2019 Canadians to Watch

CHOSEN BECAUSE: 

Jonathon Azzopardi, 40, has spent the past 20 years in manufacturing. The youngest boy of nine children followed in his father’s footsteps as head of Laval International, based in Tecumseh, Ont., just outside Windsor. The manufacturer of composite parts, prototypes, molds and engineering, which employs 60, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. 

Azzopardi chairs the Canadian Association of Mold Makers and has emerged as a strong voice for parts makers, especially when it involves the Canada-U.S. trade relationship. He has spearheaded trade missions to non-traditional markets, such as India, in a bid to diversify Canadian suppliers’ customer base. 

IN HIS OWN WORDS: 

“Canada and specifically southwestern Ontario is a unique region when it comes to its wide breadth of manufacturers. ... The entire supply chain is covered from raw materials to experts in AI [artificial intelligence]. The opportunities and focus going forward for the automotive sector should be to harness advanced manufacturing and flexible manufacturing to create our own space within the automotive sector.”