CAMM MAGAZINE The official magazine of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers Issue 6, Winter 2025-2026 Canada Post Publications Agreements Number: 40609661 Charting New Paths for Industry Growth BREAKING THE MOLD:The official publication of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers |www.canadianassociationofmoldmakers.com 3 Issue 6, Winter 2025-2026 Published For: The Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM) Institute for Border Logistics and Security 5844 Malden Road, Unit #140, Mailbox #302 Windsor, Ontario N9J 1S4 Email: info@camm.ca Tel: (519) 818-8866 Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Return all undeliverable addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll-Free: (866) 999-1299 Toll-Free Fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net www.matrixgroupinc.net President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Publisher Jessica Potter jpotter@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers Julie Welsh, Christine Scarisbrick Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Editors Paul Adair, Jenna Collignon, Rich Cowan, Kaitlin Vitt Finance / Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager Jeff Cash jcash@matrixgroupinc.net Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 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To advertise in the next edition of CAMM Magazine, please e-mail sales@matrixgroupinc.net or call (866) 999-1299. contents 8 Using Virtual to Teach Real-World Skills: Calian’s Immersive Solutions Team is Transforming Industrial Training Through Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality 11 Building the Future Workforce: How Build a Dream is Strengthening Canada’s Skilled Trades Pipeline Greetings 4 Greetings from the Chair of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers 5 Greetings from the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers 6 All About the Canadian Association of Moldmakers 7 CAMM Board of Directors 7 Why Should You Join CAMM? Features Member Spotlights 13 The Business of Legacy: Private Financial Group 15 Maya HTT: From Heat Transfer Pioneers to Cloud-Based Innovators 18 Index to Advertisers4 Winter 2025-2026 Greetings from the Chair of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers Natalia Stephen Chair, Board of Directors Canadian Association of Moldmakers Greetings Looking back on 2025 – my first year as Chair of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM) – I can say it has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. I stepped into the role in April, right in the middle of several major initiatives, and from day one, it’s been full speed ahead. Our biggest accomplishment last year was securing nearly $3 million through the Ontario’s Skills Development Fund (SDF). This investment has proven to be phenomenal for CAMM and the mold making industry. It has allowed us to expand our training and outreach, develop new digital tools, and bring innovative learning experiences to several schools and companies across Ontario. Instead of our traditional Manufacturing Week, we decided to host a Manufacturing Month, visiting multiple schools and introducing students to the world of mold making through virtual reality (VR). At a school in Burlington, we met students as young as Grades 7 and 8 who got the opportunity to explore virtual mold shops, operate CNC machines, and we showed them molded parts that the machines could make. Watching their curiosity and excitement demonstrated how powerful early engagement can be. If we want to attract the next generation of skilled workers, we need to start this introduction earlier – not waiting for college, when it could be too late. Through the SDF, we also launched such initiatives as remote VR-based training and introduced our new CAMM website, which will include a capabilities map and online training hub for members. These tools will help us build a stronger, more connected community across Canada. I would also like to acknowledge Nicole Vlanich, whose energy and commitment have been all important in making all this happen. She’s done a phenomenal job leading these initiatives and keeping our projects moving forward. The excitement throughout CAMM is real. We’ve welcomed new members from the Greater Toronto Area and Quebec, along with new sponsors – not only mold makers but also molders. For me, that’s a dream coming true. I’ve always believed CAMM should be a voice for the entire plastics manufacturing industry – mold makers, molders, engineers, and suppliers alike. By coming together, we can speak with even greater strength, especially when it comes to advocating for plastics and advanced manufacturing in Canada. In January, we continued this conversation with an event featuring a medical plastics engineer who discussed the challenges of running molds with biodegradable and recyclable resins – an important topic for our members and a great example of the kind of technical value CAMM wants to provide. We’ve also worked diligently to grow our presence beyond Windsor, hosting events like last year’s town hall on trade and tariffs, which was attended by over 90 participants, including MPs and industry leaders. The turnout was fantastic, and we plan to host more events like it to connect mold makers, molders, and suppliers together in one room. Collaboration and open dialogue are key to our success. Last year also deepened my appreciation for our members, especially those in the automotive mold making sector. These companies are among the best in the world, but they operate under enormous pressure – managing cash flow, meeting tight deadlines, and maintaining quality while remaining competitive. Their resilience and expertise are what make this industry world-class. I am looking ahead with optimism about 2026. With the Canada-United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) renegotiations on the horizon and new hybrid and traditional automotive programs launching, I believe we’ll see a renewed demand for tooling. When that happens, Canada’s mold makers will be ready. We’re already seeing a shift toward domestic production. My own company has gained new customers from Quebec, Vancouver, and various provinces that previously sent molds to the U.S. That tells me interprovincial collaboration is growing – and that’s a positive sign for the entire sector. If I could make one wish for this year, it would be this: “That our members thrive, our association continues to grow, and CAMM keeps helping our industry through meaningful programs and partnerships.” 2025 has shown what’s possible when we work together. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved – and even more excited for what’s ahead. If we want to attract the next generation of skilled workers, we need to start this introduction earlier – not waiting for college, when it could be too late.The official publication of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers |www.canadianassociationofmoldmakers.com 5 Greetings from the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers Nicole Vlanich Executive Director Canadian Association of Moldmakers nicole@camm.ca Greetings As we close another transformative year for the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM), I am proud to reflect on the momentum our sector has built together. 2025 was a year of growth, advocacy, industry leadership, and undeniable progress for mold making in Ontario and across Canada. Last year, CAMM continued to do what we do best: strengthen the business climate for mold makers, amplify our industry’s voice, and build the workforce needed for the future. Membership expanded, engagement deepened, and our partnerships flourished. We secured record sponsorships, increased attendance at signature events, and elevated CAMM’s presence provincially, federally, and internationally. The TechBridge workforce development initiative was one of our most impactful achievements, made possible by the Skills Development Fund. We advanced curriculum development alongside our industry advisory partners, hosted Manufacturing Month events that reached thousands of students and educators and expanded virtual reality (VR)-based training development to address real-world skills gaps. Hands-on school visits, career awareness campaigns, employer readiness tools, and wraparound supports laid the groundwork for a pipeline that connects young talent and under-represented groups to careers in mold making. CAMM’s voice was also heard in policy discussions connected to skilled trades, training investment, manufacturing competitiveness, trade exposure, export readiness, and Ontario’s changing workforce needs. Through government relations, submissions, presentations, and media engagement, we reinforced the importance of mold making to innovation, supply chain resilience, reshoring, and national economic strength. Our events and outreach programs extended CAMM’s impact in new ways. Members participated in Manufacturing Month tours, industry panels, school engagements, and networking programs that connected leaders, innovators, and the next generation. CAMM strengthened collaboration with educational institutions, workforce development partners, government departments, and industry associations, all working toward the same goal: ensuring mold making remains a strong and thriving sector. Internally, we advanced governance modernization, operational tools, financial reporting, member services, and communication strategies. These investments continue to strengthen CAMM’s capacity to support its members and drive measurable value. What stands out most about 2025 is the sense of shared purpose. Our members attended school visits to showcase careers to students. They served on advisory committees. They invested in training. They championed the trades and demonstrated why mold making is a world-class profession. As we step into 2026, our focus remains clear: continuing to advocate for mold makers, building capacity in the workforce pipeline, expanding member value, and elevating the visibility of our industry. Together, we are shaping the future of mold making in Canada – one program, one partnership, and one young career at a time. Some things to look forward to include: more events, which will include a number of events outside of Windsor-Essex, further growth for TechBridge, more youth engagement through school visits and scheduled shop tours, advocacy, and real member value! Thank you to our members, partners, and industry champions for your leadership, engagement, and belief in what we can accomplish collectively. Your commitment is the foundation of CAMM’s success. Mold making remains one of the most innovative, resilient, and opportunity-rich sectors in Ontario. With your continued support, the best is yet to come. Last year, CAMM continued to do what we do best: strengthen the business climate for mold makers, amplify our industry’s voice, and build the workforce needed for the future.6 Winter 2025-2026 n 1981, the Windsor Association of Moldmakers (WAMM) was established to provide a unified voice for mold makers. As the industry grew, the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM) was established in 1991 to represent the industry locally, nationally, and globally. The Canadian Association of Moldmakers is the leading, national association representing Canadian mold makers, service providers, and suppliers. For over 40 years, CAMM has advocated for our industry on the world stage. CAMM represents a vibrant community of companies that share common goals and dedication to our sector. CAMM represents our members and remains committed to addressing key industry issues, advancing our industry, and increasing industry awareness. We participate in international discussions to provide insights on behalf of our members and advocate for impactful change, while boosting our industry presence globally. Through membership and/or sponsorship, companies receive access to a number of benefits, including access to apprenticeship funding and services, access to discount programs for members and their staff, marketing support, promotion opportunities, and attendance at events and trade shows. We help members with sales growth and business opportunities, and advocate for changes in training through our partners in the education sector. Manufacturing contributes over 10 per cent of Canada’s GDP. In 2021, manufacturing represented 68 per cent of Canadian exports and the sector employs over 1.7 million people with quality, well- paying, full-time jobs. Five of the top North American mold makers are located in Canada, and the top four are in Ontario. To remain competitive, mold makers must evolve with new technologies and incorporate automation into manufacturing systems and processes. Although many mold makers are involved in the automotive industry, our sector has embraced diversity; many mold makers are involved in the development of products including housewares, personal care products, food packaging, and medical supplies. One of the biggest challenges our sector is currently facing is the skilled labour shortage. CAMM continues to work with our partners to cultivate innovative ways to address key issues, including changes to training, funding, and immigration. CAMM has an impressive record of successfully translating our ideas into actions. All About the Canadian Association of Moldmakers GREETINGS Connect With CAMM! www.canadianassociationofmoldmakers.com info@camm.ca https://x.com/CMoldmakers www.facebook.com/CanadianMoldmakers Search “Canadian Association of Mold Makers (CAMM)” Led by a Board of Directors comprised of industry experts, CAMM’s strategic pillars provide a roadmap for our activities and focus. Our pillars and roadmap ensure that we are addressing the needs of our member companies. Two of our strategic pillars are Skill and Talent Development, and Technology and Innovation. The sustainability of our sector is heavily dependent on attracting skilled talent. To address this key industry challenge, CAMM continues to work with our partners to provide current insights and develop programs that will develop a talent pipeline that is skilled, ready, and interested in working in our sector. Our future is heavily dependent on attracting underrepresented groups and promoting the opportunities available to secondary and post-secondary students and their parents. CAMM advocates the importance of skills development, both federally and provincially, in addition to the importance of enacting changes to training, upskilling and reskilling opportunities, curriculum changes, and wage supplementation. In addition to allowing companies to remain competitive, the adoption of technology and innovation assists members with skilled labour challenges. Companies that implement automation can upskill or reskill their current staff to new, more advanced roles. CAMM supports small- and medium- sized manufacturing companies throughout their digital transformation and provides supports as members evolve. PLEASE CONTACT NICOLE@CAMM.CA IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING MEMBERSHIPS OR SPONSORSHIPS.The official publication of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers |www.canadianassociationofmoldmakers.com 7 For over 40 years, CAMM has represented the Canadian mold making sector. As a CAMM member, you are connected to a large network of like-minded professionals. Our strategic vision is to advocate for and promote our members on the world stage, while providing programming and opportunities that allow them to learn and grow. CAMM members receive access to: • Education and training opportunities on important industry topics, such as exporting, cybersecurity, taxation, and government initiatives. • Representation at trade missions. • Opportunities to attend international trade shows. • Exhibition opportunities. • Member rates at CAMM’s annual golf tournament. • Business to business networking opportunities. • Access to member service partners, such as Peninsula Canada. • Member discount programs that are available to members and their staff. • Promotion and marketing opportunities. • Apprenticeship funding and services. • Funding information and support. • Up-to-date industry news. • Sales and marketing support to increase business. CAMM is committed to: • Advocating for our members to all levels of government. • Making connections for our members, with Industry Canada and Trade Commissioners. Natalia Stephen CMC Nickel Plating Interim Chair Darryl Grattix Molded Precision Components Director at Large Mike Hicks DMS Director of Events Jonathon Azzopardi Laval Interim Director at Large Cyrus Jebely Cap-Thin Molds/MoulExpert Director at Large Isaac Adisho CST Studios Director at Large Catherine Blanchet Optimoule Director at Large John Thompson Cimatron Director at Large Will Cipkar Jr. Crest Mold Director at Large Lisa Donnelly Ives Insurance Director at Large Diane Carr Cap-Thin Molds Treasurer Dave Fortin DataRealm Automate Canada Chair Nicole Vlanich Executive Director 519-818-8866 / nicole@camm.ca • Providing opportunities for members to participate in market research and government research. • Providing members with comprehensive market research results. • Preparing an annual wage and benefits survey and providing results. • Representing our members at international trade shows and trade missions. • Developing programs and services that meet the needs of our members. • Listening to our members and providing real solutions to challenges. • Contributing to the development of the next generation of skilled workers. • Assisting our members to identify export opportunities. Our main objective as an association is to promote the mold making industry locally, nationally, and internationally as well as provide representation on behalf of our industry to federal and provincial governments. In conjunction with that, CAMM weighs in on government initiatives and provides important insight on behalf of the industries we serve, ensuring our inclusion in global marketing initiatives to develop trade and business opportunities for our members. Through memberships and sponsorships, CAMM provides several benefits. If you are interested in joining CAMM please email nicole@camm.ca. LEARN MORE AND JOIN ONLINE! Board of Directors Why Should You Join CAMM?8 Winter 2025-2026 hen Matt Thomas first began using his love for technology back in 2014, virtual reality (VR) was more science fiction than workplace tool. The equipment was clunky, the graphics rudimentary – and the system worked “about 50 per cent of the time,” he recalls. But Thomas was able to see beyond the glitches. “Even then, you could see what it could be,” he says. “It wasn’t about the tech – it was about the potential to learn differently.” That interest and curiosity led to the creation of SimWave, a small Ottawa- based company that began with enhancing museum exhibits and has since evolved into Calian Group’s Immersive Solutions team, over time becoming a world-class developer of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality training systems that are transforming the ways in which industries are training their workforces. Moving into immersive training The first projects that SimWave secured were both creative and ambitious. Working with some forward-thinking museums throughout North America, the team built fully sensory VR exhibits. At one exhibit, visitors to the Canadian War Museum could experience the Battle of Vimy Ridge through sight, sound, vibration, and even smell. Floors rumbled with distant artillery. The air carried the scent of smoke. Heat flared as shells landed nearby. “We wanted people to feel history,” Thomas says. Another experience that SimWave developed for the Discovery Place Science Center in Charlotte, North Carolina shrank visitors down to microscopic size for an educational journey through the human body. As Thomas puts it, “sort of like the Magic School Bus.” Both were early signs of the potential for immersive learning to teach complex ideas experientially rather than theoretically. Yet another exhibit allowed visitors to experience being the engineer on the CN6400 steam locomotive at the Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. The museum experiments proved to Thomas and the SimWave team that, as he puts it, “If it can survive a day in a museum with hundreds of kids using it, it can survive anywhere.” Those early experiments became the team’s training ground – not just for building simulations, but for understanding how people engage with interactive environments. VR training through experience In 2015, before modern hand-tracking existed, Thomas’s team literally taped an infrared sensor to a VR headset to track gestures. “We were hacking our way forward,” he says. “There were no online tutorials back then – we were the tutorials.” Those early experimentation experiences led to a string of breakthroughs, including “interactive theatres” that used projectors and motion sensors to immerse entire rooms of people into dynamic virtual worlds. While not traditional VR, those projects taught an important lesson: immersion isn’t just about the hardware – it’s about presence. “If people forget about the technology and just react naturally, you’ve done your job,” Thomas explains. Working with Calian When SimWave was acquired by Calian Group Ltd., the opportunities to implement the technology expanded greatly. Calian’s multitude of operations in defense, healthcare, energy, and manufacturing opened doors to complex, real-world applications for the immersive technology. “Suddenly, we could take what we’d built and apply it across every division of Calian,” Thomas says. “Healthcare one week, nuclear the next, then defense or manufacturing.” Calian’s Immersive Solutions Team is Transforming Industrial Training Through Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Feature USING VIRTUAL TO TEACH REAL-WORLD SKILLS By Rich Cowan, Staff Writer Matt Thomas, Director of Immersive Technologies, CalianThe official publication of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers |www.canadianassociationofmoldmakers.com 9 For healthcare, Calian’s Immersive Team creates fully explorable 3D digital replicas of hospitals, allowing nurses, doctors, and first responders to rehearse high-pressure situations –code blues, patient aggression, medication errors – without real-world risk. “When something stressful happens in the real world on the ward, their brains already know the space,” Thomas explains. “They’ve been there before, virtually. That makes them faster, calmer, and more confident.” Practicing in safer environments Immersive training is equally valuable in potentially dangerous, or high-cost industries such as oil and gas, hydroelectricity, and nuclear power. “Think about someone climbing a 40-foot hydro pole or refueling a ship at sea,” Thomas says. “Mistakes there aren’t just expensive – they’re dangerous. In VR, they can fail safely, learn from it, and try again.” Calian recently developed a “replenishment at sea” simulator for the Royal Canadian Navy, training sailors to coordinate the transfer of fuel and cargo between vessels, which can be a delicate operation in rough conditions. “By the time they’re on deck, they’ve practiced it dozens of times in VR,” says Thomas. “That kind of preparation saves lives.” The value of partnership Every immersive training solution begins with collaboration. Calian’s team works closely with subject matter experts (SMEs) from the various fields of their clients – engineers, medical professionals, or skilled tradespeople – to capture every detail of real-world operations. Thomas explains, “We’re not doctors or naval officers or mold makers. We’re experts in building meaningful, realistic training experiences. So, we work hand-in-hand with the people who are.” That partnership helps to ensure accuracy and buy-in from the beginning. Each client owns their final product, built using Calian’s proprietary development framework, Core Suite. Core Suite includes a library of pre-built interactions, such as opening doors, turning valves, or twisting light bulbs. This library speeds up development while maintaining high results. “It means we don’t reinvent the wheel every time,” Thomas says. “We just keep adding new threads.” TEACH LS A virtual reality truck connector. A 3D asset of the Arburg 570e Allrounder Injection Molder within a VR mold making environment. A Canadian Association of Moldmakers virtual reality scenario environment. The three inset photos are courtesy of Calian Group Ltd.Next >