5 Things You Should Know Outside the "Manufacturing" Box

We are celebrating our 27th year in business ! Whoo Hoo! As we celebrate, we are sharing 5 things we think you should know that are outside the strictly “Manufacturing” box.

It is easy to laser focus on designing and building the best product, on being more efficient and finding savings -  and that should be a focus of course! But, after 27 years in business, we would like to tell you this: pay attention to the world around you. 

The concept of thinking outside the box is not new and if we are honest, it gives us the urge to roll your eyes when we hear it. It is a concept that has just melted into our collective consciousness and people say it at work without really thinking about it.

Things happening outside of manufacturing may not directly impact your production facility right now, but they do impact the folks who work for you and your customers. Eventually, it all ties together. Some things to get you thinking:

1. HOW are you online?

 If you have been in business long enough you have seen the social media platforms emerge one by one. Maybe you are on one or two platforms,  or all of them, or none of them. It does not matter what social media is generically successful, if it is not specifically working well for you. Where you are online is something to talk about with your team, LinkedIn , Facebook, etc., we just want you to think about HOW you are?

 If you are not active, analyse why, and if it is really worth it to you? Pro tip - if you are looking around the table saying “who has the login?”, it is time to freshen up! Full disclosure, we realized we had not done a blog post in SIX YEARS, (that is too long!) - so here we are!

 Do not be afraid, you do not need to be Wendy's on Twitter/X - just be you! Your industry is out there, talk to them. 

2. Cake. Get Some. 

It is easy to overlook occasions, we are busy, we are at work. This is your reminder to take a moment and celebrate. It does not need to be a cake, or a specific occasion. It does not have to take a lot of time, but do give it the minimum of thought, please consider the following, we will call it, “CAKE 101”( we are using cake as the example, you can apply these steps to any treat): 

• Avoid nuts and consider other allergies or dietary requirements, it is 2026, it is easy to work around that, ask them at the store to suggest something

• ·Send an email, post on the group, whatever you do. Put it in the subject line: there is cake. Then tell folks where it is and why you have it.

• Print a sign to hang above the cake encouraging folks to enjoy - or get a simple reusable sign - that tiny effort makes a big difference, it looks like you did something on purpose - and you can reuse your printed sign!

• Cut the cake right away and have small plates, forks and napkins handy. Or make whatever treat you have easy to grab and enjoy.

• ·Don’t make it weird. No speeches, no awkward gathering around, we do not want an “Elaine's office on Seinfeld situation.”

  
  

·        Again, it is not really about the cake. It is about taking a simple moment to acknowledge that real people work here. A round of coffee can be a good place to start!

3. Accessibility

This is a much bigger topic than a point on a list, but it is too important not to include. Mark time on your calendar to really consider accessibility, and make an action plan. There are laws in place, and we are sure you are in compliance, but there is more to it than that.

• Accessibility is not just accommodating mobility challenges

• As a baseline, consider how you would feel if a guest came to your site and you had never even considered making your space accessible for them? If you do not have an accommodation yet, you can acknowledge that and apologize sincerely

• Digital accessibility is a real issue and if you have a website, your team should be considering it

·       Simple things like font choice. We have chosen to use a 12pt (at least) system font across the board, even on our sell sheets. There are fonts that are more exciting to our design team, of course, but we want to share information with the largest group possible. 

Right now, you are reading 12pt Arial, please let us know if something else works better for you in the comments.

4. Be a Good Neighbour

This is not just general “Be Kind” advice. Your company exists in the real world. You have deliveries, garbage and recycling pickup, people parking and coming and going. Also in the real world are your neighbours. Maybe they are in a similar industry, maybe not. Industrial park etiquette should be considered just like neighbourhood etiquette at your home.

There are municipal guidelines that address these things, but again, take a moment to consider your company as a neighbour. Would Mr. Rogers be proud of you?

• Is the area around your building tidy? It should be. That is all. 

You have dumpsters, and cages, maybe heavy equipment - great - but that does not mean you need to have litter that has spilled out or blown in sitting around. It takes so little time to sweep that up and makes a big difference

•  Landscaping. Tidiness is the minimum. If you have a greenspace of any kind be sure that it is trimmed. If you are doing “No Mow May” or having a wild space for pollinators that is great, but make an attractive sign to explain that - you may inspire others! 

• Consider your team! When the weather is nice, some people enjoy stepping outside for their break, you could easily provide a table and chairs for them to use

• Make sure you are in compliance with municipal guidelines, but take the extra step. Your on site managers should know their colleagues next door. Are there any issues with snow removal, or receiving trucks that could be done a little differently to make things easier for you both? Talk about it.

• Is your business near a school or residential area? Consider supporting a team or club, hosting a neighborhood BBQ once a year, handing out treats at Halloween - some small thing to be a part of your community.

 All of the above is nice, and it is nice to be nice but there is another side to it. Having a positive relationship with your neighbours makes it easier to address any conflict that may arise. It also establishes you as a member of the community if there are ever zoning issues that arise that you need to advocate for. Being proactive takes relatively little effort and is part of building your business foundation. Also, it is nice.

Of course, we love to talk about our manufacturing process and what we can design and build for you, get in touch anytime. As we celebrate 27 years we are so grateful for all the people we have worked with and will work with in the future. 

As a team, we are grateful to be at TWT. Our President, Jyrki Koro, is a true leader. He is our founder and it is his vision that has carried us since 1999. Jyrki is so good at what he does but is also always openly supportive and appreciative of everyone on the team and values the work each of us do in our own roles. 

While filming for an upcoming project recently he said, “I have a good group of people. I've been very fortunate to hire some very talented individuals. We're as much family as coworkers at times, and it definitely makes coming to work, traveling, and spending so much time together much easier.” It really does, we have a good time.

If you have been paying attention, you have noticed there were only 4 items listed above and feel a little betrayed, don’t worry, here is #5:

5. Appreciate your team. 

If you are senior management or the newest hire, it takes no effort to smile, say thanks, and make your workplace a warm place to be. 

If you are in your first year of business, or 27th year like TWT, or well over 100 years like the Molson Brewery, a comfortable workplace is just better. This was not always the case, especially in manufacturing. 

But, it is 2026 and you have a choice, you can be a Scrooge McDuck or a Jyrki Koro - a team that feels appreciated will buy into your company’s goals and go the extra mile to support your progress.

So that is 5 items to think about, but there are so many more. Feel free to suggest things that are important to your company in the comments.

PS - if you are coming to visit let us know in advance, we might get you a cake!

#TWTblog  #Manufacturing #5Things #OutsideTheBox #CarWash