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Fun events help Vidir Solutions build community

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This article was published 12/03/2024 (558 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, which has a metro area population of 23 million, Dimitri Caldeira now lives in Arborg, Man. – population 1,200 – where he works as director of engineering for Vidir Solutions Inc. It’s a different pace of life, but Caldeira wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Many places I lived before, I didn’t even know my neighbour,” he says. “But the feeling here is that you are part of the community and can make a difference. I love it.”

That sense of community, he adds, is very much fostered by Vidir, a family-owned manufacturer of automated material-handling solutions that’s mainly based in Arborg and the nearby town of Teulon. Vidir sells products and solutions in over 40 countries and has performed over 40,000 installations, many for Fortune 500 companies.

The company hosts at least one social event monthly, including annual multicultural potlucks, where Vidir’s diverse employee base is encouraged to share recipes and culinary creations from their native countries. Caldeira will often contribute Brazilian dishes.

Other events include pool parties, movie nights and the company’s hugely popular annual Christmas gala.

Vidir also strongly promotes service recognition, handing out awards for employees who have reached milestones of five-year increments, up to 30 years of service.

Caldeira recently received a five-year service award, which he sees as an example of a company that values and encourages a sense of mutual loyalty. “People and companies don’t often have that sense of long-term commitment anymore,” he observes. “To me, that’s priceless.”

Together with the regular social events, Caldeira is impressed by the effort that’s made to keep employees connected and motivated. “That kind of mindset is unbelievable,” he says. “There’s always someone thinking about how to entertain, engage and embrace employees.”

One of those people is Carissa Rempel, Vidir’s program manager, human resources & public relations.

Rempel is responsible for planning the regular social events, at least six of which include employees’ families. She’s always looking for new ideas, like the chartered steam engine train ride the company sponsored last year from Winnipeg to a heritage village in rural Manitoba.

The event included a tour of the heritage village, a picnic and train-themed goodie bags for employees’ children.

Vidir’s annual Christmas party, held at Winnipeg’s historic Fort Garry Hotel, attracts some 500 attendees. The event includes a formal dinner, live entertainment and free accommodation at the hotel for employees and their families.

“We like to give people the opportunity to do something fun with their families and fellow employees,” says Rempel. “We’re also conscious that these are sometimes things they couldn’t afford to do on their own.”

Rempel notes that one of Vidir’s core values is that “community creates meaning” and the regular social events are one of the ways the company lives that value.

“It’s about creating a sense of community in the workplace. When you know and care about the people you work with and their families, it really makes a difference.”

The service recognition awards also foster community. Based on length of service, employees are offered an expanding scale of compensation across a menu of options, including RRSP top-ups, financial support for their children’s post-secondary education, travel and gift cards.

The awards are given out during a cocktail reception at the annual Christmas party.

“It’s one of the ways we ensure everyone feels valued for the time they are putting in and the contributions they are making,” says Rempel. “That’s a big part of our culture.”