People, Process, and Equipment are Cavalier’s 3 Pillars of Success and People are first for a reason.

“I’m the head coach and I want to win the Super Bowl,” Says Cavalier President Brian Bendig. “To make that happen you need the right people in the right positions”

There’s a high concentration of tool shops in Windsor-Essex, which means the talent pool is large for highly skilled workers in the industry. It also means competition is high amongst the tool shops to secure the best talent. Bendig wants Cavalier to stand out amongst the top Canadian mold-making companies.

“If you want the best people to work with you and stay with you, you have to treat them right.” says Bendig “We’re willing to accommodate a lot at Cavalier. We have weekend shifts, day shifts, afternoons, and nights. Sometimes people want to move around in the company and we try to accommodate that too.”

Windsor, Ontario, Canada plays host to Cavalier Headquarters and three production plants. Cavalier employs over 200 people in these facilities ranging from Designers, Mold Makers, CNC Machinists, and Truck Drivers to the fields of Finance, Marketing, Sales, Human resources, and more. Cavalier also owns three offices in India. 

“The offices in India are 100% intertwined with the headquarters in Canada. There’s no Cavalier Canada or Cavalier India,” says International Business Manager Chris Vander Park. “All Cavalier Tool locations work together in unison as one entity.”

 

A Sneak Peek at Cavalier Culture

Every quarter the Canadian mold maker hosts an event to rally their workforce

Recently, Cavalier hosted one of these Employee Appreciation Days at Invest Windsor-Essex’s Automobility and Innovation Centre. The Cavalier Army was treated to a BBQ and the opportunity to experience Cavalier’s Virtual Reality Experience developed with Invest Windsor-Essex.

In addition to employee appreciation days, all Cavalier staff are given the opportunity to join the social club. The Social Club hosts many events like the annual golf tournament, family mini-golf excursions, movie nights, kids’ Christmas parties, bowling nights, and more. 

“The social club is about bringing our people together in a social environment outside of work,” says Vander Park. “We work a lot of hours and sometimes work gets a bad name so it’s also about making sure that people’s families are a part of Cavalier”

In addition to his role as International Business Manager, Chris Vander Park is a member of the Social Club Planning Committee at Cavalier. Alongside Maintenance Manager Rob Wilson, Purchaser Pina Longo, and Production Scheduler Todd Male; The committee gets together each month and plans the events they want to host for Cavalier Employees.

 

How Does the Community Fit In?

People doesn’t just stand for the Cavalier Army either, it extends to the community.

“We do a lot to give back to the community because it’s important to us. We find creative ways to donate to local charities like dress down days. We also do public speaking at local schools and charities. At the end of the day, you get back what you give, and I think it’s important to participate.” says Bendig

This begins with events like Dress Down Day at Cavalier Headquarters. On the last Friday of every month, employees are given the opportunity to wear casual clothing to work instead of the branded Cavalier uniform. The price of entry?… A small donation to that month’s charity with a new one being chosen each month. 

Head Coach Brian Bendig expects no more from his people than what he’s willing to contribute himself. Each month Cavalier matches the total employee contributions to double the total donation. 

This past month, Cavalier and its employees raised money for Drouillard Place; A non-profit, charitable organization that runs a variety of programs for youth and residents of the Drouillard and Grandview Communities. 

Cavalier`s Chief Financial Officer Diane Woodiwiss says Dress Down Days help foster a sense of community and allow for more personal expression. “Casual for a Cause is such a great way to get involved in our community because it gets our people involved too,” says Woodiwiss. 

A matter closer to the heart for Cavalier is their support of The Kidney Foundation. Cavalier Co-Founder Ray Bendig (Brian Bendig’s Father), was the recipient of a kidney transplant which helped him live 13 years longer. Each year, through Dress Down Day, Cavalier donates to the Ontario branch of the Kidney Foundation. Brian’s Mother, Tina Bendig, was recently honored posthumously for her support of the Kidney Foundation.

Cavalier also supports other organization’s efforts to support local charities.

This year in April, The Social Club Planning Committee at Cavalier gathered a team and went to Tim Hortons to buy every employee a Smile Cookie. 100% of the proceeds from Smile Cookies go to charities and community groups across Canada. Where Cavalier Headquarters is located in Windsor-Essex, the Smile Cookie program supports The Ontario Student Nutrition Program and The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County.

On the first Wednesday of May, the same happened for McHappy Day. McDonalds donates a portion of all proceeds made on this day to Ronald McDonald Houses across the country. Ronald McDonald House Charities support thousands of families with sick children each year.

“Our employees are always happy to get special treats at work,” says Human Resources Manager, Tia Ashley “It always means so much more when these treats support local charities”

 

Collaborations with Community Partners and Local Schools

In addition to Cavalier’s Charitable Endeavors, the organization places strong emphasis on partnering with other community organizations. One such collaboration was with Invest Windsor-Essex (IWE).

CTM and IWE collaborated to create a Virtual Reality (VR) Training Experience for aspiring Cavalier Mold Makers. 

“It started as a training tool for our Cavalier employees – but once we got into it I knew we needed it for school visits, trade shows, and tours.” Vander Park says. “It’s a great tool for going into schools. Instead of having 20 people around a computer screen, you put these goggles on and now you can see it, touch it, and feel it.” 

CTM recently unveiled The Cavalier VR Experience at NPE: The Plastics Show in 2024. 

Cavalier also gets involved with inspiring the next generation of tool makers. Cavalier holds events for Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students, Manufacturing Day, Industry Tour Day, and Take Your Kids to Work Day.  

On Manufacturing Day, The first Friday of October every year, Cavalier Tool opens its doors to students, parents, and educators in hopes of inspiring young people to pursue a career in manufacturing. This past year, Cavalier hosted an event for students from 8 local schools. Cavalier introduced students to the Canadian Manufacturing Industry with a plant tour led by President, Brian Bendig. There were also information booths set up by community partners and suppliers. In total, Cavalier hosted over 350 people at their headquarters.

1 month later in November, Cavalier hosted staff member’s children for Take Your Kids to Work Day. From the boardroom to the shop floor the day was a huge success. Students got to job shadow a variety of areas like design, CAM, machining, toolmaking, and Cavalier’s break room featuring ping pong and foosball.

Cavalier also hosted sixty SHSM students from 5 different local schools for an event focused on showing youth how to navigate the different career paths in the mold-making trade. They were treated to presentations from industry experts and a tour of Plant 1 at Cavalier Headquarters.

“SHSM is a provincial program and without great partners like Cavalier Tool it’s hard to engage our students with these job-work and training programs,” says Justin St. Pierre, Student Success Department and Teacher Consultant SHSM Programs and Community Outreach at Greater Essex County District School Board.

Interested in joining The Cavalier Army? Check out our Build a Career Page