Greg Layson, Automotive News Canada
December 17, 2020
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association is launching a tooling and automation committee as the APMA and Canadian Association of Mold Makers (CAMM) go their separate ways.
APMA President Flavio Volpe notified his members of the new committee in a letter dated Dec. 15.
“How you find and train the next generation of toolmakers, how you compete with China, Korea, Germany and Japan and how you find new customers in the USA will all be on the table when the committee is convened in January 2021,” Volpe said in his letter.
For years, CAMM worked with the APMA’s in a formal capacity. The two worked on cross promotion of the Canadian auto industry, shared best practices and most recently worked together in assisting the government reach a new North American trade pact. But, the APMA is now more focused on selling its members’ skills and highlighting the entire supply industry around the world than it is hammering out trade agreements.
Project Arrow, the APMA’s all-Canadian, zero-emissions vehicle currently under development is an example of that new focus.
“How do you feature a tool maker? That’s a question the committee is going to answer,” Volpe said. “When this vehicle hits its global tour in late 2022, I want to tell the full story. If I’m going to tell the full story, I need to have the right people around the table who are telling us how to best serve them. “
Mike Bilton of Windsor Mold Group will chair the new committee, which the APMA says “will offer programming and services geared directly to mold makers.”
“We’ve got a veteran in Mike that’s going to lead us,” Volpe said.
Volpe said his mold-making members have been asking for a little more attention.
“We’re responding to our members who are in that space and want to see a specific practice within the APMA.”
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