At age 24, Miller left the community because of convictions regarding the seventh-day Sabbath. “I’m just an Amish guy who lost his hat,” he says. With years of experience and ingenuity under his belt, he started his own business in a two-car garage, and had the audacity, as he calls it, to name the company SUPERB Industries Inc., aligning with his vision of superb-quality people and products.

Created with his brother Daniel, SUPERB is another link in the family’s legacy. “Dating back to the late 1700s, Miller family craftsmen, beginning with Christian ‘Schmidt’ Miller, have been making the world a better place,” states the company. “At SUPERB Industries, this remains the mission for every engineered component manufactured.”

Smarter thinking
Founded in 1986, SUPERB Industries has emerged as one of America’s leading-edge hybrid high-speed manufacturers. Based in a 70,000-square-foot facility in Sugarcreek since 2000, the company has grown from a team of six to almost 100. The company’s many in-house capabilities include development, product and process design, engineering, assembly, die stalking, welding and more, making SUPERB a one-stop shop. Always aiming to add value, the company’s experienced engineers seek to make products faster and more affordably for customers.

A solutions-based business, the SUPERB team doesn’t see problems; they create opportunities. The company’s decades-long legacy has resulted in countless products being designed—and sometimes, re-designed—to be lighter, more durable, and more efficient. In one case, a die-cast locking system for a truck cap handle was “costly and cumbersome,” heavy, and prone to rust. Faced with this challenge, SUPERB’s engineers re-designed the lock system. Instead of heavy die-cast components, parts were manufactured using high-strength engineered polymers. Instead of the old system, the truck cap handle was remade “to include a field activate-able integrated e-lock system,” Miller explains. The result: a durable, lightweight, patented integrated e-lock system that was now more cost-effective to mass-produce.

Hybrid high-speed manufacturing
One of the many ways SUPERB has stayed ahead of the competition is by continually investing in technology, growing from a handful of production lines to over 20 today. The company’s home of Sugarcreek is renowned as “The Little Switzerland of Ohio” owing to the many Swiss immigrants who settled in the area 200 years ago. Familiar with European quality, the company utilizes the high-performance stamping presses of Switzerland’s Bruderer with the exceptional stamping, assembly, and welding systems technologies of Germany’s Bihler.

“We married those two systems together, and that’s what we call hybrid high-speed,” says Miller, who knew of the two companies because of his time in Germany and working with some Germany-based businesses. “We acquired the technologies over time and integrated them into our platform. We also have direct personal relationships with the ownership.”

Thanks to combining Bruderer and Bihler’s superior-quality equipment with SUPERB’s expertise and automating processes, the company produces quality components in great volumes more efficiently. “We do over a billion parts a year out of our facility in Sugarcreek, and we make just over five million parts a day,” says Miller.

“I call it leveraging time and space,” he adds. “Speed is a component. We have one particular automotive contact component where we make 24,000 parts a minute. So that’s speed, but another component is space.”

Made-in-America quality
At SUPERB, the company’s state-of-the-art technology and in-depth manufacturing knowledge often lead to 20 to 30 percent less material being used, which saves clients money in turn. “That’s how we’ve been able to compete with offshoring; when that was in vogue, that’s how we survived that,” Miller shares. “And now, tariffs and policies of the Trump Administration have made it a bit easier to compete in the United States, so we’re well-positioned going forward and pretty optimistic about the future as manufacturing comes back to this country.”

In SUPERB Inside 3.0, Miller wrote about how American manufacturing has been at a crossroads for years, “torn between rising costs and fierce global competition. SUPERB Inside is the story of a small-town company that bet on itself and beat the odds.”

Unlike some other American companies who farmed-out cheaper—and often substandard—overseas manufacturing, SUPERB invested in domestic capabilities, “proving that efficiency and scale don’t have to come at the cost of quality.” This commitment sees SUPERB ship more than 1.4 billion components annually with an on-time delivery rate of over 99 percent and under 0.01 percent of parts falling short of customer standards. “What’s even more remarkable?” adds Miller. “More than half of what we make is exported to low-cost countries like Mexico and China, places many domestic manufacturers left for.”

SUPERB’s at-home manufacturing and dedication to American values keeps earning the company recognition, including regularly earning a spot on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 100 fastest-growing, privately held U.S. manufacturers.

Of course, “Reshoring is great, but you need qualified people, and there’s a shortage of them,” says Miller, adding that the current immigration system needs work, as SUPERB needs legal immigrants. “We’re having a really hard time finding enough qualified people because there’s just no unemployment in our area.” The company currently has several legal immigrants on its team; part of the challenge, Miller says, is that the H-1B Specialty Occupations visa is connected to a costly $100,000 fee. “That’s something that has to get fixed.”

Making the world a better place
While SUPERB Industries serves customers worldwide, the company has always been there for its local community. Post-pandemic, the company responded to a request from the Amish Mennonite community for home canning lids, since there was a shortage. SUPERB ended up engineering a lid that was superior to existing products, holding its seal for 36 months instead of 18. Independent labs evaluated meat pressure-canned almost six years ago, and it was still fresh and edible. This not only got the attention of the leading brand of canning lids but also saw the creation of Superb Canning and the company’s entering the retail market.

“It’s like inventing another soft drink and competing against Coke,” says Miller of the lid, which has earned over 60 per cent confidence from the Amish Mennonite community and captured 2.5 percent of the market. From the time of the first call the week of Thanksgiving 2020, SUPERB designed, validated, and shipped a million lids by canning season 2021.

An IATF 16949 certified company (the international standard for Automotive Quality Management Systems), SUPERB is audited annually for automotive standards, and Miller says he was surprised by the lack of standards for canning lids. The company applied its own rigorous engineering standards and disciplines in doing the lid validation, benchmarking the competition and far exceeding existing standards. At present, the company is now validating an even better lid.

“I like to tell my employees that our mission is to make the world a better place,” says Miller of the company’s many products. “By noon on Monday, they will have made enough components to control 3,000 hot water heaters, which is enough to put a new one in every residence in our immediate area. So that’s what I want them to envision—they are not just making parts and putting them in a box, but rather making the world a better place, because thousands of people are going to get hot showers instead of cold ones.”

Turning 65 this year, Miller is working on a succession plan which will see his son, a trained electrical engineer, assume control of SUPERB, “and take the company where I couldn’t.” In the years to come, Miller sees the company growing, largely because of the SUPERB Technical Institute, a joint training initiative between SUPERB, the Buckeye Career Center, and L.I.G.H.T. Founded in 2012, the Institute offers a range of apprenticeship training programs to the technicians of tomorrow. “Employment opportunities in this area are phenomenal,” Miller tells us.

Planning to be operationally out of the business by 70, John Miller looks forward to traveling. Publishing one book this past year, he is working on three others, “and then I’ll have to figure out something to do to not go stir-crazy,” he laughs.

As for SUPERB, which represents 10 generations of craftsman going back to Colonial times, Miller confidently says, “We’re not going anywhere.”

The post SUPERB in Name, SUPERB in Nature<p class="company">SUPERB Industries</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“The company pioneered portable coordinate measuring machine arms, laser trackers, handheld 3D scanners, optical CMMs, software, and automated inspection solutions,” says Rich Nobliski, Director of Integrated Demand Generation.

Joining forces, FARO CREAFORM combines the complementary strengths of the two entities into a single, complete portfolio of portable and automated 3D measurement solutions, helping quality, production, maintenance, and design teams work faster, smarter, and with total confidence. “FARO CREAFORM brings together two pioneers in 3D measurement,” adds Nobliski of the company, which is a business unit of the multinational industrial technology solutions company AMETEK, Inc.

Trusted by thousands of clients
Today, FARO CREAFORM’s customers are among the who’s who of industry, including many of the world’s foremost automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing companies such as Ford, Boeing, Airbus, John Deere, and engineering organizations like Pratt Miller, to name a few. “Our solutions are trusted by more than 10,000 customers, including many major industrial OEMs,” says Nobliski. “We serve industries such as automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment, transportation, energy, metal fabrication, machinery, research, and general manufacturing.”

Customers use FARO CREAFORM’s state-of-the-art technology for many applications, including quality control and quality assurance, dimensional inspection, product development, reverse engineering, alignment, large-part measurement, automated inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT), and surface-damage assessment. And whether they are measuring small components or large assemblies, the goal is the same: capture reliable data and make better decisions.

Along with software programs like Creaform Metrology Suite™ and CAM2^® Software, the company is renowned for its handheld 3D scanners for metrology-grade measurement. “In simple terms, 3D measurement is the process of capturing the physical dimensions and geometry of an object and turning that information into accurate digital data,” explains Nobliski. “That can be done through 3D scanning, which captures thousands or millions of data points across a surface, or through probing, which measures specific features and dimensions with high precision. Many manufacturers use a combination of both approaches.”

Some of the biggest benefits of using FARO CREAFORM’s handheld 3D cameras are speed, accuracy, flexibility, and confidence. 3D scanning quickly captures complete surfaces and complex geometries, while probing is ideal for measuring critical features such as holes, edges, slots, and datum references.

For users, another major advantage is portability. “Today’s measurement systems can be brought directly to the part, whether it’s a small component, a large assembly, or equipment already installed on the shop floor,” says Nobliski. “This allows manufacturers to inspect parts faster, identify issues earlier, reduce rework, improve quality, and accelerate product development. Ultimately, 3D measurement helps organizations make better decisions based on reliable data and gives quality, engineering, and production teams greater confidence in their processes.”

Innovative offerings
The company’s expert metrology staff are on hand to help customers determine the most suitable product to meet their specific needs. This includes its world-famous 3D measurement solutions, metrology products, and application software. One of the company’s latest products is the MetraSCAN™ BLACK2, a portable optical 3D scanner designed for shop-floor inspection. By combining scanning and probing capabilities in a flexible system, it helps quality teams inspect parts faster while maintaining metrology-grade accuracy.

Described by the company as “engineered for accuracy, designed for usability,” the HandySCAN 3D EVO Series™ makes handheld 3D scanning more intuitive through its integrated display and real-time user guidance directly on the scanner. Portable, reliable, and efficient, the HandySCAN 3D EVO Series boasts a powerful, embedded graphical user interface, enhancing the user experience and delivering metrology-grade qualities, such as accredited accuracy.

For portable coordinate measurement, the Quantum X FaroArm® Series gives manufacturers the flexibility to scan or probe parts with metrology-grade accuracy, making it ideal for inspection, reverse engineering, and production applications.

For larger parts and assemblies, the FARO Vantage® S6 Max and E6 Max Laser Trackers provide fast, accurate large-scale measurement and alignment capabilities, helping manufacturers confidently measure everything from tooling and molds to complete assemblies. “Together, these products demonstrate the breadth of the FARO CREAFORM portfolio, from handheld scanning and portable CMMs to large-scale metrology solutions,” states Nobliski.

Industry expertise
Much more than a manufacturer of innovative 3D scanners, FARO CREAFORM is recognized globally for its customer support, services, and solutions. The company’s team boasts a broad mix of technical, manufacturing, and customer-focused specialists. Teams include mechanical, electrical, optical, robotics, automation, and software engineers, along with metrology specialists, manufacturing professionals, application engineers, technical support teams, sales, marketing, and customer success professionals. “What makes us successful is how those teams work together to combine hardware, software, application expertise, training, and support into a complete customer experience,” says Nobliski.

Having headquarters in Lévis, Québec and Lake Mary, Florida allows FARO CREAFORM to combine the innovation and expertise of two industry leaders while staying close to customers across North America and around the world. According to Nobliski, the company’s Lévis site is closely tied to Creaform’s innovation in handheld 3D scanning, software, and automated inspection, while the Lake Mary location has long been home to FARO’s expertise in portable measuring arms, laser trackers, and industrial metrology. “These locations are supported by a global network of repair and service centres, multilingual support, and technical resources that help customers maximize the value of their investment throughout the life of their equipment,” he says.

As a further commitment to quality, the company is supported by internationally recognized certifications and accreditations, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and ISO/IEC 17025. Earlier this year, FARO CREAFORM’s HandySCAN 3D EVO Series received the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design, recognizing its combination of performance, ergonomics, usability, and industrial design.

Along with strong word-of-mouth business from satisfied clients, the company promotes its products and services through a mix of digital marketing, trade shows, webinars, social media, customer success stories, distributors, and direct customer engagement. Additionally, attending trade shows like FABTECH is mutually beneficial for the business and potential clients.

“Trade shows are especially valuable because they allow customers to see the technology in action and talk directly with our experts,” Nobliski explains. “We complement those events with educational content, product demonstrations, videos, webinars, and application-focused campaigns that show manufacturers how 3D measurement can improve quality, productivity, and decision-making. At the end of the day, our focus is less about promoting products and more about helping customers solve real manufacturing challenges and achieve better outcomes.”

A look ahead
Worldwide, manufacturers continue facing increasing pressures. These include quality improvement, accelerated product development, and the need to manage more complex production environments. With a focus on making 3D metrology more mobile, usable, and accessible through continued innovation in handheld scanning, probing, portable CMMs, laser trackers, automated quality control, and software solutions, FARO CREAFORM provides manufacturers with valuable technologies to increase efficiencies.

Certainly, the company is well-positioned for the years to come, and Nobliski says confidently, “The future is about helping manufacturers turn dimensional measurement into an even greater competitive advantage. We’re focused on improving the overall customer experience through integrated hardware and software, intuitive workflows, training resources, global support, and solutions that evolve alongside our customers’ needs,” he says. “With one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of portable and automated 3D measurement technologies, we’re well positioned to help customers tackle everything from product development and reverse engineering to quality control, manufacturing, and large-scale measurement applications. Our goal is simple: help our customers work faster, smarter, and with total confidence.”

The post The Power of Precision<p class="company">FARO CREAFORM</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Available in every color, some polymers are stronger than steel and can withstand tremendous heat and pressure. Boasting countless advantages over materials like wood and metal—which are prone to rot, rust, or being infested by insects—plastics are used in construction for everything from vapor barriers to piping, roofing, thermal and acoustic insulation, skylights, and countless other applications.

Plastic by any other name
Natural plastics made from resins have existed for thousands of years, used to make everything from buttons to combs. Indeed, the word ‘plastic’ stems from the Latin plasticus—from Greek plastikos—meaning capable of being molded.

In the 19^th century, inventors like Charles Goodyear, Alexander Parkes, and John W. Hyatt successfully developed rubber, pyroxylin, and celluloid products used for photographic plates, dentures, and billiard balls, but it wasn’t until around 1906 that Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, the first entirely synthetic resin, earning its creator the title of Founder of Modern Plastics.

Now, a century and a quarter since Baekeland’s invention, it’s hard to imagine the world in its present shape without the many and varied contributions of innumerable forms of plastic. Some, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), whether stiff or in bendable form, prove ideal for uses as varied as medical tubing or construction materials like pipes and vinyl siding. Others, such as polystyrene (PS), have a place in the food and hospitality sector and are commonly used for disposable cutlery. Every day, we open bottled water or jars of peanut butter or mayonnaise, made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

NPE: The Plastics Show^®
Worldwide, many groups and associations advocate for plastics throughout the supply chain, from the sourcing of raw materials to manufacturing and eventual reuse and recycling.

One of the best-known remains the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). With the motto, “We protect, promote, and grow the plastics industry,” this association supports the entire plastics supply chain. This includes making the industry and its members more competitive worldwide, advocating on behalf of members, advancing sustainability initiatives, promoting career opportunities in plastics manufacturing, changing public perception about plastics, and more.

One of the most visible ways the association promotes the industry and new technologies is through NPE: The Plastics Show^®, the largest triennial plastics trade show held in the Americas. A not-for-profit event, 2027’s NPE: The Plastics Show will take place in Orlando, Florida next year, from May 3 to May 7. In January, NPE2027 kicks off in Washington, D.C. at an event with marketing, content, operations, and sales committee members present.

Bigger and better than ever, the five-day event is a unique opportunity for attendees to keep ahead of the latest developments, make connections with over 51,000 plastics industry professionals from more than 130 countries, and see more than 2,200 exhibitors fill 906,194 square feet of vibrant space.

According to the Plastics Industry Association’s latest annual report, “NPE2027 will be defined by its impact—on business growth, innovation, sustainability, and the perception of plastics. Every NPE presents an opportunity to shape the future of the global plastics industry, and in 2027, we will seize that opportunity to the fullest. We recognize that NPE is a showcase for the industry.”

The event aligns perfectly with the association and its goal of promoting, growing, and protecting the plastics sector, and building a sustainable industry. “NPE is the largest platform for plastic industry promotion and growth in the Americas, making it a critical opportunity to showcase the power of plastics.”

Something for everyone
Virtually every industry uses plastic at some stage of manufacturing, production, and packaging, and some sectors highlighted by the NPE include automotive, building and construction, consumer products, medical, and packaging.

Some of the countless advantages of plastics include making cars lighter and more fuel-efficient, and consumer products like footwear longer-lasting. In the medical field, plastics are invaluable, used in everything from disposables like syringes, intravenous blood bags, and catheters to life-changing heart valves and prosthetic limbs. In packaging, plastics’ incredible strength-to-weight ratio and recyclability make them ideal for displaying and shipping products safely and securely.

Since plastics touch so many businesses, NPE2027 is a great opportunity for industry members to immerse themselves in the latest innovations and opportunities and meet like-minded colleagues including industry leaders, owners, technical experts, and salespeople and marketers.

Scrap recycling in practice
At NPE, sustainability is put into action, and a full-service plastic scrap recycling program will operate throughout the event. “Sustainability at NPE is a top priority,” says Patrick Kreiger, the Association’s Vice President for Sustainability. “We’re committed to helping our exhibitors conduct their business in a way that drives value for society, the environment, and the industry.” With the goal of zero waste, 2024’s NPE saw 100 percent of plastics recycled, with 516,160 pounds (234,126 kg) diverted from landfill.

As a further commitment to sustainability, all NPE exhibitors pay a flat fee (based on booth size) to support recycling.

New for NPE2027 is Sustainability Park, which the association describes as an immersive destination “where learning and play unite to spotlight industry leaders and real-world solutions shaping the future of sustainable plastics.” With its circular pathway, Sustainability Park evokes the shared goal of a circular economy. Interested showcase partners who have a clear focus on sustainable services or products can fill out an Interest Form at https://npe.org/sustainability-park/.

Along with Sustainability Park, interested guests will take part in The Packaging Stage. Showcasing the latest developments in sustainable packaging and materials, design, and performance and materials, The Packaging Stage promises to “bring fresh education and forward-thinking conversations to the show floor.”

Together with over 340 new exhibitors, 2027’s National Plastics Exhibition also welcomes ANTEC^®. Produced by the Plastics Industry Association, NPE and ANTEC have teamed up “to connect groundbreaking technical research with the people who can put it into practice,” according to the association. Now part of the NPE2027 technical education program, event organizers are seeking speakers to share their technical research at the event. Interested parties can find out more at the Call for Speakers section: https://www.4spe.org/antec27/.

To keep up with the latest NPE2027 developments, check out the National Plastics Exhibition’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/people/National-Plastics-Exhibition/61582797308496/ and the following links:

https://www.plasticsindustry.org
https://npe.org
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/npe-plastics-show/

See you there!

The post Breaking the Mold<p class="company">Keeping Up With the Plastics Industry </p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

After graduating from Rowan University, he put his résumé on monster.com and was soon contacted by someone in the packaging supply business. The experience not only presented him with a whole new world but made him realize how many untapped business opportunities existed.

“When I was contacted by the packaging industry, I liked that people were already using the products they sold,” he tells us. “It was easy to quote them and try to save them money.” The young Magaraci knew that if he got the sale, customers in this highly commoditized, relationship-based world of packaging would order from him again.

A better way
In a short time, Magaraci built a foundation of faithful customers and deepened his knowledge of the industry. The basics at the time were simple: packaging operated under a traditional distribution model where customers bought from manufacturers in bulk, stored products in their own warehouses, and delivered products locally at a markup.

Magaraci knew there had to be a better way to break down barriers to entry in the industry. This soon led to finding customers in his territory who had shipping locations all over the country. Many were using the same products and had national procurement teams.

“There was a very underutilized policy for most manufacturers where—if you ordered two or three pallets worth of a certain product—it would drop ship to anywhere in the country for free,” he shares. Instead of using the traditional distribution model, Magaraci could ingeniously leverage the drop ship model, which meant packaging products could be sold online without keeping physical inventory in stock. As a result, his mission was to share the value for corporate procurement groups in major companies with locations all over the country, standardize the packaging products they used, and drop ship for savings.

After a few years of working for someone else and teaching them how to manage drop shipments, Magaraci got to where he realized: ‘I can do this on my own.’ “I didn’t come from money, but I was confident in my sales ability,” he says. “The drop ship model was underutilized, and I felt like I could change the industry.”

Building a business
Trinity Packaging Supply started in 2010 with a home office in Newport Beach, California. Magaraci had no sales and no startup funds. What he did have was a way to incentivize potential customers, whom he met through cold calling and walking into the backs of warehouses and introducing himself.

Attracting customers within a few months, Magaraci gave them a two percent discount on invoices to pay him in 10 days, and then negotiated net 30- or 60-day payment terms with his vendors. This meant Trinity was always cash-flow positive, and drop shipping from manufacturers meant the company didn’t need its own warehouse to store inventory.

The result was that Trinity could ramp up sales quickly, and there was no limit to the company’s ability to scale with customers, since there was an extensive distribution network already in place.

“I was buying from manufacturers or wholesalers to ship directly to my customers, and leveraging their aggregated inventory,” says Magaraci. “In my first full year of business, I did $1 million in sales, and then for about 10 straight years, we doubled in revenue every two years.” Trinity Packaging Supply’s rapid growth and success attracted attention not only from customers, but from the entire business world.

Listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing private companies eight years in a row, Trinity has also been recognized by Fortune as one of the Most Innovative Companies in America, and in the Best Product category by Business Insider. In 16 years, Trinity has grown from a one-man operation to six sales offices, over 400 suppliers, and more than 80,000 products in stock. The company is about to roll out its new catalog, which will boast about 700,000 SKUs.

SupplyStream™—the Amazon of wholesale
Much of Trinity’s success comes from making smart business decisions and technological innovation, and one way the company is changing the packaging industry is with SupplyStream™.

A proprietary e-commerce platform, SupplyStream powers Trinity and is used to aggregate hundreds of supplier catalogs into one master catalog “to offer packaging’s largest catalog of 80,000+ custom packaging, standard packaging, and janitorial supplies with next-day delivery and low pricing.” Customers get the lowest-cost options and fastest shipping times for packaging and industrial products, since these are being sold by multiple vendors.

Prior to creating SupplyStream, Trinity was drop shipping from about 500 manufacturers across America and massive distributors. The wholesale world of Business to Business (B2B) is different from Business to Consumer (B2C) and models like Amazon, where customers know the exact price. Instead of having to reach out to multiple suppliers and wait for quotes to get the best price, Magaraci worked on getting pre-negotiated amounts for all supplier inventories upfront.

This bold stroke led to innovating the SupplyStream software, getting the best cost from suppliers in specific zip codes, and instantly determining who to buy from.

A one-of-a-kind software, SupplyStream not only aggregates manufacturer and supplier catalogs, but also SKUs. Although the process seems simple, it took Magaraci’s team three years to get product data for thousands of packaging products. Some items were sized using the imperial system, and others in metric. “We had to standardize all of that data after we got it to be able to aggregate it and determine that it was the same product at a certain price,” he explains.

For customers, SupplyStream is accurate, fast, and convenient. Regardless of where the customer is located, the software will find the shipping point with the quickest lead time and the lowest price. A separate company from Trinity, SupplyStream is not industry-specific, and there are no limitations on geographical boundaries. Eventually, Magaraci envisions the software being used by other companies to aggregate catalogs in the wholesale world.

“It’s like we’re the Amazon of wholesale,” he says. “Trinity operates off SupplyStream internally, and when we get an order, it automatically goes to our suppliers. So it’s really easy for us to scale without as many people. We’re the first company in the packaging supply industry that can compete with Uline, which is a multi-billion-dollar company.

Three times the choice
Up against companies with multiple warehouses, traditional distribution models, and storing millions of dollars of inventory, SupplyStream enables Trinity to offer three times as many packaging products. “They all ship locally and deliver within a day or two,” says Magaraci. “For that money, we don’t have to hold inventory because we took that original concept of leveraging drop shipment from our suppliers and really brought it to scale.”

Through SupplyStream, Trinity’s customers access not only the company’s massive catalog, but also receive their own custom catalog based on previously ordered products in their files.

“A lot of buyers order the same items over and over, because they’re manufacturers; it’s not like B2C where you need to stock items all the time,” Magaraci says. “This way, we take whatever they’ve bought in the past and treat it as their own custom catalog at a savings.” And to make ordering easier, customer have their own “My Supplies” page, where they can view their most commonly ordered items.

Along with its many products, Trinity is known for its outstanding customer service. Instead of just selling packaging supplies, the company provides packaging consultations for wholesale customers and helps with finding ways to increase operational efficiencies and lower packaging costs. Welcoming the future of the industry, Magaraci sees Trinity Packaging Supply selling even more products and expanding into the maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) industrial space. Already selling janitorial and sanitary supplies, vacuums, and floor maintenance products, the company will also be offering office furniture in the coming months.

From its beginnings as a one-man operation built around an underutilized drop ship model, Trinity Packaging Supply has grown by consistently challenging conventional ideas about how packaging products should be sourced, sold, and delivered. By pairing an asset-light distribution strategy with technology, purchasing expertise, and a strong commitment to customer service, the company has created a model that is both highly scalable and responsive to the evolving needs of its customers. As Trinity continues expanding its product offering and SupplyStream™ opens the door to new opportunities beyond packaging, Magaraci’s original vision remains at the heart of the business: finding a smarter way to serve customers and using innovation to turn that idea into lasting growth.

The post How to Lead in Packaging Supply Without a Warehouse in Sight<p class="company">Trinity Packaging Supply</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Pucci, before becoming Lands & Economic Development Manager at the City of Terrace, built a reputation for strategic engagement in business development. A skilled and passionate negotiator, his résumé includes work with government and Indigenous partners, serving as CEO of Prince Rupert International Airport, and working at Prince Rupert’s Port, Canada’s fastest-growing container terminal. His current role is generating municipal revenue and acquiring and developing municipal lands for the City of Terrace.

A prime location
“We are the Fort McMurray of the 1990s,” says Pucci, referring to the Albertan city which became legendary for its powerful petroleum sector. To Michael Pucci, and many others, the City of Terrace is similarly on the brink of overwhelming success, for a variety of reasons. The city’s population of just 13,000 is small, but its economic and service draw is closer to 40,000. The business, investment, and growth potential of the area is enormous.

When discussing Terrace, a word frequently used is “hub.” The city is easily accessible by the Skeena River and multiple highways (16, 113, and 37) and is just 144 km east of Prince Rupert. Terrace is also linked to passenger rail, bus service, the CN mainline—the only rail line in northern British Columbia—and the Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat. Annually, the CN rail line moves about $65 billion worth of Canadian economic value to and from the Port of Prince Rupert through the City of Terrace.

Northern BC is sparsely populated, with about 100,000 residents in a 1,000 km range from Prince Rupert to Prince George. However, Terrace lies along the Trans-Canada corridor, making it a centre for shopping, healthcare, financial services, and other amenities that many similar communities lack. People drive hundreds of kilometres to visit Terrace. In 2024, a study showed that 1,000 regional inhabitants visit the city in any given week, year-round, because of its hub status.

“Tourism accounts for about $84 to $86 million worth of our economy,” says Pucci, “and that includes local tourists who come to see their doctor or optometrist, or go to the grocery store, those kinds of things.” Every year, millions of additional dollars flow into the city thanks to its year-round tourism market. In summer, many are drawn by ocean fishing, boating, and fly-fishing for trout and salmon. In winter, with some of the deepest snowpacks in Canada, they flock to Terrace for skiing and heli-skiing.

Despite its many attractions, the City of Terrace knows success doesn’t happen overnight, and understands that local government must also make an effort at every level. Pucci and his team have exchanged views with Prime Minister Mark Carney three times in the past few months concerning development initiatives. And despite comparisons of Terrace’s emergence with that of Fort McMurray in the 1990s, Pucci understands the importance of proceeding strategically.

“We know from lessons learned where we need to jump over the puddle instead of walking through, and we may need help doing that,” he says. “But we have that type of opportunity here that’s outside of our taxable jurisdiction to the same level of federal economic mover and shaker in a small town. And again, 15 or 20 years from now, we will hopefully have done it better.” He notes that in the ’90s, owing to the oil industry, Fort McMurray’s high local wages also created inflated prices for everything from housing to groceries, and he says measures need to be put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen in Terrace.

Welcoming diverse industries
Many years ago, people and goods such as logs were transported along the Skeena River. In time, this led to the development of railways, roads, and a strong forestry industry. And then, to meet the needs of forestry companies, Terrace transformed itself into a service hub as truck-servicing facilities and heavy industrial groups, like Caterpillar, established themselves in the area. Every day, about 200 Class A forestry trucks roll through.

In the past few years, intent on not focusing too narrowly, Terrace has modernized, invested, and expanded wherever opportunities arise, and sees a future serving multiple industries. Truck drivers need places to sleep and eat, prompting investment in new hotels. And while the forestry industry is growing and evolving, Pucci says Terrace is well-suited to helping related businesses expand locally. Wood mills need forklifts to move product, and manufacturers to make forklifts.

“There are many different industries, but the idea is to look at the core things we do well and ask, ‘How do we participate in those industries?’” he says. “That’s an important reason why we’re able to create and maintain our hub status.”

Together with forestry, the City of Terrace is promoting itself to the mining industry. After Northern Ontario, Northern BC is the hottest mining hub in North America. One of the world’s largest gold deposits was uncovered nearby, and 60 percent of BC’s critical minerals are found within a few hours of Terrace. Some mines are at the permitting stage, while others are in operation, and as these mines develop, they will need more equipment and local labour.

“It’s very top-of-mind right now, and the federal government has highlighted that area as a key revenue source for the Canadian economy,” Pucci shares. “That is beyond the fact that it means a lot to the local economy, because mineral extraction provides a lot of royalties to the federal government. It’s an important component.”

One mine in BC’s Golden Triangle, Red Chris, is on Canada’s Major Projects Office list, and Terrace is well-equipped to meet the logistical needs of this mine site and many others across BC. These sites, along with other major energy projects such as wind, oil, gas, and ports, are estimated to bring $230 billion in affordability, security, and diversification.

Indeed, Northern British Columbia is known as the powerhouse of the province’s mining industry, and it is projected that the construction of 24 mines in the area could realize $69 billion in economic activity for British Columbians from gold, copper, silver, zinc, and other minerals. More mines, of course, mean greater opportunities for related businesses, like depots to serve trucks, commercial vehicle inspection stations, food services, and accommodation.

“We might not see Caterpillar making new diggers here, but will they have a service shop?” asks Pucci. “It makes a lot of sense to have some sort of service depot or affiliation. Will they need certain styles of flatbed trucks to move equipment in the area? One hundred percent.”

Industrial opportunities
When he became Lands & Economic Development Manager, Michael Pucci was intrigued by one of Terrace’s key assets, the Skeena Industrial Development Park (SIDP). The park is remarkable for many reasons, including its size. With over 1,200 acres of continuous greenfield industrial-zoned land, SIDP is larger than Vancouver’s 1,000-acre Stanley Park.

Representing a joint venture and revenue-sharing partnership with Kitselas First Nation, SIDP is ideal for operations large and small. It is close to the Port of Prince Rupert, which is Canada’s third-largest container terminal and the home of the nation’s newest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal.

“The involvement of First Nations in British Columbia’s economic development, and where that’s going, is something that large and global companies don’t have the strongest understanding of,” says Pucci. “And so, this is a fantastic way to put industry at comfort; that there’s a way to positively engage, as well as contribute to the overall benefit of our region.”

On the highway and adjacent to the Northwest Regional Airport, SIDP is accessible to every part of British Columbia. And with both the transmission and distribution of natural gas and electricity, it has all the base assets for petroleum, manufacturing, logistics, and transportation businesses. Just 10 minutes from nearby communities, it’s conveniently placed. “It is the future of Terrace,” says Pucci, “and it doesn’t have that urbanization concern.”

The Skeena Industrial Development Park may be the clearest expression yet of Terrace’s ambitions. With its scale, strategic location, infrastructure, and partnership with Kitselas First Nation, it offers the city an opportunity to attract investment while building on the strengths that have made Terrace a regional hub. More importantly, it reflects a broader vision that is not dependent on any single industry or project.

For Pucci and the City of Terrace, the goal is not simply to capitalize on a moment of economic momentum, but to build an economy capable of sustaining that momentum for decades to come. Forestry, mining, energy, transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and logistics all present opportunities, but the real advantage lies in the connections between them—and in the businesses and services that emerge around them. By identifying what Terrace does well and positioning itself to support a diverse range of industries, the city is working to turn its geographic and infrastructural advantages into lasting economic value.

That approach also means learning from the experiences of other resource-driven communities. Terrace has an opportunity to welcome major investment without losing sight of affordability, livability, Indigenous partnership, or the needs of the residents and businesses that already call the region home. The ambition is considerable, but so is the opportunity: to grow strategically rather than simply quickly. Terrace has the chance to chart its own course—one that embraces its role as a northern hub, welcomes diverse industries, and creates prosperity that extends well beyond any single boom.

The post The Hub of British Columbia<p class="company">City of Terrace, British Columbia </p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Headquartered in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec, Alstom is Canada’s only domestic train manufacturer. A global leader in smart, sustainable mobility solutions, Alstom has about 87,000 employees worldwide, including nearly 5,200 in Canada, and is helping shape the future of transportation while creating opportunities for the next generation of talent.

Many new graduates in fields such as engineering have a say in which sectors they wish to work, and companies like Alstom, with a strong emphasis on creating a greener, cleaner world, often come out on top.

“We are transforming cities for tomorrow and creating economic opportunities by addressing congestion issues in urban centres like Toronto and Montréal,” says Olivier Marcil, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Alstom Canada. “Our passenger rail solutions are modern, automated and very sophisticated. Our employees are contributing to tackling climate change, because they are working at a company that offers clean mobility solutions. Our trains are green,” he explains.

Being part of a business that focuses on sustainability and produces trains powered by electricity, hydrogen, and batteries, is an extremely attractive value proposition.

“It is really appealing for the next generation, and our main challenge is to make it known specifically in North America, where there is a strong car culture and less focus on transit than in Europe or Asia,” adds Marcil. “Our goal is really to make this company, and this sector, familiar to the next generation.”

A leader in sustainable mobility solutions, Alstom remains focused on the future of transportation across North America and worldwide. In 2021, Bombardier Transportation (a division of Bombardier Inc.) was acquired by French multinational Alstom, further strengthening its decades-long presence in North America and accelerating its growth ambitions. The acquisition was followed by the creation of a brand-new Innovation Centre in 2022.

At Alstom’s Americas headquarters on the outskirts of Montreal, the Innovation Centre leads the development of “future platforms for green hybrid, battery, or hydrogen propulsion technologies specifically tailored to the North American rail freight and passenger market, and in doing so meet the sector’s decarbonization needs,” according to the company. This includes dedicated prototyping, augmented reality equipment, and collaborations with key industry players and universities across the country.

In 2023, Alstom conducted a demonstration of the first hydrogen-propulsed train in North America intended for commercial service, a demo driven by the Innovation Centre. To date, the Centre continues to work in areas such as batteries, manufacturing processes, robotics, braking, propulsion, and artificial intelligence.

Decades of experience
French multinational rail systems manufacturer Alstom SA, originally known as Alsthom, was created in 1928 through the merger of Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques’ (Als) electrical engineering division, and Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (thom). The following years were marked by acquisitions and international expansion, including the establishment of a longstanding presence in Canada. This expansion sped up following the 2021 Bombardier acquisition, which positioned Alstom as the country’s sole rolling stock manufacturer.

Bombardier Inc. was well established as its own respected global powerhouse. Largely known today for aerospace and manufacturing business jets like the Challenger 650 and Global 8000, the company also built its reputation as a maker of snowmobiles and railway trains. By 2021, the rail industry was increasingly moving toward consolidation.

“There was a lot of discussion across the industry regarding the need for a global player with the size, scope, and capabilities to compete on every continent, and equipped to face competition coming from China,” Marcil explains.

Although there had been previous attempts to consolidate the market, none succeeded until the combination of Alstom and Bombardier in 2021, which created the largest pure rail player in the Western world. The two merging companies were of roughly equal size, employing approximately 35,000 people each worldwide, but differed in their product portfolio and market presence.

The strength of the transaction lay in the complementary nature of the two businesses. Because the companies had established leadership positions in different markets, they were not direct competitors. Bombardier was well-known in North America, the United Kingdom, and Germany, while Alstom had a strong position in France, India, and Brazil. Merging the two companies saw expanded access to different markets.

Similarly, Bombardier was notably known in commuter rail and operation and maintenance, while Alstom was recognized for its strength in high-speed rail. “Merging the two created a very large portfolio of products, services, and technologies, and access to the market, which has allowed us to better serve our clients with a 360° portfolio offer and a multi-local manufacturing strategy,” says Marcil. “That’s been a literal game changer for the industry, and for Alstom employees of course.”

Positioned for growth
Many associate Alstom with rolling stock, but the company also has a strong offering in operations and maintenance and signaling. Depending on the project, maintenance contracts can extend for 25 to 30 years, allowing Alstom to support customers throughout the lifecycle of their transportation systems.

Across Canada and the U.S., Alstom has been integral to many new transit systems. In Toronto, for example, Alstom employees maintain and operate the GO Transit network. They also deliver these services in Los Angeles, Edmonton, and Montreal. The company also handles the operation of Automated People Movers (APMs), automated trains at airports moving millions of passengers between terminals every year.

“We provide, maintain, and operate those trains for nine out of the 10 largest U.S. airports. On top of that, we handle everything that is digital, like AI and cybersecurity,” says Marcil. “It depends on the customer and their specific needs.” Some contracts see Alstom solely providing rolling stock, while others include operation and maintenance, signaling, or systems.

“Our ambition is to grow in every market where we operate, and Canada and the United States are very strategic to us. We see tremendous opportunities, both because of the evolution of the cities and the breadth of our offerings.”

Compared to Europe, Canada and the United States continue to evolve rapidly, with significant growth taking place across many mid-sized urban centres. This is resulting in many cities moving from 100 percent bus systems to rail systems.

Last January, Alstom was awarded a $2.3 billion contract with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to manufacture a 70-car New Subway Train (NST) fleet for Toronto’s subway. The six-car Metropolis metro trains will replace the TTC’s aging Line 2 vehicles and serve on subway extension projects.

“This new fleet of metro trains will be designed and engineered here in Canada, assembled in our Thunder Bay site, supported by an expanded network of local suppliers, and tested in our Kingston site,” said Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas, in a media release. The contract will generate up to 945 direct, well-paying jobs in Canada, and over 1,700 indirect jobs.

“We are pursuing every opportunity that we have in Canada,” says Marcil. “It’s important for us to be there, to be present. We have a bright future in front of us.”

With transit expansion at every turn, Alstom is part of numerous multi-billion-dollar projects to replace and modernize mass transit. These include manufacturing Toronto’s distinctive new red streetcars and being a part of the Eglinton LRT line and the upcoming 18-kilometre Hazel McCallion Line (Hurontario LRT). These projects draw on its expertise in electrification, systems integration, engineering, manufacturing, signaling, operations, and maintenance.

“We keep growing in Toronto, and it’s one of our largest markets,” says Marcil. “Metrolinx and the TTC are among the most important clients we have in the world.” Projects of this scale require close collaboration among multiple partners, with Alstom working alongside companies specializing in civil engineering and other disciplines.

The Alstom Foundation
A strong believer in giving back, Alstom supports communities around the world through the Alstom Foundation, which operates worldwide, supporting several causes and charities.

“For us, it is the idea that we should give back to our community and contribute to a better world,” states Marcil. “It is part of our corporate citizenship commitment.” Since 2007, the Foundation has focused on four key areas: economic and social development, environmental protection, access to mobility, and access to energy and water.

“Our core business is to facilitate the movement of people and goods. There are cities and ecosystems less equipped to do that, so we support access to mobility and projects related to poverty, energy, or water access.”

The Foundation’s success is driven by the engagement of Alstom employees. Every project must be sponsored by an employee, who essentially carries the project to the Foundation. Once a year, project proposals are reviewed by a committee and funding is allocated. To date, the Alstom Foundation has supported over 330 projects worldwide. “Alstom is in over 60 countries around the world, and we are proud to support projects that make a tangible difference in those communities,” says Marcil. “Providing opportunities like these is an important part of our commitment to corporate responsibility and creating lasting positive impact worldwide.”

On track for a bright future
With a shift toward rail in many cities, the future of Alstom Canada is bright. At its Americas headquarters, the company announced plans to fill between 160 and 200 positions, reflecting both the company’s growth ambitions and the increasing demand for sustainable transportation solutions. This growth will enable Alstom to continue playing a pivotal role in helping urban centres expand and accelerate the transition to greener mobility. “It’s a great industry to work in, and trending north,” adds Marcil. “When you look at mega-trends—pollution, urbanization, demographics—all this in the future will favour cities to adopt more passenger rail projects, so we will be very well-positioned in Canada, the United States, and across the Americas to capture that.”

Alstom is the national player in passenger rail manufacturing in Canada, the only with manufacturing capabilities and facilities in the country. With four manufacturing sites, an engineering centre, and a privately owned 2.1-kilometer test track in Kingston, Ontario, Alstom is active across the entire rail value chain—from design and manufacturing to systems, signaling, operations, and maintenance.

“All this positions us as Canada’s number one provider of passenger rail solutions, as demonstrated by our strong presence in Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Waterloo, and soon in Quebec City. Looking ahead, the opportunities are significant. High-speed rail is coming to Canada, VIA Rail will renew its long distance fleet, and cities across the country continue to modernize and expand transit. With our footprint, expertise, and capabilities, Alstom is uniquely positioned to help deliver the next generation of transportation projects.”

The post Powering the Green Transportation Transition<p class="company">Alstom Canada</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Compared to just a few years ago, Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and smart products have transformed how we live, work, interact with others, and even think. Voice-controlled virtual assistants like Alexa can do everything from turning on lights to changing the thermostat and even reading us an audiobook. Cumbersome paper maps are a thing of the past, as built-in GPS navigation systems in our vehicles tell us exactly where to drive, the best routes, and how long it will take. And instead of talking to a real person, online chatbots with friendly-looking avatars and names like ‘Anna’ or ‘Emma’ help us with everything from banking to scheduling dental appointments.

Just as AI and automation have become part of our everyday lives, so has technology become integral to modern manufacturing. From agricultural robots harvesting our food on Earth to autonomous vehicles like NASA’s Perseverance rover exploring Mars and collecting rock samples, robots and cobots—sensor-equipped robots operating safely around their human counterparts—and other automated solutions continue to proliferate.

Smarter manufacturing
For hundreds of years, especially since the Renaissance, humankind has invented increasingly complex machines, improving transportation, communication, printing, and manufacturing. The Industrial Revolution in Britain saw new production methods focusing on iron and steelmaking, steam engine production, and textiles. This led to new technologies worldwide, making manufacturing more efficient and less expensive, a shift that soon spread across Europe and North America. Goods once made in small workshops by hand were now manufactured by machines on a large scale in a factory system.

Today’s manufacturing combines time-tested production methods with AI, robots and cobots, and other automated solutions. Assembly lines no longer rely solely on human eyes to spot flaws, instead using high-speed cameras capable of scanning products in seconds. And repetitive tasks, like pick-and-place or lifting heavy items, are now performed by industrial robots.

To ensure machines work at peak performance, built-in predictive maintenance programs (PMPs) use sensors to check vibration, temperature, revolutions per minute (RPMs), and more in real time. If there is a risk of misalignment, unnecessary wear, or equipment overheating, data is sent to technicians immediately. This prevents issues like costly part replacements and unnecessary downtime, optimizing machine lifespan and improving operational efficiencies.

The role of Artificial Intelligence
Predictive maintenance, cameras, vibration and ultrasonic sensors, robots, cobots, self-driving forklifts, and other devices all need AI of some sort to function. While manufacturing machinery builds on past technologies, the key difference is today’s systems use AI to collect information, learn, adapt, and even make on-the-spot decisions, often without human interaction. Driven by technology, modern manufacturing aims to optimize processes and can even reduce production waste depending on material availability. Taken together, today’s factories are the result of smart manufacturing, also known as Industry 4.0: The Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Where Industry 1.0 and Industry 2.0 saw mass production transform because of steam and electricity, The Third Industrial Revolution truly transformed how goods are made. Also known as the Digital Revolution of the 1970s, Industry 3.0 ushered in computers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and microprocessors. These then-new technologies enabled manufacturers to shift from analog to digital, making production faster and more precise.

Now, virtually all aspects of the manufacturing process are undergoing major transformations thanks to AI and robotics. From material selection and handling to manufacturing, assembly, finishing, quality control and inspection, packaging, and even customer service, fewer tasks are being handled by people. While some argue this will result in job losses, others believe automation will benefit human workers. Instead of risking physical injury from lifting heavy materials or dealing with repetitive strain, robots, cobots, and automated overhead cranes will handle the load. This also has the benefit of making operations more streamlined and freeing up workers to handle other tasks.

Advantages of automation
For manufacturers, AI, robotic systems, and other automated processes often result in greater productivity, enhanced quality, lower operational costs, and other benefits. Thanks to sensors, software, cloud computing, and digital technologies, some manufacturing facilities are now fully autonomous. Unlike factories with humans working in shifts, these plants operate 24/7. Via the Internet of Things (IoT), machines, cameras, 3D printers, sensors, and other devices are all connected, and working in real time, machines make on-the-spot decisions about production times, speed, materials, and more. Also known as ‘lights-out,’ these factories utilize robotics and CNC machines, which can run without human attention. In some instances, workers are only present at the final stages to verify quality.

Like all manufacturing systems, there are pros and cons to autonomous factories, starting with cost. Investing in advanced robotics and IoT technology is an extremely expensive proposition, and the investment can take years to recoup. These facilities also need a clear path for the future, as robots and cobots will need to be modified and replaced over time.

Then there is job displacement, since fewer people are needed for repetitive tasks like assembly and packaging. While fewer human employees are required, companies will need to hire staffers with backgrounds in advanced engineering, robotics, AI, and maintenance, or upskill existing workers, requiring additional investment.

Then there are the many advances in autonomous manufacturing. Once up and running, labour costs are reduced since fewer humans are needed. For those who remain, especially on the factory floor performing quality assurance and other tasks, safety is enhanced. Repetitive tasks once performed by people are now handled entirely by machines equipped with safety sensors and cameras. If an obstacle is detected or someone gets too close, robotic arms and conveyors shut off, preventing injury.

One of the greatest, and sometimes overlooked, advantages of autonomous manufacturing is that these facilities keep jobs in the United States and Canada. Instead of making products offshore and facing issues like long shipping delays, tariffs, duties, and substandard quality, jobs stay in North America. For customers, this presents a huge benefit in the form of shortened lead times. Instead of waiting for orders to arrive, autonomous factories can provide greater output and higher consistency. And on the environmental side, machines connected to IoT systems are more efficient, producing less waste material.

Manufacturing has come a long way from the first Industrial Revolution of the mid-18^th century, when men, women, and children took their lives in their hands working up to 16 hours a day in dimly lit, poorly ventilated factories alongside dangerous machines. Humans will remain integral to the manufacturing process in the future, but their roles will be very different from the ones they held in the past.

The post The Automation Transformation<p class="company">The Case for Smarter Manufacturing</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

When we set out our blue bins, we assume the paper, plastic bottles, and glass jars we sorted and washed will go into the appropriate recycling stream, not landfill. And when multinationals like Keurig and Nestlé say billions of polypropylene #5 K-Cup^® pods and Nespresso coffee capsules sold every year are recyclable, we take them at their word.

Everywhere you look, the world has gone green. Paperless offices, improving operational efficiencies, sourcing materials locally to save fuel, improving energy use through LED lights and solar panels, and re-purposing wastewater for irrigation are the norm. For companies of all sizes, these sustainability initiatives and others are often announced to shareholders and the public in the name of good corporate citizenship. The truth, however, doesn’t always line up with reality.

Caffeine controversy
Launched in 1998, Keurig brewing systems initially targeted office workers. The concept was enticing—unlike traditional drip coffee makers, individual K-Cup pods ensured coffee, teas, and even ciders were hot and fresh, instead of sitting in a pot for hours. The revolutionary brewing system soon caught on and expanded to households.

A decade ago, Keurig advertised its K-Cups were recyclable. Most recycling facilities, however, could not recycle the combination of plastic cups, coffee grounds, and foil lids. In 2018, this resulted in the company’s paying $10 million following a class action lawsuit in the Northern District of California Court and millions of dollars in other fines over false claims. Thanks to recent blue box program expansions, some of the estimated 40 million K-Cups used every day are now recyclable in some areas as of early 2026. Similarly, Nespresso’s colourful aluminum capsules can be dropped off at Nespresso Boutiques, returned in the mail at no cost to customers, picked up, or placed in designated recycling bags.

Throwing in the towel
The term “greenwashing” was coined 40 years ago. Some call it ‘ecobabble,’ while others refer to it as ‘eco-fraud,’ ‘sustainability scam,’ ‘greenwishing’ or ‘green rhetoric.’ Investopedia defines greenwashing as “a prevalent and often deceptive practice in today’s marketing landscape, where companies portray a misleading image of environmental responsibility to consumers.”

Like many movements, the fight against exaggerated or false environmental initiatives started small. During a 1983 visit to Fiji, environmentalist Jay Westerveld stayed at a hotel where guests were encouraged to re-use towels to save water. The hotel was also undergoing expansion, causing “significant environmental disruption,” according to Pan-African law firm Eco-Law. This presented a conundrum for Westerveld, who questioned how the hotel could justify saving money washing fewer towels, but had no issue with destroying entire forests. In 1986, Westerveld coined the term “greenwashing” in an essay criticizing the growing “save the towel” messaging in the hospitality sector.

Decades later, greenwashing has grown to encompass more than re-using hotel towels. With countless new products and services introduced every year, tracking green claims has become increasingly challenging. Companies can, and often do, make dubious claims their goods and packaging are ‘locally sourced,’ ‘sourced from all-natural ingredients,’ or ‘crafted with sustainable materials,’ but what does it all mean?

Regulatory organizations, from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Canada’s Competition Bureau, exist, and a host of third-party certifiers like Green Seal, B Corp, and Fair Trade Certified monitor these claims. Companies caught greenwashing and betraying these certifications can be subjected to investigations, class action lawsuits, retractions, and worst of all, reputational damage.

Perception across generations
While some older generations might shrug off greenwashing concerns, younger consumers aren’t so forgiving. In today’s world of instant messaging, TikTok videos, Instagram, and other social media sites, good news spreads quickly—and so does bad news. A recent study of Gen Z—typically identified as those born between 1997 and 2012—shows they are alert to suspect claims and will boycott companies caught greenwashing.

In Raising the bar? How Generation Z perceives corporate reputation and environmental commitment, the authors examine how different generations perceive “corporate environmental commitment and reputation” across nations including Spain, Italy, and Chile. The study examines important, yet underexplored, perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“Generation Z actively observes, evaluates and judges companies’ environmental behaviour,” stated study lead, Elisenda Estanyol. “The most striking thing is that Gen Z isn’t indifferent or complacent: they actively observe, assess and judge the companies’ behaviour in terms of the environment. They don’t just consume; they construct a brand’s reputation, based on what it does or doesn’t do for the environment. The study shows a generation that is especially sensitive to greenwashing and ready to hold companies accountable when they say one thing and do another.” A generation raised on ideas of sustainability, concerns for the environment, and measurable results, Gen Z is far less forgiving of corporate inconsistency and false claims than others.

Holding companies accountable
Companies of all kinds and sizes have been called out for greenwashing, with some of the most egregious examples being big oil producers. When oil prices plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, majors like BP, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil vowed to slash carbon emissions and embrace sustainable initiatives like ‘green hydrogen’ and biofuels. Just a few years later, oil prices soared after Russia waged war on Ukraine.

The narrative keeps shifting with the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with the messaging now being how vital fossil fuels are to the planet. As Clean Creatives, a group connecting professionals to end public relations and ad industry work in fossil fuels, stated, “Greenwashing is no longer the core strategy of the fossil fuel industry—it’s about power and political influence.”

Even corporations with reputations for being forward-thinking have been called out for false environmental claims. Swedish multinational conglomerate IKEA, known for its ready-to-assemble furniture, has been criticized numerous times for greenwashing. Some allegations include children’s furniture made from illegally sourced Russian wood, questionable claims made to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the company’s “zero waste” philosophy, which is seemingly at odds with the company’s massive use of packaging materials.

All companies—from small shops to major billion-dollar businesses—need to be aware of scrutiny by governments, agencies, and the public in particular when making claims about sustainability, sourcing, recycling, and reuse. Many people today, particularly younger consumers and investors, review CSR claims and refuse to support companies who exploit child labour, employ poor working conditions, violate safety protocols, or have been caught greenwashing.

While it isn’t always easy to spot brands making untrue sustainability claims to help market their products, it is important to investigate eco-friendly credentials before buying and to seek out those producers who walk the talk. Ultimately, the fight against greenwashing reflects a broader shift in expectations; people are no longer content with vague assurances or symbolic gestures—they want proof. As awareness grows and scrutiny intensifies, the companies that succeed will be those willing to align their words with their actions, helping to build not just a greener marketplace, but a more honest one.

The post Greenwashing<p class="company">The Illusion of Sustainability Claims</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Much more than a business, KB is a proud partner. “KB Components offers complete solutions that support our customers’ product development process all the way from idea conception to production with an innovative and solution-oriented mindset,” states the company on its website. “We aim for optimal concepts by taking into account customer requirements, tool design, quality, and cost-efficient production.”

Backed by many decades of combined experience in production methods and materials, KB Components works alongside clients to create optimal designs. With its own testing and metrology labs, the company offers precise measurement, calibration inspection services, and advanced product validation before production even starts, ensuring quality at every stage.

An industry giant
When KB Components was founded in 1947 by Solweig and Anders Månson, the aim was to become a polymer industry leader. The company’s industry experience has seen KB steadily build its client base, working with customers in a variety of industries. Today, KB Components is active in numerous sectors: light vehicles, heavy vehicles, industrial, medical, furniture, lighting, chrome plating, and industrial windows.

Across all sectors, KB Components remains committed to delivering the utmost in customer satisfaction and quality assurance. The company’s quality management system (QMS) is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and IATF 16949 standards. Initially created by the International Automotive Task Force in 1999, IATF 16949 has been revised several times with the goal of harmonizing worldwide certifications in the automotive sector supply chain.

Along with ensuring that its processes meet rigorous standards, KB Components continuously monitors and improves its processes to ensure client satisfaction. The company has adopted lean production to increase efficiency and reduce waste, alongside Six Sigma methodology. Described as “a method for disciplined quality improvement,” Six Sigma incorporates qualitative and quantitative techniques and tools like control charts, process mapping, and statistical process control to drive process improvements.

“Our continuous efforts to minimize waste and variations in our processes help generate high efficiency in our production and low PPM for our customers,” says the company. “We are also experienced in applying error-proofing methods such as poka-yoke (a Japanese term for error prevention) and machine vision technology in our processes, which reduces quality costs and minimizes risks for us and our customers.”

In addition to its emphasis on quality, KB Components is equally committed to environmentally sustainable practices such as conserving resources and developing eco-friendly solutions wherever possible.

Embracing automation
To ensure the company remains competitive, KB Components is committed to advancing through technology. For customers, this means maximizing efficiencies and quality, increasing value, and being as competitive as possible.

Just some of the many technologies KB incorporates include plastic injection moulding and extrusion operations. These services include injection moulding 35–3500 T, extrusion of tubing, profiles, or sheets, clean room injection, clean room assembly, laser printing, laser cutting, IPPC (Integrated Process Product Conversion) composite technology, and many more.

Of course, even with the most advanced technology, a company is only as good as its people. Along with its powerful reputation as a plastic moulding industry leader, KB Components is known for fostering an upbeat work environment and a forward-thinking culture, which benefits the business and staff alike. As a result, “KB Components is one of the fastest growing companies in the plastics industry,” states the company.

People and planet
Along with its outstanding staff, another strength of KB Components in its Code of Conduct. For stakeholders, the Code of Conduct serves as KB’s pledge to abide by strict regulations governing worker health and safety, sustainable initiatives, and protecting the environment. This includes many actions to reduce waste, energy consumption, and greenhouse gases. In some company locations such as Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania and Mexico, all energy purchased is CO₂ -free. And according to a recent sustainability report, renewable sources of energy represent about 50 percent of the company’s total purchases.

Recent years have seen the company install 1,450 solar panels covering 5,750 square meters at KBC Örkelljunga Sweden, and impressive solar energy production of 560,000 kWh. At the company’s plants in Puebla, Mexico and Wuxi, China, most electricity is derived from solar panels. And in 2023, KBC Placell Gislaved Sweden began installing solar panels. Just a few years ago, the company’s own fleet of cars became fully electric, fueled by KB’s own solar production.

“We have a history of technical leadership in plastic moulding,” states the company. “We also contribute innovative and sustainable solutions for a greener planet. Add targeted efforts to create an attractive work environment and positive corporate culture, and you get an innovative company that works with its customers to deepen relationships and improve products for the long haul.”

With the company’s 80^th anniversary fast approaching, KB Components remains as committed as ever to serving customers worldwide and building its reputation as one of the fastest-growing plastics industry companies in the business.

“Goals, figures and results—these are the quantifiable values,” maintains the company. “Behind them you’ll find our core values—businessmanship, professionalism, and engagement—and our most important resource of all: our employees. Each and every one of us plays a part in our success and what we call the KB family. We never lose sight of our customers and always strive to improve.”

The post Your First Choice<p class="company">KB Components</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“We are on the cusp of our biggest growth year in history,” says Trevor Koppelaar, Director of Operations. “New people, product line strengthening, and optimizing new equipment. It’s a very exciting first few months of the year.”

Trevor represents the fourth generation of this family-owned business, and is understandably proud of the company’s heritage, which goes back to his great-grandfather, Walter Koppelaar, Sr. Immigrating with his family to Canada from Holland after the Second World War, Walter, a basket weaver by trade, started a welding shop in Hamilton, Ontario. This led to the creation of The Walters Group Inc. in 1956. Over time, Walter’s sons joined the business, followed by their sons, including Trevor’s father, Greg.

More than manufacturing
For decades, The Walters Group performed steel manufacturing, like fire escapes and railings, with projects growing steadily larger.

Around 1990, a local business approached the company to build aggregate boxes, essentially hoppers atop a chassis with a conveyor used to spread dirt or mulch. This resulted in the AGRACAT line and the creation of Bay-Lynx in 1992. “Ironically, we had products before we had a company,” explains Trevor Koppelaar, “and that’s where the Bay-Lynx name originated. ‘Bay’ comes from Hamilton Bay, and the Lynx is a symbol of strength.”

Today, continuing to innovate, Bay-Lynx is committed to helping customers become more successful and efficient. “We describe ourselves as a solutions-based business,” says Koppelaar. “If you have a challenge or hurdle to overcome, we’ll work with you and take a custom approach to a piece of equipment or to a product line.”

Many product lines from 1992 no longer exist, because markets change and technology evolves. Building systems and procedures also differ from those of 20 or 30 years ago, and some improvements come about through valuable customer experiences and requests. Bay-Lynx staff visit clients on site, see the challenges they face firsthand, and frequently benefit from suggestions to improve their products.

Bay-Lynx supports many local customers from the ground up, both on the equipment side and by helping their businesses succeed. This includes help with basic marketing, such as a graphics package for their trucks, and more. “We’re not just selling a piece of equipment and then moving on to the next customer,” says Koppelaar. “Our approach is to set the customer up for success, so that they can come back next year to buy a second, third, and fourth piece of equipment as their business grows,” he explains.

“We have a slogan: ‘We build machines that build your business.’” Instilling this message in his people, Koppelaar knows they will help clients who, in turn, will expand their companies and hire more locals, benefitting entire communities. “We are open to our customers’ requests, humble enough to make changes, and creative in how we overcome challenges.”

Volumetric mixers change the game
About 80 percent of the company’s business is in manufacturing volumetric concrete mixers. Traditional barrel drum mixers can be problematic—wasteful when someone orders too much concrete and a hassle if they order too little, requiring back-and-forth trips to fetch more concrete mix.

Not so with volumetric concrete mixers. All concrete ingredients are separated, with a water tank at the front and sections for sand, stone, and cement powder. All that’s needed is to input the desired strength and quantity, which is mixed on site via an auger, resulting in fresh, perfectly mixed concrete. “With volumetric concrete mixers, you’re not overpaying or over-ordering,” says Koppelaar.

Many Bay-Lynx customers are independent concrete suppliers, providing concrete to construction companies, wall-forming and concrete-forming landscapers, pool contractors, municipal contractors doing road work, and hydro-electric businesses installing lines through roads and filling in trenches with concrete. Selling directly to its customers is a strong suit for Bay-Lynx; instead of dealing with a middleman, customers work with factory experts who can advise on the right model, provide technical support, and offer parts and service.

About 90 percent of the company’s volumetric concrete mixers and other products are made-to-order. Although Bay-Lynx has tried to build up some inventory, demand is so great that the company hasn’t been able to hold onto stock units. Bay-Lynx also sells used equipment, even products made by competitors, often from trade-ins, which are repaired as needed and resold.

A best-seller
The company is especially proud of its Bay-Lynx Titan, the product line that has catapulted the company into the volumetric concrete world in recent years. Made using abrasion-resistant Hardox® 450—the world’s toughest steel—the Titan is lighter and stronger than ever. And with the EVO Operators Panel, users can “enjoy a completely automated mixer set-up process and communicate with dispatch via the EVO software solution,” according to Bay-Lynx.

The Titan remains the company’s #1 seller in the United Kingdom and internationally. Between Canada and the United States, it accounts for the majority of Bay-Lynx’s equipment sales. “A ton of passion went into the Titan’s design and engineering, and we continue to make staggering improvements,” says Koppelaar. “It’s been a really exciting road to see that product come from concept and design.”

Designed in 2019 and launched in 2020, the Titan has been so well-received that it is hard to keep up with demand, and Koppelaar is quick to praise his team for their efforts. “It’s a great result of pure dedication and hard work.”

The Titan represents Bay-Lynx’s ongoing commitment to improvement. Every Tuesday morning, the entire company gets together on the shop floor. Standing around a screen, each department provides updates on everything from production to assembly and installation, and the ownership team discusses sales.

Bay-Lynx’s UK team recently exhibited its product at the UK Concrete Show, and attendees commented on how much better the company’s build quality was compared to its competitors. “Again, that’s back to our Titan line that we’re extremely proud of,” says Koppelaar.

A growing presence around the globe
As well as its headquarters in Ancaster, Ontario, Bay-Lynx has two UK locations, and at the recent World of Concrete Show, announced a new location in Portland, Tennessee, near Nashville. Says the company: “This marks a major step in our continued growth and commitment to customers across the United States. This new location will strengthen Bay-Lynx’s ability to support customers with local parts availability, dedicated service support, and faster response times—all designed to keep equipment running and jobs moving.”

An official grand opening is in the works for the new location, which was created to combat the current tariff situation. “You’ll get the same core values and the same customer treatment that you would get here in Canada,” Koppelaar says.

Along with World of Concrete, Bay-Lynx showcases its products at other European shows, including the UK Concrete Show and the Hillhead Show, held every June in a quarry. Closer to home, the company also participated in CONEXPO-CON/AGG (North America’s largest construction trade show) and the Canadian Concrete Expo, Canada’s only national trade show dedicated to the concrete, construction, and aggregates industries.

Recently, Bay-Lynx hosted a Concrete Academy. Attended by current and prospective customers, the event featured demos, a shop tour, and guest speakers discussing concrete, volumetric concrete mixers, and even how to build and run a concrete business.

“That’s always been a really good sales avenue for us,” says Koppelaar. “We have an 80 percent batting average: we bring 10 customers through our shop, and we’ll have eight units sold. That’s how proud we are of our team, our facility, and our products.” If a customer is on the fence, Bay-Lynx will pay for them to come to their facility, which more often than not results in a signed order.

Building a legacy
Recently celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Walters Group, the Koppelaar family remains committed to its core values, especially when it comes to treating employees well. “That seems very normal to say—treat others the way you want to be treated—but that is the truth here because of family ownership,” says Koppelaar. “There’s me and my father, uncle, and brother in the business, and we treat our employees as family. We are a tight group of people working together for a common goal.”

For customers, family ownership means less red tape and the proven ability of Bay-Lynx to pivot quickly. All the decision-makers are just down the hall, and clients receive answers and advice quickly. Care and professionalism continue to build trust and earn Bay-Lynx word-of-mouth business.

“A family-run company looks from one generation to the next. A non-family corporate business looks at quarterly profits for the next quarter,” says Koppelaar. “We have strategic plans in place for the next five, 10, 15, and 20 years, not just to make profits this quarter. And yes, we have to be profitable, and are looking at those things as well, but there’s a bigger goal in mind than just short-term wins,” he tells us. “We’re building a legacy.”

The post Building the Machines that Build Your Business<p class="company">Bay-Lynx Manufacturing</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.