Introduction
Innovation has always been a huge part of Tripar’s culture. As a partner to hundreds of OEMs, we’re always looking for ways to improve and provide clients with the best possible products. It’s who we are and what we do.
Continuing this trajectory, this new decade opened with two more patents: #5 in 2010 and #6 in 2011.
Patent #5 - Recessed lighting projector accessory
Patent #6 - Blind shelf supports
My daughter Lauren joins Tripar
Prior to 2013, my middle daughter Lauren graduated University with a degree in Human Relations. She worked for an online fashion retailer for several years. Though she thought it would be glamorous to work in this field, after several years, she not only realized that it seemed to be not that much different than any company peddling a product or service, but that despite giving her all and rising in her role, she felt like just another number and underappreciated. She found herself at a crossroads, with an opportunity within the beauty industry, which she heard can have a similar experience or pursue something else.
After speaking through her options, her partner raised the question about Tripar. He couldn’t help but ask about her family’s legacy: “Have you ever thought of giving it a try?” She hadn’t really, but that seed was planted and she couldn’t shake it off. If you take away what’s being sold, you have to believe in the company you work for and the culture they’ve created. That is what she was looking for.
With this, she approached me about a potential career shift asking “What about Tripar?” I was surprised as Lauren had never really expressed an interest in the business (notwithstanding when she worked as a young adolescent in the factory for a summer or two getting your hands dirty. Everything from sorting through ancient samples, electrical assembly, to packaging, to wherever she could be best utilized, working alongside some of our employees that are still in the factory today.) We have a great culture. To her credit and sprouting wisdom, her reply was “Well, I’ve heard you over the years talk about your business approach, and the value you place on customers and employees alike, and I respect it!”
And so the discussion moved towards what would Lauren do at Tripar? Her first reply was Human Resources, making best use of her training. To this, I said you can never work in HR here, since as “the boss’s daughter” how can you be in such a role which must fairly represent both employer & employee? (I was wrong but more on that later.) Instead, I offered her a position in the other area she had experience in: Sales, which she happily accepted working with our Inside Sales team, where she proved herself and flourished.
Three Generations of the Sevack Family (2013)
My son-in-law Andrew joins Tripar
In 2012, my oldest daughter Alexine got married to my new son-in-law Andrew. Both were living in England with successful jobs, but were looking into the option of moving to Canada. But they were deciding between moving to Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto.
My wife Cheryl and I heard they were thinking about moving to Canada. I voiced an idea to Cheryl; “Do you think I should float the idea of Andrew coming to work at Tripar?” My logic was twofold:
- He had a degree in Business Management with a marketing background and was working at a marketing agency up in London. Tripar needed marketing and Andrew’s existing role would be immediately useful. Then the business degree could help long term.
- I would also hate to mention this idea after they may have moved and started a new life in another city on Canada, only to hear either of them say “Great, now you offer this? Too late.”
I discussed this idea further with Cheryl and my Dad, and we agreed it had merit, and to float the idea past them before they decided where to settle in Canada. And so in January 2013 they both moved to Montreal, where Andew started as our Marketing Manager, during which he performed a full Business analysis and discussed where Tripar could go. Over the last decade, Andrew’s roles and responsibilities evolved, progressing in becoming our Chief Operations Officer (COO) in 2023.
Modernizing Tripar's workspace
In 2013, we renovated Tripar’s lunchroom doing most of the work ourselves. Having not been renovated since the 70s it was long overdue. In fact, the walls had a light yellow/beige hue, not because of the paint, but due to the nicotine build-up! We converted it from a traditional lunchroom towards a more modern café look, with couches, stools, stainless steel counters and tables, commercial Italian coffee machine, and large screen TV. It is now a nice relaxing environment for all staff who take pride in having such an environment.
In 2013, we celebrated Ben’s 90th birthday. We were also featured in the Canadian Business Journal.
Because of Tripar’s decades long history of making light fixtures and light parts, a natural extension was to make tubular components, such as an arms for chandeliers. Though we did it so several decades, trends evolve, and so did the demands for such parts and capacities. Rather than looking for new markets for this capability (which would have required investing in updating a variety of related machinery), we decided to re-invest in our core strengths: metal stamping and CNC fabrication. As such, in 2013 we exited the tubular product business without letting our customers down by finding them another suitable partner. See exit letter.
In 2014, having renovated the lunchroom first (being of benefit to all staff), it was time to renovate our offices. They were straight out of the 70s, with glass windows at the reception desk with talk-through holes; just like banks used to have in the 70s for those who remember. To clear the space for demolition and reconstruction, office staff had to move elsewhere. Where? Into every possible corner of the newly renovated lunchroom. There we remained for several months, with whoever was on the phone constantly saying “shhhh” to chattering staff entering the lunchroom for their break or lunch. To say that all were relieved when this was completed is an understatement.
At one point during the height of demolition, my Dad came to visit cautiously stepping through and over the rubble. Looking over it, and realizing there was no turning back, his only comment was a great one-liner which I haven’t forgotten; “I hope you know what you’re doing!”
Before renovation
After renovation (2014)
Tripar’s 65th Anniversary
In 2014, we celebrated Tripar’s 65th anniversary. See newsletter.
In 2015, Tripar was featured in two publications:
- Canadian Metalworking Magazine
- Metalworking Production & Purchasing Magazine
In December 2016 Tripar was awarded a Quebec ‘CNESST’ (the Quebec equivalent of OHSHA) safety award. Tripar developed a concept whereby a factory worker can hitch a heavy metal components storage container to one of our electric pallet trucks to safely relocate it to the required manufacturing cell. It was proposed by a factory worker through Tripar’s Suggestion Program. Its success has greatly reduced the chance of injury and improved speed.
Similar to tubular products being used in traditional light fixtures, crossbars were another component used in all suspended light fixtures, for which Tripar made millions of these over several decades. However, with the increasing popularity of recessed lighting, the need for these diminished, not to mention that these became a commodity item selling for very little. So in 2016, we exited the crossbar manufacturing business, and once again, without ever letting our customers down. See exit letter.
In 2016, we also launched our first edition of The OEM Guide to Recessed Downlights; a compendium of information covering all mechanical aspects, requirements, and solutions in this field. Since then, we have continued to update it based on new trends, requirements, and products, now in its 8th edition. This guide is so valuable that we were copied on an email from the CEO of a top lighting company who sent this to his engineering team: “This is the bible of downlights. Studying this will drastically increase your knowledge of downlights.”
Lastly, the most significant milestone of 2016 in my mind reverts back to Lauren. Back then, Lorraine our long time Director of Human Resources announced her upcoming retirement plans. Pondering her replacement, I thought of Lauren, though cautiously remembering my conversation a few years prior when I explained that she could never assume this role being the “boss’s daughter” and all. How could she fairly represent both employer & employee? But after some thought, I presented Lauren with this option, and to her surprise remembered our conversation. However, I explained that she had proven herself in her other roles, being hard-working and never taking advantage of being the boss’s daughter, she would likely be both accepted and successful in this new role. We agreed to try this, announcing the transition during which time Lorraine would work with and train Lauren over the next few months before her retirement. Not surprisingly, no one batted an eye with Lauren taking on this position as Director of Human Resources and thriving in it.
Over the next few years, Lauren worked in this position and had two daughters, during which the Tripar was also growing. And rather than letting Sabrina, Lauren’s highly capable replacement go upon her return from her second maternity leave, we kept Sabrina too as she was perfectly suited for the role having a degree as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR). Knowing it was time for Lauren to assume new and greater responsibilities, she was promoted to Administrative Director and then to Chief Administrative Officer in 2023.
Other Important Milestones
2017 marked the 29th edition of the “Prix Estim”: the Eastern Montreal Chamber of Commerce Awards.
Tripar was a finalist for a “Prix Estim” in two categories: Best Manufacturer & Best Exporter. The award ceremony was a gala event where many companies from Montreal came together to celebrate their great innovation, success, and growth. Tripar ended up winning the Best Exporter award due to our continued success in the USA and Europe. We were the runner up in the Best Manufacturer category.
Tripar receives the Prix Estim 2017 Award for Best Exporter
In 2017, we also released our Universal Driver Boxes, the solution that allows lighting OEMs to choose from two sizes of driver boxes, but design/select their required length based on their driver selection, wiring, and connection constraints.
In 2018, Tripar secured its 7th & 8th patents – Bar hanger with substantially identical members for recessed luminaires; our commercial L-Bars ™ which has a very interesting product development story.
Patent #7 - commercial L-Bar hangers (utility)
Patent #8 - commercial L-Bar hangers (design)
In 2018, we launched the TriparTech guides, a series of technical articles providing nothing but knowledge in our area of expertise; metal stamping and CNC fabrication.
Closing the decade in 2019, we significantly expanded our CNC fabrication capacities by purchasing the Trumpf Trumatic 1000; a new combination punch/laser machine; The first ever in Canada! This incredible machine permits the complete processing of workpieces, since many features can be achieved in a single operation; not only punching & laser cutting, but also tapping, forming, bending, extruding, marking of components, and more! See announcement.
In 2019, Tripar also celebrated its 70th anniversary, opening our doors to the public for 3 consecutive days. We had the pleasure of welcoming my Dad, Ben Sevack (founder of Tripar), as well as Caroline Bourgeois, mayor of Rivière-des-Prairies (the eastern borough of the Island of Montreal), Karim Elfilali, responsible for economic development of the borough, and Simon Gaudreault and Marie Quesnel of the CFIB; see announcement.
