Why we are a member of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)
The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is a 140+ year organization focused on helping manufacturers and related service providers (CNCROi.com fits here) to build supply chain relationships, promote manufacturing and provide a voice when the government wants to introduce policies that hurt us all.
The toughest part about business is finding regular clients, they don’t quite know who you are, they have questions regarding workmanship, ETAs and so forth. Manufacturers are busy and don’t want headaches introduced into their supply chains, they want a reputable partner who will do as they requested, time and again, with little to no direction.
CNCROi.com has an industrial CNC laser that can mark, etch, engrave just about any material but it takes time before an aerospace manufacturer will have enough trust to send me a shipment worth hundreds of thousands of parts to be laser marked with batch numbers and logos. Having the machine is a good step in the door but it doesn’t guarantee business, the trust required takes some time and effort to establish.
Last week, CNCROi.com has become an official member of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), the reason for us joining them are manifold.
First, I always wanted to be a member even back in my industrial 3D animation days… I wanted to play a part in manufacturing and having their badge of honor associated with me feels great. I’ve been visiting manufacturing floors for almost 20 years and it never gets old, it’s by far the best part of my job here at CNCROi.com.
Second, it opens-up a whole new network of possibilities for my company from trade missions (I’m going to Pittsburg in a few weeks with the Niagara Industrial Association) to industry conferences so I can continue to learn from the best within the manufacturing and related services field. I’d love for instance to have Bombardier Inc. as a client, but those types of relationship take time to establish.
Third, it shows I’m serious about this industry. The membership fee to join isn’t cheap, participation to the conferences, trade missions and industry events cost substantially more than the membership dues but it’s the cost of doing business. The focus of CNCROi.com since the beginning has been to service industry with professional CNC laser, router (coming-up soon), 3D visualization and custom building applications.
I’ve seen firsthand the changing challenges that manufacturers in North America have faced through the years, I’ve talked to lots of owners who have struggled keeping their operation afloat and a few who discovered a niche that’s been profitable for years with little effort. Regardless of their circumstances, I’ve always enjoyed talking with them and discovering new facets of the manufacturing industry and how they got into what they are doing now. Sure, many of them are engineers and MBAs but quite few of them are, like me, entirely self-taught in what they do, pioneers facing challenges on a daily basis and striving to provide the best to their client base.
The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) membership alone won’t get me business nor is it necessary to get into manufacturing, it’s just another foot in the door and it’s up to CNCROi.com to make the most out of it.
