Industry committee  I'll quickly address both aspects. Image--it's almost become a cliché. If you walk down Ouellette Avenue, walk into any corner of this region in Windsor or in Essex County, there are businesses for sale, there are people out of work, there are families hurting. How do you chang

Industry committee  This isn't cyclical; this is structural. This is the myth that all of us in this room need to get a clear understanding of today. This is not a cyclical problem; it's a fundamental structural issue that is driven by a changing global economic landscape. The 1980s and the early 19

Industry committee  Absolutely. Brian, you're right, I think it's becoming increasingly more of a hard sell to convince young people to enter the skilled trades, because there is a perception, and it's a correct perception, that it's a dying industry. Why become a machinist or a tool apprentice if

Industry committee  I would echo the same thing that Ed and Dan have both said. It's the proverbial squeeze play. This isn't something that's new. I come to the MTDM sector from one of the big three. It's always been a way for us to push back on our supply base. If you look at the dynamics of global

Industry committee  I'll be brief on this one. I'm not sure if “crisis” is a strong enough word to describe the state of the manufacturing sector, not only in this province but in this country. It's a myth that this is a cyclical-type downturn. It's a structural problem, and this is something that I

Industry committee  I echo Mr. Parent's comments. One of the interesting things is, if you look at the 2005 APMA report, they identified not a lack of workers but a lack of workers with the right skills set and tools necessary to help us compete globally. Valiant has just entered into an agreement

Industry committee  Absolutely. Unfortunately, because of time constraints, I wasn't able to finish the address, but one of the things at Valiant that we recommend and are an advocate of is a shared-risk philosophy. If you walk into any bank today or go to a bank manager or a CEO or VP of a bank a

Industry committee  Absolutely.

Industry committee  Tax cuts are great, but we'd rather develop and have a level of profitability. We don't have a level of profitability today.

Industry committee  Good morning, Mr. Chairman and committee members. It's an honour to be here testifying on behalf of the Valiant group of companies. Valiant, founded in 1959 by Michael G. Solcz, is a fully integrated manufacturer supplying automated production systems, industrial parts cleaning