Saint-François-de-Madawaska’s JMN Enterprises Inc. is a family-owned manufacturer that produces a wide variety of value-added wood products for both the wholesale and retail industries. Founded in 1998, the company has grown tremendously in recent years and is widely recognized for delivering high-quality products thanks to its in-depth knowledge of advanced wood manufacturing and reliance on cutting-edge technology to improve productivity. The JMN team has grown from seven employees in 2015 to a current team of over 30 operating from their 20,000 sq ft high-tech manufacturing plant.
“We have focused on lean manufacturing principles including the development of a condensed work cell to improve our productivity across the board,” notes Jean-Francois Landry, CEO. “We have made several great investments in automation equipment including a scanner, cut-to-size sawing line, automatic glue clamp carrier, and CNC cutting tables. All this coupled with improving our information technology solutions has made possible all of our growth over the past few years.”
Multiple Improvements, Multiple Benefits
Landry says the benefits of the company’s heavy focus on productivity include everything from lower costs, better products, more consistent output, reduced waste, and higher profits to less obvious ones like better safety and worker health. “It helps reduce the need for positions that are quite physically demanding on the worker and for which training can be difficult and costly, that’s a benefit more companies need to consider.”
Provincial Support
Support from ONB has been one piece of the puzzle for JMN’s continued success. “Having ONB as a financial partner has enabled us to accelerate our growth plan and hit our targets quicker,” says Landry. “It’s not just funding support, however. We’ve also worked with ONB on a comparative study to benchmark our operations in comparison with similar companies in the sector. That process gave us much-needed context for setting our company targets and for identifying our unique strengths and weaknesses. That type of specific guidance has been extremely valuable.”
His best advice for New Brunswick companies looking to up their productivity game is to remember that it is often a marathon, not a sprint. “Really understand everything you need before investing a dollar. And choose your equipment suppliers carefully, great technology abounds but not every new toy is necessarily the right fit for every company – do the research. And if possible, ensure your supplier will allow for small batch testing. Then concentrate on one cell or team at a time to ensure you’re moving in the right direction.”
ONB Support
Looking for help with productivity improvements? Companies can work directly with their regional ONB Business Development Executive (BDE) who are here to support and facilitate the entire productivity process by providing guidance and partner connections to position your business for that next level of success.
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JMN Enterprises is a growing manufacturer of sustainable hardwood kitchenware, BBQ accessories, and industrial components. Learn more about this northwest New Brunswick success story at jmncanada.com.
Productivity is the single most important determinant of a province and country’s prosperity. ONB has prioritized productivity improvement as a key driver that will help New Brunswick businesses increase their competitiveness and overall profitability. Check out this page for a look at how ONB’s focus on productivity is delivering results.