Published 12/30/2025

The Power of Thanks: Building the Future of Moldmaking Together

A bold four-day event highlights the value of strong supplier relationships and open dialogue, proving that gratitude and collaboration can help move moldmaking forward.

Christina Fuges

Editorial Director, MoldMaking Technology

Just a Snapshot of 50^th event and technology

Tour Time: Returning to Cavalier Tool

It has been 10 years since I last visited Cavalier Tool, and walking through their three facilities made it clear how much has changed. The facilities are larger, the level of automation is higher and the systems in place are far more structured than what I saw a decade ago. Chris Vander Park, Cavalier’s international business development manager, who began his career there as an apprentice more than three decades ago and has been back with the company for the past 15 years, walked me through the facilities and provided context on how the company reached this point.

Born on Opening Day and Still Pushing for More

Sitting in the room during Cavalier’s 50th anniversary gala, I found myself listening less like an editor and more like someone getting an inside look at a family story. President Brian Bendig’s speech was energetic, honest and very “Brian”. He took the stage to Queen’s “I Want It All.” And honestly, after listening to him, I understood exactly why that song fits him.

Brian’s version of “wanting it all” is about wanting more jobs for his team, more technology on the floor, more capacity, more trusted partners and more challenges. That mindset showed up in almost every part of his speech.

Several moments stood out to me because they revealed not just how Cavalier grew, but how the people behind it think.

The first thing that struck me was how closely Brian’s life is tied to the company. I’ve heard the story before, but hearing him tell it himself made it hit differently: he was literally born the same day Cavalier opened its doors. His dad left the hospital early that morning because he had “the only key to the building.” That detail says a lot about where the company came from—small shop, big work ethic, family-first but business-right-now.

Another moment that grabbed my attention was Brian describing the early days of equipment upgrades. Cavalier was still full of old manual machines, and he was trying to convince the partners to invest in a Toshiba boring mill. They rejected it using their “black bean/white bean” vote. Instead of letting it go, Brian borrowed $275,000 from a farmer—behind his dad’s back—and bought the machine anyway. Hearing him tell that story, you could see how stressful it must have been at the time, but also how defining it was. Six months later, his dad told him to go find another one. That was the beginning of Cavalier’s push toward world-class equipment.

The theme of partnership came through loud and clear. The room was full of suppliers, customers and employees, and Brian made a point to recognize that none of this growth happened alone. He thanked the suppliers who took a chance on a company that “didn’t always have all the ducks in a row,” as he put it. He thanked the customers who push them, challenge them, and occasionally “give him hell,” and he said it with real appreciation.

He ended by thanking the Cavalier team and his family, but what stayed with me was the overall tone: proud, grateful and very aware of the risks it took to get here. It was a reminder that the company’s growth is rooted in people willing to push, try, fail and try again.

His career story is closely tied to Cavalier’s transformation. He originally joined after a call from Brian, who convinced him to take a chance on what was then a changing operation. They made a handshake agreement to strengthen the business and rebuild the company, a partnership that still drives many of the decisions shaping Cavalier today.

The first major change is the size of the operation. Fifteen years ago, Cavalier was a $12 million company; today, it is recognized as one of the top 10 mold makers in North America. This growth shows in the number of employees, the amount of equipment and the overall pace of work.

Cavalier’s customers pay a premium for fast delivery and deep feasibility expertise, and the team is unapologetic about their approach. Chris says it plainly: they build the tool the way it should be built, not according to the manufacturing shortcuts others may push for. That confidence is backed by an in-house philosophy: No excuses. The team no longer waits for shared resources such as cranes, airlines or tooling. If a process or dependency slows production, they bring the capability in-house. The toolmaking area is designed around removing constraints, not adjusting to them.

That philosophy shows up not only in how tools are built, but also in how they are delivered. Instead of painting, Cavalier now wraps its tools, allowing for logos, QR codes and other identifiers. The approach creates a consistent appearance while giving customers greater flexibility.

In terms of equipment, Cavalier now operates 45 CNC machines, and more are on the way. New equipment includes a 3 x 5-meter Okuma BV, a Makino V100, additional Hermle C52s, an Ingersoll OPS 1200 EDM and another Mitsubishi wire EDM. The company invested roughly $6 million in capital last year alone. In several areas, they have already prepared pits or foundations for machines that have not yet arrived.

Most of the machining equipment is German or Japanese. Tables are fixtured so work can move between machines without major setup changes. This helps maintain consistency between facilities and allows the company to shift work where capacity is available.

Chris also highlights their machining strategy. Cavalier machines many parts from rounds instead of squares. This removes the need to square or straighten stock and reduces prep time. Parts are wire-cut to final size with zero stock, and usually only one person handles the process from start to finish.

Automation plays a major role. Toolholders are stocked with sister tooling so machines can change cutters automatically based on spindle load. Lasers calibrate tools as needed, and the system adjusts tool selection based on the schedule and job priority.

RFID technology is now standard in electrode management. Each electrode is scanned, tracked and verified before burning. The system prevents electrodes from being used on the wrong job or in the wrong location. As a result, errors that once required welding or rework have been largely eliminated.

Inventory is managed through vending machines placed throughout the shop. When an operator removes items (cutters, inserts, gloves or basic consumables), the machine automatically reorders replacements. Vendors receive replenishment alerts and restock accordingly.

Because much of the inventory is vendor-managed, Cavalier requires only two purchasers: one in Canada and one in India. The company audits its vending activity daily to verify accuracy. Parts and components are organized in bins tied directly to each bill of material. This structure greatly reduces missing items or delays related to misplaced parts.

The engineering department has grown significantly since my last visit. Cavalier now has about 40 designers split between Canada and India. The schedule is mirrored so work continues overnight. A design cycle that once took four weeks now takes about a week and a half. The company is also planning to add two metal 3D printers and one plastic printer to expand prototyping and support tooling needs.

The most impressive improvement I observed is the scheduling platform. It links SmartView with the ERP system and provides real-time job status across the shop. Milestones are color-coded to show whether work is on time, late or closed late. When delays occur, they appear in the system early, sometimes up to weeks or even months before the due date.

This visibility helps the team reduce idle time between operations. If a part is scheduled to sit for several days waiting for EDM, they may move it to spotting or polishing instead. The goal is to keep each job moving through the process. With 247 active tools in the system, manual tracking is no longer practical.

Overall Impression After 10 Years Away

The company I saw this year is more advanced, more automated, more organized and more energized than the one I visited a decade ago. The combination of capital investment, structured processes, global design resources and real-time data has changed how Cavalier operates day to day.

As the company celebrates its 50th year, it is clear that these developments were intentional and part of a long-term effort to scale without losing control of quality or delivery.