Welcome to 2022!
On behalf of our Board of Directors I wish our membership a very Prosperous 2022. Here’s hoping that the several challenges we had to face in 2021 are in our rear-view mirror. We are a resilient industry, who have been through similar cycles before, and I am sure we will survive this latest one, building a stronger surface finishing industry footprint in Canada. The old adage, the more things change the more they seem to stay the same, seemed to be the theme for most of last year.
Its most unfortunate that the disastrous forest fires were replaced by flooding and mudslides in the west. The east coast has had to deal with severe weather as well, heavy rains and fierce winds damaging infrastructure, all of which hammered recovery efforts of our fragile supply chain. One must only look at local vehicle dealership inventories to see the dramatic impacts parts shortages are having on the automobile industry.  Our membership does see a stronger focus on advancing technology and Human Resources as we attempt to migrate through the remainder of this pandemic, and that is all you will hear from me on the topic.
Lots of positives as we move forward!
We have had multiple successful executive and board meetings in the fall of 2021, and certainly have a fresh look Executive Team for 2022. As a reminder, our Annual General Meeting will be coming up this February, and the date will be confirmed shortly.
Mr. Robert Smith who as many of you know is retiring from McDermid in January has stepped down as the Membership Committee Chairperson after many years of service in numerous positions on the CASF Board (including President)!  We thank Bob for his dedication to the industry and to our CASF Team! Membership has never been as healthy as it is today, and this is in huge part to Bob’s hard work. Mr. Francois Routhier President of CrD Placage has accepted the position. If anyone would like to join Francois on our Membership Committee, please reach out to him directly.
Mr. Mike Kuntz is stepping down from his role as Communications and Technology Chairperson having guided us through major rebranding and retooling of our website in 2021. Mike has been a board member serving on numerous committees since our inception and is also a past President of the CASF. Mike will remain on the Board of Directors to give us valuable guidance in multiple areas. To fill this role, we have Mr. Srdjan Knezevic who accepted the position, Srdjan is the Process Chemical Engineer for Kuntz Electroplating. Again, if anyone would like to join Srdjan on our C & T Committee please reach out directly to him.
Ms. Brigitte Roth principal consultant, Acclaims Environmental is our CASF Secretary who accepted the role in 2021. Brigette is also Chairperson of the upcoming 2022 CASF Conference.
Our Education Committee Chairperson is Ms. Paola Battiston, of Seneca College, and we are fortunate enough to have Stephanie McCallum, KEI act as our Regulatory and Government Liaison Chairperson. Ms. Debbie Drak looks after our financial records. Mr. Stewart Tymchuk, President of Dynamix is our Vice President, and this rounds out this year’s executive team. We are currently looking for board members, please reach out to one of our executive team members if you are interested in potentially volunteering with our organization!
CASF Updates/ News
- We have secured the date for the CASF 2022 one day conference at a new venue for us it will take place Wednesday November 16th, 2022, at the Hyatt Place Mississauga located at 5787 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, ON, L4Z 2H7. Please save the date in your calendar.
- Our Education Committee will be making an announcement on the role out of our online learning programs. Check our website for further details as they move forward with this important offering from  our association.
- Our Membership Committee will be sending you a survey or two early in the new year. Please take the time to complete and return. Your input is invaluable to us in order to guide the executive in the direction you, our members, would like us to move in 2022 and beyond!
Welcome to our new members!
- Niagara Piston
- Compound Metal Coatings
- Metafix
The future is looking bright! All the best for 2022!
Be well and be safe,
Graham Douglas, President
The Canadian Association for Surface Finishing
c: (416) 435-8992
