Is your company in need of a cash infusion? Producers of CBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den are looking for Canadian companies – including manufacturers – to take part in the second season of the reality business show The BIG Decision.

The show features some of Canada’s top investors who are on a mission to spend their time and their money to turn around struggling Canadian companies. They’ll visit the factories, shops and offices of Canadian companies in need, providing expert business advice and even a possible financial investment.

So... who can apply to be on the show? Companies must meet the following criteria:

What type of companies can apply?
- Must have been in operation for at least three to five years, or more
- Gross revenue of at least $500,000 per year 
- More than five employees
- Privately held businesses, family businesses, partnerships, limited partnerships
- Must be willing to commit to being filmed on camera for up to a two-week period
- A business registered in Canada
- Fluent English speakers

To apply, visit www.cbc.ca/thebigdecision and complete an application. Applications close June 8, 2012.

Canada booked its best two-month employment gain in three decades with news Friday that the economy churned out 58,200 new jobs in April, the strongest signal in some time the economic recovery may be coming out of a mid-winter stall.

The report was far stronger than anyone anticipated with Canadians able to find net new jobs in seven provinces across the country, many full-time and in the high-paying manufacturing, construction and resource industries.

Combined with March’s 82,300 jobs number, the 140,500 total is the best two-month employment performance the country has seen since 1981.

While welcoming another strong report, politicians and economists invoked caution about what the job creation numbers mean for the economy going forward.

“The job numbers ... are actually very good,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said at an event in Edmundston, N.B.

“But I don’t want us to become complacent. We watch these numbers every month carefully and there’s lots of fluctuation, and the whole economy all around us remains very challenging, especially in Europe.”

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty echoed the sentiment, saying the global recovery remains “very fragile.”

Bank of Montreal economist Doug Porter said the Canadian data suggests the country is a kind of island of tranquility in a sea of turbulence, noting that while jobs climbed in Canada, the U.S. had shown signs of losing momentum and Europe slipped back into political and economic turmoil.

The only negative was that the unemployment rate edged up one-tenth of a point to 7.3 per cent. But Statistics Canada said that was because even more people went looking for work last month — a signal of labour market strength rather than weakness.

“Wow. Where did this come from?” Porter said.

“(This) doesn’t seem to jibe with very much else in the economy, but maybe this was a case of things being understated in prior months and now we’re getting catch-up.”

Analysts said the data presents Canadians with two separate pictures of the economy, given that prior to March, employment had been mostly flat going back to the summer.

Either job creation truly was stalled only to rebound with a vengeance as spring approached, or Canada had been experiencing moderate employment growth all along, a reality that was only captured in the household labour survey in the past two months.

Coincidentally, Statistics Canada’s less timely and lesser-known employers survey had been reporting steady growth throughout the fall and early winter, when the more well-known household survey was showing flat or falling numbers.

And with April’s numbers, the two surveys now appear to be in sync — both now show a 1.2 per cent job growth over the past year, although the employers’ survey is only to February.

Either way, the numbers point to an economy that continues to distance itself from the wreckage of the 2008-09 recession, although at a moderate rate, said analysts.

“With this report, the lull of last winter has been all recovered and employment is right back to its trend. Thus, further improvements of this size are highly unlikely,” said Jimmy Jean, economic strategist with Desjardins Economic Studies.

The jobs trend, if confirmed in subsequent months, could give the Bank of Canada more impetus to start hiking interest rates, as governor Mark Carney suggested last week.

But many economists still believe Carney will remain on the sidelines throughout 2012, given that the global environment is if anything worsening, particularly in Europe, and risks are rising.

The markets saw the report as positive, with the Canadian dollar leaping past parity on the morning opening, rising 0.31 of a cent to 100.14 cents US.

As impressive as April’s headline jobs number was — the details were stronger.

Unlike the previous month, when most of the new jobs were concentrated in Central Canada, this time the gains were spread across the country with employment rising in the Atlantic region, Quebec and the West — although Ontario, Nova Scotia and Manitoba missed out on the action with minor job losses.

Also impressive was that most new workers were full-time and all were in the private sector, as well as being new hires rather than in the softer self-employment category.

In fact, the number of employees rose by 66,600, more than making up for a small loss of self-employed workers, and the private sector added 85,800 as government jobs fell by 19,200.

Over the past year, Canada has added 214,000 new jobs, more than half in the last two months.

By industry, Statistics Canada said construction added the most workers, 24,600, followed by manufacturing, 23,800 — welcome news in an export-dependent sector that has been struggling due to weak foreign markets and the high Canadian dollar.

Other gainers in April included natural resources, 11,000; agriculture, 10,000; and education services, 17,000.

Offsetting the gains, public administration shed 32,400 workers, likely an indication of government restraint.

Although Canada’s unemployment rate at 7.3 per cent is still more than a full point above pre-recession levels, Statistics Canada inserted a historical note to show how much better Canada’s labour market has fared since the recession and in the past decade compared to the United States.

From the early 1980s until 2008, Canada’s unemployment rate was consistently higher than south of the border, it notes. But since 2009, the Canadian rate has been about 2.5 percentage points lower on average.

As well, Canada now has a greater number of workers as a percentage of the working-age population than the U.S., a reversal of pattern than existed prior to 2002.

“In April, the employment rate was 62.6 per cent in Canada when adjusted to the U.S. concepts,” the agency said. “This was 4.2 percentage points higher than the comparable rate of 58.4 per cent in the United States.”

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has launched a new diagnostic solution that automatically acquires, stores and transmits engine and aircraft performance data. In addition to traditional engine diagnostics and prognostics monitoring, P&WC's FAST (Flight Data Acquisition Storage and Transmission System) solution allows for real-time monitoring of aircraft performance trends, providing a complete picture, predictable maintenance and performance optimization.

The FAST device is installed in an aircraft and measures its various performance indicators. When the engine is shutdown, the data collected is sent wirelessly to P&WC's appointed Designated Analysis Centre for analysis. Within minutes, the DAC and the customer receive electronic notification of the engine's performance. Customers can choose where and how they wish to be notified of engine performance data.

"Operators in this market use their aircraft as a key tool to run their business and dispatch reliability is paramount," said Raffaele Virgili, vice-president of customer service with P&WC. "At P&WC we are working toward offering our customers a planned operating environment where maintenance is synchronized with their schedules and downtime is kept to the absolute minimum. Our FAST solution integrates all performance metrics into a single hardware/software solution that eliminates the need for manual downloads and allows operators to plan their maintenance events and minimize aircraft downtime."

With FAST technology, operators can plan their maintenance sessions in advance, taking advantage of overnight layovers, for example. Because the system provides early detection of minor issues, preventative maintenance can be conducted before issues become mission affecting. Also, it provides timely post-flight fault code/event review which enables determination of an aircraft's immediate availability.

Whether the goal is asset protection, on-condition maintenance, real-time diagnostics or regulatory compliance, the solution will meet any operator's needs and provide a planned maintenance environment.
www.pwc.ca

Magna International Inc. is so optimistic about an improving trend in the global auto industry that it has boosted its 2012 outlook to project a record year of sales for its auto parts business.

Canada’s largest auto parts maker, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, said Thursday that it now expects to book between US$29 billion and $30.5 billion in sales this year.

“At the low end of this range, this would represent a record year for sales for Magna,” chief financial officer Vincent Galifi told analysts on a conference call after the company’s annual meeting.

Magna, based in Aurora, Ont., also increased its outlook for North American vehicle production after strong growth in car and truck production helped buoy first-quarter sales and profits that soared past analysts’ expectations.

The new guidance range is up from February’s sales projection of between $28 billion and $29.5 billion. Magna’s new outlook foresees North American vehicle production growing to 14.4 million units from 13.8 million in the February outlook, but it also believes European sales will be lower, around 12.7 million, down from 13 million in its February outlook.

Many automakers have been reporting rising sales of cars and trucks in the opening months of 2012 and it is expected that Detroit’s big three could face a supply deficit as demand returns. The companies closed factories and scaled back production to deal with a global downturn in demand during the financial crisis.

Ford recently added extra weeks of production to keep pace with demand and others could soon follow. That’s good news for auto parts makers like Magna, which provides automakers with everything from engines to upholstery.

Magna’s optimistic guidance was accompanied by the announcement of an ambitious global growth plan that includes building 30 new plants over the next three years in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

“We are investing in these start ups to drive future growth and to continue to strengthen our global footprint,” said CEO Don Walker.

Magna further announced that is has a new deal that will see its Magna Steyr subsidiary assemble a new entry-level Infiniti compact vehicle for Nissan starting in 2014.

“We are very delighted to sign this first vehicle assembly agreement with Infiniti,” said Gunther Apfalter, president of Magna Europe and Magna Steyr.

“It is an important milestone to further diversify Magna Steyr’s customer portfolio as a supplier of engineering services and complete vehicle assembly.”

Magna posted a first-quarter profit of $343 million, or $1.46 per share, up from $322 million or $1.30 per share in the first quarter of 2011.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of $1.29 per share, according to Thomson Reuters.

Sales in the quarter totalled US$7.7 billion for the period ended March 31, compared to $7.2 billion in the same period last year. Growth in North American, European, and rest of world production sales were partially offset by decreases in its complete vehicle assembly sales and tooling, engineering and other sales.

In its most recent quarter, Magna said North American light vehicle production increased 17 per cent in the first quarter, year over year, while light vehicle production declined seven per cent in Western Europe.

However Magna said it saw its production sales in North America, Europe and the rest of the world all increase in the first quarter relative to a year ago.

Steve Arthur, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said investors should react positively to Magna’s results and guidance revision, especially given that the European numbers were better than expected, showing continued improvement in the region.

“As anticipated, Magna increased (North American) production guidance and decreased volume expectations in Europe. These are now closer to our model assumptions,” he noted.

“In addition, there are favourable revisions to margin and tax outlooks.”

Shares in Magna closed up 2.25 per cent or 96 cents to $43.64 Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Magna is Canada’s largest auto parts manufacturer and one of the largest in the world. It primarily supplies auto makers in North America and Europe.

While the Canadian economy continues to grow at a moderate pace, there is a widening gap between commodity-rich Western provinces and the manufacturing-heavy provinces in Central and Atlantic Canada, according to the latest edition of the Provincial Monitor report from BMO Economics.

Western Canada/Prairies
"The resource sector continues to fuel growth in Western Canada, with Alberta likely to lead the pack in 2012 after posting five per cent real GDP growth last year," said Doug Porter, Deputy Chief Economist, BMO Capital Markets. "Crude bitumen production rose 12 per cent in the province, and job growth is currently the strongest in Canada. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan is also benefiting from rising oil production in the Bakken, and continues to see a very tight labour market and strong population flows. Manitoba's diverse economy should see above-average growth in 2012."

Central Canada
The report notes that improved U.S. economic momentum since late last year is good news for exporters in Central Canada, but fiscal restraint continues to dampen the medium-term outlook in Ontario and Quebec. "Growth in the central provinces will likely run below two per cent in 2012," stated Porter. "The auto sector is one bright spot, with sales in both Canada and the U.S. showing strong momentum, and production climbing back to pre-crisis levels. But a rising tax burden will continue to weigh on growth in Quebec, and spending restraint will begin to bite in Ontario as the Province grapples with a near-$15-billion deficit."

Atlantic Canada
In Atlantic Canada, modest U.S. economic growth, a strong loonie and fading public-sector capital spending will mean lower growth in Atlantic Canada this year, with all provinces in the region at or below two per cent. "While preparatory work for Nova Scotia's $25 billion Federal shipbuilding contract is underway, growth likely won't get a significant boost until 2013," noted Porter. "Meantime, Newfoundland & Labrador, the region's recent growth leader, is likely to see offshore oil production drop in 2012 amid maintenance shutdowns and gradually falling output-broader domestic demand, however, should remain solid."

"Despite some clear regional differences, Canadian businesses are demonstrating their remarkable adaptability by diversifying their supply chains, opening-up new markets for their products and services, and by making critical investments in their companies," said Cathy Pin, Vice-President, BMO Commercial Banking. "This year we are also seeing many businesses beginning to look for opportunities to strengthen their financial underpinnings and competitive positioning, by taking greater advantage of available cash flow management tools and strategies."

The full Provincial Monitor can be downloaded at www.bmocm.com/economics.

WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturing grew last month at the fastest pace in nearly a year. New orders, production and a measure of employment all rose.

The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, says its index of manufacturing activity increased to 54.8 in April. That’s the highest level since June and up from 53.4 the previous month. Readings above 50 indicate expansion.

Solid growth in manufacturing suggests the slowdown in hiring and factory output in March may have been a temporary lull. Economists have noted that a mild winter may have accelerated some economic activity at the start of the year, making March’s data weaker.

The report exceeded analysts’ expectations, prompting investors to shift money out of bonds and into stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 80 points in morning trading.

A measure of employment rose to a 10-month high, an indication that factories are still hiring at a healthy clip. That’s a good sign ahead of Friday’s April jobs report.

A measure of new orders jumped to its highest level in a year. That could point to faster production in the coming months. New export orders also rose, which could offset worries that Europe and China could drag on exports.

Factories have been a key source of jobs and growth since the recession ended almost three years ago. The sector has expanded for 33 straight months, according to the ISM’s index.

Manufacturing has also been a big source of hiring. Factories account for only about 9 per cent of total payrolls but added 13 per cent of the new jobs last year. Manufacturers have added 120,000 jobs in the past three months, about one-fifth of all net gains.

Other reports on manufacturing have been negative. Factory output fell in March, the Federal Reserve said last week. Companies made fewer electronic products and cut back on steel and other metals.

Even so, the decline came after three months of strong gains and economists said the slight downturn wasn’t enough to suggest a major slowdown.

Last month, consumers cut back on their purchases of big-ticket items such as automobiles and appliances. And while the job market is improving, incomes are barely growing. That could weigh on consumer spending in the coming months.

Business investment is also slowing. Companies increased their spending on equipment and software at the slowest pace in nearly three years in the January-March quarter, the government said last week.

Even so, economists expect most of the challenges will be temporary. Companies may be ordering less heavy equipment because an investment tax credit expired at the beginning of the year. Orders are likely to rebound later this year, economists say.

WINDSOR, Ont. — Production at a Chrysler assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., has been temporarily suspended because of a strike at a parts supplier.

About 190 unionized workers at the Dakkota Integrated Systems plant in Tecumseh, Ont., have walked off the job after rejecting a three-year tentative agreement.

Dakkota supplies the instrument panels on all Chrysler Minivans.

A Chrysler spokeswoman says production at the Windsor plant has been temporarily suspended due to a lack of “supplied components.”

Lou Ann Gosselin says today’s day shift is cancelled for all production employees except skilled trades workers.

She says Chrysler will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates on a shift-by-shift basis.

The Chrysler Canada website says 4,429 workers are employed at the Windsor plant on three shifts.

The plant makes the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and the Volkswagen Routan.

OTTAWA, Ont. — Canada’s dollar dipped about half a cent in early trading Monday after Statistics Canada reported the national economy shrank in February rather than posting a gain as most economists expected.

Statistics Canada reported the national gross domestic product declined by 0.2 per cent from January. Economists had been expecting Canadian GDP would grow by 0.2 per cent in February.

Shortly after the announcement, the Canadian dollar was down 0.55 of a cent to 101.39 cents US. The loonie recovered some of the lost ground in later trading and was at 101.42 cents a few minutes before stock markets were to open.

“The result leaves the economy tracking well below the Bank of Canada’s 2.5 per cent growth rate for the quarter,” observed CIBC World Markets chief economist Avery Shenfeld.

“Even with a likely rebound in March, the first quarter growth rate looks likely to be no better than two per cent or less.”

Statistics Canada says temporary closures in mining and other goods-producing industries contributed to February’s decline from January.

In service industries, gains in wholesale trade and in the finance and insurance sector outweighed declines in retail trade and in the transportation and warehousing sector.

Mining and oil and gas, combined, fell 1.6 per cent in February following a small drop in January and a 2.0 per cent increase in December.

With oil and gas excluded, mining declined 7.0 per cent in February, as output at potash and nickel mines was reduced by temporary shutdowns.

Oil and gas extraction decreased 0.9 per cent. Crude petroleum production declined partly as a result of unplanned maintenance activities in Alberta. Natural gas production also fell.

Manufacturing declined 1.2 per cent in February after increasing for five consecutive months. Non-durable goods manufacturing dropped 1.4 per cent with reduced output of food, chemical, and plastic and rubber products.

Durable goods production fell 0.9 per cent as lower output in transportation equipment and primary metal manufacturing more than offset increases in non-metallic mineral products and machinery manufacturing.

Unusually warm weather meant lower demand for electricity and natural gas, pushing the output of utilities down 1.9 per cent.

Construction rose 0.5 per cent in February with increases in residential and non-residential building.

While the wholesale trade rose 1.5 per cent — a third consecutive monthly increase — the retail trade was down 0.4 per cent. It was the second consecutive drop in retail.

New car dealers, who had a notable sales increase in January, saw sales slip last month.

Excluding new car dealers, retail trade edged down 0.1 per cent with lower sales at food and beverage stores, health and personal care stores as well as electronics and appliance stores.

Those drops outweighed increases at building materials stores, clothing stores and general merchandise stores.

The public sector, education, health and public administration combined, was unchanged in February as gains in health services were offset by decreases in education services and public administration.