• CMISA Updates
• In the Spotlight
• Marine Sector News
• Upcoming Events
• Procurement Opportunities
• Marine Careers

Build / Support / Sustain

Join CMISA Here

Hello all,

While we enjoy this glorious Canadian fall weather (at least in beautiful sunny Ottawa), it’s also a very busy time for many of us, both at the office as well as travel-related.  I myself am in conference mode and hope to speak to as many of our members as possible. This is a key priority for our organization, after the many months of pandemic-related isolation. Please do reach out and connect with us, and if we can’t meet in person, an email or a virtual meeting is also encouraged. We do want to hear from our members about concerns, issues and ideas. In particular, watch for our forthcoming questionnaire about CMISA-led events coming to your inbox by the end of the month – it is critical that we get your input on the issue. And if you are not yet a member, but would like to be, we encourage you to sign up here!

This edition features globally connected tool services company Hilti’s Patti DeVincenzi, who clearly articulates the excitement and opportunities afforded to the supply chain by the National Shipbuilding Strategy vessels. Her sense of pride at working on some of Canada’s largest, most complex shipbuilding projects is one that we have seen shared by many of our members. Hilti is another member that employs a diverse set of employees that mirror the communities around them, and that see diversity as essential to creative solutions for future problems that we must tackle.

If you are reading On Watch for the first time thanks to it being passed along to you, you are welcome to sign up for future editions here –  it’s free and we never share your emails with anyone. We publish our newsletter every two weeks and bring you news, procurement opportunities and features that pertain to our sector. Please take note of our Job Board and a) take advantage of it if your company has an opening and b) send links to friends and family so that we can attract new people into our sector. We all need the help!

Colin Cooke

President and CEO

Photo of Patti DeVincenzi

Hilti is a family-owned global company that designs and manufactures high-quality tools, fastening systems, software, and services for the construction, building maintenance, energy, and manufacturing industries. Founded in 1941 in Liechtenstein by Martin and Eugen Hilti, the company has grown from small roots into a multi-national business with over 32,000 employees in over 120 countries. Hilti ensures quality and leading-edge innovation by operating its plants, research and development centres, logistics, and repair centres worldwide. With a team of almost 1000 in Canada, Hilti can support customers nationwide with a direct ‘go to market’ approach.

Hilti supports Canada’s shipbuilding sector by providing owners, contractors, and engineering firms who work on Canada’s Coast Guard and Navy vessels with services that are suited to each customer’s and vessel’s specific needs. Hilti’s modular outfitting systems have enhanced the designing and building of ships. Their services go beyond being a parts supplier, as they work with clients from modeling and design to pre-assembly and logistical services. Hilti’s systems can outfit an entire vessel with modular infrastructure and build significant efficiencies in design and production processes. For example, their teams worked on a pipe tunnel for a recent vessel, decreasing engineering and production time, and significantly reducing the amount of welding required with its modular flexible support system. This installation system decreases a vessel’s carbon footprint, increases safety and reduces costs as it lowers the vessel’s weight and eliminates welding requirements.

Patti DeVincenzi, Hilti Canada’s E&I Segment Head for Shipbuilding, explains that Hilti is at the forefront of a movement to build ships differently in Canada. “Since the last round of significant shipbuilding decades ago, we have added new systems and digitization that have been developed around the industry. Outfitting a vessel, particularly with modular systems, requires a new, more collaborative, and flexible way of working with all partners and yards. There is a lot more consultation and customization required on these complex, unique projects.”

At the same time, there is also a need to maintain some of what is already there. As Patti puts it, “Hilti products are made to last. There is an emphasis on keeping and appreciating what we have while having the courage to see, create and provide the market with new value-added innovations that will improve their overall profitability. This is a more sustainable way of working in an environment where we strive towards a more circular economy. Even when a tool is no longer necessary on a project, we ensure our products are recycled or donated. For example, in Canada, we are proud to have provided schools in indigenous and remote communities with tools and training to support greater inclusion in Canada’s diverse and growing workforce.”

This mixture of old and new is something that Patti is seeing in the current workforce as well, where the expertise and experience of the “old guard” add to the newer employees who bring in digital and technological skills, as well as the lived experience of a wide variety of diverse backgrounds. Hilti fosters a culture of inclusivity at every level of the organization. Patti describes the work environment as fast-paced, challenging and supportive, with the desire to help build a better future inspiring everyone in the company. From the multicultural city of Vancouver, Patti sees Hilti’s diversity and inclusiveness mirroring that of Canadian society, which speaks volumes to how much the company values the benefits of a diverse workforce. Hilti believes that an inclusive work environment retains and fosters talent.

As Hilti makes inroads in Canadian shipbuilding, the company is planning a long-term strategy for the future to help improve the way work is done, lessen the impact on the environment, and support communities. Patti is very excited to support the National Shipbuilding Strategy in Canada; as she describes it, “It’s been an inspiring and exciting experience being involved in this amazing and growing industry. Being involved in the process, however small, of bringing a successful shipbuilding industry back to Canada is part of the reason I come to work every day. It leaves us all the better as businesses and Canadians.”

Being a member of the Canadian Marine Industries and Shipbuilding Association is also very important for Hilti; as Patti says, “Being part of a group like this shows that we’ve arrived successfully within this market in Canada. It’s a prestigious place to be, and we value our place within it. It means a lot to us to create something for our clients and Canadian that they can be proud of and will last for decades to come.” 

Website Here

More News Here

We Want Your Input

We encourage readers to submit content for this bi-weekly newsletter On Watch. Content can be as simple as a link to an article of possible interest that has been published somewhere, or preferably, a link to an article with a few words from you 'of value added' or one to a few paragraphs of your comments.

Please, we want your thoughts and perspectives.

Tell us by email at: info@cmisa.ca

More Events Here

Get involved, become a member!  Do it Now! »

More Jobs Here