THE LINK
manitoba INSTITUTE PMAC | December 2012
The Best Mistake I Ever Made
By Kelly Singleton
The Best
Mistake I
Ever Made
A
When I first began my
career in purchasing, I
was shocked by how many
suppliers had a holiday shut
down period the last couple
of weeks in December.
Logistically this can be a
nightmare. Having to manage
multiple vendors with varying
lead times and production
schedules, all the while, making
sure we have enough parts
on hand to get ourselves
through to the New Year. The
first thing I did was make a
detailed schedule of specific
parts that could be at risk and
matching them up with their
supplier’s schedule. Once that
was complete I placed my
PO’s with the suppliers and
coordinated the shipments so
that they were picked up just
in time. I was so organized
and prepared (some might say
overly confident) what could
go wrong? As those shipments
started rolling in, my phone
started ringing off the hook
with angry truckers… I had
forgotten that we had our own
plant shut down and there
was no one here to offload the
trucks and receive the material!
Kelly Singleton
To submit the best
mistake YOU ever
made please email
[email protected]
w w w. m b . p m a c . c a
MIPMAC Member Cocktail
Reception
Recap of November Event
Manitoba Business Review
CentrePort: Manitoba’s Gateway
to Global Trade
MIPMAC Member Cocktail Reception
O
n November 23-24, 2012 the City of Winnipeg was host to the National board of directors for PMAC. Among the
highlights of the event was the MIPMAC member cocktail reception held on the Friday at the Delta Hotel.
It was encouraging seeing the fine turnout that we had, and seeing the MIPMAC members engage the National board
who were visiting from across Canada.
The following day, the National board members were very happy with the turnout and mentioned they felt very
welcomed and enjoyed the company from us friendly Manitobans.
Thanks to all who were able to make it out for the event. Mr. Rick Reid, did you fly all the way out from Flin Flon
just for that 2hr event? That’s dedication…
Hammer One
for
Humanity
Join us for a day of golf in
support of our community.
June 26, 2012
Tired of always
feeling like you’re
roughing it?
Rossmere Golf & Country Club
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary
of Habitat for Humanity in Winnipeg.
Give us a call to register today!
ATCO Structures & Logistics...
three years ago, opened its doors in Winnipeg
and has been providing quality modular
buildings to satisfied customers around
the province.
New units recently arrived including: 8X20’s,
10X24’s, 10X32s, 12X40’s 12X60’s, super
secure container offices.
Also come check our new self-contained
lavatory with integral water and sewage
tanks… no more setup!
Presented by:
ATCO Structures & Logistics and the Manitoba Institute
Purchasing Management Association of Canada
Suite 200 - 5 Donald St.
We can help
Call Jason or Charles for a quote Today!
204.633.8233 | www.atcosl.com
All proceeds will go to
Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg
Winnipeg, MB R3L 2T4
Tel: (204) 231-0965
m a nit o b a b u s ine s s re v ie w
CentrePort: Manitoba’s Gateway to Global Trade
C
entrePort Canada and
Freshwater Fish Marketing
Corporation recently made history by
teaming up to export 68 kilograms of
Manitoba-caught pickerel (walleye)
and whitefish to Shanghai using
state-of-the-art radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology to
secure the shipment.
It was the first time ever that Chinese
consumers were able to buy RFIDsecured, high-quality, wild-caught
fish from Manitoba lakes and tagged
with RFID technology developed
by Invent IOT Technology. The RFID
cargo tracking and security system
is part of the new trading platform
that was created and launched by
CentrePort Canada in spring 2012
in order to better move cargo from
central Canada to China.
The use of RFID tags and labels to
secure and track shipments to China
provides a unique opportunity for
Manitoba producers. High-quality
agricultural products like those
from Manitoba are in demand in
China, partially because the country
continues to face serious issues
regarding the safety, cleanliness
and origin of food and also due to
the recognition of the quality of
Canadian exports. The RFID tracking
and cargo security system addresses
these concerns by ensuring the
integrity and authenticity of
shipments as they travel along the
supply chain and eventually to
the consumer.
CentrePort’s project with China is
one of several significant initiatives
that are now underway at the
20,000-acre inland port. CentrePort
Canada Way (CCW), a $212.4-million
high-speed expressway funded
by the federal and provincial
governments, is more than 70 per
cent finished and is bulldozing
its way towards completion next
year. By opening up more land
for development and providing
companies with better access to
major highways, CCW will help
w w w. m b . p m a c . c a
Container of Manitoba pork arrives in Chongqing, China in February 2012 as part of a demonstration of CentrePort Canada’s new cargo security
and tracking system. The shipment by Manitoba pork exporter HyLife involved the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to
secure and monitor the cargo as it travelled overseas.
CentrePort achieve “five minutes
to 55 miles per hour” status that is
coveted by many businesses that rely
heavily on truck transport.
The new CentrePort expressway
has already sparked strong investor
interest in two industrial parks, which
are located in the Brookside and
Inkster section of the CentrePort
footprint and will have direct access
to CCW. More than 120 acres have
been sold to 23 different companies
in these two parks, where ribboncuttings and ground-breakings for
new manufacturing facilities and
warehouses have become
regular events.
Located in the heart of North
America, one-hour north of the
Canada-United States border,
CentrePort’s strategic location puts it
at the hub of key gateways and trade
corridors heading in all directions
including to Manitoba’s resource-rich
northern communities. CentrePort
is already a natural staging area
for increased trade to and from
the north and the corporation is
continuing to work in partnership
with northern communities,
businesses, transportation partners
and other levels of government in
order to maximize the economic
opportunities that are emerging.
Another major project underway
at CentrePort is the development
of a common-use rail facility,
which would enhance rail services
for business and further develop
CentrePort’s tri-modal transportation
offerings, which includes access to
three class 1 railways (CN, CP and
BNSF), an international trucking hub
located in and around the footprint,
and significant global cargo services
provided by Winnipeg’s
James Armstrong Richardson
International Airport.
The plan for a common-use rail
facility, which would be accessible
by all rail carriers, also includes the
development of a new industrial park
Suite 200 - 5 Donald St.
on adjacent lands for rail-intensive
business. Manitoba is the only
province on the prairies served by
three class 1 rail carriers and building
on this advantage is an important
part of CentrePort’s business plan
going forward.
While many of these projects are
directly connected to CentrePort,
they also support economic growth
throughout Manitoba. Because
goods shipped by train or plane from
our province must travel to Winnipeg
first, a modern, well-developed trimodal network of air, truck and rail
transportation is critical for achieving
greater efficiencies and lower
costs. At the end of the day, these
investments in Manitoba’s inland
port will benefit all businesses and
producers who are moving products
to market, regardless of where they
are originating from in Manitoba.
Diane Gray
Diane Gray is the President and CEO
of CentrePort Canada Inc.
Winnipeg, MB R3L 2T4
Tel: (204) 231-0965