JUNE 2016 / WELDING JOURNAL 83 Enthusiasm for FABTECH Canada continues to grow as evidenced by the more than 300 exhibiting companies that welcomed 7414 visitors to the country’s largest metalforming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event. This third successful FABTECH Canada event, the biggest show thus far, occupied 85,750 net square feet of floor space at the Toronto Congress Centre March 22–24. FABTECH Canada is cosponsored by the American Welding Society, SME, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, Precision Metalforming Association, and Chemical Coaters Association International. Keynote Address Retired Canadian Army Major General David Fraser (Fig. 1) kicked off the show with a keynote address to a standing room-only crowd. In a talk titled “Leadership, Strategy, and Innovation in the Manufacturing Business,” Fraser compared the commercial business world to the military and found the two groups have more in common than they do differences. Fraser is now chief operating officer of the INKAS® group of companies, which manufactures armored cars and bulletproof vehicles for military and civilian use — Fig. 2. Whether for a military or business operation, Fraser stated, “Selection of the aim is the primary objective.” Other key elements to follow are “maintenance of the aim, maintenance of morale, offensive action, security, surprise, concentration of force, economy of effort, flexibility, cooperation, and sustainability.” While many believe manufacturing is not as important to Canada’s economy as it once was, Fraser said, “The perception is not the reality. Manufacturing is 11% of Canada’s GDP (gross domestic product).” In fact, it is the second largest sector of the country’s economy, following real estate selling, management, and renting, at 12.5% of the GDP. Seventy-eight percent of Canada’s exports are to the United States, he said. Of Canada’s 36.5 million people, Fraser noted, 1.7 million are directly employed by its 1.1 million manufacturing businesses and another 3 million are employed indirectly. INKAS recently reshored its manufacturing operations from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, back to Canada, Fraser said, in large part because of the quality of available workers. “There is no question about the quality of the people in this room or on the INKAS shop floor,” he noted. “The quality of the people in Dubai was questionable,” he said, because many came from all over the world and had no direct ties to the country. “Your most important asset is your people. They’re not a resource but an asset,” he said, mentioning he does not like the terms HR or human resources. He spoke about his military team in Afghanistan and how they relied on each other to survive. “There is no difference at INKAS,” he said. “You have to rely on your team to survive as a business.” Both public and private enterprises need leadership, he continued. “Understanding the aim and understanding people are paramount to a company’s success.” Three areas where the military and the private sector differ are succession planning, training, and the numbers of people available. In the military, the succession of leaders is very clear. That should be very important to companies as well, but often is not, he said. The military spends 60% of its time in training, but in the commercial world, it’s mostly on-the-job training. “Training is time and money, and we’re always trying to make sales,” he said. And, especially in small- to mid-sized companies such as INKAS, “we’re one person deep in most positions.” Staffs are much smaller in the private sector, noting he quickly discovered he has to do many things himself that someone else was available for when he was in the army. As well attended as Fraser’s keynote and the additive manufacturing/3D printing panel discussion the next day were, the greatest energy at the exhibition was on the show floor. Attendees had the opportunity to see products demonstrated and learn about costand time-saving solutions. Following are just a few of the products that caught the eye of the Welding Journal. Fig. 1 — David Fraser, COO of the INKAS group of companies and a retired Canadian Army major general, emphasized how both public and private enterprises need strong leadership in his keynote address. Fig. 2 — Two INKAS armored vehicles, including this SUV based on a Mercedes-Benz G Class, were on display at the entranceway to the show.
Welding Journal | June 2016
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