You can save the future of Canadian manufacturing.
- Frederico Panetta
- May 27
- 2 min read
CAPITALISM BUILT THIS — AND IT’S TIME WE START ACTING LIKE IT
By Frederico Panetta – CEO, Gould Industries
Let me be blunt: if you’re running a manufacturing business in Canada today and you're not thinking about growth, conquest, and expansion, you’re already losing.
Capitalism isn’t broken. Our appetite is.
We live in a country where the narrative is shifting — regulation is growing, margins are shrinking, and somehow profit has become a dirty word. But here’s my perspective: if you’re not building, you’re decaying. There is no middle ground anymore.
I don’t care if you have 5 employees or 500 — the DNA of every great manufacturing business is the same:
Solve real problems
Create real value
Own your production
Outwork your competitors
Reinvest in innovation
And yet, too many owners are scared to make the next move — scared to buy a new machine, scared to open a new market, scared to approach a bank, scared to take on equity. They’re not running companies. They’re babysitting them.
Capitalism rewards bold moves. Not excuses.
The Opportunity Is Still Real
Here’s the truth: Canada is one of the best positioned economies in the world for industrial resurgence — if we play it smart.
Don’t believe me?
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) — Offers tailored financing for manufacturers, with guides on how to automate and expand.
Export Development Canada (EDC) — Provides insurance and working capital to help Canadian manufacturers break into international markets.
NGen – Next Generation Manufacturing Canada — Funds projects using advanced manufacturing and digital innovation.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) — Offers strategic funding for high-growth sectors.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) — Delivers advocacy, insight, and tools to drive productivity and market access.
These are real platforms. Real tools. But they only work if you do.
So what’s the move?
1. Know Your Numbers Cold.Cash flow, output, lead time, margin, customer retention — be obsessed with your metrics. They're your ammunition.
2. Build Relationships That Matter.With your bank, your suppliers, your clients, your team. These are your generals. Treat them accordingly.
3. Don’t Apologize for Wanting More.Growth isn’t greed. Growth is survival. And in manufacturing, scale = leverage.
4. Think Like a Conqueror.Your city is not your market. The country is. The continent is. You’re in the business of dominating, not decorating.
Capitalism works — but only for those who work it.
At Gould Industries, we’ve been doing this since 1954. Not because we played it safe, but because we believe in growth. We believe in pushing boundaries. We believe that manufacturing is the backbone of this country — and that entrepreneurs should act like it.
So here’s my message to every small and medium business owner in the game:
Stop surviving.
Start conquering.
Because no one’s coming to save your factory.
But if you play it right — you can save the future of Canadian manufacturing.
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