With more than 25 years of experience in materials science and coatings, and a career that’s taken her from Romania to South Africa to Canada, Natalia Stephen has built a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in modern manufacturing. Now stepping into her new role as chair of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM), she’s focused on uniting the industry, growing membership, and strengthening Canada’s global competitiveness. Stephen spoke with Shop Metalworking Technology about her priorities for CAMM, the outlook for moldmakers, and why she believes innovation and collaboration are key to the industry’s future.
SHOP: Congratulations on your appointment as chair of the board for CAMM. Can you share a bit about your background and journey in the industry?
STEPHEN: I studied chemical technology in Bucharest, Romania. Shortly after, I moved to South Africa, where I specialized in materials science, metallurgy, and metal finishing. I worked there for five years before moving to Canada in 1995, where I joined a company supplying coating technologies.
In 2001, just before 9/11, I started my first company. It was sink or swim, and I chose to swim. Launching a business in uncertain times teaches you to be cautious, but I managed to grow. About two years later, I attended my first NPE trade show in Chicago, and I felt like a child in a candy store. I immediately fell in love with the industry. I had done some coating work for blown film dies, but seeing all the machines and molds at NPE was eye-opening. From then on, I decided much of my work would be with the mold industry, although I still serve other sectors. Today, plastics and tooling represent about 60% of my business.
Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal about molds, tools, hot runners, and different resins. People often come to us with mold wear issues or other challenges, and I love finding solutions. I think both Canadian and international customers respect our recommendations. That problem-solving aspect is what I enjoy most.
My deeper involvement with the industry began when friends from CAMM asked me to help start a Toronto chapter. I said yes and began organizing events with engaging speakers to make sure people came not just to network but also to learn. That’s the approach I’d like to continue now as chair: events with subjects that spark both interest and education.
SHOP: You also previously served as vice chair of CAMM, so you should have a good handle on how the association can best serve the industry. What are your top priorities as chair?
STEPHEN: My top priority is to increase membership. My vision is to bring moldmakers, molders, and suppliers—such as resin, steel, and coating providers—together under one umbrella with one voice.
The plastics industry is often unfairly villainized. The truth is, plastics are essential—you can’t live without them. From oxygen masks and syringes to car parts, plastics are everywhere. The key is recycling. Used responsibly, plastics can have a lower carbon footprint than many other materials. The industry is also making great strides with biodegradable plastics, which raises important questions: how will these new materials affect mold corrosion, and what adjustments will molders, moldmakers, and coatings suppliers need to make? These are conversations best had collectively.
Speaking with one voice is also critical when engaging government. For example, European countries have more advanced recycling programs, with multiple bins to sort different plastics. Canada could benefit from similar initiatives, but government support is needed. Together, we can push for better policies and promote our industry more effectively. That’s my dream for CAMM.
SHOP: Many CAMM members serve the automotive industry, which has been hit hard by tariff disputes and economic uncertainty. How are mold shops adapting, and what can they do to protect themselves long term?
STEPHEN: The industry has faced many challenges over the past 25 years—from 9/11 to the 2008 financial crisis. I remember visiting Detroit in 2008 and seeing many closed companies, not because they lacked work, but because banks recalled their lines of credit. Cash flow is critical.
Despite setbacks, our industry is resilient. Windsor’s automotive moldmakers are among the best in the world, and it’s nearly impossible to replace their expertise. Designing and building molds isn’t just cutting steel—it requires deep knowledge and multiple skill-intensive stages. That expertise isn’t easily replicated elsewhere.
Right now, moldmakers need to stay busy and keep taking on projects. Shops that hesitated earlier this year may be struggling, while those that moved forward with projects are keeping afloat. As the automotive market stabilizes, there will be a surge of new models and projects, and shops will need to move quickly.
The new U.S. steel tariffs are another challenge. While some argue Canada should retaliate, most moldmakers I speak with don’t want tariffs on steel imported from the U.S. A better approach is strategic sourcing—buying U.S. steel for molds destined for U.S. customers, and using Canadian steel for molds bound for Europe, Mexico, or Asia. Retaliatory tariffs won’t help Windsor moldmakers; the focus should be on reducing trade barriers, not escalating them.
This year will be tough, but I’m confident the industry will get through it, as it has before.
SHOP: What steps has CAMM taken to advocate for its members during this economic upheaval?
STEPHEN: We’ve organized seminars on tariffs and other issues, and we’re planning an educational session at the Windsor Expo in November. We’re also engaging government—going to Queen’s Park, inviting industry representatives, and pushing for solutions to the trade dispute.
I give credit to the Prime Minister for keeping a cool head and dropping retaliatory tariffs. That was the right move. At the same time, industry associations here must engage with their counterparts in the U.S. They’re not happy about this trade war either. It’s hurting both sides of a highly integrated economy.
Beyond advocacy, CAMM is working on a new website with capability maps and training resources. We’re encouraging diversification and even sending a representative to the EMO show in Germany to promote Canadian moldmakers internationally.
SHOP: There’s a lot of focus on alternative markets to reduce dependence on the U.S. Where else should Canadian moldmakers be looking?
STEPHEN: Europe and Latin America are significant opportunities, and Asia is growing quickly. I recently spoke with a moldmaker who just sold molds into the Philippines. There are endless possibilities outside North America.
Automotive moldmakers are more tied to the U.S., but companies serving other sectors are already global. Ontario is home to some of the largest hot runner companies in the world—Husky Injection Molding, for example, serves a huge portion of the global PET market and also makes medical molds. Mold-Masters is another major player. Quebec also has excellent moldmakers with strong international reputations. Many of these companies already sell worldwide, not just to the U.S.
SHOP: CAMM recently announced participation in a large-scale workforce and skills development initiative. What does that entail?
STEPHEN: We received a grant to support skills development, and the goal is to promote moldmaking and manufacturing in schools. We want students to see manufacturing as modern, innovative, and exciting—not a “dirty” word.
Instead of just Manufacturing Week, we’re launching Manufacturing Month. We’ll visit schools with VR simulations to show how molds are made, invite companies to present, and get students excited about career opportunities.
We’re also offering training support for apprentices. Companies can receive up to $5,000 when they take on a new apprentice or upskill existing employees. On top of that, we have a free “train the trainer” program to ensure mentors are equipped to teach. It’s all about building a pipeline of skilled workers who can grow into moldmakers—and maybe one day start their own companies.
SHOP: Canada’s moldmakers are known for being technologically advanced. How do you see AI reshaping the industry over the next decade?
STEPHEN: Shops should already be investing in AI. There’s no turning back—the genie is out of the lamp. AI will make moldmakers more competitive by analyzing and acting on the vast amounts of data generated in operations.
I know there are fears about job loss, but moldmaking is highly specialized. Every tool is unique and must be designed from scratch. AI won’t eliminate that—it will help us design faster and better. The key is to use AI as a tool, not see it as a threat.
SHOP: With so many challenges—trade uncertainty, diversification, technology, workforce—what’s your advice to mold shops, and what do you think the industry will look like in a decade?
STEPHEN: My advice is: keep taking on projects. Don’t freeze up out of fear. The constant tariff changes earlier this year made it hard to plan, but shops must stay agile, reduce costs, and improve efficiency to weather the storm.
This will pass, just as past challenges have. Global competition is nothing new—20 years ago, work was migrating to China, and we adapted. The way forward is through innovation. Precision moldmakers in Canada can achieve tolerances as low as two microns. That’s world-class, and it requires ongoing investment in R&D and technology.
If shops stop investing, they’ll fall behind. But as long as we need to make things, we’ll need moldmakers. The more complex the materials and processes become, the greater the need for smart, innovative people. That’s why I believe innovation is our biggest advantage and the key to the industry’s future.