Vidir Solutions released a social media campaign to elevate women in manufacturing, resulting in an increase in female employees.Provided
For Caroline Hendges and her husband, Glauberio Pereira, Manitoba’s Vidir Solutions Inc. made a longtime dream come true. That dream was all about coming to Canada from their native Brazil and starting a new life.
In 2022, Vidir recruited Pereira, an automations engineer, to work at the company’s manufacturing operations in Arborg, Man. Once the couple emigrated, Vidir also found work for Hendges, a former pharmacist, as an assistant in the company’s customer care department.
Vidir helped Hendges and Pereira settle into their new community, finding them housing as well as schooling for their two young children.
“We feel safe and supported here,” says Hendges. “That was our main goal when we thought about coming to Canada. When you have children, you want to be in a safe place where they will have opportunities as they grow up.”
Based in two small Manitoba towns (Teulon and Arborg), Vidir manufactures automated material-handling solutions. The company sells products and solutions in more than 40 countries and has performed over 40,000 installations, many for Fortune 500 companies.
In addition to selling globally, Vidir recruits talent from all over the world, resulting in a diverse employee base. A series of recent videos produced by the company highlights how international recruits have helped bring their unique backgrounds and perspectives to Vidir’s day-to-day operations. The employees featured come from Pakistan, Uzbekistan and the Philippines, among other places.
Many of the newcomers benefit from English classes and other skills training covered by the company and provided on site. They also participate in staff lunches and other special events where they help introduce their colleagues to the culture and foods of their homelands.
Vidir’s commitment to diversity is also reflected in recent efforts to increase representation of women in an industry long dominated by men. A social media campaign and other targeted efforts to elevate the public profile of women in manufacturing resulted in a significant increase in the number of female employees, from 10 per cent of Vidir’s workforce in 2020 to 26 per cent in 2022.
A recent increase in maternity leave top-up benefits to 17 weeks represents another move by Vidir to address barriers to women entering the manufacturing workforce.
Founded in 1986, Vidir also has a long tradition of giving back to the community. Each year, employees have a say in choosing charities across four buckets – global, national, provincial and local. All employee donations are matched by the company.
In 2022, charitable giving and welcoming newcomers dovetailed as Vidir brought six families of refugees from Ukraine following the Russian invasion of their homeland. The company gave them jobs, found them housing and schooling and paid all of their living expenses for their first six months in Canada.
Three of those families found work with the company’s customer care department, which is managed by Chris Cottingham, a 23-year veteran of Vidir.
“Following the invasion, there was outreach to the world for support and Vidir was one of the first to step up,” says Cottingham. “We’ve also supported them in a manner that instills pride. It’s not a handout; they’ve been given the opportunity to feel self-sufficient and proud of what they do.”
Cottingham adds that the support for the refugees is typical of the company she knows.
“In the years I’ve been here, there’s always been generous donations to charitable causes. This company is empathetic to people in need. It’s just part of what Vidir has always been.”
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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.