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New Brunswick's manufacturers are preparing to share ideas on how they can boost productivity in order to remain competitive in the face of soaring energy and transportation costs.

The New Brunswick division of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters will hold its 56th annual general meeting and Manufacturers' Days events May 29-30 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fredericton.

During the two day event, experts and provincial firms will discuss how they've improved business processes, reduced costs or invested in new equipment in order to become more productive.

David Plante, vice-president of the New Brunswick chapter of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, says discussions on how provincial firms have become more productive will be a central feature of this year's conference.

"A feature of this conference is having industry in to do some sessions to show how they are approaching the issue of productivity in a very, very real way," he said. "Be it either through leaning their process, innovation in their process or product or, as we're seeing increasingly, investments in new equipment."

Experts and representatives from companies such as J.D. Irving, Limited, Xstrata Plc, Sunny Corner Enterprises, Atlantic Windows and NB Power will all speak about efforts by their firms to boost productivity.

Plante said Atlantic Windows, a manufacturer of vinyl windows and doors, has become an provincial success story when it comes to boosting productivity.

Since launching efforts to thin out its processes and improve productivity in 2003, the Port Elgin firm has increased its sales by 35 per cent, reduced its lead time by 85 per cent and has achieved a 17-per-cent increase in labour productivity.

Plante said investments in new equipment has become the main driver of productivity gains by manufacturers.

"Over the past 40 years, and increasingly so over the last five years, more half the gains in productivity have come from investments in new equipment," he said.