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Share. Learn. Grow.

By Derek Lothian

It's long been said that success in business is not determined by what you know, but by who you know. And for one BC executive, the proof is in dollars and cents.

Stephen Peel, vice president of Ironside Design Manufacturing in Chilliwack, says the dollar value of a trusted peer network is in the tens of thousands — especially when considering the cost to access the same specialized expertise through third-party consultants.

That's why Peel, a machinist by trade and an emigrant of South Africa, first became involved in CME's Manufacturers' Executive Council (MEC) two years ago. He viewed the program as a key operational resource, which could provide strategic guidance with a huge return on investment.

MEC groups however are nothing new. Introduced in 1998, they are comprised of non-competing business owners and senior leaders from the manufacturing and exporting community, who meet at member facilities on a monthly basis to share ideas, learn from each other's experiences and solve problems through a unique forum of peer group mentoring.

In British Columbia alone, there are currently 120 active participants; and that number is growing as the program now launches into other regions across the country.

"I started out as a junior draftsman, with little knowledge of Canadian business practices and no managerial experience," explains Peel. "Therefore, you can see — from my vantage point — why opportunities like this are so important. MEC groups have allowed me to form a good group of friends that I can rely upon to provide insight to a variety of common challenges, from staffing issues to shop-floor processes."

Meetings are facilitated by experienced industry executives — most of whom are now retired — whose only role is to provide structure to the discussion. Each topic is agreed upon by the group in advance, and then is assigned a pre-determined length of time for conversation.

The idea is to stay focused and encourage resolution-based outcomes.

"It's incredible, despite the dissimilarities in product, how similar our businesses actually are," says Peel. "I think many of us like to operate in our own individual silos and pretend our challenges are somehow different from everybody else's. But that's very rarely the case; and, in fact, a slightly different perspective often proves to be clearer than your own."

Peter Jeffrey, vice president of CME British Columbia, began facilitating MEC meetings this past April.

He admits he has been surprised by how seamlessly group members have adopted a mutual trust, and maintains that trust is essential to finding the root of complex issues.

"Groups are small — between 8–12 people — and the turnover rate is incredibly low, so members become comfortable with one another very quickly," says Jeffrey. "At the start, for example, some individuals may be a little apprehensive to discuss finance-related challenges; but, usually within six months, they're talking exact figures. Trust is absolutely key, and members must know what is said in the room will stay in the room."

Dennis Dussin of Woodbridge, ON-based Alps Welding Ltd. shares the same sentiment.

As the second generation of a fast-evolving family business, Dussin says many executives in similar positions rely upon external advice for both personal and corporate success.

"Being able to put your confidence in a group of people that can act as both a sounding board and as source of information is imperative," he adds. "We're all very open and we have to be if this type of format is going to work. Everything is on the table — from what's happening in our own careers to business issues affecting our company's growth."

For Alps Welding Ltd., one of those issues is LEAN manufacturing.

A custom metal fabricator specializing in the development of pressure vessels, Dussin admits that his company depends heavily on the input of the MEC group as it begins its journey into sustained productivity improvement.

"Although I grew up in this environment, my background is actually finance, so I'm not as well-versed in LEAN as some of my MEC counterparts," he says.

"As we make the transition from a small business to a medium-sized business, it's important that I can put my trust in guys who have been there before. Their experience is priceless education."

MEC operates under an agreed to code of conduct to help ensure confidentiality and participation amongst all members.

Back in Vancouver, meanwhile, Jeffrey sees the MEC program continuing to grow, as more companies begin to look for new ways to navigate a challenging economic climate.

"MEC groups are an enormous networking tool that allow owners and senior executives to spend more time working on their businesses and less in their businesses," says Jeffrey. "And as this program expands across the country, we can leverage it even more to provide real-world, tangible solutions to CME members where it matters most — on the bottom line."

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