On June 22, 2023, CAMM held our AGM with an excellent turnout. There was a lot of buzz in the room and it was a great time and chance to connect with those whom we have not seen in quite some time!
Thank you Andrew Dowie, P.Eng. And John and Lori Dobrowolsky our guest speakers and Victor Fedeli who couldn’t make it but sent a video message!
With CAMM’s over 40 year history, there have been many events, pictures, awards and other items collected over the years and courtesy of Mike Hicks, CAMM’s unofficial historian, a nostalgia table was set up to share some of CAMM’s great history! These items would not have had the opportunity to be viewed without Mike and his long time dedication to CAMM! Thank you Mike!
Thank you to our sponsors Laval Tool and Mould Ltd and AceTronic Industrial Controls Inc and Megatel CNC Solutions Inc.John Donald who sponsored drink tickets for everyone!
At the AGM, it was announced that 4 members of our Board of Directors would be stepping down while 2 new members were joining.
Scott Allen stepped down as Vice Chair, Tim Galbraith after a number of years of dedication and support, also stepped down and gave a speech about his years of service. Tracy Pringle and Phil Malenfant also stepped away from the board, and although not in attendance, were recognized as well. CAMM has been lucky to have these individuals on our Board of Directors. Their dedication, knowledge and overall contribution to the Board has been appreciated and has been significant, Board members are volunteers and we have been lucky to have such amazing people!
John Thompson and Saylo Lam have stepped up to join our Board of Directors. Their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to Board discussions and strategic planning.
We wish our outgoing board members well and look forward to working with the new members of the board!
In addition to these items, CAMM voted to change their bylaws which passed without opposition.
Reports were also given about the past year and the upcoming year for the association.
In the past year, CAMM has seen a 10% increase in new members, new partnerships, increased events, a successful wage and benefits survey, and approved funding applications enabling us to work on projects. CAMM has partnered with McMasters University offering reduced cost training to our members, Family Services of Peel to ensure our members have access to apprenticeship funding and services and the FOCAL initiative and OVIN to ensure our members have a voice contributing to programs addressing the skilled talent shortage.
Attendees were introduced to a tool developed with NGen funding – CAMM Connects – a portal that will connect member companies to business opportunities nationally and internationally. In addition to reducing the need for international travel to obtain new business, CAMM Connects also facilitates the Federal Government initiative to increase exports to new markets. Within CAMM Connects, members will be matched with opportunities based on their profile and capabilities. Contact [email protected] to receive a link where you can create a profile and be the first to receive updates and access to oppportunities.
For the year ahead, CAMM discussed their clear strategy to achieve our goals. CAMM’s Strategic pillars guide our activity for the betterment of our members and industry.
CAMM builds skills and knowledge for our members through numerous channels, such as newsletters, webinars and in-person events. Canadian advanced manufacturing needs a strong brand promoting high quality products for a good value, promotion will be included through increased representation of our association and members.
We have increased our social media presence, which has led to new relationships for our association and increased exposure of our member companies. In the past 6 months we have seen a 74% increase in followers, 80% increase in unique visitors and the highest engagement yet on our LinkedIn account. In the coming months, we will work on a cohesive marketing strategy to further increase this exposure while also working on our website, increasing search engine optimization, and enhancing content for our members.
New funding applications to complete projects to assist our members are also within the plans for the upcoming year. The first edition of the CAMM magazine will release in the Fall, with great anticipation.
CAMM also committed to an increased presence on Manufacturing Day and Girls Day, as well as a commitment to youth engagement in our industry.
The upcoming year will be that of improvement and growth for CAMM and for increased value and the overall betterment of our industry and member companies.
