Enflo is one of the largest makers of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in North America. Founded in 1954, Enflo began operations in New Jersey. In 1972, company owners met with officials in New Brunswick; the province had land available in Grand Falls and was looking to attract new business to the province. Production began in New Brunswick in 1973, and the plant continues to be a small business success story for the Grand Falls region.
New Brunswick’s Daniel Bourgoin has been with the company since 2007, serving as Plant Manager for a decade before moving to the role of Director of Manufacturing Technology last fall.
In time for BDC Small Business Week, ONB spoke to Bourgoin to learn more about the company.
ONB: Tell us more about Enflo and what the company offers.
Bourgoin: We manufacture PTFE which most people will likely know better as Teflon, which is a registered trademark of DuPont. Our company serves clients in construction, food & beverage, oil and gas, energy, electronics, automotive, aerospace and defence, and other sectors.
We have two plants, one here and the other in Bristol, Connecticut. In Grand Falls, we manufacture PTFE-derived tubes, rods, sheets, and more.
Tell us a bit about the relationship between Enflo and ONB.
It’s been a great relationship for sure. The company’s owners are really focused on driving growth through increased volume — we’d like to grow threefold by 2020 — and ONB support has been extremely helpful.
Our owners are seeking out new technology and equipment for automation purposes; technology that will increase capacity, improve product quality, and reduce waste. ONB has been great in terms of supporting those efforts.
With support from your team, we were able to invest in the design, construction, and purchase of three automated extrusion machines. These machines will help us meet increased market demand and create new full-time jobs.
We have had extrusion machinery here since the ‘70s, and while it’s all been revamped it’s still essentially the same machinery. We needed new state-of-the-art equipment, it’s that simple. We had a tough time finding the equipment we needed so we partnered with another Canadian company to design this machinery. The first one arrived in Grand Falls this month, so it’s an exciting time for us.
What is your best advice for small business owners looking to succeed in New Brunswick?
I’d suggest focusing on great leadership. Great leadership will ensure your company is able to build a winning team. Having the best technology is great, but having the best people is even better as far as I’m concerned. Make sure you’re taking care of your employees, that way the best people will want to work for you. Talented people know they have options, so you need to make sure they want to work for you.
Learn more about Enflo at www.enflo.com.
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Written by Jason Boies
