said. There are being advantages to being
family-owned and modestly sized. “We
still see ourselves as a small business,
so we’re able to make decisions instanta-
neously,” Volkaert said. “With a phone call
we can make a decision that we all agree
on, and that really helps our customers be-
cause they know they’re going to get an
answer quickly.” Many companies don’t
operate like that due to a vertical manage-
ment system.
Over the past year and a half, the em-
ployee base has increased by 60 per cent,
which is why J/E is seriously considering
export to discover even more opportuni-
ties. Presently, the company caters to Ca-
nadian companies 95 per cent of the time,
but Volkaert believes that J/E Bearing can
bring value to other countries too. Consid-
ering the strategic location of Tillsonburg
and its proximity to eight U.S. states, the
U.S. is an obvious choice, but Europe is
also an option.
“The future is bright and we have lots of
good things on the go. We still have a lot
of excitement in us,” Volkaert said.
“The future is bright and we have lots of good things on the go. We still have a
lot of excitement in us.” Joe Volkaert, President
MARCH 2017
H
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