Connecting with staff in our three offices in India is more than uniforms, computers and Virtual Microsoft Teams calls.

It’s another chapter of The Cavalier Experience:  as a global business partner open for business on a worldwide scale.

“We are traveling the world and our president, our Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and our Manufacturing Manager have all visited to fully understand our offices in India, “says International Business Development Manager and Cavalier Tool India Director Chris Vander Park

“We are also traveling the world to ensure we see things as our customers see them on a global scale.  Our world headquarters is in Windsor, Ontario, Canada but our reach is much broader,” says Vander Park.  “The Cavalier footprint is worldwide.”

Cavalier has longer term plans to outsource design to companies-to offer services to other companies with blended content, to be able to provide designs, mold flows, electrode pulling and CAM programming, he says.  “We’re not just selling a new design, we’re selling a new design with Cavalier Canada and India content. It’s a blended content between the two countries presented and reviewed during the North American time frame.

CFO Diane Woodiwiss agrees. “It gives us the global presence. We have potential to compete in other markets in the future. We can sell our design and offer our services to the rest of the world -We can offer 24-hour service with 24-hour turnaround,” says Woodiwiss.

 

President Brian Bendig, Manufacturing Manager Larry Caron, CFO Diane Woodiwiss and International Business Development Chris Vander Park have all been to India recently – where Cavalier has three offices.

“Our staff in India are a complement to what we do here in Canada, since we can operate 24/7 because of the time difference,” says Vander Park. “We talk with them daily via email, calls and virtual meetings but we know how important it is to also provide some face to face time in person.”

India is also growing at a fast rate. “And we saw first-hand the number of cranes and buildings going up and the extensions of the subway systems It shows how much they are building,” says Vander Park.

Even from what Vander Park says he saw from his first trip six years ago to the one earlier this year to the upcoming one in September 2024, each time more changes are happening in terms of growth.

Previously, former Cavalier GM Tim Galbraith gave context to why Cavalier decided to expand into India in a previous blog:

“We started to explore this in 2017 when we had more work than we could handle and we needed to outsource design work… and eventually we decided to open our own office in India,” says Galbraith.

Today, the staff in India are integrated into the overall design teams at Cavalier.  “Now the work is harmonized, and all designs are done to Cavalier standards. We know our staff there personally, and we work hand-in-glove. They have become teammates and friends.”

Vander Park says it’s valuable to visit the offices and have staff meet people like Manufacturing Manager Larry Caron and can hear first-hand some of the shop floor information.

 

“They don’t get the opportunity to see it, touch it, feel it so they now get to ask Larry questions – and they are looking for more of the knowledge base about what we do and how we do it, “says Vander Park.

Caron says: “I was able to provide some first-hand experience of how we do things on our shop floor.  That is important for design work and also important for me to understand this process,” he says. “And to also get to know the staff personally was also good.  And they do like their sweets – so that was an added bonus!”

Woodiwiss says she was warmly welcomed and treated so well by the staff.  “They’re a great group of people and it was nice to meet them in person versus just seeing them on Teams (virtual) calls.”

Another bonus was the positive feedback from the staff in India.

“They were very happy that we went to visit them because they feel acknowledged and more part of the family,” says Woodiwiss.

Bendig says he wanted to get back to India since he hadn’t been there since the opening of the office in 2018 after Cavalier Tool Design India (CTI) was launched

At that time, then- GM Brenda Quint said in a blog: “It is great to celebrate this milestone with our extended family in India…  “We know our design team in India has not only highly skilled designers but also designers committed to the Cavalier way of doing business.”

Bendig says it was a great business decision that allowed him to keep growing his Canadian manufacturing – now with three locations in Windsor-Essex.

While in India, staff there welcomed Brian, Larry and Chris warmly with flowers and cake and were grateful to meet members of the management team.

The design house, owned by Cavalier, is run with Cavalier employees and managed by Director Vijay Kumar.

“It was helpful to have Larry share his manufacturing experience with Cavalier India Engineers. The Indian Engineers asked questions about the North American way of mold making. Larry enthusiastically accepted the queries and clarified the doubts. It has helped Indian Engineers to step up their understanding of the process and use the gained knowledge in the day-to-day engineering activities,” says Kumar.

He said when Woodiwiss and Vander Park visited Cavalier India, it showed the depth of commitment to the offices in India being an extension of Cavalier at their World Headquarters in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

“Diane’s visit was so important to us from the perspective of assessing the offices in three different locations in terms of investments and operating style, from a financial position.

And we appreciated how she valued seeing India in person and from a different perspective than what she had seen via social media postings about our country.,” says Kumar

As for Cavalier’s International Business Development Manager, Chris Vander Park, Vijay says it is clear India is now his second home!

“He is so comfortable to visit India and travel within India. Chris takes every possible effort to showcase the talents and commitments of CTI to CTM.

Every time people from CTM visit CTI, it reassures that CTI is an important part in CTM and its growth. It is a pleasure to showcase our work, culture and commitment to excellence,” says Kumar.

“It reaffirms our belief in the importance of building strong connections and sharing the success journey together,” he says.” We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation, and the feedback is instrumental in helping us achieve that.”

As noted in a previous blog: “Design files are worked on jointly by both offices – fully integrated into Cavalier’s North American engineering department, seamlessly working in NX®.  CTI provides services to estimating, program management, EDM, Cam Programming as well as the core business of Engineering; incorporating MoldFlow® capabilities, AutoDesk programming and providing DFM and feasibility studies.”

Bendig said in a previous interview this process was not an easy one, but it was well worth it.

“Cavalier Tool Design India is part of the family and their dedication to the team effort has resulted in a huge improvement in both process and quality.  We live by doing it right the first time and doing it better tomorrow.”

Bendig says that comment still holds true: “It was a trip that will pay dividends in terms of how we can continue to grow our business here while having the added benefits without the CTI team.  Finding staff is always an issue so now we have options and we can make tools faster and efficiently which in turn is a big win for our staff here in Canada and for our sales team in Canada, US and Mexico.”

“We are always looking to grow our presence around the world,” says Vander Park.

“Cavalier Tool India was the first step to being a world class Global Business Partner for our employees, customers and vendors. “