Preserving Canadian Technical Resources

By Jim Taggart

I firmly believe that the Canadian electrical industry is an attractive, long-term growth market to participate in. We are blessed with an abundance of natural resources and have well-educated, business oriented members and associates.

Yet, despite of these continuing advantages, I find many U.S. and European firms cutting or eliminating their technical, engineering resources in their Canadian subsidiaries.

Supporting Canadian standards and regulatory requirements is becoming increasingly more difficult. Getting seats filled on standards development organizations’ technical committees and EFC product sections is becoming more challenging. In addition to sales and marketing resources, we need local technical expertise.

So what are the benefits to having a Canadian technical investment?

• Ability to influence the outcome of standards development 
• Ability to quickly introduce new technologies and products into the market through early adoption into the electrical code
• Achieve interchangeability and compatibility of your products within Canada
• Gain early awareness of changing regulatory issues that may effect your business (e.g., energy efficiency standards and provincial EPR/recycling programs)
• Build closer strategic alliances with local customers and other industry stakeholders
• Protect and grow your sales in Canada

Please don’t abandon your Canadian market share position. Instead, maintain and expand your technical resources  because long-term it makes good business sense. If you don’t believe me, just ask your customer… or the customer you use to have!

Jim Taggart is President, Electro-Federation Canada.