The FirstOntario 1Awards puts a spotlight on small businesse, that have 50 employees or less and have been in business for at least two years in Hamilton, Halton, Brant, Niagara and surrounding areas, by offering cash and in-kind services as a means to help businesses thrive – not just survive.

Being a steadfast supporter of Niagara College for close to 30 years, it’s no surprise they came knocking at the door of the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) to help design, develop and 3D print their 1Awards.

“We started this initiative with Niagara College, and it’s been rewarding to see it grow. The team at WAMIC is so responsive, creative and quick with turnaround times. The work they produce for us is phenomenal; everyone wants to win a 1Award,” said Joanne Battaglia, Senior Vice President Marketing, Communications & Community Partnerships, FirstOntario Credit Union.

“This project demonstrates the value of the large volume 3D printer to run batches of products. Each batch of 8 trophies takes 11 or 12 hours to print, so we can produce 16 per day as the printer runs overnight,” noted Brian Klassen, Research Laboratory Technologist at WAMIC. He added that the team uses the Fortus 900 3D printer to create the award and a laser cutter to engrave names on the plaques.

With the success and positive feedback of the FirstOntario 1Awards, they’ve expanded their recognition program to many areas across FirstOntario to also celebrate volunteers, and retail top performers, again, using the design that WAMIC designed and 3D printed. “These awards that the WAMIC team created for us are such a unique way to recognize not only small businesses externally, but also our internal team members and volunteers,” said Joanne.

“As a local credit union for over 85 years, it’s important to be part of the community but also to invest back into local community,” she added. “We know that by working with WAMIC, we are allowing students to get hands-on learning experience by bringing different ideas to the table and to help shape the future workforce.”

Both WAMIC and FirstOntario share the common goal of wanting to help develop the skills of the leaders of tomorrow and that’s another reason this partnership is so fruitful. As for future projects with FirstOntario, student Gavin Clouthier, Mechanical Engineering Co-op Student with WAMIC, has already been brainstorming new designs for key chains, piggy banks and more.

“This is a really fun side of the job,” said Neil Wilkinson, Associate Director, WAMIC. “The team gets to flex their creative muscles and find playful ways to help make these awards even more impactful. It’s gratifying to be able to use our advanced technologies, like 3D printers, to add to the betterment of our community.”

This project is an example of a technical service that the WAMIC team can provide to industry. With access to 3D design software, a workshop with a CNC mill and a lathe and laser cutter, an electronics workshop, and additive manufacturing capabilities, the team at WAMIC can design and prototype your new product idea.

Project intake is ongoing for our WAMIC team. If you have an innovation challenge, we’ve got the solution. Start the conversation with us today.

For research and development partnership opportunities, contact Sylvia Denton, Technical Sales Manager, at [email protected].