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Talking Technology By Steve Burns, Capital News contributor Last Thursday night Okanagan Valley Manufacturers were invited to an information and networking event jointly hosted by Northern Airborne Technology Ltd. (www. northernairborne.com), the Economic Development Commission (www. edccord.com) and the Okanagan Science and Technology Council (www.ostec.ca). This unique event was the second in a series of events designed and hosted by manufacturers in our community. The first event was hosted by Pacific Safety Products in September, 2004. As the chairman of the Economic Development Commission for 2005, it was a privilege to both attend the event and participate in the opening introductions. Many thanks to Laura Gibbs and the awesome team at OSTEC for pulling off such a successful event. I can only imagine all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to make an event like this successful. Following registration at the Landmark III Technology Centre’s main conference room, we were provided with a presentation by Mr. Ray Lewis, director of business development, Northern Airborne Technology Ltd (NAT). He described the history of NAT’s manufacturing experience in the Okanagan Valley and what their current product line was. This was followed by tours of NAT's manufacturing facility and a networking reception for local manufacturers back at the Landmark III Technology Centre. NAT is one of those untold success stories in the Okanagan. NAT is typical of many manufacturers in the Okanagan that quietly go about their business, dominating international markets while continuing to grow. The tour of NAT’s facilities provided by Ray Lewis, was very useful and revealing. For instance, I did not realize the wide range of products that NAT manufactures. For instance, I did not know that NAT is a leading manufacturer of specialized aircraft communication equipment for air ambulance, law enforcement, SAR, EMS, electronic news gathering, military and marine applications. OEMs such as Bell, Eurocopter, MD Helicopters, Raytheon and Cessna have NAT products installed as standard equipment on numerous production aircraft. NAT has been a global leader in the design and manufacturer of specialized aircraft communication equipment since 1979. I have toured similar facilities that would be considered competitors of NAT but I found NAT’s manufacturing design very interesting. While I was expected to see a production line format, Ray Lewis explained NAT’s manufacturing approach this way “we don’t have a typical production line format for one simple reason. We want our team members to completely own their area. They are responsible for all aspects of their work. As a result, when they bring a product for testing to the next stage, they take complete ownership for what they are passing along. We have found that this accountability structure helps drive our team’s performance to the highest standards—something that has helped to differentiate us with our customers.” In summary, thank you to Ray Lewis and the NAT team for hosting this very successful event. Everyone that attended appreciated the opportunity to learn more of what NAT does. Thank you as well to Laura Gibbs and the OSTEC team for pulling everything together. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention another highlight of the evening—the introduction of Diana Groffen as the new executive director of OSTEC. “This is a very exciting time to be joining OSTEC. This manufacturers’ reception shows the strong impact that OSTEC continues to have in serving the needs of our science, technology, and manufacturing community. I look forward to working with the OSTEC board and members to continue to deliver outstanding value.” See you at the next manufacturers’ reception. Check the OSTEC Web site for upcoming events www.ostec.ca/events.php. Steve Burns is the president & CEO of Burns Innovation Group Inc. and Steve Burns Inc. Chartered Accountant which provide consulting and accounting services to entrepreneurs. He can be reached at 763-4716 |
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