33 Can.-U.S. L.J. 159

Canada-United States Law Journal
2007

Proceedings of the Canada-United States Law Institute Conference on Comparative Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship in Canada and the United States
Cleveland, Ohio April 13-14, 2007
People Aspects of Entrepreneurs: Personal Service Contacts with Key Personnel Including Non-Compete Clauses, Methods of Reimbursement for Company Success, Incentives (Profit-Sharing or Other), and Effect of Immigration Restrictions on Entrance of Possible Entrepreneurs into Canada and the U.S.

INTRODUCTION

Gerald “Jerry” Torma

Copyright © 2007 by Canada-United States Law Journal; Gerald “Jerry” Torma

MR. TORMA: Good morning. Can everyone hear me all right? Can everyone hear me okay? Good morning to everyone.
My name is Jerry Torma from the Nordson Corporation, and I am very pleased to be here today. I would like to thank Henry King and the other advisors and other organizers for their kind invitation to be here to represent Nordson Corporation at this extremely valuable and worthwhile event.
I will introduce our two presenters in just a moment. Nordson Corporation was founded in 1954 by Walter G. Nord and his two sons, Evan Nord and Eric Nord. All three of them received their engineering degrees here at the Case Institute of Technology. The first product was airless electrostatic painting established and founded by and developed and discovered by a person from Case.
As early as 1965, when Nordson was a relatively small company, they began their operations in Canada, and it was still very entrepreneurial in nature. And ever since 1965, Canada has been a truly important source of road for Nordson in three ways:
*160 Number one: it provides sales, number two: it is a source of executive and managerial talent, and, three: it has always been managerial rather than entrepreneurial. It has always been rather unique in its innovative and technological contributions.
All of you have there in front of you a brochure called Northeast Ohio, and if I could ask you to open up to the center and look on the right-hand side. It reminds us that Northeast Ohio is a link to international business. The graph or chart or map on the right-hand side, in the middle there, also is very illustrative in that it shows us that Ohio and Canada are inextricably tied together.
There is a mutual interdependency in business, and many of us consider the Southern Canadian, Northern Ohio region, Northern United States and Midwest region as one economic unit, not two. So I think it is very fitting that we have this conference and presentation today to reinforce the oneness of that economic unit.
We are very fortunate to have with us this morning two presenters who are extremely experienced and extremely knowledgeable. I am sure we will all benefit from them. One of the principals I like to see sometimes is what I call three-way communication. Hopefully, one way is, from the three of us to all of you. Equally important I think is from all of you to us - your questions - and then sharing three-way communication participant to participant. So with no further delay, I would like to ask Benjamin Jeffers to introduce himself and to give the appropriate background and presentation followed by John Craig, our visitor and guest, pleased to have him from Canada.
Ben?