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Single factory group applauded

Canadians see plusses in pulling together

By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, January 6, 2002

OTTAWA — A strong majority of Canadian furniture manufacturers want a single, national factory association, no matter where they are based or the group to which they belong.

That's the main conclusion of a Furniture/Today survey of Canadian furniture makers.

In recent months, the three regional associations have been moving on several fronts to strengthen ties and work together on a broad range of issues.

Much of this activity has gone on behind the scenes, and Furniture/Today's survey suggests most manufacturers would applaud these efforts as moves in the right direction.

The survey focused on three areas:

Whether a national furniture factory association is needed.
What programs it should provide.
What furniture markets, both in Canada and the United States, are most important to manufacturers. Here, opinions varied widely, with a sizable majority advocating only one Canadian market, in Toronto in January (see story, bottom right).

Canada's three regional associations are:

The Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Assn., based in Montreal, which organizes the winter and summer markets in Toronto.
Furniture West, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which runs the market in Calgary, Alberta, typically held in June but moved this year to August.
The Ontario Furniture Manufacturers Assn., based in Mississauga, Ontario.

Although two of the associations sponsor markets, and some 85% of survey respondents said they exhibited in at least one of those markets, the factory groups offer other services.

Terry Clark, chairman of Furniture West and president of metal casual dining producer Acme Chrome Furniture, said it's easy for some to believe that holding markets is the only thing the associations do.

"They don't see the things behind the scenes," he said. "Those who serve on the boards or get involved in other ways, get an appreciation for what really goes on."

The QFMA's credit service is considered the industry's best, and its work in labor relations is well regarded. Of its 20 or so full-time staff members, only two are devoted solely to the operation of the two Toronto markets.

The OFMA's work on occupational health and safety issues recently earned participants rebates totaling over C$350,000. OFMA no longer operates a trade event and perhaps is best known as the organizer of the Trillium Awards competition.

Furniture West has administered Canada's UFAC program for nine years, and its collective general insurance program gets high marks from users. The survey suggests the majority of Canadian upholstery producers participate in UFAC.

"There are instances where our general insurance program has kept some of our members in business — it's the least-publicized benefit there is," Clark said.

Furniture/Today's survey was national in scope, but some regional differences emerged. Support for a national factory association, for example, is stronger in Ontario and western Canada than in Quebec, and the QFMA gets higher marks, overall, for its performance than its counterparts.

There's no question the QFMA is the strongest of the three associations. As the owner of the winter Toronto market — this country's only national event, recently renamed The Canadian Home Furnishings Market — it has the financial strength to provide a broad array of services.

"Quebec isn't perfect, but the members are satisfied with our services," said QFMA President Michel Deveault, who also is executive vice president of casual dining producer Canadel.

The OFMA is widely considered the weakest of the three.

Without a trade show, its ability to generate revenue is hampered and its single most important source of funds is membership fees.

While the language was stronger than most, one survey respondent summed up the sentiments of some Ontario factories thusly: "We are prepared to withdraw our OFMA membership if they don't change this year. They are expensive and of little or no value."

Under the leadership of President Gerry Cockerill, the OFMA has been holding strategic planning sessions to help redefine its role.

"We are responding to what our members have to say," Cockerill said, adding that recent membership meetings have been well attended, and various initiatives are in the planning stages.

The QFMA's Deveault pointed out that Furniture/Today's survey, conducted in November, offers a snapshot of current opinions and can't take into account what's going on behind the scenes. "It shows what was happening six months ago," he said. "The survey isn't reflective of the progress that we've made in the past few months."

The Quebec and Ontario associations, Deveault said, have been meeting frequently in the past few months seeking ways to work together on a variety of issues. "We're on the verge of having an agreement with the OFMA," he said, without going into details. "I'm hoping that an agreement will be signed in January."

One example of association cooperation has been Quebec's participation on the Trillium Awards steering committee. QFMA Executive Vice President Jean François Michaud has been involved in efforts to improve the Trilliums, as has Furniture West's Clark.

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