Flexibility key for manufacturers under tariff pressure, conference told

Industry in London and Southwestern Ontario must be flexible and search for new markets to cope with tariff and trade uncertainty gripping the manufacturing sector, a conference heard Thursday.

Linda Hasenfratz, chief executive of Linamar, the global automotive parts maker headquartered in Guelph, delivered an upbeat message at the Manufacturing Matters conference at RBC Place London to about 1,000 attendees, saying companies can still compete in the fast-changing sector despite U.S. tariffs.

“The lesson really is to focus on flexibility. The suppliers who will survive these challenging times are those who will prioritize flexibility” said Hasenfratz.

“There is a direct correlation between uncertainty and the flexibility we need for our organizations.”

Flexibility in corporate strateg