100 percent owned by its employees. Not only does this unique model mean

that Hardy Diagnostics is exempt from income tax, but it also means that each employee has “a stake in the outcome” and thus tries their utmost to make their company successful. “Our workers are highly motivated and truly care about the well-being of the company, since there is a direct link between each other’s success,” Hardy continues, “I remind them that if they take good care of their company, it will take good care of them.”

In addition, all the Hardy employees, even the part-timers, participate in the company’s quarterly profit sharing program, in which it is believed that the profits ultimately belong to the workers that created those profits. Since all employees need to be kept abreast of the financial condition of the company they own, the accounting team posts all financial statements monthly as part of their Open Book Management program. North America Outlook issue 09 | 107

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS HEALTHCARE

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: WHAT LED YOU TO FOUNDING HARDY DIAGNOSTICS IN 1980? JAY HARDY, PRESIDENT: “I finished my biology degree not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it. “I then heard about Medical Technology (now called Clinical Laboratory Scientist) and moved to Santa Barbara, California for an internship in the lab at the local hospital there. “When I finished passing the state board exams and got licensed by the State of California, there were no jobs available locally. However, I wanted to stay in beautiful Santa Barbara, so I decided to go into business with one of my classmates. “We started out very small with only a handful of customers, one employee, and some horrible equipment in a small, rented space that used to be a motel room. Having eventually acquired day jobs in the laboratory, we did not pay ourselves from our media business for three years in order to sustain our fledgling company until it could stand on its own.”

LEADING EXPERTS Licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and operating under an ISO 13485 certified quality management system for medical devices, Hardy Diagnostics manufactures over 2,700 products used for the culture and identification of bacteria and fungi, including prepared and dehydrated culture media, reagents, automated slide strainers, and rapid identification kits for microbiological testing in clinical, research, food, and pharmaceutical laboratories. The company also produces products that are used to detect drug resistance in microorganisms in order to assist clinicians in making the correct choices for the appropriate therapeutics to be used on their patients. Hardy Diagnostics’ culture media is the food that supports the growth of bacteria and fungi. Packaged in petri 108 | North America Outlook issue 09

Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific understands patient safety is paramount, so ensuring strict regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. We deliver a range of validated solutions for pharmaceutical microbiology laboratories, supporting the production and quality assurance of sterile and non-sterile pharmaceuticals, vaccines and biotechnology products. You can confidently rely on our product quality and expertise every step of the way. Our workflow supports strict regulatory compliance from raw materials to finished product, and from environmental monitoring to microbial identification and media fills. Find out more at thermofisher.com/ pharmamicrobiology

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plates, glass tubes, flasks, bottles, and jars, it is used to selectively detect and identify pathogenic microorganisms. As a culture media manufacturer, Hardy Diagnostics is the only company of its kind in the Western United States and is the third largest in the whole country. From variations of existing designs to the development of new proprietary formulations, products are customized and manufactured using raw materials to provide superior quality, short lead times, and a competitive price. “We are a medical device manufacturer of in vitro diagnostics, and we service approximately 10,000 laboratory customers in the clinical, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries,” notes Hardy. From laboratories that utilize these diagnostic products to identify illnesses, to employees that own shares in the company, Hardy Diagnostics is truly a group of people coming together to better the world, one test at a time.

Mast Group Mast Group is a UK based leading independent European manufacturer and supplier of clinical diagnostic products. Established in Liverpool in 1957, Mast Group has grown into a multinational company exporting globally. Corporate headquarters are based in Bootle with subsidiary companies in Reinfeld, Germany (Mast Diagnostica GmbH) and Amiens, France (Mast Diagnostic). Mast Group were among the first companies to commercialise the antibiotic disc, and continue to work with major pharmaceutical companies worldwide in the development of new and exciting products.

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HARDY DIAGNOSTICS HEALTHCARE

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North America Outlook issue 09 | 109

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS HEALTHCARE

Further to designing custom products, Hardy Diagnostics evaluates them through manufacturing process validation, failure mode analysis, and a variety of testing services using the latest lean industry tools and standards, to enable its highly trained, cross-functional quality assurance engineers and microbiologists to perform in-house validations. In conjunction with its extensive library of over 1,000 microorganisms, real-time product stability testing can also be performed to match the intended use of custom products, whilst more sophisticated molecular testing and mass spectrometer methods have been recently launched through strategic alliances. “We recently entered into an exclusive partnership with a company that has developed exciting new methods for rapid diagnostic testing through PCR technology that utilizes microscopic bar-coded beads,” Hardy reveals.

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS’ CORE VALUES CUSTOMERS – Partner with customers to diagnose and prevent disease, and promote healthy living. Provide unmatched service for laboratory customers, supplying them with what they need, when they need it, at a fair price. PRODUCTS – Create dependable products of superior quality, and continuously improve the performance of products and the efficiency of processes. Develop new and innovative products to meet customers’ changing needs more thoroughly. WORKPLACE – Nourish a culture of excellence in a beautiful, clean, comfortable and safe workplace, while providing opportunities for recreation, exercise, and social interaction. Support a variety of charitable causes to strengthen and support the community. CO-WORKERS – Encourage personal, mental, and spiritual growth on and off the job, as well as honesty, integrity and a strong work ethic to promote the success of both the individual and the company. MANAGEMENT – Respect and treat all co-workers with fairness and equal opportunities, while recognizing that skills and abilities vary. REWARDS – Share in the financial rewards of business ownership. As partowners of the company, employees have a “stake in the outcome”, which provides even more motivation to consistently please customers and fulfil Hardy Diagnostics’ mission.

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS HEALTHCARE

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“This allows doctors to diagnose multiple disease states with only one specimen and test method. For instance, someone presenting with symptoms of pneumonia in the ER can be rapidly tested for 17 target bacterial, viral, and fungal microorganisms all at once.” To help bring other microbiology products to market, Hardy Diagnostics’ technical and regulatory teams are highly specialized in the introduction of diagnostic equipment to the US market thanks to their extensive expertise in clinical trials and knowledge of FDA clearance processes. Later this year, the company will be launching a new line of automated microscope slide stainers to simplify and standardize the preparation of specimens for microscopic examination. As a distributor of

items from over 80 other lab supply manufacturers, Hardy Diagnostics is truly a “one-stop-shop” that offers a complete selection of over 13,000 microbiology and laboratory products.

STRATEGIC DISTRIBUTION Two manufacturing sites, located in the cities of Santa Maria, California, and Springboro, Ohio, are complemented by a network of nine Hardy Diagnostics warehouses across the US, servicing all 48 contiguous states in the country. Each distribution center is strategically positioned to cover specific states across the country. Altogether, it means that the company is capable of delivering products and tests to laboratories quickly and costeffectively, with inexpensive nextday ground service

offered to more than 75 percent of the United States. “One thing that makes us unique is that we maintain two manufacturing facilities, one in the west and one in the east, to better serve our customers with low shipping costs and reliable sourcing,” says Hardy. “This also provides our customers with more security in terms of order fulfilment. Our company is large enough to provide the services typical of bigger companies, but small enough to foster personal relationships with our customers and vendors.” North America Outlook issue 09 | 111

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS HEALTHCARE

Hardy Diagnostics’ commitment to having an extensive nationwide distribution network reflects the fact that its products are used every day to diagnose and prevent disease, and that they need to be received quickly in order to effectively treat patients who are ill. To meet the increasing demand for its products in California and Ohio, Hardy Diagnostics plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities in both states. The company constantly looks for ways to automate its manufacturing operations, with high-speed robotics and automated packaging machines utilized whenever possible. In early 2016, Hardy Diagnostics purchased QuickSlide™, which manufactures automated slide staining equipment for microbiological and hematological studies. Later, the Wizard™ CompactDry™ Reader was also introduced, designed to read and document CompactDry™ culture media plates for colony counts with an automated color interpretation. “We are committed to utilizing

lean techniques across the entire company in order to cut waste and increase efficiency. All employees will be trained and certified as either white, yellow, green, or black belts in Six Sigma Lean Techniques, and currently, we are in the process of switching our ERP software to a more sophisticated and efficient platform called EpiCor,” Hardy outlines.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS “In the future, we look forward to our R&D department bringing us new and exciting products that we can provide to our laboratory customers, so we can make a continued contribution towards better patient health.” Hardy Diagnostics maintains a 2,300 square foot laboratory dedicated exclusively to R&D, featuring environmentally controlled rooms for carrying out molecular biology studies as well as traditional microbiology. The R&D laboratory is tasked with developing unique products and improving existing ones, as well as researching ways to speed up the reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility studies in

patient specimens. A number of new products have been launched by the R&D department over the years, including HardyCHROM™ ESBL and CRE, which are used to detect highly drug resistant “super bugs” by colony color. Recently, a new unique chromogenic media was developed to detect an extremely pathogenic and drug resistant yeast called Candida auris, which kills about half of its victims. In 2012, the department also released HardyCHROM™ SS for the detection of both salmonella and shigella from stool cultures, by utilizing chromogenic substances in the culture media. This patented medium is the first and only one that identifies both of these pathogens and differentiates them from nonpathogens, such as Proteus. In the past, time and money was wasted by having to identify non-pathogens that mimic true pathogens. The company is also very proud of another patented product it invented called Carrot Broth, which detects Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Strep) in pregnant women, so they can be treated during childbirth before they pass the infection on to their newborn babies. Around 25 percent of all women harbor this potentially dangerous organism that can be fatal to a newborn. “We have a very robust R&D department that is continually involved in seeking new ways to diagnose and prevent disease through innovative technology. In addition, we seek out partners to share in new technologies that we can introduce to the laboratory,” says Hardy.

POSITIVE INFLUENCE Hardy Diagnostics believes in giving back to the community, and is actively involved in promoting and supporting a variety of local community-based charities and non-profit organizations by donating one percent of its earnings annually. 112 | North America Outlook issue 09

“ O U R W O R K E R S A R E H I G H LY M O T I VAT E D A N D T R U LY C A R E A B O U T T H E W E L L - B E I N G O F T H E C O M PA N Y ” – J AY H A R D Y, P R E S I D E N T, H A R D Y D I A G N O S T I C S

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company also mobilized its efforts in providing the medical community with much-needed swabs, specimen transport media, sanitizers, masks, face shields, and COVID-19 test kits. Sales came close to tripling in 2020 as a result, and just as impressively, Hardy Diagnostics has turned a profit every year since inception. The company was even a member of the INC 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the US in six separate years.

Consistent growth has been complemented by Hardy Diagnostics’ green efforts, the central goal of which is to reduce energy at its facilities and to conserve the planet’s natural resources. An array of green projects have been completed by the company, including the installation of almost 1,000 solar panels across three of its buildings in Santa Maria. It is the city’s largest solar project, and provides the majority of power needed for four of its buildings.

“Hardy Diagnostics has been certified as a ‘Green Business’ in recognition of the great efforts we have made to cut waste, conserve water, reduce energy consumption, and promote recycling,” Hardy states proudly. Medical equipment manufacturing is in capable, sustainable hands with Hardy Diagnostics, whose people have come together to help people live healthy lives and thus better the world.

HARDY DIAGNOSTICS Tel: (800) 266-2222 Sales@HardyDiagnostics.com www.HardyDiagnostics.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 113

COSMETICS ALLIANCE CANADA (CA) HEALTHCARE

THE NEW FAC E O F CANADIAN COSMETICS Cosmetics Alliance Canada (CA) has been advancing the personal care products industry for over a century. We speak with CEO Darren Praznik, as the association pioneers unprecedented regulatory reform Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Felix Revell

Canada will have one of the most effective, efficient, risk-based regulatory systems in the world for cosmetics and other personal care products. It will be a great place for innovation, to develop new products and new claims.” The opening words of Darren Praznik, President and CEO of Cosmetics Alliance Canada (CA) encapsulate the sheer dynamism of the country’s cosmetics industry as it embarks on a new world-leading regulatory regime. Through the Self-Care Framework – a regulatory modernization initiative that is currently in progress and set to be implemented over the next few years – the manufacture and distribution of low-risk cosmetics and non-prescription drugs will be revolutionized, marking a muchneeded departure from an outdated and ineffective regulatory framework.

“The new Self-Care Framework will be one of the world’s most modern regulatory frameworks for our industry’s products. It will enable innovation and, with our network of trade agreements, make Canada an attractive place to develop and manufacture products for export around the world,” Praznik continues. As President and CEO of CA, Praznik has helped lead the campaign for regulatory reform in the sector.

Darren Praznik, CEO

COSMETICS ALLIANCE CANADA (CA) HEALTHCARE

As an industry association that has been in operation for almost a century, CA has long been aware of the need for modernization in the system and worked deliberately to convince the Canadian Government of the need for reform. “The Perfumers Guild (later named the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association), was organized in 1928 to represent the industry in seeking an excise tax exemption for the denatured alcohol used in perfumes. Over the years, it has evolved into the industry voice with governments on all aspects of regulation and policy affecting the sector.” Today, CA is a thriving association with more than 150 member companies that brings together brand owners, manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, retailers, and suppliers of goods and services to the industry. “And it is an industry,” adds Praznik, “that employs tens of thousands of Canadians and accounts

for some very impressive export numbers.” The primary reason for most industry associations in Canada, like CA, is to stand as a unified voice with governments who much prefer to work with a collective on issues rather than individual companies. As a trade association, CA has a positive and respected reputation in working with governments, which Praznik credits to the principled and needs-based approach it takes to issues. “We very much approach issues from the perspective of trying to understand the public policy needs or objectives of government, as well as our own needs as an industry, and then try to advance solutions which can meet the requirements of both,” notes Praznik. Consequently CA spends significant time with its member companies working to understand their real needs and develop the principled solutions that can be advanced to government.

A LEADER IN INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS CA OBJECTIVES AND KEY PRIORITIES: •

Enhance and protect the ability of member companies to conduct business effectively in Canada.

•

Foster industry and government cooperation.

•

Provide an authoritative voice for communication to all stakeholders.

•

Encourage trust in the industry and in the safety and efficacy of its industry’s products.

CA SUBSIDIARY BUSINESSES AND SERVICES: •

Export Certificates Program – Facilitates international trade for Canadian business by providing certificates of free sale for exports of Canadian-made products to over 75 countries.

•

Beauty Specialist Certification Program – Equips beauty advisors with important information on ingredient and product safety.

•

Regulatory Workshops, Interactive Training Program, Member Briefing and Networking Events.

•

Distributes beauty publication Cosmetics Magazine – an online publication that provides an effective vehicle to reach beauty professionals and educate consumers.

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COSMETICS ALLIANCE CANADA (CA) HEALTHCARE

“If you do this well and put the time in up front – rather than just putting forward positions that are quick and reactive – you have a much better chance of influencing government policy to benefit your industry in the long run,” Praznik tells us. The cosmetics and personal care products under CA’s remit are vast, including everything from makeup, skincare, and shampoo, to toothpaste, sunscreen, and just about everything in between. “As the representative of key stakeholders, we work with government towards ensuring that legislation and regulation are effective in meeting public policy goals, such as human and environmental safety, while also being operationally efficient and promoting a healthy industry that is globally competitive.”

STREAMLINING SELF-CARE This idea of operational efficiency and global competitiveness has been the driving force behind CA and Health Canada’s tireless efforts over the past decade in promoting a modernized Self-Care regulatory framework. “We have been working on the most significant reform of the way that our products are regulated,” shares Praznik. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity. Since the 1950s there have only been one-off fixes or administrative “band-aides” applied to the regulatory framework whenever a shortcoming became evident, but the world has changed so much now, both in terms of regulatory concerns and product categories, that a major re-think of the regulatory structure is required.” The current Health Canada

“ F O R O V E R A D E C A D E , W E H AV E B E E N WORKING ON THE MOST SIGNIFICANT R E F O R M O F T H E WAY O U R P R O D U C T S A R E R E G U L AT E D . . . I T I S A W O R L D - L E A D I N G , R E G U L AT O R Y S T R U C T U R E F O R S E L F - C A R E PRODUCTS” – DA R R E N P R A Z N I K , C E O, CO S M E T I C S A L L I A N C E C A N A DA

regulatory system consists of a convoluted framework of three different sets of regulations – Cosmetic, Drug, or Natural Health Product Regulations - each of which can apply to product categories such as toothpastes, shampoos, and even lipsticks with very different regulatory requirements and consequences. Indeed, much of this regulatory framework was established under Canada’s Food and Drugs Act (FDA) in the 1950s, with the addition of special regulations for natural health products (NHP) in the 1990s. Under this model, by making a health claim on a cosmetic product, cosmetics companies become subject to the costly tests and regulations applied to non-prescription drugs, making the go-to-market process prohibitively expensive and arduous. A primary example of this, Praznik highlights an SPF lipstick as the ‘poster-child’ of the movement - a product that made government sit up and recognize the shortfalls of the system. If a beauty product such as this, usually regulated as a cosmetic, makes a health claim – like an SPF factor – it would be regulated as an NHP if containing a mineral

sunscreen such as TiO2, or as a drug, if containing a chemical sunscreen such as octinoxate. The exorbitant additional costs for launching and supporting a lipstick with an SPF claim in Canada demonstrate this nonsensical system. It has also made cost-prohibitive the use in Canada of various sunscreens long approved and safely used in the European Union. For the industry, the need for change was obvious, but recognition from the government was the first critical step and a campaign was launched that eventually piqued the government’s attention after several years. “When the new government came in 2015, the Minister of Health took an interest and agreed that what we proposed had to be done. Health Canada put in place a five-person dedicated reform team that has been working away on this,” outlines Praznik. Despite differing priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, that team is now fully back on track working side by side with CA. As a result, what was previously a complex legislative administrative environment based on regulating products via their classification

profile, is now shifting to a more individualized, risk-based system. “It’s extremely important for an industry if you’re making products, to have the right regulatory regime that protects safety, is efficiently run, and recognizes the reality of today’s products coming on the market, and regulates them on the basis of their risk profile as opposed to their definition,” he states.

North America Outlook issue 09 | 119

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By streamlining the process of getting approval to go to market, low-risk categories can be regulated by their risk profile – simply by registration if containing a known active ingredient, or if unknown, by entering your proven efficacy and safety data, raising any concerns with the appropriate regulator on an individual basis. Through this enabling framework, where the unnecessary regulatory burden is eliminated and costs are minimized, speed-to-market will be accelerated, and innovation will be fostered. As a result, CA hotly anticipates that Canada will become a key market for sector innovation, encouraging the development of new products that will make marketleading claims. “This creates an avenue for innovation. In our sector, there is a growing crossover between cosmetics, NHPs and non-prescription drugs. With the Self-Care Framework the definition of a product that will

no longer be the deciding factor in its regulation but rather its applicable risk category, and along with it the appropriate regulatory requirements and oversight commensurate with the risk,” he surmises. This same riskbased system will also apply to all natural health and non-prescription or

over-the-counter drug products. It is a model that carries the potential to be replicated in markets across the world, particularly in Europe and cosmetics markets that are also in need of modernization including the US. “If you’re an American in the

With regulatory reforms offering an unprecedented opportunity to innovate under increasingly favorable economic conditions, Canada can play a growing role in the global cosmetics and self-care products industry.

120 | North America Outlook issue 09

consumer healthcare field, you’ll recognize that things will be achieved much easier in Canada under this new regime,” Praznik puts it simply.

WHY CANADA? At present, Canada boasts an incredibly competitive advantage as one of the countries with tarifffree access to the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s current group of countries (representing a ~ US$14 trillion combined economy), the European Union (~ US$17 trillion), and of course the North American trading bloc ~ US$23 trillion. Canada has also recently signed an interim trade agreement with the United Kingdom preserving the tariff-free benefits of its trade agreement with the EU following Brexit. CA champions Canada’s flourishing status on the global stage as a favorable market for innovation and the export of products around the globe. In addition to engaging in the negotiation of trade agreements, CA also works with the cosmetic and personal care industry internationally to promote the alignment of regulations and standards to further facilitate trade. Such tariff agreements and regulatory alignment initiatives favor Canada as a manufacturing center for export in an industry where manufacturers must achieve economies of scale by accessing as many markets as possible in order to be competitive. Complementary to these trade conditions, Canada boasts a robust and prominent network of custom manufacturers. When the original North American Free Trade Agreement was introduced some 30 years ago, a significant portion of Canada’s personal care products manufacturing sector was lost as international companies decided to maintain US operations and often abandoned their smaller volume Canadian facilities that had been

“ C A N A D A W I L L B E A G R E AT M A R K E T F O R I N N O VAT I O N I N O U R S E C T O R ” – DA R R E N P R A Z N I K , C E O, CO S M E T I C S A L L I A N C E C A N A DA

essentially tariff protected. Over time, many of these facilities were taken over by budding entrepreneurs who today have built a modernized and efficient base of custom formulators and manufacturers on Canadian soil, fulfilling contracts with cosmetic companies in specialist areas. “Over the past 20 years, Canada has developed an extremely robust custom manufacturing business, and about 20 of such companies are represented in our membership. Anywhere from 70-95 percent of the products these custom manufacturers make is exported, with the majority of customers based in the US,” Praznik shares. The combination of such beneficial trade agreements and access to a capable and versatile base of custom manufacturers is a testament to Canada’s appeal as a destination to

develop new cosmetic product lines. Indeed, for cosmetics companies operating in the US, manufacturing products through a Canadian custom manufacturer provides a clear economic advantage with savings of up to six percent on the tariff side. With regulatory reforms offering an unprecedented opportunity to innovate under increasingly favorable economic conditions, Canada can play a growing role in the global cosmetics and self-care products industry.

COSMETICS ALLIANCE CANADA (CA) Tel: 905-890-5161 ca@cosmeticsalliance.ca www.cosmeticsalliance.ca North America Outlook issue 09 | 121

122 | North America Outlook issue 09

ROBISON OIL OIL & GAS

THE HOME OF COMFORT Heating and cooling households for more than a century, Robison Oil continues to explore alternative energy sources for the home. We find out more with President and CEO, Daniel Singer Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: David Knott

North America Outlook issue 09 | 123

What’s in your basement? Plumbing and heating supply house since 1957 serving the NY metro area. We sell a multitude of plumbing and heating products from manufacturers such as Bosch, Weil Mclain, Navien, Little Giant and Uponor as well as Bosch mini splits and inverted ducted heat pumps. Our products range from boilers and hot water heaters to PVC and copper pipe and fittings, water filters, wi-fi thermostats, pipes, and venting products.

Border Sales 255 S Regent Street, Port Chester, NY 10573

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ROBISON OIL OIL & GAS

The volatility of traditional energy sources has really sent the consumer shopping for alternatives, right at a time when renewables are hitting the market with a lot of momentum.” For just over a century, homeowners have trusted Robison Oil (Robison) to warm and cool their homes, in which time the New Yorkbased company has grown to supply more than just heating oil. Committed to the changing demands of home energy consumers, Robison has become a one-stopshop for all energy needs and total home comfort. This is reflected in the opening words of Daniel Singer, President and CEO, who recognizes that the public is embracing alternative, clean energy sources in today’s homes “I think the market for home energy consumption is at a fascinating inflection point. We’re at a turning point where people are now realizing that they can incorporate natural energy resources that are available right around us as their fundamental, primary fuel source,” he adds. As well as supplying natural gas and electricity at great rates, Robison delivers clean-burning biofuel, services and installs all types of heating and air conditioning systems, solves indoor air quality issues, and provides quality licensed plumbing and electrical services.

GREEN SOLUTIONS With a holistic view of powering the home, customers are helped by Robison to choose the best and greenest option. Robison’s biofuel heating oil, for instance, is biodegradable, non-toxic, free from sulfur, and helps to reduce carbon emissions; best of all, its clean-burning properties may even prolong the lifespan of home heating systems. “All of the petroleum products that we sell to our oil heat customers have double the legal requirement 126 | North America Outlook issue 09

of biofuel blended with it, to help all of our customers reduce their carbon footprint and prove that these renewable sources of fuel can provide equally reliable sources of heat as traditional petroleum products,” notes Singer. Indeed, using clean, renewable energy is the way to go not only to help protect the environment, mitigate the effects of climate change, and conserve natural resources, but to preserve systems and save homeowners money on their monthly energy bills. Robison is at the forefront of green initiatives, by offering customers incentives to make the switch to clean energy and biofuel. “If customers are going to be

exploring alternative sources of energy, I’d rather they came to us about it than ask a competitor,” Singer states. “I’d like to spend more of our time understanding the virtue of our competitors’ alternative products, because if there is something we can learn from that, then we’ll be able to offer it to our customers as well.”

POWER OF HEAT PUMPS Tax credits offered by many states, as well as the federal government, make geothermal installations even more attractive. New York state has just announced a new state tax credit of 25 percent of the cost of geothermal systems up to $5,000, and generous rebates are also being offered by Con Edison and the New

ROBISON CORE VALUES – AT A GLANCE 1.

DELIVER EXEMPLARY CUSTOMER SERVICE – Setting the standard and striving to exceed customer expectations.

EMBRACE AND CREATE CHANGE – In a dynamic economy with changing consumer preferences, Robison embraces fresh ways of conducting business and diversifying its products and services.

BE PASSIONATE AND KEEP IT FUN – Embracing each task it sets out to do, no one simply “goes through the motions” at Robison.

TAKE THE INITIATIVE – Creating an environment where employees feel comfortable identifying problems, and are rewarded for taking the initiative to solve them.

SAFETY – Sharing a personal and professional commitment to protecting the health and safety of employees, customers, and communities.

STICK TO THE BUDGET – Doing more with less and recognizing costeffective job performance, without sacrificing customer service.

UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT – Every employee understands what they are doing fits into the bigger picture, and is an active participant.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TEAMWORK – Standing behind the actions taken and embracing the ability of co-workers.

OPEN AND HONEST COMMUNICATION – Valuing dialogue and respecting the confidentiality of private communications.

10.

BE HUMBLE – Regardless of how well Robison performs, it is always open to learning how it can do better.

nterCounty Supply, Inc. (ICS – d/b/a Border Sales & Bedford Hills Supply) is a Plumbing, Heating and A/C supplier, specializing in Bosch heating and cooling, that is open to both the trades and retail customers. ICS, a fixture in Westchester County, NY, for over 60 years, was incorporated by original owner, Bill Owen, and his legacy of this familyowned and operated company is being carried on by his son Phil, who along with his dedicated group of employees, carries on his father’s vision. The goal at ICS is to support contractors and customers with a diversity of value-driven equipment and products, and offer training and education regarding the latest technology and programs. Building long term relationships with customers and helping them to be effective, efficient and profitable is an important part of the ICS goal. Dedicated to the needs and evolution of our customers’ businesses, ICS has a pulse on the everchanging technology and greener options available in today’s market. Featured suppliers, like Bosch Thermotechnology Corp., offer high-quality, energy saving options that are reliable and easy to install. ICS employees are skilled, friendly, manufacturertrained and among the most experienced in the business.

The relationships that ICS has developed throughout its history with our contractors, enables ICS to direct homeowners seeking help toward a preferred contractor, like Robison Oil Co., who best suit the requirements of the end user. Robison and ICS have been business partners for over 35 years and have the same directive – provide quality products and outstanding service to the best of our ability. Differentiating ICS from local competition is the people we employ. The newest addition, Moises Ortiz, was hired as District Sales Manager. Coming from his own successful plumbing and heating business, Moises joined the team so ICS could offer free, hands-on consultation and support, something unique that no other supplier in the area offers. Moises will meet with contractors on jobs to offer advice and support on the material and products sold. Buying the product is one thing but having someone experienced in the application, installation and product knowledge is a huge benefit and appreciated and utilized by our contractors. Whether you are a contractor or a homeowner who knows “What’s in your basement?”, InterCounty Supply can help you find the right solutions and energy-saving products to maximize your home’s efficiency and comfort, all while helping our environment and keeping dollars in your pocket.

ICS is dedicated to educating homeowners by asking “What’s in your basement?” Whether they need an update to their existing system or a complete heating/cooling overhaul, ICS has options to suit a variety of situations and can provide information to educate the homeowner on rebates and available programs to help cut costs.

NY Metro Area

info@icsny.com

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ROBISON OIL OIL & GAS

York State Energy and Resource and Development Authority. A heat pump is part of a heating and cooling system, and is installed outside the home. Like an air conditioner, it can cool homes but is also capable of providing heat. In the cooler winter months, heat pumps pull heat from the cold outdoor air

GEOTHERMAL PARTNERSHIP Oil, propane and gas are all trusted sources of energy used to heat homes, and heat pumps are the latest alternative offered to Westchester and Putnam homeowners by Robison. Recognizing the customer’s demand for green solutions, Robison has announced a new partnership with Dandelion Energy (Dandelion), the number one installer of residential geothermal in the country. Singer says this is the next logical step for the company, since the market for green energy solutions is growing. Geothermal energy uses heat radiating from the earth, so by installing heat pumps, homeowners

“OUR CORE BUSINESS IS KEEPING OUR C U S T O M E R S WA R M A N D C O M F O R TA B L E I N T H E I R H O M E S , A N D W E ’ L L D O I T I N A N Y WAY T H AT I S C O S T- E F F E C T I V E A N D R E L I A B L E ” – DA N I E L S I N G E R , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O, R O B I S O N O I L

can harness this energy to both heat and cool their homes. “Owners of new homes, or ones planning renovations, could benefit by looking into geothermal heating and cooling as an alternative to conventional energy sources,’’ he informs us. “By partnering with Dandelion, we can offer our customers the best in-class solution for ground source heat pumps as well as the Robison service and customer support they have come to rely upon.’’

128 | North America Outlook issue 09

and transfer it indoors; on warmer days, heat is pulled from indoor air to cool the home. Heat pumps are powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels, and transfer heat using refrigerant to provide comfort all year round, making them an environmentally friendly option. They also offer improved indoor air quality, efficient heating and cooling, and convenience and longevity with minimal maintenance required. As such, Robison is investing heavily in educating both its staff and customer base on the virtues of heat pumps, as a way to maintain comfortable temperatures in the

home all year round. The company is always encouraging suppliers to stay on top of the latest trends, such as heat pumps, making sure that they are exploring all the alternatives.

TOTAL HOME COMFORT SOLUTIONS Customers in the market reaching out to Robison for new heating, cooling and indoor air quality equipment have come to the right place. Offering a complete line of topname brands for boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and more, Robison’s experts will patiently go through

ROBISON OIL OIL & GAS

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“We don’t view our customers as business targets, but as our neighbors. These are people that my brother and I interact with on a regular basis, instead of viewing them through a spreadsheet or a report”

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ROBISON OIL OIL & GAS

the process of determining the best systems based on lifestyles and living spaces, and provide a fair estimate for both the sale price and the charge to properly install the system. “At the end of the day, it’s really about what the consumers want. We try to remain as agnostic as we can in terms of what people need to keep themselves warm or cool, and to keep the air they breathe clean,” Singer explains.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY Robison has long worked with its customers to help them conserve energy, not only to save money, but to save the environment. The company has always been committed to providing products to maintain a healthy home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company stepped up its installation of clean air solutions including UV lights in HVAC systems to sterilize and kill germs, whilst whole home humidifiers and dehumidifiers can help reduce mold and other allergens to promote clean air. Regular servicing of equipment, installing smart thermostats and updating outdated heating and air conditioning systems with higher efficiency ratings, can also pay dividends. “A new Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System can reduce your energy bill by as much as 20 percent,’’ said Singer. “There are many options. Homeowners should evaluate SEER ratings to compare different brands of products with similar efficiency ratings.” Maintenance is key to energy efficiency, and Robison prides itself on having the most experienced technicians in the field. Tasked with properly setting up, maintaining and repairing home comfort solutions, the company’s service and installation technicians are some of the most important members of the Robison family. 130 | North America Outlook issue 09

WHAT IS THE ROBISON ADVANTAGE? In the business of home comfort, the biggest difference between companies is the level of customer satisfaction. All of Robison’s staff are trained, knowledgeable, and trustworthy; whether speaking to a technician in the field or a customer service representative on a cold winter night, customers will encounter employees that are dedicated to meeting their needs. As a fourth-generation family business, the longevity of Robison is built on the satisfaction of repeat customers, who trust the company with the comfort of their families year after year. Dedication to maintaining that trust is the ultimate Robison Advantage.

“We have highly trained, unioncertified technicians that are best-inclass and pride themselves on their workmanship, presentation, and ability to interact with customers. “Our technicians are really our customer service reps. They are trusted advisors going into people’s homes, and that is what I think has helped us to earn a reputation for our customer service,” Singer tells us. Robison is also blessed with what it believes to be the finest, most professional, and most experienced group of delivery personnel in Westchester and the surrounding areas of New York. They have amassed over 225 years of combined experience in making both residential and commercial heating oil deliveries, taking great pride in the safe, clean and efficient way they provide their essential services to home and business owners.

RobiDog with the Westchester Parks Foundation team at Party on the Pier 2021 at Rye Playland

“ O U R C E N T E N A R Y WA S R E A L LY A C E L E B R AT I O N O F T H E C O M M U N I T I E S T H AT W E S E R V I C E A S M U C H A S A C E L E B R AT I O N O F O U R S E LV E S ” – DA N I E L S I N G E R , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O, R O B I S O N O I L

FAMILY IS FUEL The successful growth of Robison, who recently celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021, can also be attributed to the fact that the company remains a family-run organization, led by Daniel together with his brother, David. The journey started back in 1921, when architectural engineer Eben Robison opened a small office in downtown Hartsdale. “We’re the fourth generation of a family business that has always lived and worked in the local community, so our centenary was really a celebration of the communities that we service as much as a celebration of ourselves,” says Singer, who also serves on the board of the Feeding Westchester foodbank. “Because of this, we don’t view our customers as business targets, but as our neighbors. These are people that my brother and I interact with on a regular basis, instead of viewing them through a spreadsheet or a report.”

As practicing good corporate citizenship has always been important to Robison, the company has built solid partnerships and working relationships with many nonprofit organizations, supporting community events such as Volunteer NY’s Volunteer Spirit Awards and 9/11 Serve and Remember tribute, Feeding Westchester’s Golden Scoop, and Westchester County Parks Foundation events like Winter Wonderland. It is these values that have made the company New York’s trusted source for everything related to home comfort quality, from heating to air conditioning, air cleaners and more. It is Robison’s sincere commitment to keeping people comfortable, rather than to one particular way of doing it, that has earned the community’s trust. “Our core business is keeping our

customers warm and comfortable in their homes, and we’ll do it in any way that is cost-effective and reliable,” outlines Singer. “We have a set of core company values, the first of which is all about exceeding customers’ expectations. We view ourselves as a home comfort company, and we happen to market in an area that is fairly affluent, however we want to remain competitively priced and make sure that we’re being fair with our pricing model.” Keeping customers and communities comfortable is what Robison will aspire to do for another 100 years to come, reducing carbon footprints and being good citizens of the planet in the process. ROBISON OIL Ph: 914-345-5700 info@robisonoil.com www.robisonoil.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 131

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T R U LY THE BEST Bringing an age-old practice into the modern era, we speak to Scarlett Nolen, President of Truly Nolen of America, about the development of pest control across Florida and the US Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Tom McConnell

I come from a family of pest control operators. My father was a big name and pioneer in the industry, but growing up I never thought I would follow suit. After forging my own path for a while, I suddenly felt compelled to become involved and learn about my dad’s business, never believing that I would end up running it!” Scarlett Nolen, President of Truly Nolen of America, has worked for the company for over a decade in multiple positions prior to her current 132 | North America Outlook issue 09

role. Her substantial and varied tenure with the business has allowed her to experience many aspects of Truly Nolen, from clerical work to customer service, technical sales, and CSR (corporate social responsibility), and gain a rounded understanding of her family’s business that was established all the way back in 1938. Truly Wheatfield Nolen started his pest control business Economy Exterminators in Miami Beach in 1938, during the Great Depression. Everyone in the family, including Truly

David Nolen, played his or her part to help the company service customers and be successful. Truly David Nolen pursued his vision for better pest control that customers would be proud to have. After earning his entomology degree, he moved to Arizona in 1955, where he started his own “Truly Nolen” pest and termite control company. He grew the company across southern California and the southwest states. In 1966, he created “Truly Nolen of America, Inc.” by combining his and his father’s

company together. Today, the family-owned company operates with more than 80 years of experience in providing the best pest control to customers across the US. It focuses on providing the highest quality training to its pest control professionals, which in turn means Truly Nolen provides its customers with some of the best pest control services available.

PEST CONTROL EXPERTS Based in Arizona, Truly Nolen offers

over 100 different types of pest control services ranging from rodents and termites to ants, scorpions and wasps, and additional services including lawn care, insulation and air filtration to keep homes safe and healthy. The company’s resident bug experts provide customers with an in-depth, professional and comprehensive service utilizing research and the latest treatment methods, thoroughly understanding each and every unique pest situation

to determine the most effective methods to make use of. “My dad wanted to differentiate the company from the standard commercial pest control services found in the industry, and so he aspired to provide a high-quality residential service that was no longer seen as a ‘dirty business’, and instead regarded with professionalism and good housekeeping,” Scarlett continues. “Today, we are known widely for our variety of services, especially expert rodent (such as roof rat) and termite services. North America Outlook issue 09 | 133

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“It’s very important to us to provide this high-quality experience for our customers as well as a service that is environmentally conscious – this has been our company mission from day one.”

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION The US is home to a huge residential market when it comes to home-based pest control services. In Florida, amid services such as pool cleaning and lawn care, pest control is deemed a

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO RECRUIT STAFF IN THE INDUSTRY?

SCARLETT NOLEN, PRESIDENT: “Staffing is a tremendous challenge in the US, especially in the face of the Great Resignation. On top of this, pest control has never been an attractive industry due to the nature of the work - a lot of people don’t want to be associated with bugs and other pests. “In light of this, Truly Nolen has worked towards turning pest control from a basic service to something that requires professional expertise and training; something that is more than just a job – a profession. This, along with our people-centric values and what we do for our employees, stands us out in the industry.”

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necessity and a standard for houses across the state. “The pest control space is really interesting at the moment,” Scarlett tells us. “Alongside those additional home services, pest control is in constant demand, and is gaining a lot of attention from investors. “This is because it is a lucrative and financially predictable business, as proven by the 2008 financial crash and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, during which pest control services remained in demand. This industry holds strong regardless of what is happening around the world. In the past, people didn’t think of the connection between pest control and public health, but it is obvious when you think about their effect on human health. Historically, you only need to look at the impact of rats causing the Black Plague!” For Scarlett, pest control is an extension of the healthcare sector through which people look after the health of their homes and consequently themselves. “People have begun to see the sector as necessary, and confidence in the industry has grown as a reflection of this growing investor interest and increasing acquisitions taking place,” she says.

MGK Founded in 1902 and based in Minnesota, MGK sells insect control products throughout the world spanning several industries including professional pest control, consumer home and pet products, animal health, and crop protection. An affiliate of Sumitomo Chemical Company, MGK is a worldwide leader in the development and distribution of the botanical insecticide pyrethrum as well as a wide range of conventional insect control technologies. MGK and its subsidiaries employ 250 people at its facilities in North America and Africa. The company’s mission is to make life healthier by creating responsible products that protect people and their environments from the impact of insects.

NEW AGE DEVELOPMENT For Truly Nolen, the adoption of the newest technologies and an open innovative mindset is key to moving forward in the industry. “Pest control has always been behind when it comes to embracing new technology,” Scarlett elaborates. “There will likely be a real division between companies in this regard, with many operating in the ‘old school’ way with paper records and primitive technology, and a handful of pest control companies that are currently really embracing and adopting technology. “The latter will be the ones that will differentiate themselves in the

www.mgk.com

TRULY NOLEN OF AMERICA CONSTRUCTION

industry, both internally as a business and when engaging with their customers, especially with the vast and widespread access to phones and online next-day services.” The recent and explosive transition to digital services has created a sense

PEST RESEARCH CENTER Truly Nolen is able to provide highquality training due to its pest professionals, trained in its pest control research and development center in Tucson, Arizona. There, Truly Nolen has a team of expert Entomologists (bug experts) who dedicate their time to learning about pests. Truly Nolen bug experts: • Research the latest treatment methods for dealing with pests. • Spend time understanding which methods are most effective. • Find ways to improve Truly Nolen’s environmental friendliness. • Provide in-depth training to the company’s pest control professionals.

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of urgency for many businesses and forced through a technology focus, transforming the way that pest control companies see the future of their services. “As a millennial leader, and somebody who is shifting Truly Nolen into the modern era, it was important for me to make sure that we went paperless,” Scarlett tells us. “For the last two years we have invested a lot of time into going paperless and grow as an environmentally conscious company, while also being mindful of our internal processes. It was a massive undertaking. “By 2025, 75 percent of the global workforce will be made up of millennials, so moving forward in both a technological and environmental sense is extremely important for us, alongside our continued service excellence.”

EMPLOYEE AGENCY Providing this quality and building a reputation through service is critical for Truly Nolen. “We pride ourselves on our service, and what is really important is making sure that there is a constant feedback loop between company and customer,” Scarlett says. “This has become critical for us, not only for reviews, but because it helps us track exactly what we are doing right, and keeps us engaged with our customer base regularly to deliver exactly what they need. “Equally, an internal company feedback loop is just as important. Truly Nolen really cares about its staff, and we make sure to listen to the feedback that we receive from our frontline employees.” As Truly Nolen moves forward with people at its core, the company recognizes that a rearrangement of its corporate structure will better suit the future goals of the business, while allowing its employees to gain more agency throughout the business. “My father came from an era when central and singular control

Sterling Seacrest Pritchard Sterling Seacrest Pritchard is a full-service, broker-owned risk management and insurance brokerage firm serving the commercial, professional, and personal needs of clients across a range of industries. The firm offers all forms of commercial and personal property & casualty insurance, employee benefits and surety bonds. Sterling Seacrest Pritchard employs over 300 insurance agents and service team members with seven offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, Columbus, Little Rock, Savannah, and Tampa. Recognized as one of the largest privately held, independent insurance brokerages in the southeastern United States, the company fills a gap created by the rampant consolidation of large independent brokers and gives clients, insurance carriers and employees an option outside the public brokers and private equity owned platforms. The company is comprised of a diverse group of professionals with backgrounds in underwriting, claims management, risk management consulting, employee benefits consulting and retail insurance brokerage. Sterling Seacrest Pritchard is committed to providing a culture where client advisor driven service strategies empower employees to determine client needs and allocate resources in an efficient and productive way to reduce the clients total cost of risk. By doing so, their team is able to provide unique expertise in multiple Constructions including healthcare, construction, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, real estate, technology and other professional services. For more information, visit www.sspins.com

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in a company was the norm and the traditional way of doing business. He always saw the advantage of having a top-down management structure where one or a few people make the decisions, which creates less bureaucracy, so that you can move at a faster pace,” Scarlett explains. “I wanted to make the shift from being a traditional top-down organization to becoming a bottom-up company. “It is a difficult thing to achieve when you are running a business with an established long-term history, especially when propositioning the advantages of bottom-up management. But when it comes

to ideas, a top-down management structure is often separated from workers in the field. In this way, ideas can often be created and implemented in a vacuum and translate differently or ineffectively when it comes to work on site. So, for us, it became critical that we changed the equation and focused on what our experts in the field said, because after all, they are the ones interacting with our customers. That’s all that really matters; making sure that our field members are successful and providing our customers the services they need.” This organizational restructure has

been a long-term goal for Truly Nolen represented by a five-year plan that the company is two years into. “We still have some way to go, but shifting the company culture to remind people that their opinions and perspectives matter remains an all-important part of Truly Nolen,” Scarlett adds.

SMART ACQUISITIONS Truly Nolen expanded significantly beneath Truly David Nolen’s leadership during the 1980s, seeing multiple acquisitions spur forward growth momentum temporarily. Today, Scarlett aims to bring back that momentum.

Lake Mary Branch near Orlando. Scarlett once managed this one

The Mouse Truck

Back row: Scarlett with sisters Michelle and Sincere Leigh, Mother Vickie in front row, next to the statue of her late husband

Annual Manager Meeting, February, 2020

“I see acquisitions as part of our strategy moving ahead,” she affirms. “This is not about buying companies for the sake of it, but rather to gain a great opportunity for insight into alternative and specific markets. For me, it is about acquiring knowledge and experience, not necessarily just revenue. “We have acquired some commercial companies and invested in that space, and with our services being divided between residential and commercial (75 percent and 25 percent respectively), I see a huge opportunity for us to expand in the commercial realm. For example, we acquired a company called Mr. Pack Rat, a brilliant local business that we

had a great prior relationship and long history with. Mr. Pack Rat has been one of our successes as a company, and I look forward to seeing more of these kinds of acquisitions as we move ahead. However, this is not just about choosing a smart company to work with or acquire, but also the cultural fit that Truly Nolen shares with such businesses.” On top of its management restructure and company growth, Truly Nolen is geared towards a very people-centric future. “Our aim is to ensure that everyone working here has a clear career path, not just a job,” Scarlett tells us. “We want to understand our employees’ ambitions, goals and passions, and

match them with where they want to see themselves. “We aim to foster and facilitate environments that match the aspirations of our workforce, and in this way, we will give our staff more than just a job; it will be a relationship through which they can achieve what they set out to. Our employees are the future of Truly Nolen.”

TRULY NOLEN OF AMERICA Ph: 800-GO-TRULY (800-468-7859) info@trulymail.net www.trulynolen.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 139

REFLECTION WINDOW + WALL CONSTRUCTION

Providing on-site services across the US, we speak to the executive team at Reflection Window + Wall, and discuss the facilitation of façades in the construction sector

W I N D OW TO T H E FUTURE

Writer: Marcus Kääpä Project Manager: Tom McConnell

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North America Outlook issue 09 | 141

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ince its establishment in 2001, Reflection Window + Wall, LLC (RWW) has been operating at the heart of the construction sphere in the US. There’s no question that RWW’s expertise and substantial portfolio of successful products including window walls, curtain walls, railings and more is providing them with significant opportunities for growth. RWW is a medium-sized national architectural building enclosure company. Headquartered in Chicago (Illinois), the company’s projects can be found throughout the US. “We specialize in the engineering, pre-construction and project management of façade construction,” introduces Joel Phelps, Chief Operating Officer of the company. “Operating from coast to coast across the US, we have over 100 employees, and the patented manufactured systems are designed with the flexibility to satisfy the creative features of designers, developers and architects.” “Whether it is a structurally glazed window wall, punched opening window, curtain wall or façade component materials, all our products

RWW – AT THE CORE R ECOGNITION E XCELLENCE F AIRNESS L OYALTY E FFICIENCY C OMMITMENT T RUST-WORTHY I NNOVATION O UTPERFORM N OTE-WORTHY

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undergo rigorous QAQC observation and testing by RWW’s employees.” Prior to the installation of any of RWW’s products, a mock-up of the system is provided to an American Architectural Manufacturers Association certified independent third-party testing facility. These systems then undergo extensive testing to ensure that they meet the stringent standards for structural, water, wind and temperature performance for the project. The end result is that RWW is able to provide high performance façade products that achieve the designer’s architectural intent while providing the best monetary value to its customers. “We have built a strong partnership alliance with the Kawneer Company,” Phelps says. “This strategic partnership provides our customers with additional technical expertise, engineering resources and product choices. Kawneer’s product range includes unitized and captured

curtainwall systems, railings, shutters and storefronts.” As a global design company, RWW is constantly learning from its range of experts and colleagues, who enrich the company’s knowledge and practices, and in turn is reflected in the company’s brand. “We are passionate people. Passionate about architecture, design, innovation, and excellence. Passionate about leaving a mark and making history,” Phelps adds.

AN EVER-CHANGING SPACE Over the course of RWW’s lifespan in the construction sphere, the company has seen the gradual growth and change of market demand across the US. “Right now, there is a trend that sees property developers moving from their original regions and expanding to alternative markets,” Rodrigo d’Escoto, Founder and President of RWW tells us. “This has been going on for the past 10 or so

REFLECTION WINDOW + WALL CONSTRUCTION

years, and it consists of developers following the path of opportunities, and of course operating alongside these developers. We follow their movements too. We are currently operating in 21 cities across 12 states. More than a decade ago we undertook a project just outside Chicago. Then, a client requested we work on an installation in Boston (Massachusetts). Much of our work is now located in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Nashville, Boston, California, Nevada, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Additionally, people want us to sell our products in Florida. Our demand comes from across the U.S. Everywhere we go we have been involved with those opportunities and markets through either a contractor, an architect, a façade consultant or a developer. With this delivery of products and installation services on-site, RWW has

gained a reputation as a high-quality service provider that sees its services delivered full circle, working with multiple agents in the construction sector to get projects completed in a mutually beneficial way for all associated. “Property developers want a reliable system when it comes to consistent performance, on-time delivery and smooth installation,” d’Escoto says. “From a performance point of view, we assure that our products do not, for example, leak air or water, and we have undertaken thousands of field tests over the last 20 years that we have been through, including 50 to 60 different design mock-ups over that time – performance mock-ups, visual mock-ups – these are all services that we provide.” “If you are a developer in Chicago for example, and you are undertaking a project in Nashville, you call RWW, because we have a presence there

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT RWW’S EFFORTS TO LIMIT ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT? JAMES WHITE, EXECUTIVE VP MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING: “We are constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of our products through materials and upgrading the supply chain to promote sustainable efforts. RWW provides products that truly disrupt the market with high performance, that are less laborious to install, and are far more friendly to the environment. “Blending these products and materials with new technologies allows us to not only make state-of-the-art products but really limit our environmental footprint, and that is a very important aspect of what we do here at RWW. “For example, the purpose behind embodied carbon is about reducing the carbon footprint throughout the whole process of construction, from the raw materials, use of recycled materials, and power source for processing to the actual construction of buildings. We work hand-in-hand with clients to look at how to reduce the embodied carbon with materials, especially as around 11 percent of all carbon output globally is related to the construction space. “Aluminium and glass are two of the primary materials that we use and there is a huge focus on how we source the materials from their raw state through to their use in our products. Sustainability remains a core part of RWW and will continue to, moving forward.”

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REFLECTION WINDOW + WALL CONSTRUCTION

and we take our proven systems and on-site and on time. Utilizing the best products, bringing this quality and materials available, the company’s expertise to the location. The industry products are not only aesthetically trend has shifted from our services designed, but also function with largely being required in primary inherent durability that lasts, all the cities to our services being required while driven by a core and original in many secondary cities across technical design from the heyday of different states as well, following the the company. latter’s expansion. “Any good window system today “What really sets RWW apart in follows what we started 15 years the industry is our ability to facilitate ago,” James White, Executive Vice and serve our clients no matter the President of Manufacturing and location, and deliver a full service during any project, making use of our years From left: Rodrigo of expertise and domestic d’Escoto, Founder and overseas production & President, James partners,” d’Escoto states. White, Executive

THE BEST IN THE MARKET RWW prides itself on its ability to deliver quality façade components

Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering, and Ed Kruschka, Executive Vice President

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Engineering, explains to us. “If you want a good quality system that performs, it follows the same design approaches we had back then. “Despite other companies utilizing these original designs, we are proud of our newer window wall and curtain wall systems. Nobody else has these kinds of systems in the market today. We are providing our true and tried technology backed by a manufacturing base that has

REFLECTION WINDOW + WALL CONSTRUCTION

proven time and time again that they can perform on a budget, schedule, and deliver high quality since the company’s inception.” These company products are in part produced by a variety of partnering businesses that are both US and internationally based. “We have partners across the globe, such as those in Shanghai, China and Mumbai, who each offer different products, requirements and advantages,” White explains.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE INDUSTRY RWW focuses on bringing the best possible products to its clients, and constantly looks ahead at what the market will require rather than grounding its product development in the present. “The future of the company and our products is very exciting,” says Jason Eastwood, Global Head of Products at

RWW. “At the core we are a products company; we provide solutions for our clients to enclose their buildings and do so in a highly professional way, under a unique brand and banner that meets architectural needs. “What is most exciting is the development of our products over the next couple of years. Within this time period we are going to be introducing new products to expand our portfolio, and we will be refining those that we already provide to the market. We are staying ahead of the game when it comes to product innovation as well, with technology really coming through in the façade industry, and we are looking forward to incorporating that into our products, while meeting and exceeding our clients’ expectations.” To keep ahead of its competitors in the construction space, RWW makes sure to maintain and improve

upon its original, existing and classic product offers. “We typically upgrade our product line as we go ahead to provide the best version of that product possible, so we are going to be bringing out an additional version of the curtain wall that is in progress,” Eastwood continues. “There will be different classes of this product to meet the needs and different structural loads and spans of the buildings, as well as the curtain wall developments by the end of the year.”

REFLECTION WINDOW + WALL Tel: (773) 772-5343 info@reflectionwindow.com https://reflectionwindow.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 149

Hard Rock Café, FL

CURTAIN WALL DESIGN AND CONSULTING, INC. CONSTRUCTION

RAISING THE ROOF We lift the curtain on an established leader in exterior cladding systems with Rodney Harvey, member of the Board of Directors at CDC

CDC began as a one-man firm in 1973,” opens Rodney Harvey, Senior Vice President at Curtain Wall Design and Consulting, Inc. (CDC). From such humble beginnings, fast forward to today, and the four partners comprising the Board of Directors, including Rodney Harvey, Marty Scarborough, Jeff Bayer, and Ian Venegas, now preside over a company that employs over 265 staff with a footprint across the US. This also extends to an international presence in cities including Montreal, Manila, Taipei, Taiwan, Monterrey, Brisbane, and Shanghai. As one of North America’s leading specialists in building envelopes and construction facades, the CDC team comprises experienced technicians with expertise honed over years

Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom McConnell

Energy Center, Exxon Mobil, Houston, TX. Image courtesy of David Sundberg

North America Outlook issue 09 | 151

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in the industry, specializing in the development, design, engineering, testing and troubleshooting of exterior cladding systems. “This includes standard and custom glass-and-aluminium curtain walls and windows, precast concrete, natural stone cladding, brick and masonry cavity wall systems, unitized exterior insulation finishing systems (EIFS), speciality metal panel systems, siding systems, all-glass glazing systems, skylights and cable net glazing systems,” elaborates Harvey. All matters relating to the design, engineering, specifications, evaluation, witnessing tests, and observing exterior cladding, roofing, and waterproofing are handled directly by CDC employees. These “hands-on” members of staff have become responsible for both the ownership and management of CDC, in recognition of the years of experience they have amassed in curtain walls, roofing, and waterproofing.

PRIDE IN PROJECTS Over its years of operation, CDC has accumulated a prestigious roster of projects from across the globe to its name. This has included skyline-shaping projects such as the Lotte World Tower, a 123-storey building in Seoul, South Korea, and the supertall skyscraper of St. Regis in Chicago, Illinois (1,198 ft). Other notable works include corporate campuses including Exxon Mobil, American Airlines, and Warner Brothers. Most recently, CDC is also providing services for the family compound that is currently being designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry in Cabo San Lucas.

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CDC’s combination of excelling in specialized niches with a depth of expertise across a variety of building enclosures lends the company a competitive advantage in a dynamic marketplace. “No other exterior building envelope consulting firm has assembled such a broad base of expertise.” As Harvey’s statement suggests, consulting is a major component of CDC’s offering. Indeed, the firm provides consulting services on all types of roofing and waterproofing systems in conjunction with its façade system consulting contracts. It is this refined capability harnessed over decades of experience that has fueled CDC’s expansion across the US, from Dallas to Denver, Houston to Honolulu, and many places in between. “A recognized, independent leader in design and engineering for the curtain wall industry, CDC is working to advance the state of the art in building enclosure system design,” he surmises.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Aside from its years of expertise and people-centric focus on the technicians as the backbone of the company’s success, for Harvey, it is CDC’s emphatic concern for the customer that sets it apart. This centers on delivering true value. “A key differentiator is our goal to provide clients with pragmatic, valueoriented solutions utilizing specialized technical expertise in the construction of roofing, waterproofing and exterior cladding systems,” he shares. CDC accomplishes this difference through two primary channels as seen by the company’s division into the varying specialities of Production and Engineering, and Consulting. The Production and Engineering segment of CDC excels in the design, drafting, and engineering packages to manufacturers and subcontractors, which extends to cladding systems. Meanwhile, the Consulting arm is

Kuraray CDC and the Kuraray Advanced Interlayer Solutions business have had a longstanding relationship in providing the appropriate technology for different glazing applications. CDC is well versed in structural applications for glass and has designed glass systems using SentryGlas® interlayers in guardrails, canopies, and fins. Kuraray also provides interlayers for acoustic, decorative, and security applications. Its new BirdSecure™ interlayer provides bird-friendly glass without the use of frit. Available in both Trosifol® PVB and SentryGlas® ionoplast versions, the appropriate grade can be selected based on other criteria such as structural load.

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well-equipped to assist architects, owners, and general contractors with guidance regarding the design, specification and performance of both new and existing systems. “This synergy sets CDC apart from competitors and allows us to provide customers with in-depth technical solutions for the real world,” states Harvey. By helping clients achieve their goals, CDC brings to life sustainable designs through its expert consultation. The sustainability embodied by the longstanding buildings that CDC facilitates is also reflected by an emphasis on environmentally friendly operations. Wherever possible, and subject to the individual project and desired credits, CDC will choose to work with local producers and fabricators to minimize both transportation cost and emissions.

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CURTAIN WALL DESIGN AND CONSULTING, INC. CONSTRUCTION

through developing various task forces to help guide development and mentorship. “CDC always looks to invest in its staff,” he says. “In order to develop our staff, we schedule both monthly external and internal learning sessions, whilst also allowing them to participate in out-of-office activities and training.”

EYES ON THE FUTURE

Wolf Point South, Chicago, IL. Image courtesy of Pelli Clarke Pelli

The performance of a building’s energy efficiency has also become a key factor behind its designs. “CDC also assists in developing unique solutions such as double skin facades or shading devices,” shares Harvey. “We also offer Building Envelope Consulting (BECx) services to our clients to help them achieve a durable, long-lasting building envelope.” A further reflection of the peoplecentered ethos on the individuals

behind the building, in this case, the client, is also evident in CDC’s treatment of its invaluable workforce. Indeed, unlocking this talent is the overriding means to sustainably secure the company’s future, and enhance its prowess in both design and consulting. For Harvey, this is the company’s greatest defining investment, and CDC leadership continues to take great care in encouraging empowerment and motivation

Looking ahead, CDC will continue to pursue an agenda of growth, one that is centered on sustainability and the people at the heart of business success. “We look to identify and nurture new client relationships for long-term growth,” comments Harvey. “We then couple this with a focus on hiring and developing talent from within to maintain excellence, innovation, and service.” In the shifting realm of building envelope design and construction, where new technologies are constantly being introduced and keeping pace with innovation is key, CDC endeavors to keep its finger on the pulse as it has done for almost 50 years. Just next year, the company will celebrate five decades of operation. “We are constantly seeking new analytical tools to better predict the performance of building envelopes and also seek to develop new test methods which can validate the envelope’s performance. “As the building envelope industry continues to expand, our goal is to be at the forefront of shaping and guiding this knowledge and technology,” he concludes.

CURTAIN WALL DESIGN AND CONSULTING, INC. Tel: 972-437-4200 info@cdc-usa.com www.cdc-usa.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 155

Patrick Flesch, President

GORDON FLESCH COMPANY TECHNOLOGY

WINNING BUSINESS Gordon Flesch Company has been powering business decisions across the Midwest with the necessary software and equipment for over six decades. President Patrick Flesch talks family business, and channelling agility Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

echnology is the powerhouse of modern business. Although a rapidly shifting and ever-evolving realm, in this dynamic space, leading office technology solutions provider Gordon Flesch Company (GFC) has kept its finger firmly on the pulse for over 66 years. “A word that we like to use is agility. Although we are a large organization, we don’t have a lot of red tape. This means that we are good at getting things done quickly and in a unique way for clients that larger direct manufacturers can’t because of too many levels of approval or bureaucracy. “We cut through that, and our customers notice and appreciate it,” says President of the company Patrick Flesch - son of original founder, Gordon Flesch. Today, the GFC enterprise encompasses over 635 employees with an operational footprint spanning the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota. Through its brick-and-mortar

himself recognizes managed print services as the company’s core competency and “bread and butter”, GFC also excels in both managed content and managed IT services. With such a wide portfolio, covering both software and equipment, GFC ensures customized solutions for business success catering to myriad sectors.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

Patrick Flesch with other members of the board

presence throughout the Midwest, GFC stands unwavering in its commitment of helping customers achieve optimal workflow efficiencies, thereby increasing productivity, eliminating waste, and saving money. GFC’s experienced team of consultants far exceeds a traditional sales role by fostering close-knit working relationships with clients to source the best solution. These solutions comprise three principal blockades of business. While Flesch

Patrick himself was always destined to follow his father’s footsteps into the business, yet it has come following years of experience, hard-earned through climbing the echelons of the company in several different roles. He fondly recalls evenings during childhood spent eating pizza in the office whilst his dad was still working away at building the business, and later, summers consumed by odd-jobs and internships in the warehouse, learning the ropes of cold-calling and delivering products to customers. “I always knew that ultimately my goal was to become part of the family business, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I could be successful North America Outlook issue 09 | 157

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outside of it,” he remarks. After majoring in Marketing and Management Information Systems, Flesch cut his teeth in the fast-paced competitive world of tech sales at Fortune 500 company CDW. “I had success there and learned a lot. It taught me about the real world and those experiences catapulted me into my career at GFC.” Flesch embarked on transforming under-performing territories in a sales role at the company, before taking on larger clients and relocating to Madison, Wisconsin as a Sales Manager. In 2015, Flesch became the Vice President of Sales for the Western region and was eventually promoted to President in 2018. “I was proud to represent the Flesch name and gain customer confidence in that way. It was quite the climb, but through that, I gained credibility with our team since it wasn’t like I just walked into a senior leadership role straight out of college!

“I wanted to earn respect from the people I worked with across the business.”

THE GFC DIFFERENCE Today, that family-owned legacy continues to bleed into the culture and team spirit at GFC, translating into a truly competitive advantage where the team makes all the difference. “There’s a real team atmosphere here. Everyone talks about that kind of culture, but we often do things outside of the office together with our families and it has really built a nice camaraderie here in the office,” says Flesch. The GFC approach and way of selling is a source of pride and another key differentiator for Flesch, who is transparent about the fact that cheap prices should never be a company’s greatest advantage. The true value lies elsewhere. “Our culture is a real differentiator for us and the way we sell. We’re

GFC AND THE GREEN BAY PACKERS In August 2021, Gordon Flesch Company was selected as the official technology partner for the 13-time NFL World Champions, the Green Bay Packers. “It’s been a wonderful ride with the Packers. We started talking to them in June of this past summer and they were interested in us as a family-owned company based in Wisconsin. “We just clicked with them from the start, we knew that there was a good synergy there,” says Flesch. Now, Gordon Flesch Company is emblazoned on billboards in a stadium catering to over 80,000 people. The company also holds exclusive naming rights to the south terrace suites, where corporate companies have access to boxes and a shared food and drink area. “This allows us to have access to a lot of decision-makers in the area of northeast Wisconsin from very large companies that can afford hospitality suites for an entire season. We’ve made tons of in-roads into organizations that we’ve never been able to get an audience in before. We’ve already landed three to five really strong new customers out of that partnership and we couldn’t be happier with how it’s all turned out.”

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Lexmark Gordon Flesch Company has been a leading business technology provider for over 65 years. For 12 of those years, Lexmark has had the privilege to work side-by-side with GFC to provide imaging technologies, managed print services and cloud solutions to their end-user customers. We are proud of our partnership with GFC and look forward to many more years of working together to promote Lexmark’s broad portfolio of imaging office technology hardware offerings that help enable them to provide real-time solutions to bolster their customers’ technology buying experience.

www.lexmark.com never the lowest price, and we’re very upfront about that with our customers. “We have to connect with buyers that are going to purchase and make decisions based on value because we have invested so much into the back end of this business – whether that’s our state-of-the-art call center, setups for engineers to support customers remotely, technicians in the field giving them extra training, or our salespeople and how we train them to be elite – all this makes us different,” he says proudly. With this attitude in place, GFC doesn’t shy away from turning down opportunities when faced with entirely price-driven competitors, instead retaining integrity in bringing to market a different approach and message. The success of this is proven by GFC’s ability to handle large accounts, with the company’s in-house leasing division providing a truly competitive

GORDON FLESCH COMPANY TECHNOLOGY

Lexmark creates innovative IoT- and cloud-enabled imaging technologies that help customers worldwide achieve their vision of print simplicity, security, savings, and sustainability.

President Patrick Flesch speaks with ESPN Wisconsin

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advantage in offering unparalleled flexibility for customers. “A big differentiator for us is that we have an in-house leasing company, so we can do all the financing leases and rentals for our customers through GFC. “We really position that as an advantage to the customer, since it gives us a lot of flexibility. These large companies have realized that they can get from GFC what they can’t from a manufacturer, plus the added value services we can provide that are unique to our company.” This strength in numbers for Flesch is complemented by the company’s finance and accounting department, who keeps the books in check and the wheels running on this well-oiled machine. “Our finance and accounting department is second to none in analyzing the numbers and giving us business intelligence based on those

“ O U R C U LT U R E I S A R E A L D I F F E R E N T I AT O R F O R U S A N D T H E WAY W E S E L L ” – P AT R I C K F L E S C H , P R E S I D E N T, G O R D O N F L E S C H C O M P A N Y

figures. Our finance folks go beyond accounting - they understand the business.” Indeed, it is this understanding of business and how best to inform decisions to put better strategies in place that runs at the very core of both GFC itself and its offering to customers.

EXPANDING ELEVITY A flourishing division within the GFC enterprise is Elevity – the company’s managed IT services segment. It is an area that Flesch himself is heavily involved in, particularly as it continues to enjoy significant yearon-year growth.

“Last year, we grew it by 60 percent so we’re really excited to see what this IT business can bring to our company,” he says. Elevity is the fruition of one of GFC’s most successful acquisitions and now represents one of the most capable managed IT providers in the Midwest. The unit comprises a team of technology experts, dedicated to enabling customers to reach an elevated level of IT strategy, security, solutions, and support. “We acquired a company called IT Pros in Madison, Milwaukee, and Appleton. That turned out to be one of the best acquisitions we’ve ever made.

GORDON FLESCH COMPANY TECHNOLOGY

“We’re really good at the sales engine, and these folks are great at operations. We both came together to learn from each other and it has developed an extremely strong position in the market.” Furthering Elevity’s prowess, in May, the division will be moving into a new dedicated building co-habited by the company’s print division that will

Flesch is preoccupied with regaining stability in the aftermath of the supply chain turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

be able to support the branch, along with Elevity engineers and call center personnel. This flourishing strength truly enables Elevity to position businesses for technological success. Looking ahead, this will continue to be a major focus of growth for GFC, but for now, Flesch is preoccupied with regaining stability in the aftermath of the supply chain turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as significant shortages

threaten to prohibit GFC from delivering its products and solutions. “Right now, we just need inventory. We’re experiencing a major backlog of orders to fill which has been incredibly frustrating and far from how we typically operate. “With COVID-19 still lingering and these supply chain issues, we’re just trying to get back to a level footing. We’ll get back there by Spring 2023,” Flesch concludes confidently. With family values at the core, and a unique company culture centered on premium service and an agile mindset, GFC will continue to serve the needs of businesses throughout the Midwest.

Tel: 800.333.5903 corp.marketing@gflesch.com www.gflesch.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 161

CITY OF SPOKANE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

EVERGREEN EAST OF THE M O U N TA I N S An historic city based east of the Cascades, Spokane is a growing hub of modern activity. We speak to Michael Sloon, Director of the Innovations and Technology Services Department, about the city’s latest investments in water, technology and education Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

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ashington State (US) is a region defined by its rugged landscape, wilderness and the Cascades, a range of mountains that parts east from west. On the eastern side of the range, the City of Spokane sits as a central hub of growth in the region. “Spokane has a long history of logging, mining, railroad and farming communities,” introduces Michael Sloon, Director of the Innovations and Technology Services Department for the city. “In the past, Spokane became a hub around these industries because of its access to railways. Today, on top of these classic industries that make up our proud roots as a city, there has also been an influx of education, technological facilitation and utilities investments.” Spokane is home to a number of educational institutions, including Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, and Spokane

Community College. “The University of Washington (UW) on the west side of the state has an extension of its medical school here in Spokane, and we have several other varying schools, universities and colleges that are part of the city,” Sloon tells us. “Our partnership with the UW teaching hospital has seen a large growth of technology and higher education in the area.” On top of education, Spokane is known for other industries. The city’s financial sector has grown in association with its history of logging, mining and agriculture, with a multitude of banks present throughout the area, and in the realms of transportation and infrastructure. “Spokane is home to the Fairchild Air Force Base, a very large employer of both military personnel and civilian workers. We also have an international airport that’s expanding, and an historic and interconnected railway system,” Sloon continues.

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: HOW DID SPOKANE ADAPT TO THE IMPACTS CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? MICHAEL SLOON, DIRECTOR: “The city has not overseen its areas of growth without challenges. When the impact of COVID-19 reached Spokane, we acted quickly to adapt to the health and safety needs of the people. “At the beginning of this period, we mandated mask wearing, limited access to public buildings and introduced mandatory home working overnight. The city also provided people with the necessary technology so that individuals could work at home and stay connected to the network, while remaining secure and able to do their job.

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“It was a challenge when it came to COVID-19 safety rules and those who worked jobs where they had to be physically present, such as the police, fire fighters, those that maintained roads and infrastructure safety. But we worked to connect everyone online while maintaining the highest level of cybersecurity we could, enabling people to continue as normally as they could to pre-pandemic standards.”

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“Right now, we are starting to really ramp up our investments in digital, fiber-optic and mobile network services, and this kind of infrastructure development is necessary as Spokane is a natural and strategic hub for the state.”

EDUCATIONAL HUB

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE COMMUNITY-CENTRIC NATURE OF SPOKANE? MICHAEL SLOON, DIRECTOR: “The city’s employees are very engaged in the city itself, because we are not a large metropolitan area compared to Seattle in the west, we are fairly isolated. In this area, the focus is Spokane. So, there’s a lot of investment, both personal and collective, that people place in the city. “The people are engaged with many community services. For example, homelessness is a big issue across the US, and in Washington State, so there is a lot of effort and involvement financially from a federal, state and local level in helping those that are experiencing homelessness. There is a big investment into the community of Spokane for sure, and to help resolve the current challenges that we have here. “On top of this, we care a lot about community activities like cleaning up the Spokane River. Once a year, we gather volunteers, specifically target sections of the river, and put the effort in to clean up debris, whether this is natural such as fallen trees or branches, or man-made junk. People join these kinds of causes because they care about the beauty of the natural region and the wellbeing of the people in it.”

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The city’s University District is defined by its developing network of warehouses, office spaces and educational institutions that make up the neighborhood that straddles the Spokane River. The area includes Washington State University as well as Gonzaga University and is a popular student district boasting a number of green spaces, eateries and sports facilities. “We are doing a lot with this University District at the moment,” Sloon says. “Spokane is a very old city; we have a lot of old buildings that haven’t yet been utilized to their full potential. We are seeing a large investment into hotels and sports complexes in the district, on top of infrastructure.” Spokane’s roots in the past have helped the city establish its foothold in transport and industry, but moving forward into the future requires alterations to older aspects of the city that provide their own opportunities and challenges. “As a city, the majority of our construction investments are in the expansion and renewal of roads, including the reestablishment of a good foundation for paving. Alongside these, we insert conduits, and this provides us with the opportunity to run fiber through the city so that everybody can be connected,” Sloon explains. “10 years ago, we had around 10 miles of cabling, and right now we have over 100 miles of conduit within our city infrastructure. “In doing so, we partner with other carriers, such as telephone companies, for example Lumen Technologies (formerly CentraLink)

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The historic nature of Spokane makes this a sometimes difficult and overall expensive effort to undertake, especially when it comes to altering the foundations of old neighborhoods that have existed for a length of the city itself. This fiber initiative has been ongoing since 2010, and remains one of the most important developments for Spokane, representing and delivering the continuation of highspeed online services and the growth of a “smart city” environment.

SPOKANE RIVER

and TDS Telecom. These are two big telephone companies in the state who operate across the country. We partner with these companies so that they undertake the expensive task

of digging up roads to establish this connection, but in this partnership these companies are able to provide their digital services to areas in Spokane.”

Washington State is known for its hydroelectric power. According to Sloon, the state is one of the most affordable when it comes to power utility services due to hydro power. Geographically, Washington is characterized by its mountains and resulting snowpacks, and reservoirs have been built to contain excess water. North America Outlook issue 09 | 167

“We harness this water for hydroelectric power. In Spokane, we have our Upper River Dam – the city owns it, we manage it – and we sell the power back to Avista, one of the primary regional power distributors in the area,” Sloon continues. “Spokane also has one of the few waste-toenergy plants in the nation that takes the regional refuse, sorts it, recycles products where it can, and everything else is incinerated. That energy then creates steam which in turn creates power, and that’s what we sell back to the grid. “It was introduced decades ago and has been a huge investment for the city and region, but it’s highly regulated, and the plants have been working very well. It is a key part of Spokane becoming an increasingly green city.”

TREATING WATER In the technological sphere, Spokane has also seen the development 168 | North America Outlook issue 09

“ W E H AV E B E E N W O R K I N G O N I N V E S T M E N T S R E L AT E D T O T H E D ATA S E C U R I T Y O F T H E C I T Y A N D I T S C I T I Z E N S , S O T H AT I F A N E X T E R N A L T H R E AT AT T E M P T S T O B R E A C H U S W E E N S U R E T H AT P R O T E C T I O N I S M E T ” – M I C H A E L S LO O N , D I R E C TO R , C I T Y O F S P O K A N E

of its combined sewer overflow (CSO) designed to guard against the potential of unclean water in the region’s water supply. “We have been working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” Sloon says. “We have built 30 of these concrete in-ground containers that collect rainwater and other runoff for treatment. Spokane, the greater region and the neighboring state of Idaho all pull their water from the Spokane Valley– Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, and so it is critically important that we sustain

that and keep it clean and renewable for generations to come.” Municipalities each have treatment plants where wastewater feeds into plants. Here, the wastewater is cleaned and filtered before going back into rivers. “Working with the EPA, we are tasked with the collection of rainwater runoff, making sure that it is cleaned before we put it back into the Spokane River,” Sloon continues. “We have invested $300 million over the last decade to keep the river clean and help ensure that this water

CITY OF SPOKANE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

is collected, cleaned and processed after it runs off from a rainstorm or snowpack. “Historically, this kind of water runoff simply entered the river, and whatever contaminants on the ground would go straight into the water. So, we have invested heavily into maintaining clean water sources and keeping the people in the region healthy and safe.” Due to the highly important nature of water safety and purification, the city has placed a substantial investment into technologies that monitor the levels of water cleanliness. Spokane has incorporated a SCADA system made up of water pumps and sensors, which controls the aquifer tanks automatically. On inflow, the pumps contain the water, and this automated system acknowledges and responds when it is time to deliver the water to the treatment plant, while taking statistics and measurements every day. This provides a significant advantage when it comes to monitoring the status of water and water flow.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Moving ahead, Spokane’s focus revolves not only around the continued cleanliness and safety of the region’s water, but also on the development and growth of two key areas: cybersecurity and digital cloudbased services. “Cybersecurity is one of the two areas of focus in the overall digital sphere in the Spokane region at the moment,” Sloon confirms. “We have been working on investments related to the data security of the city and its citizens, so that if an external threat attempts to breach us we ensure that protection is met. “Additionally, moving everything to the cloud and ushering in a hybrid

environment is key to the future, and we currently have two data centers that we have invested in. We are slower adopters of technology, but we want to see this technological and cultural change so that we are well equipped for the years ahead when it comes to economics and performance.”

CITY OF SPOKANE Tel: (509) 625-6468 msloon@spokanecity.org My.spokanecity.org North America Outlook issue 09 | 169

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V I R G I N I A’ S T E C H N O LO G I C A L

FUTURE Through the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), tech is revolutionizing the public sector landscape in the Commonwealth of Virginia Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

he Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) has implemented a tremendous amount of positive change in the last six years that is truly benefitting the citizens of the Commonwealth. VITA is an executive department that provides dedicated IT services to other state agencies and public bodies in Virginia to enhance their services to citizens. The main responsibilities of VITA, whose scope spans across 65 state agencies and 55,000 employees with a broader roach of about 8.6 million Virginians, fall into four main categories within IT governance, infrastructure, investments and procurement. Virginia is a nationwide leader across the board in terms of business and technology, so it’s imperative for VITA to keep the Commonwealth’s valuable infrastructure connected, protected and ready to innovate. Keeping this mission in mind is important both internally and

externally for VITA, whose entire way of doing business is made possible by people and driving connections between them.

NEW ERA Preparing for a busy and productive year, VITA is expected to feature prominently in the newly incumbent Virginia administration’s plans to enhance the Commonwealth’s overall cybersecurity posture, invest in government technology infrastructure, and promote a culture of customer excellence. Virginia has benefitted from great leadership at the highest levels of government, and by every indication, this great tradition is set to continue. One of the things that the new administration is going to focus on is making sure that government is more representative of the individual needs of the citizen. Having hit the ground running from day one, VITA is now working

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in-depth with Virgnia’s newly-elected state leadership. Indeed, VITA plans to keep pace with cybersecurity risks by addressing fraud waste and abuse, and making the government’s digital services more responsive to citizen needs. The agency is made up of a dedicated, professional team of around 225 employees, who equip and empower Virginia’s executive branch in the areas of technology and cybersecurity infrastructure. The legislative and judicial branches have their own IT services, whereas VITA’s portfolio is for the executive branch of the Virginia government. As well as supporting critical connections between Virginians and government, and partnering with agencies to achieve consumer goals, the team at VITA provides agencies with IT, operational technology (OT) and cyber risk mitigation leadership 174 | North America Outlook issue 09

VITA’S VALUE STATEMENTS ACCOUNTABILITY Taking ownership for delivering on defined outcomes, being transparent and responsible for the decisions it makes. INCLUSIVE COLLABORATION Engaging with the diverse individuals and teams from VITA, customers and suppliers to develop solutions together and foster mutually beneficial partnerships. GROWTH MINDSET Embracing challenges and opportunities for growth, striving to discover innovative solutions and never accepting the status quo. EFFECTIVENESS Working decisively to deliver solutions by taking a data-driven approach that creates value for the Commonwealth. PERSISTENCE Accomplishing its mission by dedicating to the delivery of timely and innovative solutions for customers.

s a leading Multisourcing Service Integrator (MSI), SAIC maintains a commitment to you, our customers, with a proven range of IT services that: • Create Competition and Fuel Innovation- As a leading MSI, SAIC ensures our customers exceed their business objectives. This new service delivery model creates an evolving marketplace of IT services empowering our customers to rapidly enable business innovation through competition. • Deliver Transparency to Establish Trust- SAIC’s MSI tools and processes create transparency in IT operations and spending to bridge the trust gap between IT and business operations. Creating synergies between the two speeds IT delivery and enhances the support of the business mission. SAIC MSI Model in Action: Virginia Information Technologies Agency SAIC is proud to support the Virginia Information Technologies Agency’s groundbreaking transformation in IT service delivery for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Agencies can now select technologies and services that best suit their mission. This marketplace of choice has proven to be an effective model for Virginia, today and in the future. It is delivering results for more than 60 executive branch agencies and over 55,000 state employees that support the citizens of the Commonwealth.

benefitted both our 65 executive agencies in the Commonwealth that we support, as well as the 8.6 million citizens in the Commonwealth that we all serve collectively. A keystone of this is our multisupplier model, which ensures the best supplier is chosen for the job, and incentivizes value-adds so that Virginia residents have the best return on their tax dollar investments.” Nelson Moe – CIO Commonwealth of Virginia

Sidebar copy: MSI Success by the Numbers • Up to 30 percent savings on software licensing • Up to 35 percent greater functionality • More than $220M in cost savings for customers through FY2024 • 2021 VITA deploys additional ‘first in the nation’ service offerings each quarter • 2021 Virginia CIO Nelson Moe named one of Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers • 2021 VITA Chief Operating Officer Jonathan X. Ozovek nominated to the StateScoop 50 Awards in the State Leadership category

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WHAT IS VITA? VITA is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s consolidated information technology organization, providing outstanding service and technology solutions to support customers and address their business needs. The agency’s responsibilities fall into four primary categories: • Governance and protection of the Commonwealth’s information security programs in support of the responsibilities of the CIO. • Operation of the IT infrastructure for the executive branch agencies declared by the legislature to be in-scope to VITA. • Governance of IT investments in support of the duties and responsibilities of the Information Technology Advisory Council and the CIO. • Procurement of technology for VITA and on behalf of other state agencies and institutions of higher education.

to anticipate future needs. VITA has undertaken an awardwinning transformation of its business model, accelerated the launch of innovative new services, guided the Commonwealth through the global COVID-19 pandemic, fortified security protocols against mounting cybersecurity threats, and served as a national bellwether for consolidated services among public agencies. 178 | North America Outlook issue 09

MULTI-SUPPLIER MODEL The Commonwealth of Virginia is ranked by the Center for Digital Technology as one of the top states in the country when it comes to digital technology and connected infrastructure excellence. Far from resting on its laurels, a number of technological advancements for the public sector have been undertaken by VITA in the past year.

As part of its enterprise portfolio service offerings, the agency has introduced robotic process automation, and soon plans to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) service for customers. Within its new multi-supplier business model, VITA is truly offering best-in-class services to customers in everything it does. Since December 2018, VITA’s multisupplier model of IT service delivery has transformed digital business in the Commonwealth. With one of only three multisupplier models in the country, Virginia is pioneering new methods of service brokerage, providing unique flexibility, partnerships, competition, new technologies and critical business connections to state agencies, employees and residents. Virginia’s switch from a single IT supplier to a multi-supplier service delivery model rewards competitive supplier pricing, measurably decreases service costs and markedly improves service capabilities. Disentangled from a single-source supplier, additional funds have been freed and more savings are expected, meaning Virginia is ready and able to invest in innovative products and services for customers in the Commonwealth. The significance of this project is vast, and has helped to embed agility, innovation and transparency into the state’s delivery of IT services. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, the versatility of this multi-supplier business model also positions Virginia to easily and efficiently respond to crises and address rapidly changing business needs. Even though VITA certainly shares the same challenges experienced on a global scale with some supply chain operations, it is able to move different vendors and capabilities on and off of its systems very easily due to the agility of the multi-supplier business model.

outhern Police Equipment, located in Richmond, Virginia, celebrates 51 years serving the Law Enforcement, Military, and First Responder markets in 2022. A 100% Woman Owned Small Business.

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Virginia is Open for Business! Top quality products and exceptional customer service to the great Commonwealth of Virginia. SPE just signed their largest contract to date with the Commonwealth, adding 50 major manufacturer’s catalogs product offerings to state and local agencies. Karen Allan Ballengee, owner, says “it’s very humbling to provide service to our Law Enforcement, Military, First Responders and sporting retail customers.” Southern is the sole source for the BolaWrap Remote Restraint Device, from WRAP Technologies, for Virginia, West Virginia, and first onto GSA. BolaWrap deploys a Kevlar tether, from a safe distance, which wraps a subject’s arms or legs, and restrains the person in crisis without inducing pain. Virginia Law Enforcement agencies have already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in this new technology, providing officers a safer method of dealing with persons experiencing mental health episodes.

Another Department of General Services (DGS) contract, held by Southern for over 20 years, provides Less-Lethal Munitions, by Combined Systems Inc., to the Law enforcement community. These products enable Law Enforcement personnel to de-escalate violent situations by dispersing offenders and eliminating the requirement for higher level responses. Riot protective gear, body armor, and thousands of other products are provided by Southern Police Equipment. Mrs. Ballengee is a founder, and Past President of the National Association of Police Equipment Distributors (NAPED), and a currently holds a seat on the Board of National Association of Uniform Distributors and Manufacturers (NAUMD). The goal is to be the best we can be and strive to attain bigger and better things. Virginia is Open for Business…Buy Virginia!

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VITA’s customers can choose from Microsoft or Google messaging

For example, the agency was able to bring in a cybersecurity vendor within just one business day to help with forensic analyses for a customer, thanks to the flexibility of the business model. VITA’s multi-supplier model of IT service delivery has thus provided Virginia with an unparalleled ability to

VITA AT A GLANCE MISSION STATEMENT: To deliver sustainable and effective results to customers through innovative, efficient and secure services. VISION: To be Virginia’s most customerfocused technology partner, empowering the Commonwealth to achieve more through innovative, efficient and secure technology. TAGLINE: Connecting – Protecting – Innovating

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broker and build a diverse portfolio of IT services, adapt to an evolving marketplace, and optimize Virginians’ return on technology investments.

CLOUD-ENABLED DATA Meanwhile, in a first for the United States, one of VITA’s most impactful recent procurements was a new $82.5 million, five-year messaging services contract awarded to NTT Data in June 2021, offering Commonwealth agencies the choice of Microsoft or Google platforms for their core messaging services. This choice provides customized and individualized benefits for VITA’s customers, as they can choose Microsoft or Google messaging services based on whichever one best fits their needs. Additionally, VITA is busy moving its facilities. The agency’s data center has migrated to the cloud, and team members are relocating to a new office space that offers hybrid-workfriendly collaborative spaces and virtual inclusion technology. The complete migration of state agency data to the new cloudenabled data center is an important

Our commitment to innovation includes over 3000 patents and a portfolio of solutions, services and partnerships that deliver modernization capabilities and accelerate transformation across cloud, applications, cybersecurity, managed services, digital platforms, digital workforce, data and more. Atos is also committed to digital transformation for good. As a global leader in digital decarbonization we are helping to shape a digital future based on secure, decarbonized digital solutions and business models that positively impact governments, citizens and the environment. Some examples of our work in State and Local Government Include: • Improving cybersecurity with managed security services for multiple State IT Departments including the Virginia Information Technology Authority and Georgia Technology Authority. • Modernizing mainframe technology, optimizing mainframe services, enhancing automation, and managing and securing the private cloud for The Texas Department of Information Resources. • Modernizing applications, in partnership with Google, to help the state of Rhode Island with an innovative workforce development initiative that empowers citizens to improve skills and find meaningful employment post-COVID • Improving data reporting to help the University of Texas Austin and the State of Texas battle the opioid epidemic

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milestone for VITA, as the agency continues to modernize data storage, security and technology in Virginia. It will allow for technology investments to be scaled to usage for greater cost savings, as well as create opportunities to improve service performance while maintaining security, service reliability and quality. Exponentially outpacing any previous rate of digital transformation, the team at VITA has seen the tangible results of the hard work that it has put in over the past few years, accelerated by the need to build more technological capabilities both in the Commonwealth and across the world. Presenting even more opportunities 182 | North America Outlook issue 09

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to serve customers with agility, cloud technology has further allowed VITA to quickly pivot in response to the immediate needs of the COVID-19 pandemic together with the multisupplier model. Though work has mostly been carried out on a virtual basis over the past two years due to the pandemic, VITA continues to prioritize communication, connection and collaboration amongst its teams. VITA empowers its team members with a cohesive mission, vision and set of goals, enables real-time datasharing, and works to leverage strong customer relationships in order to understand the needs of today and anticipate those of the future.

We’re proud to support the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) in providing next-generation IT experiences to 85+ of Virginia’s agencies and executive branch. We’re helping to drive critical business connections within and throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. When it comes to IT, it’s not just about managing one component like the devices or connectivity, but the overall experience for citizens, businesses, and visitors across the Commonwealth. Together, Iron Bow Technologies and VITA are working to help VITA reach its goal of transforming their organization to a true experienceas-a-service model, supporting approximately 60,000 devices.

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North America Outlook issue 09 | 183

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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During 2021, VITA observed an increase in the appreciation and awareness of technology and cybersecurity, particularly with the onset of remote work during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Information technologies and the cyberspace are now very much tightly woven into the fabric of everyday life, as evidenced in the Commonwealth itself as other agencies continue to improve their digital services for customers in Virginia. Innovative new options offered by agencies in the state include digital signatures, remote applications and digital access to telehealth services, coinciding with an increase in support for technology advancements at both a national and state level.

KEY PRIORITIES Building a core level of trust with

customers has been key to the collective success of VITA, whose key priorities for the coming year include customer satisfaction and service enhancement. VITA pledges to continue to deliver modern technology solutions and services that facilitate business in the Commonwealth, provide an attractive return on investment for customers, and best ensure the future success of Virginia. Another of VITA’s priorities for 2022 is to exceed the expectations of the newly incumbent Youngkin administration. As robust IT and cybersecurity are fundamental to modern government and digital services, VITA is to position these services to be a greater strategic asset for the Commonwealth. The agency is also prioritizing

investment in its workforce by enhancing recruitment strategies to meet forecasted long-term needs. It is heading the implementation of a diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan, as well as developing leadership and training programs to grow Virginia’s next generation of public sector technology leaders. Last but not least, sustainable success in VITA’s technology investments will strengthen the Commonwealth’s network, grow its cybersecurity capabilities, and continue to foster the right skillsets to provide the best services possible to customers. Having come a long way in the past few years, the future looks very bright for VITA, who stand ready to partner with customer agencies and the new state leadership to meet the opportunities ahead. North America Outlook issue 09 | 185

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

When the team has faced operational challenges, the organization has showed a willingness to change and adapt to a completely new organizational structure.”

Kristin Mathers Chief Human Resources Officer, Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. “Although I haven’t been with the company long, it’s an incredible success every time that we change something. I tell my team that this could be one small change, it doesn’t have to be some huge thing, but as long as we are comfortable in changing and evolving with the world around us – not because we have to, but because we want to. We are open to change, and evolution is arguably the biggest success this team has had in the past seven months.”

Rodney Harvey Senior Vice President, Curtain Wall Design and Consulting, Inc.

What is your greatest success story of initiating change within your company? E. Jean Savage President and CEO, Trinity Industries, Inc. "It is rather the greatest success story of my team - going through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and setting a new strategy whilst reorganizing the company with new leaders. We made a lot of changes that year and we were able to do that whilst bringing the people along with us. We focused, came together as a team, and we bought everyone along with us.” 186 | North America Outlook issue 09

Johan Andreassen Co-founder and CEO, Atlantic Sapphire “Change is part of our DNA. We are a disruptive company and are changing the way conventional salmon is farmed; we believe that by pioneering Bluehouse™ salmon farming locally in the United States, we can transform protein production globally. In order to achieve that goal during our growth, we need to stay agile, learn from our mistakes, always look for better solutions and keep on innovating every day. “The greatest success is our team, how they have learnt our disruptive technology and processes and how they are adhering to our core values.

“CDC’s greatest success story is its transformation from a single office into an international company. As CDC’s business grew, staff were spending more and more time on the road to service our expanding client base...This decision has been successful at many levels, not only did it put us in closer proximity to our clients to better serve them, but it also enriched the company by providing new viewpoints and perspectives as well as understanding of the local markets we are serving.”

Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact North America Outlook now!

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TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPPLY CHAIN

how the company can go to market applications, arguably most crucially to make it easier to use rail, while in resolving disputes between the also improving the rail shipper’s railroads and shippers by creating experience. detailed views of freight movement. This is best evidenced by Complementary to Trinsight™, technological advances that are Trinity is a founder of a coalition that setting a precedent for the industry. is building an open-architect platform “Technology is one area where rail (RailPulse) to enhance supply chain is quite far behind, as we are trying to visibility in allowing customers to get on par with the trucking industry bring their own devices to the system. and provide the customers with a The combination of the two provides better experience,” says Savage. Two of the company’s innovative technological products are critical in this regard: Trinsight™ and RailPulse. As one of Trinity’s latest innovations, Trinsight™ uses software to provide shippers with invaluable visibility for their railcar. The technology is similar to that used in trucking to bring the industry on par using data connectivity. The innovation enabled through Trinsight™ marks a significant departure from the data provided by wayside readers that the railroads have traditionally relied on, with typically just 80 percent accuracy. “Trinsight™ is our web-based platform that helps our customers see their freight and railcars regardless of whose railroad it’s on. It’s starting to change the way that people do their business and is simplified to make their experience better,” outlines Mitchell. “We can help shippers through transparency, visibility and real-time telematics, by providing them with information on the condition of the railcar and its exact location within Hourglass Autorack their supply chain.” For Mitchell, Trinsight™ returns to the key advantage of rail in terms of economic efficiency. “Imagine the amount of dollars North saved if a supply chain leader can America Outlook issue 09 | 3 reduce or improve the turn of equipment and optimize the entire chain through real-time visibility.” Not only does this allow more astute decision-making, but it opens up the possibility for a host of other

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Tel: 800-631-4420 TrinityInvestorRelations@trin.net www.trinityrail.com North America Outlook issue 09 | 19

Trinity Industries, Inc. 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!

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