Dajcor Aluminum continues growth

By Don Robinet, QMI Agency

In just over three years of business Dajcor Aluminum Ltd. has seen both its customer base and workforce increase dramatically.

Established in June 2010 out of the former Daymond Aluminum building on Irwin Street with just 23 employees and 30 customers, Dajcor now has more than 150 employees and about 300 customers.

The business was honoured as feature industry of the month by the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday and company officials provided a tour of the plant to chamber and municipal officials.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank my employees who show up here every day and give 110% to push this business forward,” said Dajcor president Mike Kilby during a brief ceremony in the company's lobby. “We could not be successful without this tireless effort.”

He said, “I also want to take this opportunity to thank my partners Bill Loucks and Max Fantuz for their mentorship and perseverance as we got this business turned around and growing.”

Kilby said Dajcor has grown by at least 30% each year and he anticipates further growth in 2014.

He said the company's strength is that it is a one-stop shop for customers. They do everything from fabricating the aluminum to anodizing and finishing the final product, and packaging to suit each customer's unique needs.

“We still have room to grow,” said Kilby, speaking about the 190,000 sq. ft. facility.

Dajcor produces a wide variety of customers for diverse business interests – everything from doors to window frames, to luggage racks used on Bombardier trains, to roof racks on cars, to shelving units.

In any given year, Kilby said Dajcor uses about 1,000 dies in the fabrication process.

Customers are located primarily in Ontario, Quebec and Michigan, but have come from as far away as British Columbia and Florida.

Industries served by Dajcor include automotive, structural design, the military, renewable energy, construction and home renovation, display units and shelters.

The aluminum pieces parts can be finished in a variety of colours including black, brown and gold, but satin clear is the most popular finish.