Alps Welding Ltd. has utilized Mentor Works to secure Canadian government grants and loans for optimizing production productivity, COVID-19 support, adopting new technologies, eliminating profit waste, hiring new employees, and training employees since 2012.
“Before we hire anyone, I call Mentor Works.” – Dennis Dussin, President of Alps Welding Ltd.
We spoke with Alps Welding’s President, Dennis Dustin, to find out more about the business, its successful use of government funding programs for growth and innovation projects, and the value of partnering with Mentor Works.
Who is Alps Welding Ltd.?
Alps Welding Ltd. is a custom metal fabricator for industrial process equipment for a wide range of industries across the globe. They manufacture custom pressure vessels, flare stacks, and heat exchangers, among other equipment, and they offer a variety of engineering support.
How Alps Welding Got Started with Government Funding
Alps Welding Ltd. began using government funding through the SR&ED tax reimbursement program. Dennis was not aware that the Canadian government offered grant and loan programs until he met Mentor Works’ President and Founder, who spoke about government funding programs at a Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) event.
Dennis got started with Mentor Works on a grant application in 2012 towards increasing productivity and output with lean manufacturing. Alps Welding was successful in their application to the Yves Landry Foundation Funding for Training Via the Government of Canada and received $100,000 in government grants towards lean training, which Dennis describes as transformative for their business.
“Government funding has helped us make investments that would otherwise have been too risky but have had major impact on our business.”
From there, Alps Welding has utilized Mentor Works as a strategic partner for multiple successful funding applications, such as NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) for innovative R&D projects, hiring and training programs such as the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, SHYIP Hiring, Bio Talent, and Career Focus Green Jobs, and most recently received COVID-19 support funding through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund.
Government Funding’s Impact on Projects
When asked how Canadian government funding has helped his business, Dennis says, “The best way that I can say government funding has helped us is that it de-risked projects. When we look at spending a bunch of money on an ERP system, we think it’s the right choice for our business, there’s some potential downsides, but if we get this government funding it’s a less risky project now.”
Even after multiple successful applications, Dennis confirms Alps Welding’s approach to projects has remained the same. “We’ve never looked at programs with funding available and said, ‘We should make a project for that.’ We’ve always said, ‘these are the things we want to do and the fact that there’s government funding available makes it less risky and a better ROI.’”
Mentor Works’ Role in the Grant Application Process
Every year Alps Welding has a call with Mentor Works to discuss upcoming projects and strategic objectives for the next 12 months. Mentor Works then matches those projects and goals with the available funding programs that are open or will open within a few months.
“[Mentor Works] helps to identify what the right funding programs are to support the things we’re thinking about doing anyway. They are able to say which program has funding or which are already fully funded and won’t be taking applications again until some date in the future.”
Once we have identified a project that is eligible for a funding program, Mentor Works will provide Alps Welding with a list of items they need to know about a project in order to move forward with the writing of the application. As priorities shift for Dennis, he’s thankful for how the Mentor Works team is able to keep the application process running until completion and before the program’s application deadline.
“If left to my own devices, I would miss many of these programs’ deadlines.”
Once Mentor Works finishes the first application for a business, our team of Business Development Executives keep their clients in mind down the road when a new grant or loan program opens up that would be a great fit for them.
Apply for Funding with Mentor Works
Clients such as Dennis tell us that they’ll hear about government funding programs, but are unsure if their project or business meets the criteria to get funding, or worry they’ll lose track of the application when priorities shift and won’t meet the program deadline. Consider working with the Mentor Works team to stay in the loop with government funding programs, have experienced writers take care of the application process, and be among the first to apply for programs.
“Knowing what’s open, what’s closed, and the timing is very hard to figure out unless you’re continuously investing the time in learning it.”
Find out if your business can work with Alps Welding Ltd. in custom metal fabrication and pressure vessel manufacturing across North America. View their full list of services.
Mentor Works provides an average of 95% time savings throughout the government funding application process. If you would like to learn more about working with the Mentor Works team, be sure to view Our Process or speak with Mentor Works to find out if your business is eligible to apply for funding.