College capabilities help local firm with global plans

For a small manufacturer, going global is not easy. But it’s also critically important to long-term success.

Well established in North America, RM Products has set its sights on markets farther afield. Over the past few years, it has been laying the groundwork to sell its revolutionary modular fibreglass structures around the globe.

“When you sell a product outside North America, you have to have proven engineering behind your product,” said Randy Chotowetz, who, along with wife Marian, owns RM Products, which designs, manufactures and assembles fibreglass structures for several niche markets.

Steering the product through the engineering process is painstaking, costly and, potentially, risky, Chotowetz says.

“To have our product tested by the National Research Council (NRC) is quite expensive and quite risky. If any of our assumptions turn out to be wrong, you have to start all over again … and you have to pay each step of the way.”

Fortunately, for local entrepreneurs, there is help available.

“We read in one of the local papers that Georgian College offered programs to help local businesses like ours,” said Chotowetz, who immediately contacted the college and, eventually, met with Chris Berni, manager of the college’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation.

“He was giving me a tour of the facility when we stopped to look in on a student who was doing finite element analysis (FEA),” said Chotowetz. “Very, very few engineering firms have the capability or the equipment to do FEA … that was exactly what we were looking for.”

Using FEA, researchers can test a given product to determine its strength, its durability and other critical components.

“RM provided us with specifications of their newly designed fibreglass modular structure and using our software, we were able to simulate the building under various conditions,” said Berni. “We simulated wind, snow load … critical elements that the building might be exposed to.”

For Chotowetz, it was a unique partnership that allowed him to access ultra-modern technology, prove his product and get one step closer to taking his wares worldwide.

“Armed with this data, I can now take my model with confidence to the NRC for approval,” said Chotowetz. “Thanks to this partnership with Georgian, we have eliminated a lot of the risk and saved a lot of money.”

The project also benefits the students, Berni said.

“We had two students directly involved with the RM Products project,” said Berni. “This kind of partnership provides our students with invaluable experience and helps open their eyes to the opportunities that exist here in Simcoe County.”

Berni said the centre, which opened in 2010, works on an average of 10 projects each year. To date, more than 30 student researchers – paid co-op positions – have been employed to work on the projects with various small and medium-sized businesses throughout Ontario.

“We can play a valuable role in helping a company succeed,” Berni said. “We have equipment that, for the most part, doesn’t exist elsewhere north of Highway 7. Many companies we work with consider us their research department It’s a great, affordable resource for local businesses.”

Chotowetz agrees.

“There are a lot of great ideas out there but people just don’t know how to get that idea to the next level. And a lot of small entrepreneurs don’t export because of the risks involved,” Chotowetz explained. “People need to realize that we have great resources in our community. Lakehead University and Georgian College can really help entrepreneurs … and it’s a win-win situation because it provides their students with great experience.”

For RM Products, taking the bold step to expand its global reach was not a tough decision.

“To expand and to grow, we have to become a global player. That’s why we made a conscious business decision a few years ago to fundamentally change our manufacturing process,” said Chotowetz. “It was costly and risky, but we knew that to grow, that’s what we needed to do.”

Transitioning from an open mould to a ground-breaking, fully automated closed mould – using a vacuum bag system – has revolutionized the company, based out of an 8,000-square-foot plant in Progress Park.

“The old system was dirty, there were emission issues, quality-control issues and no potential to grow,” said Chotowetz. “Now, we can control emissions, our quality is superior and the process is much quicker. What used to take days now takes hours and there’s virtually no waste, there’s no flaws … and that allows us to grow.”

Today, RM Products builds barracks for army bases, customized multi-unit warehouse centres, equipment covers and containment buildings for the environmental field, communications buildings and structures for the oil-field industry.

“We are the only company in the world manufacturing fibreglass, modular buildings,” said Chotowetz. “We have been developing it over 20 years; this is the next step in our evolution.”

With 20 employees, the company has expanded to include a satellite operation in the region, and an assembly plant in Orillia that boasts a separate assembly crew that can be deployed to erect the unique structures.

“We have a great product and a great future,” said Chotowetz, who stressed that Orillia is an ideal place to do business.

“The opportunity here is tremendous,” he said. “This is a good place to do business. Having Georgian College and Lakehead University in our backyard is a fantastic resource.”

For more information on RM Products, visit rmfiberglass.com. For more information on the NRC and its programs, visit nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

Photos:
Randy Chotowetz, who ownes RM Products, shows off a model of one of the modular fibreglass structures his company manufactures. The Orillia company partnered with Georgian College’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation to test the innovative product before ramping up its global presence.