23 Kromet International in Canada

Team 39 Poster

Team Reflection

Our AIM2Flourish project on Kromet International Inc. offered a valuable opportunity to examine how a business can drive social and environmental good through sustainable manufacturing practices. Focusing on Kromet’s alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), we gained insight into how companies can integrate sustainability into their core operations. This reflection highlights our key takeaways, connects our learning to academic concepts, and explores how this experience shapes our professional outlook.

Kromet’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing left a strong impression on us, particularly given the environmental challenges that often accompany manufacturing. Their initiatives—such as recycling aluminum scraps, adopting energy-efficient technologies, and striving toward a circular economy—demonstrated that sustainable practices are possible, even in traditional industries. A phrase shared by Kromet’s VP of Operations, Korry Frew, “do it once and do it right,” captured the company’s dedication to sustainability as a long-term commitment, not merely a goal to check off. Beyond environmental efforts, Kromet’s focus on workforce diversity and ethical practices broadened our understanding of what sustainability can encompass, extending into fostering an inclusive workplace culture that balances profitability with broader social responsibilities.

Learning about Kromet’s approach reinforced our understanding of the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit. Kromet’s ability to integrate these elements through recycling and waste reduction showed us how a company can simultaneously reduce its environmental footprint and achieve cost savings. The company’s emphasis on accountability and ethical supplier choices demonstrated that true sustainability requires more than regulatory compliance; it demands proactive, value-based decisions. Witnessing this in practice brought to life what we had learned in class and highlighted how impactful sustainable practices can be when embedded within an organization’s core values.

Reflecting on Kromet’s story has influenced how we view our roles as future business professionals. Each of us found elements of Kromet’s journey particularly inspiring; for instance, the connection between sustainable practices and employee satisfaction was especially eye-opening for one team member. We realized that promoting a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees is essential to building a sustainable culture, a principle we plan to incorporate into our own professional lives. Kromet’s example encourages us to advocate for businesses that prioritize both social responsibility and financial success, showing us that sustainable practices can be woven into a company’s strategy with the right leadership and vision. While we understand that challenges like cost pressures and competitive demands are inevitable, Kromet’s success reassures us that a commitment to sustainability is compatible with growth.

Collaborating on this project gave us valuable experience in navigating cross-cultural perspectives, as our team included members from Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Spain. Our diverse backgrounds enriched our analysis of Kromet’s impact, reminding us of the power of varied perspectives in creating a more nuanced story. Brendan’s interview with Kromet’s VP underscored this point; the company’s belief that “the best teams are composed of people that think differently” mirrored our own experience. Our coursework in “Economics and Society for a Sustainable Environment” also prepared us to critically assess Kromet’s practices, as we examined how their recycling initiatives and energy-efficient technologies align with sustainable business principles.

Selecting Kromet from six company options and organizing our roles around each team member’s strengths enabled us to work efficiently: Brendan led the interview, Leena and Alhnouf handled writing, George and José María created visuals, and Miguel synthesized our insights into this reflection. Although coordinating across time zones posed a challenge, especially with our academic commitments, we overcame this by using Telegram for asynchronous communication. This experience reinforced the importance of adaptability and clear communication in global teamwork, which we know will be valuable in our future careers.

Through this project, we saw the potential for businesses to contribute meaningfully to society and the environment. Kromet’s dedication to a circular economy and ethical practices underscored that companies can do more than generate profit—they can actively support social and environmental goals. This insight aligns with our studies, where we’ve learned that true sustainability in business requires a long-term vision that values societal and environmental well-being alongside financial success. Overall, this experience deepened our commitment to sustainable and collaborative business practices. By valuing each team member’s unique perspectives, we created a story that truly captured Kromet’s impact. We are grateful for this project and leave with a renewed commitment to sustainability. Understanding that “doing good” and “doing well” are not mutually exclusive but mutually beneficial, we feel inspired to carry this perspective into our future careers.

Individual Reflections

Anonymous 

I had never collaborated with a team of people from around the world before, so I was excited to begin the COIL project. Meeting my group for the first time introduced me to a unique cultural blend: two from Saudi Arabia and two from Spain. In the earlier stages of our project, we would exchange exciting facts about life in our countries. For example, I learned that some places in Saudi Arabia are snowy, and I told them about our harsh winters here in Canada. Our group’s initial problem was finding time to meet since we were all in different time zones. However, we reached a consensus and found a time to meet every Tuesday. During our meetings, we discussed what would be done by each member, and planning was executed effectively. Language barriers sometimes made communication challenging, but we worked through it by having patience with each other. Overall, working with a diverse team around the world prepared me for an essential part of my future career.

Anonymous 

I had a fantastic time working with individuals from different countries but more specifically, different cultures and traditions. I was expecting meetings to have been less constructive and leave a lot of questions in the air due to potential language barriers but we all communicated our thoughts and opinions very well. Everyone also texted our telegram group chat almost daily to make sure all members understood the whens, whats, and hows of their assignments. One thing I will admit is that I would sometimes use slang or terms that do not translate in other languages. For example I type “tbh” which means “to be honest” and I had to clarify so others could understand me. We were also very agreeable as a group too as we agreed on all meeting times and who did each assignment. Personally, I didn’t notice any tension between group members, everyone seemed respectful of each other’s values and online methods of communication as well which was good to see.

Anonymous 

As a Saudi student, it was my first experience working in a virtual team with other countries (Canada and Spain). Immediately we were faced with issues of time zones and this was going to be a constant theme throughout the project as everyone had to agree upon a time that worked for them. However, we got through it by finding out a schedule that worked with each member of the team by using a time converter website which made me appreciate how committed and helpful everyone was.

The communication has also been affected by cultural differences. There were moments where language or my expression of ideas became a little hard to me, but we were able to navigate through it by just listening and having patience with one another. My teammates were respectful and open and I felt comfortable telling my thoughts, even if we are from different Cultures.

I enjoyed seeing other approaches to the same end result. I learnt a great deal about dealing with time zone challenges and working with people from different backgrounds through this project. Also, my time management and communication skills have improved. It was a good learning experience, and now I became more confident to work in even more diverse, global teams.

Miguel de Arberas

Working with a diverse team was an inspiring experience. Seeing everyone’s unique perspectives on sustainability helped me realize how cultural backgrounds shape our understanding of responsible business. At the same time, thanks to this project I saw how sustainability isn’t just a theoretical goal but something real companies can truly integrate. The challenge of coordinating across time zones taught me valuable lessons in flexibility and communication, which I know will be essential in any global workplace. What´s more, this project showed me the importance of diversity in teamwork and motivated me to look beyond profits to make a meaningful difference. By the end, I’d learned so much about flexibility and the importance of clear communication, which I now realize will be essential in any job, as well as has strengthened my interest in pursuing a career that values both business success and positive social impact.

José María Maldonado 

This project has been the best of my career. During these first years at the University I have had very theoretical subjects on economics and statistics. I have also had more practical activities with real cases. but without a doubt the most real case I have had has been this Aim2Flourish project.  I thought that like any project it was going to be a bit of a heavy process and that working in a group was going to be very difficult. Furthermore, we were on three sides of the world: everything looked bad.  The reality was different. I have made four friends from Canada and Saudi Arabia. I have learned from their cultures and their way of working. And, in relation to the project, I have seen how the Sustainable Development Goals can be truly global for all countries.

Alhnouf Almajed 

Participating in this activity as part of a virtual team was a valuable learning experience, as it helped me learn about the types of sustainability and their importance, as well as getting to know the companies and choosing one of them and discussing their innovation, sustainability and societal impact, whether on the community or the company itself, in addition to seeing diverse perspectives within the group. Managing and presenting the activity with people from different cultures was a great experience, and I was with an effective team in communicating, as each member shared different and distinct ideas, which made our experience more profound and enriching. However, it required effort to convey a sense of inclusiveness and understanding to everyone. Communication was sometimes difficult due to time zone differences, but the team was always effective in communicating, and the use of digital programs helped a lot in finding times that suited everyone. Through the ability to adapt, these challenges were turned into strengths, which led to improving my teamwork and communication skills as well. I learned from this experience the importance of flexibility, active listening and empathy in a multicultural environment, and I came to appreciate the perspectives that each member contributed to achieving our common goal.

References

Kromet – Supplier of Aluminum Extrusion. (2024). Kromet.com. https://www.kromet.com