When Matthew MacKenzie completed his Machinist apprenticeship in BC, he had a vision of opening his own machine shop. After moving his family back to Nova Scotia, he knew he was equipped with the skills and experience for his career goals but could not secure a loan to get his business started.

“We had no equity at the time, and we couldn’t find any major bank that was willing to give us a loan to get started,” says Matthew.  

In 2005, when Matthew met with a Financial Advisor at CUA, they were able to provide him with a small business loan to purchase equipment and hire his first employee.

From MacKenzie Atlantic’s first Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine for metal parts fabrication to opening additional facilities, CUA has continued to work with Matthew, providing support, guidance, and financial services to help him reach his goals.

Fast forward to now, MacKenzie Atlantic is one of the largest manufacturing and CNC machine shops in Atlantic Canada. They use state-of-the-art technology and work for clients in a variety of sectors including defense, marine, aerospace and oil and gas.

We recently asked Matthew how his financial goals have changed since the beginning, from a one-man show to an established company with two locations and over 30 employees.

“I had no intention of running a large business — I wanted to create a small, humble machine shop,” says Matthew. "I went from losing sleep over spending $300,000 on my first large business purchase, to purchasing $2.3 million in a single capital equipment expenditure.”

“Success at the beginning looked like being able to pay my bills every month and the ability to slowly grow, but as we have grown, my focus is now my employees’ success,” explained Matthew. “My focus is being able to provide them with new skills and new opportunities to grow in this industry.” 

At CUA, we understand the impact companies like Mackenzie Atlantic have in our communities and on the Provincial economy. In April 2025, Build Force Canada released a report about Nova Scotia’s Construction Industry and the need for more tradespeople in the Province. Nova Scotia faces a potential hiring requirement of 15,000 workers by 2034, and anticipates that demands for tradespeople will increase.

To recruit, train and retain more students, the Provincial Government announced funding in 2024 for additional training seats to be added to high-demand trades. The announcement also included a waiver of Trade Qualifier fees in construction trades until 2026, which will save more than $700 for each individual with skills and work experience who choose to take the exam and meet the standards set for a certified tradesperson.

We wanted to support this key priority at CUA . This fall, we launched our new Skilled Trades Banking Program, which offers two options for students beginning their education at NSCC School of Trades and Transportation and recent graduates or students in their final year of study who are interested in starting their own business.  This provides future and new tradespeople with even more financing options to attend school, to open their own business, including necessary tools and vehicles.

If you want to learn more about our Skilled Trades Banking Program, please visit cua.com/skilledtrades or reach out to our commercial banking team to get started.