C.L. Decor Ltd. - Saint-François-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick
www.cldecor.com
Camille Landry was an innovative thinker almost before the term was coined.
In 1983, he started a company, C. L. Decor Ltd. in Saint-François-de-Madawaska in northwestern New Brunswick, to add value to "waste" wood from lumber mills by manufacturing rolling pins and cutting boards.
Computer technology was an integral part of the operation from the start.
So too, was an attitude of continually upgrading the skills of the people working for him so that they could use the technology to produce a superior product. "Quality was always number one," he says.
The company, with 18 employees, now exports its unique line of maple hardwood rolling pins, serving trays, boards, chopping blocks, breadboxes and other kitchen items into the United States, Mexico and European markets. A big client is Martha Stewart.
The company made a major expansion in 2001, adding eight employees and a state-of-the-art cutting machine that more than quadrupled the rate of production. "Technology is very important," says Landry. "With the machines that we have now, we know exactly how many pieces we can make and we build our production schedule around that. We have a reputation for delivering our product on time and in the right quantities."
With updated technology comes the need for training, of course, which can be expensive. The firm recently spent $4,000 to train one operator on one machine. "It's worthwhile," says Landry. "Training that person has increased the number of pieces rolling off the line by 25 to 35 per cent." Landry has no fear that money invested in people will be wasted. "If you treat employees the way you would like to be treated, they stay with you," he says.
Landry believes that employees will be happier and more productive if they continually learn new skills, and are able to share in the results of their work. That's why the company implemented a profit-sharing plan to reward employees at the end of the year.
Landry also believes in surrounding himself with smart people, such as his general manager Alphée Martin who has generated many ideas for new products. The most recent of these is a serving tray now being marketed to restaurants and hotels throughout the United States and Mexico. "We have to continually come up with new products and new designs and find new markets," says Landry.
The firm has also for med strategic alliances, amazingly enough, with five of its competitors, in both Canada and the United States. When a store such as Wal-Mart advertises a product, Landry explains, it damages their credibility if it's not on the shelves. C. L. Decor has come to the rescue of its competitors more than once, producing products for them using their designs and logos. It's a clever approach that has generated significant work for the company.
"In the 1970s, cutting boards were round or square," says Landry. "With our technology, and our people trained to use it, we can make angles. We can make grooves. We can change the look. That's what innovation is all about."
