A group of five Toromont CAT employees recently spent a day painting the gym at Gatchell Senior Public School in Sudbury. While waiting for the paint to dry, before applying a second coat, they shovelled dirt into wheelbarrows to fill newly constructed planters.
Earlier in the summer, an employee who has his own plane took a day to offer rides to children at a summer camp for young cancer patients. Staff also did some painting outside at the Children's Treatment Centre at the Sudbury Regional Hospital.
It's all part of a new company initiative that allows employees to go into the community for a day, with pay, to do some volunteer work.
“We have 100 people here so the intent is to get everyone into the community for one day every year,” said Willy Montpellier, strategic account manager at the Sudbury branch.
Toromont CAT is part of Toromont Industries which employs about 5,600 people in 167 locations throughout Canada, the U.S. and Australia.
Toromont CAT has branches throughout Ontario – including Timmins, South Porcupine, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay – and in Manitoba, Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Toromont is a diverse company,” Montpellier said. “It has a good presence in mining, both on surface and underground but we are also involved in other industries such as construction, forestry and power generation and also in the marine industry. We are pretty much integrated into the whole region here in the North.”
The volunteer initiative also acts as a new way for the company to become integrated into the communities. While it allows staff to spend a day away from work, they do receive the satisfaction of knowing they have made a difference in the communities where they live.
“It has also become a real team builder and that wasn't really the intent,” Montpellier said. “We make sure, when we send people out in a team, that they are from different departments.”
The volunteer days are approved by Montpellier and branch manager Ron MacNeill.
“We really don't mind buying some paint and we are looking at partnering with some of our customers as well, such as if we need something such as soil. So we are making further connections there as well,” he said.
The employees are embracing the initiative. When an email is circulated looking for volunteers for a specific day, there is no shortage of those willing to come forward.
“When we posted the one for the school (Gatchell Senior Public School), it was filled in 10 minutes,” Montpellier said.
It also helps that MacNeill is supportive of the initiative, Montepellier said.
“Being driven from the top makes a big difference,” he said. “His belief in this is where it all starts.”
There has also been some friendly rivalry between branches in making sure that all employees get the opportunity to volunteer.
The company offers other opportunities to employees through training and investing in its workers.
“A lot of people here have come through the ranks,” Montpellier said. “I am a good example of that since I started as a technician 27 years ago and I have pretty much gone through every division. It doesn't get stale and there are opportunities to go to other branches as well.”
According to its 2010 annual report, Toromont CAT technicians and apprentices received more than 75,000 hours of instruction. Due to the dealership's growth and preference for home-grown talent, the company recruits about 150 apprentices annually. Training for each represents an average investment of $150,000.
Along with competitive compensation, the report stated employees can also access Toromont's employee share ownership program with the company matching up to $1,000 annually. Close to 50 per cent of employees are shareholders.
The company also takes a decentralized approach to management, a practice it has followed for more than 20 years. The report stated that has helped the company to develop strong business unit leaders who have decision-making authority over the allocation of capital, and the responsibility to meet well-established performance and growth targets.
On average, its leaders have 28 years if business experience and have served the company for 19 years.
