Our Employees

Warning!

Are your sure you would like to delete this favorited item from your dashboard?

 

We are a company rooted in family and committed to our employees.

Our employees and the diversity they bring with them are the defining strength of our company. Their collective insights, perspectives, skills and abilities drive our growth. We have generations of employees working in our plants and offices. Th is allows us to make long-term investments in their advancement and well-being through programs and initiatives geared towards inclusivity, professional development, health, wellness and safety. Ultimately, our cultural goal is to create a place where individual initiative and ideas are valued and supported. A place where every employee feels they belong.

Our culture is shaped by our values, guiding our decision making and practices from the beginning. They consist of the following:

  

Human

We’re accessible, empathetic thoughtful human beings – members of a big company that acts like a small company and feels more like a family.

Bold

Our “can do” attitude makes us agile, responsive and prepared to take on any challenge.

Curious

We’re inquisitive and explore how to be and do better. Individual creativity and ingenuity is encouraged.

Connected

Success is defined by our relationship to our customers, our teams and each other. Together, we positively affect the communities and spaces where we work and live.

Ready

We’re prepared and relentless in our pursuit of success. Rallied around each opportunity with optimism, we challenge what’s possible.

 

Creating a place to belong

Health + Safety:
Protecting the future


ergonomic lift workstations in our toronto facility

This equipment enables a single worker to easily maneuver architectural fabric elements that previously required four people. They protect and support user health, especially our more senior employees who have been with us for decades.


Well-Being:
A holistic approach to the workplace


wednesday “wows” in quebec

Provide fun activities and opportunities for employees to socialize. Examples include a “summer party” in February to evoke summer vibes, and a mini sugar shack in the parking lot in March.

Teknion Image

 

 

Wellness clinics in our Malaysian facility make it easy for employees to access medical care.

 

 

Cultivating Talent


new + emerging leaders program

One-year program that provides employees with the opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills. It pairs up people from different areas within the organization, affording participants insight and new perspective into how other departments work. Those that have gone through the program have moved on to greater leadership roles in the company.


Engagement + Feedback:
Giving our employees a voice


CEO fire-side chats

Provide opportunities for new and long-term employees to connect with CEO David Feldberg to share insights and provide feedback.


propel online learning hub

Some of the courses available:

  • Career and family challenges for women
  • Overcoming unconscious bias in the workplace
  • Improving your memory skills

‘blank page’ meetings in quebec

Employees are given opportunities to provide feedback on how to make the facilities better with management implementing the best ideas.

Teknion Image

 

 

Supporting Inclusivity in Manufacturing


Teknion Image
 

 

5 full-time formaca employees work at quebec facilities

Formaca provides people with intellectual and physical limitations the opportunity to integrate into the workforce and the community at large. Teknion comprises 30% of Formaca’s business – with Teknion’s support, the Formaca workforce has grown from 30 to 80 people.

Teknion Image

 

 

 

Supporting women in STEM

 
Teknion Image
 

 

Studio TK:
A place for everyone
to thrive

Alyssa Schall, Facilities Apprentice and aspiring engineer at Studio TK, is paving the way for women in manufacturing.

Alyssa Schall is 18 and the oldest of five children. Born and raised in Clayton, North Carolina, her roots run deep in the local community. She is pursuing a four-year Johnston College Apprenticeship Program (JCAP) in Applied Engineering. This program enables her to apprentice with a local manufacturing partner in the city of Clayton. Charlie Bell at Studio TK knows it’s important to mentor and equip the next generation of talent. “Facilities Management looks a lot different today than it did even five years ago and so do the employees who are responsible for it. We need people who understand the new technologies we now have in place. And importantly, how to resolve issues when these systems go down.”

This year there were 11 participants in the JCAP program and Alyssa was the only female. As a partner company, Studio TK held an open house for all the participants. Companies made their picks and pitch to students, and the candidates then decided where they would like to go. Craig Edwards, Facilities Manager at Studio TK, explains, “We immediately saw the potential Alyssa had – we knew we would be competing against other world-class organizations including Caterpillar, Grifols and Novo Nordisk for her.” Edwards adds, “She’s an interesting, very intelligent person – we saw her and thought, we need to get her, she’s the right fit for our company.” Fortunately, Alyssa also thought Studio TK was the right match. Alyssa says, “This place just felt right from the first time I visited. I knew I would be valued here.”

Jerry Young, Team Lead and Alyssa’s hands-on mentor at Studio TK, acknowledges the talent her generation brings to the table. “Not only can we teach her, but she’s bringing to us new ways of thinking and new ideas that will streamline our systems.”

Alyssa’s paid apprenticeship will result in her earning a journeyman’s license, a rarity for a woman in this industry. Alyssa adds, “I know many people my age and gender dismiss trades as a career. But we need trades, and I’m lucky, because in trades I have found job security, and fulfillment.” Reflecting on Alyssa’s time to date at Studio TK, Jerry concludes, “

 

“This place just felt right from the first time I visited. I knew I would be valued here.”

- Alyssa Schall, Facilities Apprentice

 

 

 

Creating careers, not just jobs

 
Teknion Image
 

 

Travail Jeunesse:
A place for everyone
to thrive

Christopher Thibault has gained maturity and a long-term view for his professional and personal growth.

Thibault, Substitute Team Leader, Teknion Quebec Christopher Thibault began his training with Travail Jeunesse, an organization dedicated to the successful integration of at-risk youth into the community and workforce. Travail Jeunesse teaches its members to not only perform contract manufacturing work for local businesses, but also gain the necessary social skills to function within the community.

Forty-four individuals are enrolled in this program each year, and the organization boasts a 75% integration rate into the workforce. Teknion is a beneficiary of this success rate beyond just Travail Jeunesse’s manufacturing plant. It employs Travail Jeunesse trainees and alumni within its facilities, reaping the benefits of a skilled workforce it has custom-trained.

Christopher was placed by Travail Jeunesse as a trainee at Teknion five years ago. Since then, he has progressed to Substitute Team Lead, actively involved in updating Teknion’s warehouse inventory system. Christopher has been recognized by his team as a problem solver. He attributes the inclusive environment at Teknion as being integral to shaping his outlook on work and life. “I’m proud of the maturity I’ve acquired. Now I have a larger perspective on life. In the past I was taking my job and even my future hour by hour. Now I have a long-term view.” He chuckles, “I’ve lost 35 pounds, gained a few more tattoos but, most importantly, am blessed with a daughter and now, thanks to Teknion and Travail Jeunesse, a long-term plan to care for her and myself.”

 

“I’ve lost 35 pounds, gained a few more tattoos but, most importantly, am blessed with a daughter and now, thanks to Teknion and Travail Jeunesse, a long-term plan to care for her and myself.”

- Christopher Thibault, Substitute Team Leader, Teknion Quebec

 

 

 

Investing In Our People

Supporting learning and
knowledge at all levels


speak-out sessions

One-on-one Speak-Out Sessions with our employees enable us to capture what large-scale audits and surveys cannot – their voices and individual concerns – which, when addressed, significantly improve overall employee satisfaction.

fireside chats

Each new employee participates in a Fireside Chat with our CEO, David Feldberg, affording them the opportunity for an open conversation on any topic they wish.

employee workshops

Ongoing training via Tek U and Learning Zones advances each employee’s personal and professional development.

teknion & you website

This website is curated and shaped by our employees. They share content ranging from recipes to health and wellness tips – all directed at building a stronger sense of community and belonging.

Teknion Image
 

A place for everyone in our
Teknion family


teknion buddies

More senior employees are matched with new ones to provide mentorship, friendship and guidance.

Teknion Image
 

mental health toolkit

Employee workshops and resources support a healthy work environment for everyone. A range of topics is covered including tools to help identify and relieve stress and anxiety amongst employees, to resources on code of conduct issues and concerns.

Teknion Image

A holistic approach to
body and mind

Hockey in Quebec City, Volleyball and Tai Chi and Volleyball in Toronto. Not shown: Zumba classes in Malaysia

Teknion Image 
Teknion Image   
 

Promoting safer environments
for our employees


Safety Through the value chain

Fiberglass is contained within all panels. It is standard in the industry. But what is not is the way we treat them. We found a supplier who lines the fiberglass with aluminum via an automated process, ensuring no hands come into contact with this potentially hazardous material, from manufacture to install.

Make a difference

Our multi-plant, Joint Safety Community Initiative empowers each employee to take the initiative and identify safety risks within their facility via fun and interactive training sessions.

protecting against injury and workplace fatigue

From sit-stand desks in our offices to height-adjustable tables in our factories, we have implemented ergonomic furniture to ensure individual comfort and safety.

Teknion Image





REWRITING THE FUTURE



“I’d like to be in a place where I can grow and improve. A place where I have a future.”


At 22 years old, Francisco Mendez, a rapid continuous improvement specialist at Studio TK, is well on his way to rewriting his future.

Studio TK manufactures furniture for social spaces and is part of Teknion’s collection of brands. Francisco joined Studio TK four years ago. He was an 18-year-old high school student with a strong will to succeed. He was working 50 hours a week in a truck wash and a factory that made elliptical antennas but felt he was going nowhere. He explains that members of his community in Garner, North Carolina, all knew about Studio TK, so he felt it was a natural step to apply.

As he tells it, in his final interview he said to Kevin Williams, Vice President Operations, “Hey man I’m straight out of high school. I’d like to be in a place where I can grow and improve. A place where I have a future.” On his swift rise from assembler to Rapid Continuous Improvement Specialist, he says, “A lot of people say that I’m smart. I don’t think I’m as smart as I am persistent.” What’s next for Francisco? He marvels at how he has grown along with the company, which had just opened its doors when he started. He explains, “Every day I am challenged, and I’m often pushed outside my comfort zone. I still have tons more to do. There are a lot of places we can go.” Francisco is now completing a college course in mechanical engineering, funded by Studio TK.

This will round out his skill set and lay the groundwork for his next move in the company. Charlie Bell, President of Studio TK and ‘Chief Mentor’, articulates the company’s approach to employee engagement and advancement. “We don’t hire for today, we hire for tomorrow. Our approach is to find talent from within the community and nurture it. It’s a win-win situation. The community is strengthened and Studio TK doesn’t need to look further than its own backyard to find the right people to drive our company forward.”

 
SHOW FILE PROPERTIES
file name

description

size

created

modified