Early adopters

C-Vision has stayed ahead of its competition by embracing lead-free manufacturing regulations

by M.E. Walker

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, especially when you take care of it. For Amherst-based C-Vision Limited, sustaining an environmentally friendly business has been the secret behind its success, but it hasn’t been easy to get to the top.

In 2002 company founder and president Chuck Cartmill purchased a 55,000-square-foot facility with a goal and only one employee to achieve it: himself. From the empty factory, he started his own electronics-manufacturing company, C-Vision Limited, which provides a wide range of services, including complete system integration, electronics assembly, cable assemblies, design services, and prototyping.

Four years and 100 employees later, the company is surpassing its competitors and making its mark as a leader in electronics manufacturing. In 2005 C-Vision became one of the first electronics manufacturers in North America to design and implement a lead-free manufacturing program that meets the international regulations introduced by the European Union in 2002. The new regulations, called RoHs Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment and WEEE Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment , force companies to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous material in their products, including the lead found in solder, a product used in electronics manufacturing.

With the WEEE directive in place in 2005 and RoHS following in 2006, C-Vision has stayed ahead of its competition by embracing these new regulations early on. Cartmill says companies that haven’t begun to consider the implications of the new regulations will be faced with many obstacles down the road. “There are many Canadian and U.S. companies that are dragging their heels,” he says. “How do you expect to not only survive but also maintain a profit when your competition, which is EU compliant, is growing by the day ”

It took one year for C-Vision to begin offering lead-free circuit-board assemblies, which called on the hard work of almost all of its employees. In fact, it was supplying RoHS-compliant products several months before the effective date. With the lead-free trials completed in January of 2005, the manufacturing-readiness program required the company to retrace and re-evaluate every part of its operation, purchase new equipment, and introduce a lead-free assembly line.

By refusing to comply with these directives, companies can’t sell their products abroad and are left to compete at a heavy disadvantage. With countries such as Japan and South Korea already implementing RoHS-compliant practices, many Canadian and American exporters are only beginning to recognize the impact these directives will have on future business.

Shifting its production process was a big challenge, but for C-Vision there was no option. “If we wanted to keep our existing customers while creating opportunities to grow our export sales, we needed to recognize new regulations and adopt them as quickly as possible to remain a leader in our industry,” says Cartmill. “The EU legislation isn’t a short-term prescription, and quite a few North American companies realized this fact too late.”

While some companies are fighting a tough battle in the demand for lead-free products, C-Vision plans to continue building its customer base. The company recently announced a prequalifying opportunity with two new customers, depending on the size of their production requirements. C-Vision is confident that this offer will attract customers that are dealing with tight deadlines and production shortfalls.

The company’s progressive attitude has been recognized by the industry, current and future clients, and organizations such as Dalhousie University’s Eco Efficiency Centre. Cartmill was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs in 2006 and was chosen as one of three finalists for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for manufacturing. The company also received the New Exporter Award at the 2006 Nova Scotia Export Achievement Awards in Halifax. “Our adaptability has been our strongest asset, and I also attribute a lot of our success to our employees who have dedicated themselves to meeting these new regulations,” says Cartmill. “By meeting the directives set out by the EU, C-Vision is opening many doors of opportunity internationally and eager to explore these new possibilities in the near future.”