Challenge: Providing high-quality wood products at affordable prices
Solution: Using residue from industrial contracts for retail products - and standing apart from the competition
For 20 years, JMN Enterprises has successfully built its wood products company on three key pillars: diversity, flexibility, and quality. Today the family-owned and -operated company has upwards of 40 employees at peak times, 50 different products for sale, and a 20,000 square foot manufacturing plant. “Over the last three years, the company has grown fivefold and the team is planning to double again in the next 24 months,” says Vice-President Jean-François Landry.
Building the capacity for that growth, he adds, has required an investment of time, money and energy. “Now the Saint-François-de-Madawaska plant is at the cutting edge of technology.”
Indeed, JMN has one of the most productive value-added wood-processing plants in North America. It is actually possible to adjust the production line to meet the requirements of customers by changing products quickly and efficiently. “In fact,” notes Jean-François, “very large corporations regularly turn to our team to solve technical problems. Many contracts are concluded simply because [we] have the expertise to bring them to term.”
Innovation is at the heart of the company’s approach to business and to production. It produces industrial components then uses the residues to create retail products, including maple cutting boards and serving trays. “By purchasing larger wood volumes and using our residues, and those of other component manufacturers like us,” says Jean-François, “we can enter the market at a much lower price than the vast majority of our competitors.”
According to Jean-Francois, new business owners need sweat, equity and patience to ultimately find success. “Work harder and be better informed than anybody else in your industry. There is no silver bullet to business success. It takes 10 to 15 years of hard work before you start seeing the fruits of your labour.”
Partnerships focused on driving innovation and the development of new technologies, such as the one with the Government of Canada, also play a key role in JMN’s continued growth. With support from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the government is helping JMN increase productivity. A recent investment of $500,000 is going towards the expansion of their current plant, as well as the purchase of specialized equipment. This will allow the business to be more efficient while increasing overall production capacity.
JMN Enterprises is a prime example of how innovation and resourcefulness fuel Atlantic Canada’s economy, at home and beyond.
Do you have a business concept? Do you have an innovative idea to improve or grow your business? For more information on programs and services available to businesses in Atlantic Canada call 1-800-561-7862 or go to canada.ca/acoa.