Neighbouring Brampton Companies listed among Canada’s Top 100 Employers

Monday, Oct 18 2010, 11:00

Two Brampton companies, neighbors actually, are among the 2011 winners of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. Located in the Churchill Business Park, Loblaw Companies Limited and Medtronic of Canada Inc. both have head offices in Brampton.

Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada’s largest food distributor as well as a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. With over 138,000 full-time and part-time employees in over 1,000 corporate and franchised stores across the country Loblaw is one of Canada’s largest private-sector employers. Loblaw’s Brampton head office has over 2,800 full-time employees.

In describing the company’s physical workplace, which garners them an A+, a profile on the competition’s website states “Loblaw's modern suburban head office consists of two building modules that are connected by five-story glass atrium that serves as a gathering place for informal gatherings. Outside, the head office even has an extensive herb garden that supplies the state-of-the-art President's Choice Insider's Test Kitchen, where new food products are created year-round. In addition to the test kitchen, the building features an employee lounge (with comfortable seating and television); temporary "touch down" workstations for visiting employees; television production studio (for the creation of internal broadcasts); dry cleaning kiosk; PC banking ATM; convenience store; prescription pick-up service; video rental machine ($1.99 movies); religious observance room; concierge services available; onsite cafeteria (with subsidized, special diet and healthy menu items, including President's Choice Blue Menu items); latte bar; outdoor patio with barbeque; discounts at nearby restaurants; secure bicycle parking; free parking; car pool sign-up system.”

Located next to Loblaw, Medtronic of Canada Inc., is a division of Minneapolis based Medtronic Inc. With over 100 employees at its’ Canadian head office, which recently relocated to Brampton, the company supports over 400 employees across Canada. Medtronic’s six major businesses focus on a specific condition or type of therapy: Cardiac Rhythm Disease, Spinal and Biologics, Cardio Vascular, Neuromodualtion, Diabetes and Surgical Technologies.

Like Loblaw, Medtronic also scores an A+ in the physical workplace category of the competition with the local office “hosting and art collection the features a museum showcasing the company’s history. In addition, the building features an onsite fitness facility (with free memberships, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, rowing machines, weights, shower facilities, and instructor-led classes); employee lounge (with comfortable seating, fireplace, music, television, pool table, foosball, and table hockey); nap room; religious observance room; onsite cafeteria (with healthy and special diet menus, and subsidized meals); secure bicycle parking; free parking; outdoor patio/deck and barbecue; and a multipurpose "flex room". The company also offers employees a variety of free snacks including chocolate croissants, canolis, samosas, and free coffee and tea.”

Now entering its 12th year, the Canada's Top 100 Employers project is a national competition to determine which employers lead their industries in offering exceptional workplaces for their employees.

Click here for more information about Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition.