Over the past year CKCA has been growing and evolving. With strong membership we continue to add more programs and services to help support the kitchen cabinet industry in Canada. A recent strategic planning session of the board resulted in a refreshed vision statement and reaffirmed commitment to help the industry move forward.
Our Vision:
The Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association (CKCA) will inspire progress and innovation in the Canadian kitchen manufacturing industry, by promoting excellence, facilitating continuous improvement and working to ensure high standards for design and manufacturing are upheld by members. We will also build strong relationships and enduring trust between CKCA members and the consumers, builders and industry partners whose support ensures the success of our members.
Industry challenges
There’s much going on in business these days. For CKCA members they are not only dealing with the ongoing skilled labour shortage, they are also dealing with competition from foreign imports. These two issues alone are enough to consume the time of any manufacturer, but we all know the plate is even fuller than that.
CKCA’s role is to create opportunities for manufacturers to meet and talk because sharing expertise and knowledge is extremely valuable. We hear this more often than anything else. This is why we continue to offer events that connect manufacturers across Canada to learn from each other and it really does help move the industry forward. Competition within Canada may be fierce, but the bigger competition is what’s coming into Canada. Therefore its important manufacturers give serious thought to sharing and mentoring each other because in many ways it ensures the industry remains progressive and strong to effectively compete in a global economy.
A New PartnershipTo drive more support to kitchen cabinet manufacturers, CKCA is pleased to announce a partnership with Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Created in 1971, CFIB has grown to become one of the largest associations in Canada with over 100,000 members. This partnership means one membership fee and gives CKCA members access to all the benefits of CFIB and CKCA combined. CFIB holds partnerships with 65 other organizations across Canada because many of us share similar values – to support private industry in Canada.
As well, CFIB is a strong and influential voice at the Federal Government level and often government goes to CFIB on matters that impact independent business in Canada. As a CKCA and CFIB member you will now have an even stronger voice with Government.
Mike Slobodian, CKCA President from Decor Cabinets in Manitoba says:
“The strategic partnership between the CKCA and CFIB allows us to bring increased value to our membership by adding CFIB’s entire list of tools, resources, programs and advocacy to the CKCA’s member services. The CFIB also offers help and support in many areas of business development that our members can leverage for future growth. Combining memberships under the CKCA banner and eliminating the CFIB dues for CKCA members just makes sense.”
The CKCA-CFIB partnership creates a win-win for kitchen cabinet manufacturers across Canada. Here’s what CKCA’s incoming president, Heidi Boudreault of Denca in Alberta has to say:
“We have been CFIB members for over 30 years, which connects us to expert advice from their business counsellors, member savings benefits and a strong voice at all levels of Government. I have found their business counsellors very helpful on several matters from how to deal with human resource challenges and employment taxes. As a business owner I appreciate that they focus on driving policy change and tax cost savings for small business.”
CKCA is excited about this new partnership with CFIB and how it can drive more value for the industry in 2020 and beyond. If you have any questions, we have posted an FAQ sheet on our website at www.ckca.ca, but also feel free to contact us at info@ckca.ca or 613-493-5858.
