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WEIMA June 2023 Leader
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What happens at the CKCA does not have to stay at the CKCA

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I think it was Albert Einstein who said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
I think most manufacturers and shop owners would want to entertain the kind of new and different ideas that would make them more efficient and help their bottom line.
Well, the CKCA is the perfect association to help you achieve just that.
Have you ever wondered what goes on at CKCA meetings? Let me first say that being involved in the CKCA is a bit like having a free pass to visit all these great shops right across the country. At most of our meetings we do at least two factory tours and sometimes even three. The owners graciously take our group through their facilities and will gladly answer any questions you may have.
If you are in the cabinet manufacturing business, be it you have a small shop or huge factory, being a CKCA member could and would 
be more than a good return 
on your investment of time 
and money.
Most long-term members agree that with membership, attendance and travel cost, they still see a tenfold return on their investment.
As most know these days, the only constant in business is change and what better way to see what changes and improvements are happening or that are possible, than checking out those who have already done it.
At the CKCA meetings you not only get to participate in several manufacturing plant tours, but there is also an opportunity to sit in on very interesting and relevant speakers talking about subjects that interest you.
Most likely the real advanced learning ideas happen when you start talking over lunch, or off to the side of an event or tour with another person that has a shop similar or larger than yours. A common opening line from the other person is, ‘why are you doing it that way?’ When you reply ‘because that’s the way I have always done it,’ you may find as the conversation proceeds that it may start you thinking there is possibly a much quicker, more efficient or cheaper way to do it.
At the last CKCA event I was quizzing a couple of first-time attendees who own a six-man shop about how they liked their first CKCA event.
One of them answered that they initially came for the plant tours, but that he was pleasantly surprised by the guest speakers as well who were really interesting.
As we were wrapping up that very session, I overheard him talking to another shop owner - of a larger facility – and they were making plans to tour their facility as well to have a look at how things are done there.
That was a typical conversation of planning a get together to tour each others’ factory, after getting to know each other at the previous CKCA event.
I’ve heard from countless owners who tell me how 
much they appreciate the chance to see how others are doing things.
My favourite quote is from Caroline Castrucci of Laurysen Kitchens, a CKCA member who has made the association more than pay off for her.
“At the Association a couple of years ago, just before we were to put in a big new machine I found out from another member that they had just bought the very same machine. So I asked him if there is anything they would recommend to us when we make our move and he said yes, watch this and do that 
and that. The money we saved with that advice saved us thousands and thousands of dollars, more than enough to cover the cost that we ever have and ever will pay out in CKCA membership”
Even for myself, at the last CKCA event, as we listened to a very interesting presentation on digital marketing, I learned enough about improving our company’s Facebook page, to pay for our CKCA involvement for years to come.
I think when you attend these meetings, it is quite normal to look to larger shops to get new ideas, but you can also learn from many of the smaller shops as well. Many smaller shops can implement new and innovative ideas quickly, easily and at lower cost because they may not have expensive infrastructures to overcome. So at the CKCA, not only will you learn a lot, but you will likely help improve your bottom line.
Don’t leave what you learn at the CKCA, take it home with you and make or save lots of dollars.
Good people, good food, and good learning...now 
that’s priceless.
So, check your calendar and see what you can schedule in, then check out www.CKCA.ca and get booked in.

And please feel free to contact me or any other members for any questions regarding the association. 

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