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Manufacturing Excellence Forum - GTA
Join us for a dynamic in-person event tailored to tackle today’s manufacturing challenges while unlocking opportunities for future growth. Designed to spark ideas, foster collaboration, and drive innovation, this forum will leave you energized, informed, and ready to lead with confidence.
Location: Vaughan Metropolitan Centre — Hwy 400 & Hwy 7 (exact address to be disclosed upon registration)
Agenda:
8:00am – 8:30am – Registration & Networking Breakfast
8:30am – 8:45am – Opening Remarks
8:45am – 9:15am – Keynote address – Christy Michalak, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Development Programs at NGen
9:15am – 9:30am – Networking Break
9:30am – 10:30am – Panel Discussion: Unlocking Operational Excellence — How Small Improvements Drive Big Results
Panelists: Byron Leclair, President, fluidconcepts; Koyinsola Olorode, Sr Manager of Process Improvement, Griffith Foods; Jamey Heaton, Director of Operations, Wholesome Kids Catering
10:30am – 10:45am – Networking Break
10:45am – 11:45am Breakout Sessions:
- Productivity: Leading through the Chaos — Using Lean strategies to create productivity prowess, flexibility to respond to challenges, and develop new relationships. Speaker/facilitator: Chad Metcalf, President, Value Stream Solutions Inc.
- Solving the Productivity Puzzle — Interactive roundtable discussion about Canadian productivity. Speaker/facilitator: Matt Weller, EMC.
11:45am – 12:30pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Plant Tour at fluidconcepts, EMC Member in Vaughan. fluidconcepts is premier designer and manufacturer of innovative, creative commercial interior workspaces. (Limited number of spots available for the tour).
More Info
Keynote Address
Manufacturing Outlook 2025: Navigating Trends in a Turbulent Economy
Join us to explore the latest trends shaping the manufacturing industry amidst economic uncertainty. Discover how manufacturers are responding to disruptions with strategic shifts and innovative practices, leveraging technology to build resilience and agility.
Keynote Speaker
Christy Michalak, Director, Manufacturing Development Programs
Christy Michalak is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Queen’s University. In her 20 years in the automotive, aerospace and defence industries, Christy has had the pleasure of working for, and consulting with, major multi-national manufacturers and SME’s from around the globe. Today she is fortunate to continue to collaborate with members at NGen Canada, the not-for-profit running Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing, where she is the Director of Advanced Manufacturing Development Programs. Christy also sits on the board of the Canadian Composites Knowledge Network, acts an Industrial Advisor for the Canadian Robotics Council, and is Vice-Chair of the Canadian Standards Association’s Committee for Smart Manufacturing.
Panel Discussion
Unlocking Operational Excellence — How Small Improvements Drive Big Results
Join us for a dynamic and inspiring panel discussion that dives into the real-world impact of continuous improvement in manufacturing. Hear directly from three seasoned leaders who have successfully implemented lean principles and continuous improvement within their organizations—transforming operations, enhancing productivity, and driving measurable results.
Whether you’re a small shop or a large-scale operation, this session will reveal how small, strategic changes can lead to big gains in efficiency, quality, and profitability. Expect honest insights, practical takeaways, and actionable ideas you can apply right away, no matter your industry or scale.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from those who’ve walked the walk—and start unlocking your own path to operational excellence.
Panelists
Byron Leclair, President, fluidconcepts
fluidconcepts was founded in 2001 by Byron Leclair, who serves as the President of the company. With a background in Industrial Design from Carleton University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, Byron envisioned creating a company that would deliver unique and innovative office products and services for modern workplaces. This vision culminated in the establishment of fluidconcepts, a design and office furniture manufacturing firm dedicated to seamlessly blending functionality with aesthetics and ultimately transforming office environments
Koyinsola Olorode, Sr Manager of Process Improvement, Griffith Foods
Koyinsola Olorode is a multi-award winning Operational Excellence leader driving digital transformation, strategic growth and cultural change across global CPG and Food Manufacturing industries with 15+ years at P&G, Unilever & Griffith Foods. She has led large-scale efficiency, automation and transformation initiatives that optimize performance and profitability. She has been consistently recognized for curiosity, adaptability and learning agility.
Jamey Heaton, Director of Operations, Wholesome Kids Catering
Jamey Heaton has over 25 years of experience in various senior leadership roles, where he has successfully managed operations, product development, and full P&L responsibilities across multiple industries. He has successfully introduced Lean Six Sigma methodologies and various lean tools across multiple organizations, leading to significant improvements in efficiency, quality, and operational excellence resulting in over $10M in savings, customer fill rates over 99.5%, quality scores over 99%, and increased customer satisfaction.
Breakout Session 1
TOPIC: Productivity: Leading Through the Chaos
Using Lean Strategies to create productivity prowess, flexibility to respond to challenges, and develop new relationships
In this session, our speaker will lead us through a review of the familiar, highlighted in new ways, so that companies can respond appropriately to the business challenges we are currently facing. Now, more then ever, making sure your business focusses on adding value to your customers while reducing wasteful activities, is key. We will explore specific tools and processes used to help free processes and workers from burden and roadblocks and discuss a few case studies to show how some companies have implemented real change.
Speaker: Chad Metcalf, President, Value Stream Solutions Inc.
As a recognized leader in process improvement, Chad has helped guide companies and individuals to phenomenal results. His expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Leadership and Team development, developed through years of practical application in manufacturing and service organizations throughout North America, gives him the ability to relate big picture thinking to real world implementation.
His education includes a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Technology from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota and a college diploma in Electronics Engineering Technology from Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology in Barrie, Ontario. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt that has led and mentored dozens of other ‘Belts’ and coached them in their projects. In addition to leading change in manufacturing, engineering and service, Chad’s experience also includes kaizen improvements in administration, sales, call centers, health & safety, human resources, IT and accounting.
Breakout Session 2
TOPIC: Solving the Productivity Puzzle: A Roundtable on Reindustrialization
Productivity is the one metric that measures if all efforts and interventions — process improvements, labour training, adoption of technology, and business strategies — are working or not. Since 1997, Canada has continued to invest in capital and resources only to have our manufacturing productivity continuously decline. We’ll examine some persistent root causes and 3 areas to focus on for the solutions: 1) a national reindustrialization strategy, 2) a rethink of education/knowledge development/funding, and 3) building a connected, active manufacturing ecosystem. This will be an interactive roundtable discussion led by EMC Supply Chain/Productivity Expert Matt Weller.
Speaker: Matt Weller, CPIM
With over 25 years of experience across manufacturing sectors, Matt applies a systems-thinking approach to drive strategic supply chain improvements for EMC members.
At EMC, Matt works directly with small and medium-sized manufacturers across Canada to strengthen supply chain resilience, improve productivity, and support growth. He provides practical support to help members navigate supply chain challenges, optimize operations, and adapt to changing domestic and global markets.
Facility Tour
Location: fluidconcepts (151 N Rivermede Rd, Concord, ON L4K 3N7)
About fluidconcepts:
fluidconcepts is an award-winning, industry-leading designer, manufacturer, and retailer of contemporary office furniture. Since 2001, we have been supplying unique and intelligent office furniture for architectural and interior design professionals, dealers, and end users throughout Canada and the United States.
Our goal is to provide unbeatable world-class service and customer support that meets the needs of our clients, and surpasses their expectations.
Through a highly-customizable process that extends from customer-focused design to post-occupancy evaluation, we provide creative and effective workplace solutions for customers seeking differentiated, intelligent office workspace solutions at affordable prices.
NOTE: As limited space is available, admission for the plant tour is not guaranteed. We will contact you at a later date to confirm your registration for the the plant tour.
Sponsorship / Partnership Opportunities
Please click here to review opportunities for sponsorship. We look forward to hearing from you!
