With Help from Government Grant, Automation Solutions Manufacturer Purchased CNC Milling Center and Improved Productivity by 21%
Problem/Challenge
A small industrial automation solutions manufacturer based in southern Ontario, depended mainly on a few North American clients for its business. It wanted to enhance its productivity to be able to compete more effectively and diversify geographically. To achieve these objectives, it planned to purchase a HAAS CNC milling center.
Solution
The client wanted to fund the equipment purchase in part through a government grant. But it had little experience in seeking grants. It had tried in the past to make grant applications on its own, but company executives recalled how difficult and time-consuming the process was. So they hired Fair Grant Writing (FGW) to help them locate grant opportunities and take them through the application process.
Fair Grant Writing identified a government grant opportunity that suited client’s needs. After initial interviewing client’s executives – which took just two hours — Fair Grant Writing’s team led by Igor Chigrin, prepared and submitted a complete, well-written grant application package. The package included all of the required rationale for the grant as well as all the necessary calculations for use of the funds. “We were amazed at how quickly they prepared the application,” said client’s president.
Outcome
The client received government funding covering one-third of the cost of the milling center. It brought the equipment into production within just three months of submitting its application. Following installation and startup of the new equipment, the company’s manufacturing productivity jumped by 21%, and its closing ratio (the number of jobs it was awarded as a percentage of the number of quotes it sent out) has been rising steadily, with a growing share of sales outside of North America.
“Fair Grant Writing delivered on everything they promised,” Moreau said. “Igor and his team know their way around the government-granting process.”
“We really liked the fact that, in working with us, Fair Grant Writing took up very little of our time,” he added. “Plus they didn’t charge us any upfront fee. They got paid only after we received our grant.”
