Decor Cabinets received special recognition at last week’s Morden Chamber of Commerce awards gala.
Cutting-edge equipment has improved capacity and productivity at the Morden plant
The Morden-based company was presented with an Innovation Excellence Award in recognition of their expansion, investment in training and developing staff, and the professionalism that their team consistently demonstrates.
Decor’s Stan Pauls said it was a very special honour.
“When we run our businesses … we don’t do it to get awards. We do it to make a difference. We do it to create employment for great people and to build a great strong community and a sustainable company,” he said. “We’re honoured. We’re honoured that the chamber would recognize that, and we appreciate the chamber and what they are doing in highlighting businesses because we know strong businesses in the community can grow and we can provide employment to a bunch of great people and make a difference.”
Pauls said innovation has always been a priority for Decor.
“And I think it should be for all of us, for all of our companies, because the world is changing so fast,” he said. “The needs of our customers are changing and how our customers want to do business is changing and how our employees need to work or want to work.”
Their employees are at the heart of everything they do, he stressed.
“In order to build a sustainable company, we need to be aggressively looking at ways that we can make a great place so that people don’t have to leave Morden and Winkler. They can get really good jobs here where they can use the skills that they have learned and that they want to use.
“I think the big thing for us is just giving people an opportunity here to have a job where they don’t have to move away. Young people don’t have to move away. They can get really good jobs.
“One of the big things we did here … firstly is to give employees first opportunity to advance and improve … take advanced training and build their skills,” he continued. “It will allow our company to grow and to meet the future needs of our customers.”
And with the recent major expansion to their Morden plant, there is increased opportunity and potential, Pauls said.
“We did a big investment … we know that was needed for the future,” he said. “This was definitely a big step for us.
A key part of their innovation of late has included looking at what was being done elsewhere with the most current technology and equipment in the industry, particularly in Europe, and giving local employees the opportunity to learn from that and make it work at Decor.
“It definitely increases our capacity, and it gives opportunity for more employees who are trained,” Pauls said, noting the new equipment has led to increased productivity and quality while also reducing production times and costs.
