MM&P Expo Coquitlam panel to tackle manufacturing challenges

This year’s MM&P Expo Coquitlam, taking place May 2 at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver Theatre, will feature a morning panel discussion with prominent B.C. manufacturers.

The session will discuss challenges in the marketplace, government involvement in industry, and the effect of U.S. market pressures in western Canada.

The session will be moderated by Andrew Wynn-Williams, divisional vice president for Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters B.C. Wynn-Williams’ past experience includes serving as director of operations for the BC provincial government’s Premiers Technology Council.

The panel will include Edwin Beange, President, Hansen Industries Ltd., and Vanessa Heim, Strategic Development Manager, Brenco Industries Ltd.

Edwin Beange has been the owner and president of Hansen Industries Ltd. since 1991. He graduated with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in 1979 and has a Masters of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business. Beange has been a Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in the Province of British Columbia since 1984. Prior to Hansen, he worked as a program and project manager at an aerospace company; MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), and at a scientific instrument manufacturer; Bruker Spectrospin (Canada) Ltd. Beange has belonged to two CEO mentorship groups for over ten years, The Executive Group (TEC) and Manufacturers Executive Committee (MEC) that is part of the Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Canada.

Vanessa Heim is the strategic development manager at Brenco Industries Ltd., a Delta, B.C.-based metal cutting, forming, fabrication and processing solutions provider. She is a board member of the Young Professionals Council of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Assocation, Int’l (FMA), and a member of TEC Canada.