Looking back on CME’s efforts on behalf of manufacturers, now, as well as over the past century and half, it is an honour to know that CME was there, every step of the way.

While manufacturers were innovating at the turn of the century, CME was organizing to ensure the sectors’ voice was represented at every level of government. While manufacturers embraced the changes that arrived with the World Wars, CME was helping open the doors to new markets.

While manufacturers navigated a fluctuating US dollar, CME helped launch productivity training to help you compete. While manufacturers navigated the second and third (and now fourth) industrial revolutions, CME was working to ensure trade agreements, a competitive business environment and the right programs and policies supported our sector to help accelerate your growth.

While Canadian manufacturers were building their businesses, CME was there, helping them to do it.

CELEBRATING OUR 150 YEAR LEGACY OF SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS

2021 marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters’ (CME) predecessor association, the Canadian Manufacturers Association (CMA), founded by an Act of Parliament in 1871 as the voice and advocate for Canada’s emerging industrial sector.

Over the first 100 years, CMA as it was known, grew alongside Canada’s industry, and helped initiate and found dozens of today’s modern community of business associations, including the Business Council, the Aerospace and the Automotive Associations among many. It helped to establish the industrial policies that have helped shape Canada as we know it today.

 

Shortly following the establishment of NAFTA in 1994, CMA joined forces with the Canadian Exporters Association, to form CME in 1996, to advance and support the integration of manufacturing in Canada as the pillar of our valued added exports to the US and Mexico.

As we enter the next 150 years, we can look for Canada’s manufacturing and exporting sector to be a world leader in productivity, technology development and implementation, carbon emission reductions, world class ESG compliance, diversity and inclusivity.

OUR HISTORY

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) — known as the Alliance of Manufacturers & Exporters Canada until October 2000 — was formed through the 1996 merger of the Canadian Manufacturers Association (CMA) and the Canadian Exporters Association (CEA). Learn more about our history that dates back 150 years.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CME

Discover CME today: our mission, our vision, our values. See our 2020-2021 Annual Report and more.

MANUFACTURING OUR FUTURE

Manufacturing Our Future is a framework and a starting point for a new industrial strategy for Canada that can take us from crisis response to economic prosperity. Learn more.

JOIN THE CELEBRATION!

Have a manufactured product we should celebrate? A made-in-Canada invention that changed businesses or lives?

Submit it here and participate in our ‘CME was there!’ 150th Celebration.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Follow #CME150 and #mfgnow on social media as we celebrate together!