‘Holding your breath and waiting isn’t going to work’: Companies discuss diversification at London manufacturing conference

Manufacturing conference in London urges manufacturers to diversify as U.S. tariffs remain a major issue. CTV London’s Bryan Bicknell reports.

London area manufacturers are being told they must diversify, in both products and market, or they will have a difficult time surviving U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.

“So when we quote a product that might be kicked off in two months u

nder normal circumstances, six months later we’re still waiting for a decision,” said Ben Whitney, the president of London-based Armo Tool.

The company develops automated or robotic systems for other companies to make their products. In the face of the trade war, it has had to shift gears. That means taking on new contracts it might not have considered in the past, said Whitney.

“For instance, we delivered a robotic pizza kitchen that is in the Columbus Airport, to defense work, to cannabis edible packaging shell, to our automotive bread and butter,” he explained.

Whitney was among 1,000 manufacturing professionals from companies across the region taking part in Manufacturing Matters. The largest conference of its kind in Canada, attracting industry leaders, policy makers and innovators.

Kapil Lakhotia, the President and CEO of the London Economic Development Corporation, says this year the state of global trade is resulting in new potential opportunities.

“At this conference alone, for the first time, we had companies from Quebec, and a delegation from Germany as well, where manufacturers from the state of Niedersachsen were here talking to different local suppliers about potential collaborations and partnerships in the future,” he said.

It’s the new reality manufacturing related businesses have had to come to terms with- diversify or become a casualty of the trade war.

Jason Bates, the general manager of the London Region Manufacturing Council, which hosted the event, says local companies are faring well so far.

“There’s some new plants, as I mentioned, coming to town. We’re not seeing mass layoffs, as a whole. Certainly there’s been some places affected here and there, but overall the sector is weathering the storm pretty good,” said Bates.

In the meantime, a resignation that the Canada-U.S. trade relationship may never go back to what it was pre-Trump.

Ben Whitney says it’s up to the government to help open doors, and to each company to adapt accordingly.

“We’re either going to build policies and capabilities and be able to thrive with things as they are, or things will get a little bit better. But holding your breath and waiting isn’t going to work,” said Whitney.