Luc Stang, president and CEO, at GINCOR Werx.Supplied
Tina Tedford has built her career at GINCOR Werx from the ground up. She started out working on the plumbing, braking systems and other components of the customized trailers the company builds, as well as in assembly. Now she’s the quality inspector with an eye for detail and affectionately known as “the shop mom.”
“I’ve learned and grown a lot since I started at GINCOR Werx,” says Tedford. “The company supports whatever training or educational program I want to do. It’s just a great company to work for.
Headquartered in Newmarket, Ont., GINCOR Werx operates in 11 communities. It custom manufactures vocational vehicles. An industry leader known for its quality workmanship and technical innovation, its products include dump bodies, work-ready trucks, snow and ice equipment, flat decks, van bodies, live bottom trailers, and heavy haul float trailers.
For Tedford, the work is demanding but rewarding. The company gives her full rein to keep to the highest standards. Nothing gets out of the plant without her say-so.
“I was pretty much hand-picked for the quality position because I’m a perfectionist, somebody that cares,” says Tedford. “I’m very meticulous and I take pride in my work and the products we produce.”
That sort of empowerment is part of a company culture that is employee focused, says president and CEO Luc Stang.
“It’s a people-first organization. We take care of our people, and our people take care of others — that’s definitely a part of our mantra,” says Stang.
“If you have the right character, aptitudes and attitude, we will move mountains to help you succeed.”
GINCOR Werx puts health and safety at the heart of its holistic approach to employee support. That includes comprehensive mental and physical health programs, including a mental health practitioner benefit. Employees enjoy flexible working hours and time off. The company also provides profit sharing and bonuses. It invests heavily in employee development and growth.
“We work to ensure we’re creating career paths so this is not just a job, but a career for individuals who would like to go on this journey with us,” says Stang.
“We emphasize personal growth and development as well as developing the organization. We invest quite actively in continued education and training materials for our employees because we’re constantly working on continuous improvement at all levels.”
Tedford says the result is a company that has never forgotten it started out as a family venture, creating a relaxed atmosphere where you can know all your fellow employees’ names despite its remarkable growth from 24 people when founded to nearly 400 today.
“This is my work family. There are quite a few of us that have been here since I started here 10 years ago. I know everybody here and everybody knows me,” she says.
Stang adds that there are three generations of related employees working at the company, something which speaks to GINCOR Werx’s commitment to its employees.
“Our philosophy is to make sure we create an environment that not only benefits employees, but one which will improve the lives of every worker in the organization,” says Stang.
“We try to unpack their passions — both their work passion but also from a personal perspective, their personal development.”
It’s also a workplace where employees have fun, says Tedford.
“Everybody works together — even if we have a little hiccup, we can work through it. We can joke and get the job done at the same time. Personally, I love it.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.