BDO Canada – Understanding leaders in Canada’s manufacturing and distribution sectors

BDO Canada and Environics Research partnered on a national study, launched in February 2025, to explore how senior executives in key manufacturing and distribution sectors are adapting to shifting economic, regulatory, and technological pressures.

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Introduction

BDO Canada, in partnership with Environics Research, conducted a national study to better understand the outlook of senior leaders in Canada’s manufacturing and distribution sectors. Drawing on Environics’ deep expertise in organizational research and industry segmentation, the study aimed to support BDO’s advisory work and extend its record of thought leadership by uncovering how C-suite executives are navigating an increasingly complex economic, regulatory, and technological environment.

We collaborated with the firm’s industry team to design and execute the survey that informed Momentum: BDO’s Manufacturing and Distribution Leadership Report, launched in February 2025. The survey was designed to surface the evolving business priorities, innovation strategies, and investment drivers shaping the future of Canadian industry. This year’s edition focused on the leadership perspectives of executives from across food and beverage, aerospace, automotive, logistics, and other core sectors.

BDO Report

Background

Representing 90,000 companies and contributing over 10% of the country’s GDP, Canada’s manufacturing sector plays a central role in the national economy. The sector accounts for $354 billion in exports, or 68% of all Canadian merchandise exports. However, supply chain complexity, skilled labour shortages, volatile trade policies, and inflation are placing mounting pressure on leaders to innovate and future-proof their operations. Environics Research assisted BDO in surveying manufacturing and distribution leaders, exploring how they are responding to industry demands.

Goals to provide insights on:

Identify key business priorities and innovation strategies for the next 24 months.

Understand the sector’s digital transformation journey and AI adoption trends.

Explore how regulatory and economic forces, including government incentives, are shaping investment decisions.

The Ask

BDO Canada sought to better understand how manufacturing, wholesale, and distribution C-suite leaders are planning for growth and resilience amid shifting economic and geopolitical conditions. The research needed to uncover not only what leaders are doing, but why—surfacing motivations, strategies, and structural barriers behind decisions. The goal was to equip both BDO and industry stakeholders with actionable insights that could inform advisory services, client engagements, and decision-making.

Our Approach

1) A National C-Suite Pulse Check

Between September 16 and October 26, 2024, we conducted a national mixed-method study with 126 C-suite leaders from manufacturing and distribution companies with 50+ employees. Conducting research with senior leaders typically presents challenges, since these subjects have busy schedules and many competing priorities and may be reluctant to participate in research. To ensure sufficient participation, our mixed method approach combined online and telephone interviews. Using 50 computer-assisted telephone interviews and a written survey fielded with 76 participants in online panels, we captured perspectives from CEOs, VPs, owners, and senior executives. The study was designed to capture the voices of Canada’s industrial backbone – with participants ranging from chemicals to logistics to food and beverage – with an emphasis to understand their priorities for the future.

2) Analyzing Strategic Intent and Growth Drivers

We focused our deep dive on five key areas: business priorities, innovation and transformation, regulatory readiness, sustainable growth, and investment strategies. The survey revealed a strong focus on entering new markets, enhancing customer loyalty, and improving operational efficiency. Equally, we identified growing emphasis on product innovation, equipment modernization, and the use of AI to address Canada’s productivity gap.

Solution/Application of Insights

Momentum: BDO’s Manufacturing and Distribution Leadership Report – 2025 edition uncovered that manufacturing and distribution leaders in Canada are focused on accelerating growth by prioritizing digital transformation, strategic innovation, and operational excellence. To remain competitive, companies are investing in advanced technologies like AI, modernizing infrastructure, and adopting smarter supply chain strategies—all while navigating economic uncertainty and shifting global trade dynamics.

Overall, the insights and findings from Momentum have and will continue to inform a wide range of BDO Canada’s thought leadership and client engagement activities. These include national webinars, executive roundtable discussions, thought-leadership, media outreach, and digital content campaigns. The findings are also being integrated into BDO’s advisory services, enabling consultants to provide future-focused, data-backed recommendations to clients navigating transformation and growth in a competitive landscape.

Our Momentum survey has given us a clearer view of how leaders are embracing change, from accelerating digital transformation to investing in AI and automation. It’s enhancing our conversations with clients about what it takes to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Paul Dostaler

Partner and National Manufacturing and Distribution Industry Leader, BDO Canada

The report has strengthened BDO Canada’s positioning as a trusted advisor to the manufacturing and distribution sector—demonstrating the firm’s deep understanding of the issues that matter most to industry leaders. By leveraging real-world perspectives and a strong data foundation, BDO continues to support clients in building resilience, unlocking efficiency, and leading the future of Canadian industry.

Performance

The Momentum study provided BDO Canada with timely, actionable insights that have already elevated their thought leadership and deepened engagement with clients across the manufacturing and distribution sectors. The findings are being used to spark high-value conversations with executive leaders and support strategic planning and advisory engagements across the country.

Conducting this survey has deepened our understanding of the forces shaping Canada’s manufacturing sector. The insights help us connect with business leaders on what matters most, whether that’s navigating change, improving productivity, or planning for long-term growth.

Jesus Ballesteros

Partner and National Manufacturing and Distribution Advisory Leader, BDO Canada

About The Client

BDO Canada LLP is a leading provider of professional services to clients across a variety of sectors and segments. For over 100 years, our team has served communities across Canada through an integrated service offering including accounting, assurance, tax, and consulting services. This is complemented by deep industry knowledge and positions BDO to advise clients with both domestic and global needs.

BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO member Firms.