President of Windsor's LAVAL weighs in on auto sector, potential NAFTA changes

The president of a local tool and mould company said Canada's auto industry has room to grow, and that key players are positioning themselves in case NAFTA gets canned.

"I would say that for sure the [Canadian] automotive industry has relied on its competitive advantage by using the exchange rate and because of that they haven't been as innovative as their partners to the south or their partners across the ocean," said Jonathan Azzopardi, president of LAVAL International.

Azzopardi's comments come after the Canadian government's auto sector advisor kicked off the North American International Auto Show with some critical remarks.

"If we're going to try and meet customer expectation in my opinion we need to learn about speed. Yeah, cars can go fast, but management has to be faster," Ray Tanguay, automotive advisor to the governments of Canada and Ontario, told the crowd on Sunday.

"I think it's a little unfair to compare the entire industry with one comment like that," said Azzopardi. "But I'd say there's room to grow."

Take a tour inside LAVAL International.

LAVAL Tool & Mould was founded in 1975 by Larry Azzopardi and is one of the leading compression mould makers in North America. The manufacturer services many customers ranging from military and government applications to household products, recreational vehicles, heavy trucks and specialty vehicles in addition to the automotive sector.

NAFTA​

Amid much speculation that NAFTA may dissolve, Azzopardi said leaders in his industry aren't waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I think everybody is staying pretty quiet right now, they don't want to be a target," said Azzopardi, adding that many in the industry are strategizing for what may happen if the deal is broken. "What that's telling me is that everyone's really nervous."

He said the lack of certainty will also affect where businesses choose to set up shop.

"For the industry itself, we go in five year cycles," he said. "The decisions being made today will have an affect in five years."