Unison Staff Numbers Up 30%

Larry Dening, the general manager at Unison Engine Components, says he and his staff are driven by the motto shown on the wall in their Progress Drive offices. The company has expanded its staff by 30 per cent over the past year and expects continued growth in the coming years.

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The Orillia community has produced a first-rate workforce for Unison Engine Components.

Rising fuel prices mean gas pains for many, but it has translated into big gains for Unison Engine Components – Orillia.

Over the past year, Unison has expanded its workforce by 30 per cent and invested almost $3-million in state-of-the-art equipment to help it keep up with soaring demand from the aviation industry it serves.

"The aviation industry, as a whole, is experiencing a significant increase in business," says Larry Dening, general manager of Unison. "The rising price of fuel is driving our customers to upgrade their aging fleets with more fuel-efficiency aircraft... We're going like gangbusters trying to keep up."

Unison manufactures a variety of hardware for aircraft engines – static and rotating turbine engine components, including shroud segments, shroud supports and rotating air seals, bearing housings and vane actuator assemblies.

The sprawling 95,000-square-foot facility on Progress Drive operates almost 24 hours a day with its 177 employees working night and day to try to keep pace with orders from companies such as Pratt and Whitney Canada, GE and Rolls-Royce, for Boeing, Airbus and other global airplane manufacturers.

It's quite a departure from 2009 when the company found itself at a crossroads. At that time, about 80 per cent of Unison's contracts were with Pratt and Whitney Canada – a company that was devastated by the recession.

"They were our biggest customer, but in the volatile market of 2008/2009, they were the first to take a hit as the business and personal aircraft industry really suffered," said Dening. "We went to a work-share program here; many staff went to half days. We realized then that we had too many eggs in one basket."

While there were some dark days at the Orillia facility, they didn't last long. Being under the General Electric umbrella – GE bought the company in 2007 – opened many doors at global industry leaders. Unison worked hard to court new customers and has managed to out-bid its competition to win some large, long-term contracts that will keep staff busy for years to come.

"We don't expect any slowdown for at least three to four years," said Dening. "In fact, the next 10 to 15 years for aviation will be huge. The need is immense and we expect continued growth for many years to come."

Dening said he forecasts more expansion at the Orillia facility. In 2005, a $15-million, 55,000-square-foot addition was built. At that time, land was prepped for a further 30,000-square-foot addition. He says it's likely work will begin next year on that expansion.

While the company has invested in equipment and has room to expand to meet the needs of its burgeoning global client base, its biggest challenge is finding skilled labourers. Over the past year, since the hiring spree began, Unison has had to step up its efforts to fill positions.

"We have been working with local resources to reach people in this area, Barrie, Toronto and we've most recently reached out to the Montreal area to find qualified personnel," said Dening. "It's a huge challenge for us."

Currently, the company has paid to relocate six people from Montreal, enticing them with competitive contract jobs. "That's how difficult it is to find qualified people such as CNC machinists who have the skill level we require. This is exacting work. We're manufacturing components and machining them to a tolerance that is less than one-third of a human hair."

Dening said he is working with Georgian College to tap into students in its specialized program and hopes to develop an apprenticeship program that will create a new pipeline of skilled workers.

"I really hope to get into local schools as well and mentor kids in math and sciences and to let them know there's a future in manufacturing," said Dening, noting CNC machinists at Unison earn anywhere from $18 to $28 an hour. "There is a perception that manufacturing is dead. It is alive and thriving, and we are working to change that perception."

Change has also been a constant inside Unison over the past year, since Dening arrived to take the helm. When he came, Unison was a typical 'job' shop. Workers focused on a single job until it was complete and then awaited their next task.

"We're making changes within the facility so that our employees are more engaged in what we do," said Dening of the move to team-based manufacturing.

"It's a much more self-directed program. We give them the task, the raw material, the equipment they need and ask them to put a plan together. It leads to them having more ownership in the process. It's a real culture shift, for sure," he said.

When Dening was a business leader at a GE facility in Terra Haute, Indiana, he led a transition to the team approach after living it at the GE Aviation facility in Durham, North Carolina and reading additional research that proved it works. It’s starting to work in Orillia.

"We have one team in place now and they have really embraced the idea. They’ve done a great job that has led to increased productivity," said Dening. "Eventually, we'll have five other cells go through training and start their own journey."

He said Georgian College staff has been instrumental in helping to train his workers on the concept. But adding new staff and moving to a new work structure has not been without its challenges.

"It takes some time, but once they get the training, which is primarily about communication, problem solving and conflict resolution, we have seen some very positive results," said Dening. He said he recently hired a full-time training co-ordinator to help shepherd the process and to help facilitate future hiring; he expects to add five to 10 new people each year for the foreseeable future.

Dening, who holds a degree from Embry Riddle University, grew up in upstate New York on a dairy farm before doing four years of active military service. He began his career as an aircraft mechanic for American Airlines. Eighteen years ago, he joined GE as an hourly employee at its Durham, North Carolina facility and has worked his way up over the ensuing years. His relocation to Orillia meant a move to a new country.

"We love it here," said Dening. "This is a great place to live. My wife loves boating and I love golf so we sort of have the best of both worlds here."

He said he is looking at ways to get involved in the community and noted Unison – Orillia has recently created a community involvement council to help connect its employees with volunteer opportunities.

"Our new team recently volunteered at the CNIB camp to do some painting and yard work and we participate in the Dragon Boat Festival and donate money to various causes," said Dening. "We really believe it's important to be involved in the community."

That community has produced for Unison a first-rate workforce, he said. "I can't say enough about our workforce," said Dening. "They are phenomenal: hard-working and dependable. They have really stepped up and met the challenge and given us exceptional work. I am really proud of what we are doing here."

And he is the poster boy for advancement. He talks often about the opportunities GE offers at its 80 manufacturing sites around the world and reminds his people that he started as an hourly employee like many of them.

"GE is the most challenging company I have worked for, but it is also the most rewarding," said Dening. "If you put forth the effort and have some initiative, the sky is the limit."

FACTS: Unison Engine Components – Orillia currently employs 177 people and manufactures components for many global aerospace leaders including the following aircraft engines:

Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 (for 787s), Rolls-Royce Trent 700, RB 210, Snecma (French aircraft engine manufacturer) SaM146 and CFM (Joint venture between GE & Snecma) for Airbus A320, A319, and Boeing 737s engines.