“You can do right by the planet, and also do right by the bottom line. VeriForm is a great example of a Canadian company that really gets it, that really gets that the economy and the environment go together.” – Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change

About Paul Rak

Paul is the president and owner of VeriForm Inc., a metal fabrication company, and a member of the Regional Sustainability Initiative in Waterloo Region. He is a regular speaker on topics pertaining to sustainability for businesses and the many benefits of going green. He established VeriForm more than 21 years ago and has created additional ventures in the metal fabrication industry. In 2000, Paul created a new division within VeriForm, VeriCUT, which is exclusively focused on building downdraft tables for the laser, plasma and water cutting sectors. Before starting his own company, Paul got his start in the business as a production manager with Custom Engineering Automation Inc. Paul has studied Business Management and Quality at University of Waterloo, and prior received a Bachelor of Science degree (Biology) from The University of Western Ontario. In his spare time, Paul is guided by his passion for music and served for 6 years as the Fundraising Chair for Suzuki String School of Guelph helping increase their Endowment Fund from $22,000 to more than $250,000.

Paul is available to contribute to the following topics:

• Debunking the “Going green is expensive for businesses” myth and how things like tax credits for sustainability efforts and energy upgrades can actually improve a company’s bottom line
• “Over 100 ways businesses can go green” – From light bulbs to automating switches, human resources policies, incentives for staff, maintenance improvements all leading to much larger profits, as much as double the sector average
• The top three ways to create a workplace where people want to work (and dramatically improve retention)
• How to properly calculate the cost or savings for every tonne of Greenhouse Gas a company is responsible for (in the case of VeriForm each tonne is worth over $900 in potential cost/savings)

About VeriForm

Established in 1997, VeriForm is a metal fabrication company based in Cambridge, Ontario. The company specializes in metal parts fabrication, bending, rolling, welding and machining. Having acted on more than 100 separate environmentally-friendly initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint, efficiency, and sustainability, the company prides itself on its commitment to the environment. VeriForm credits its growth to the company’s green approach which began in 2006. In 2017, the company proudly announced that, despite hiring 25% more staff and expanding its facility square footage by 146%, the company had saved $2 million dollars and reduced its greenhouse gas by 77% from ten years prior. For more information visit veriform.ca.