New Brunswick’s manufacturing sector continues to rebound and has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
That is according to Ron Marcolin, divisional vice-president of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME).
“The month [of May] has been extremely good in both the exporting markets on all fronts as well as manufacturing,” Marcolin said in an interview on Monday.
“There is a good book of business that continues to thrive in the province.”
Marcolin’s comments come as CME New Brunswick prepares to host its Manufacturing Day conference in Fredericton on Wednesday.
The conference — the first after a three-year absence — is a chance for manufacturers and exporters in the province to hear from a number of guest speakers.
Economist Dr. Herb Emery will offer an overview of the 2022 manufacturing outlook, Norm Sawyer with ION Nuclear Consulting Ltd. will discuss small modular reactors, and Premier Blaine Higgs will deliver the keynote address.
Other speakers will include Port Belledune president and CEO Denis Caron, Organigram vice-president Nathalie Batten, and CME president and CEO Dennis Darby.
Marcolin said while the province’s manufacturing sector continues to rebound, labour and skills shortages that existed pre-pandemic have gotten worse.
“Now we are dealing with even more retirements, so obviously we have more jobs to fill,” he said.
As a result, Marcolin said we need to pick up the pace when it comes to reskilling new players and ramping up immigration.
Other concerns such as the rising inflation rate and supply chain issues are also having an impact on the sector, he said.
“We still have a lot of issues on transportation, in particular, to get our raw materials into the province and then the finished goods out of the province.
“We’re certainly not out of the woods … but as time goes on, it is starting to settle somewhat.”
CME is a member-driven organization that directly represents more than 2,500 leading companies nationwide.
Manufacturers in New Brunswick account for more than 31,000 direct jobs, plus thousands of additional indirect jobs, and more than 90 per cent of provincial exports.
