The Unobvious Ones is a month-to-month take a look at movers and shakers who fly beneath the radar within the Canadian auto business.
ANDREW KEE
THE QUEST TO KICK THE CHEMICALS OUT OF FOAM
Automakers need sustainability, however additionally they need comfy seats for his or her automobiles. That may be a problem for suppliers.
Seat-and-interior-foam producer Woodbridge, primarily based in Mississauga, Ont., is specializing in sustainability with a course of to make a few of the foam carbon dioxide-neutral.
“Automakers will not be ready to surrender consolation, and the main target has shifted to sustainable or renewable, not simply lighter and cheaper,” mentioned Andrew Kee, Woodbridge’s company scientist and director of sustainability.
“I’m guiding my group as we hunt for alternatives to displace non-sustainable chemical substances and elements in our merchandise.”
Kee appears to be like at new uncooked supplies supplied by suppliers, which his three-person group consider.
When a viable product is created, such because the carbon dioxide-neutral foam, Kee and members of Woodbridge’s advertising group current it to automakers and Tier 1 suppliers.
“From a technical standpoint, I’m the bridge between the lab and the automakers.”
Kee, 50, has a PhD in polymer chemistry. “My father was a highschool chemistry trainer, and I really like chemistry and it got here simple to me.
“Once I got here out of college, Woodbridge was doing a marketing campaign of hiring the following era of chemists and engineers. I began as a senior chemist and I’ve been [there] 22 years.
“I really like automobiles and the fast-paced nature of the auto business.”
Seat foam is difficult, and Kee has assessed many sustainable merchandise that at present can’t be scaled up for manufacturing. Creating round applied sciences that flip end-of-life supplies into new ones is the final word aim, however conducting that goal with seat foam is “on the horizon, at finest,” he mentioned.
“Lots of people suppose sustainability is simply out the tailpipe, however it’s cradle to grave. Our overarching theme is to get the CO2 footprint down in our foam.”
BRYAN LEAITCH
IT’S A TEAM EFFORT TO GET CARS TO CUSTOMERS
The COVID-19 pandemic created a sequence response of issues for automakers.
Early on, they couldn’t ship automobiles to dealerships when authorities well being pointers locked them down. Extra broadly — and longer lasting — the worldwide microchip scarcity continues to chop automobile output at factories.
Bryan Leaitch, nationwide supervisor of gross sales operations for Mazda Canada in Richmond Hill, Ont., has met these challenges, head-on. His wide-ranging job contains ordering automobiles from the auto firm and getting them delivered throughout Canada.
“I handle a group of seven, and my common day is simply connecting every part,” Leaitch mentioned. “We now have gross sales targets we have to hit and automobiles we’ve to launch. With the CX-50, we coordinated a simultaneous launch, so every of our 153 retailers bought a showcase [vehicle] inside a 24-hour interval [of one another]. There’s so much to do to get that.”
The group additionally takes care of fleet clients, inner firm automobiles and sellers, finding automobiles and answering questions on supply timing.
Leaitch, 42, mentioned he “all the time had a nostril for enterprise” and graduated with a level in it. He accomplished a co-op place with Basic Motors and was then employed as a district gross sales supervisor by its financing division. Leaitch moved into Licensed Pre-Owned (CPO) for just a few years, and in 2011 moved to Mazda.
“Mazda didn’t have CPO, and I used to be employed to create, develop and launch the first-ever CPO for Canada. I additionally needed to launch remarketing for lease automobiles. In 2015, I used to be prepared for the following problem and was promoted to nationwide supervisor.”
It was his first time managing a group.
“I concentrate on inspiring my group to be model ambassadors,” Leaitch mentioned. “There are not any titles in my conferences. I would like everybody to seek out one of the best resolution, and when issues change quickly we’ve to pivot. All the things’s in flux and that can proceed for the following short while.”