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Second Quarter 2015
Retailer in Profile
A Family Affair
H
Proud owners/operators of Shell Super Splash Auto
Cleaning in Steinbach, Manitoba are (left to right)
Ev and Verna Martens, Stella and Wes Unrau
ere’s a question for the amateur geographers among
our readers.
What do Paraguay, Niverville, New Bothwell, Steinbach,
Capetown, Barcelona and Paris have in common?
All are diverse locations! One is a village, another a town, four
are cities and one a country located almost 2,000 kilometres
south of the equator. They are scattered across continents and
hemispheres, but they all share a common thread.
Meet Verna Martens and Stella Unrau, two sisters whose
family history, business acumen and unwavering work ethic
have not only taken them to each of the place names above,
but also to the pinnacle of success as independent Shell
retailers and valued customers of Wallace & Carey. Theirs is a
story you have to read to believe.
The siblings began their journey into the world in Paraguay,
a landlocked South American country surrounded by Brazil,
Bolivia and Argentina. It was there that Verna and Stella were
born into the Hildebrand family.
At the tender ages of 5 and 6, their parents relocated to
Canada; more specifically, to the Keystone Province*, Manitoba,
where their mother’s sister lived. Their Manitoba journey took
the family to the town of Niverville, their first stop in a Prairie
province that hugs the western shore of Hudson’s Bay. From
Niverville the family moved to New Bothwell, the cheese capital
of Manitoba. It was there, while the girls were teenagers, that
their parents made the decision to move to Bolivia for their
father to pursue a business opportunity. The sisters were in high
school and chose to remain in Canada and live together in an
apartment they rented in Steinbach, Manitoba, the city where
Steinbach Christian High School was located.
It was during this time that Stella, the elder of the two,
began working part time at the local Shell gas station to earn
some extra money. Verna, meanwhile, was working at a local
Sobeys and also part-time at the same Shell gas station. The two
independent sisters completed high school and continued their
education: Stella at Red River Community College where >>
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS • DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
1
>>CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
she earned a Certificate in Business
Administration, and Verna pursing
studies in human resources, accounting
and marketing.
While both had proven their
independence, it was their work ethic
and self-sufficiency that led to the
opportunity to own their own business.
“The gentleman who owned the
Shell station was at a point in his life
where he wanted to retire and move on
to something else,” Verna recalls. “He
asked Stella if she would be interested
in buying the business from him, with
the promise of training her, teaching her
how to do the books and showing her the
ropes,” Verna says. Stella agreed and the
owner worked with her and her husband,
Wes, to the point where the husbandwife team was fully up and running,
confident in owning and operating the
business they had purchased.
During this time, Verna had gotten
married and started a family, leaving the
workforce for a new role as mother to two
sons, who are now 10 and 12 years old.
“Family is a big priority for us,” Verna
says. “I did some part-time work for
Stella and Wes during my pregnancies
and maternity leaves, but after my boys
arrived I did more back-office work than
front-counter sales to help out.”
In 2008, the tables turned when Stella
started her family and Verna’s sons were
in school.
“We sort of switched roles,” Stella
says. “Verna became more involved in
the day-to-day marketing and sales,
spending time with staff and customers,
while I spent time doing the books and
managing the administrative side.”
Despite the sisters’ shift in roles,
Stella’s husband, Wes, maintained his
key position in the business, managing
the maintenance and upkeep of the
thriving facility known as Super Splash
Auto Cleaning, located at #53, Highway
12 North in Steinbach. “Wes has always
been such a big part of the business,”
Stella says. “It truly is a family affair.”
So, the setting (Steinbach) was
established and the characters (Stella,
Verna, Wes) were active on stage, when
2
THE CONVEYOR
a plot twist suddenly emerged. In early
2011, as Stella found her time and
priorities being occupied by her new
family, she asked Verna if she would like
to become a partner in the business.
Verna accepted the offer and the two
sisters, now partners, embarked on what
has become a world-beating journey.
Every year, Shell Retail recognizes
and rewards its top retailers globally for
outstanding performance with a fourday stay in one of the world’s great cities.
Winning retailers are measured on a
number of different metrics including
year-over-year increases in retail sales. The
award is also based on reports filed by
mystery shoppers who come in four times
a year and grade a business on everything
from how customers are greeted to store
cleanliness, the state of the washroom
facilities, product presentation and a
myriad of other details that separate the
good from the excellent.
The event brings together retailers
from different cultures, backgrounds
and interests, and features a business
conference, diverse leisure activities
and celebratory social gatherings where
retailers have the opportunity to network
with their peers from around the world.
Even before they became business
partners in 2012, Stella and Verna had
brought to bear the full weight of their
tireless work ethic, sunny dispositions and
belief that anything can be accomplished.
In 2011 they had been recognized as being
among Shell’s top retailers in Canada
and presented with a trip to South Africa
in May 2012 to celebrate. As Verna and
her husband had only recently become
a partner in the business, they quickly
decided that Stella and Wes should take
the trip to Capetown.
That accomplishment alone would
have satisfied most retailers, but the
sisters were only getting started. The
following year, Super Splash Auto Cleaning
was recognized not only as the number
one independent Shell retail site in
Canada, but also as the top site in the
Americas, and one of the 4 top sites in
the world!
“That was incredible,” Verna recalls
with characteristic modesty. Courtesy
of Shell, the two sisters and business
partners made the journey to Barcelona,
Spain in the spring of 2013 for a fourday conference/celebration where they
were presented with their awards and
applauded for their efforts that ranked
them among the world’s best.
Extensive renovations in the fall of
2013 excluded Super Splash Auto Cleaning
from awards contention, but the dynamic
duo were right back doing what they do
best for all of 2014. Their efforts paid
off February 25 – 26 at Shell Canada’s
National Channel Partner Conference &
Expo 2015 held in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Their site was awarded a Gold Retailer
Did you know?
Award, which qualified them to attend
Shell’s People Make The Difference Real
(PMTDR) event in Paris.
According to Shell, PMTDR is the
name of its Retail Business program
that’s been rolled out worldwide to
enable and empower retailers and
Shell’s sales force to deliver consistent
operational excellence and smiling
customers at every site, every visit,
every day. That feather in the cap of
Super Splash Auto Cleaning earned the
owners/operators a trip to Paris from
May 13 – 21, 2015, an adventure that
Verna shared with her husband Ev.
“Paris was incredible,” Verna says
fondly. Highlights included a dinner
cruise on the Seine through Paris, and
watching the Eiffel Tower’s 20,000 lights
flash on and off in a sparkling display
that is a must-see event for every visitor
to the City of Light.
Karen Sorenson, Branch 6 sales
& implementation advisor, has been
responsible for the Super Splash account
since joining Wallace & Carey six years
ago. She has seen firsthand the evolution
of their business and is hardly surprised
at the success achieved by Verna, Stella
and Wes.
“Verna and Stella are two of a kind,
and Super Splash is one of my favourite
stores,” Sorenson says. “They’re
wonderful to deal with, they’re incredibly
hard working, they are constantly buying
and we have such a great relationship.”
Upon speaking to the sisters, The
Conveyor discovered the feeling was
mutual.
“We have an awesome relationship
with Karen,” Verna says. “She faithfully
stops in at the site to check in with us,
and if she doesn’t have time she calls,”
she says. “Karen’s easy to get a hold of
and to communicate with. We’re very
pleased with our relationship.”
While on-the-ground servicing of
accounts is something Wallace & Carey
prides itself on, Stella extended the praise
to Branch 6 driver Richard Pelletier, and
administrative assistant James Pinilo.
“Richard is very reliable and
consistent, which we really like, she says.
“We order on Monday and it’s delivered
on Wednesday like clockwork.”
“And James is always available to
us, even though he’s an hour away in
Winnipeg,” Verna adds. “He’s always
accessible and we really appreciate that.”
When they’re not garnering domestic
and international awards from Shell,
the sisters and their husbands turn their
attention to Steinbach and the local area.
Their commitment to the community
and to giving back ranges from raising
money for cancer research to hosting
BBQ fundraiser’s for Habitat for Humanity
or helping local missionaries get from
Manitoba to Zimbabwe, Africa, to help
the less fortunate.
So what does the future hold for the
busy owners/operators of Super Splash
Auto Cleaning?
“We’ve talked about other business
possibilities, but we’ll have to wait and
see,” Verna admits. “Right now we love
what we do, we have great staff and the
best customers in the world to serve,” she
says, pausing for a moment.
The interview with The Conveyor has
taken precious time away from the
business at hand, but Verna, youngest of
the two sisters, offers parting words from
her heart.
“Stella and I have such a great
relationship,” she says, the admiration
for her older sibling clear in her voice.
“She’s the absolute best sister and I’m
very blessed to have her.”
Photo courtesy of Adeline Loewen
Doing what they do best, Stella Unrau (left)
and her sister Verna Martens serve customers
at their award-winning Shell Super Splash Auto
Cleaning car wash and service station
• Steinbach is the third largest city in Manitoba with a population measured in
the last federal census of 13,524.
• The name of “Steinbach” is translated from German as “Stony Brook” and was
first settled by Mennonites in the 1870s.
• Hildebrand, the maiden name of sisters Verna Martens and Stella Unrau,
means “battle sword”, derived from the Germanic element hild “battle”
combined with brand “sword”.
Now you know.
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
Winners of the top Shell site in the Americas and one
of the top 4 sites in the world, Verna (left) and Stella
show their colours on their way to Barcelona
*Manitoba is called The Keystone Province because in 1877 the Governor General, Lord Dufferin, described the province as “the keystone of that mighty arch of sister
provinces which spans the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
SECOND QUARTER 2015
3
Safety First
CRSP SUCCESS
20 Questions
INSIDE WALLACE & CAREY
20 Questions shines a spotlight on the personalities and
responsibilities of Wallace & Carey teammates from all areas of
the organization.
This issue we’re pleased to feature Viv Hanley who reflects on
the challenges, rewards and red-faced moments that come with
her role as central support and customer care services manager
in Wallace & Carey’s central office in Calgary, Alberta.
INITIALISMS! THE WORLD IS FULL OF THEM AND CANADIANS ARE INUNDATED WITH THEM EVERY DAY.
Central support and
customer care services
manager, Central Office
How long have you worked for Wallace & Carey?
Thirty-five years, starting February 18, 1980.
How did you come to work for Wallace & Carey?
I was working a late shift at a gas bar for Gulf Canada when a
friend, who was working at Wallace & Carey, called and asked if
I wanted a day job. I was 18 and started as an order assembler in
the building on 12th avenue and 11th street in Calgary.
Tell us about your role and responsibilities.
I manage the central support services and the customer care
services departments in Calgary and Vancouver. Collectively
we take customer calls, enter customer orders, investigate and
process all the claims for our branches, investigate inventory
and receiving discrepancies, approve all inventory adjustments,
locate missing products, enter distributions, invoice debit memos,
process all manual picks (vendor orders outside normal pick
processes), create Branch performance reports and resolve
customer concerns, just to name a few of our responsibilities. We
have a lot of long term, dedicated individuals on our team; I am
so proud of all of them!
What is the first thing you do when you arrive at work?
I always review my action list from the day before. I do this
because there is always something that I could not complete
due to new items arising with a higher priority. I then reset my
priorities, add new ones and start the day.
What is the last thing you do at the end of the day?
I try to make sure that everything on my priority list was taken
care of. My goal is to follow the “sundown rule” which is to get
back to people the same day they contacted you.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself?
I’m trustworthy and have a high personal standard of accuracy.
What is the trait you least admire in yourself?
I tend to be shy at times.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Fulfilling my responsibilities to Wallace & Carey, to customers
and teammates. Every day is challenging and working as a team
toward common goals is rewarding.
What is the least favourite part of your job?
Waiting for people to respond to a question or issue, particularly
when it is customer related.
4
THE CONVEYOR
What is the most embarrassing moment you’ve had at
Wallace & Carey?
I was at a 10-year awards dinner. John Delaney was the
Emcee and had asked everyone to take their seats. I had
gone visiting and when I got back to the table someone had
taken my seat! I stumbled around looking for an empty chair
and couldn’t find one. John saw me and said jokingly “For
crying out loud, Viv, can you just sit down!” I was really
embarrassed. Rene Ramos stood up and gave me his chair, for
which I am forever grateful.
Do you have any hobbies or personal pursuits away
from work?
I love to paint, garden and spend time with my many rescued cats
and my three dogs.
What are your work goals for 2015?
I want to update the documentation on written procedures
within the department, and look for additional ways to
automate reports.
What are you most looking forward to in 2015?
A great summer vacation, then a good winter without much snow!
How do you measure success in life?
Health, happiness and laughter.
What is the biggest misconception about your role?
That our job is easy, because it’s not.
What motto do you live by?
The golden rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
What would readers of The Conveyor be most surprised to
learn about Viv Hanley?
That I’m a decorative artist and love to paint. I’ve painted rocks,
tables, jackets, mailboxes. If it’s not nailed down, I’ll paint it.
What is one trait or characteristic that defines you?
Compassion. I care about others and their feelings.
What do you like most about living near Calgary?
I like the people and the seasons, but I hate driving in snow.
Three-letter initialisms (TLIs) and four-letter initialisms
(FLIs) are so common they’ve become instantly recognizable:
CBC, NDP, RCMP, GST, BTO, CRTC, RBC, CCTV…the list goes
on. They extend into the workplace as well, as any Wallace &
Carey teammate can readily attest: CDC, ERP, VDF, RFP, AED.
Well, despite their prevalence, initialisms help reduce verbal
clutter and cut to the chase with their immediate recognition
factor and meaning. For example, every Canadian taxpayer
fully understands what CRA stands for, especially in April!
In the world of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), there
are many initialisms like PPE (personal protective equipment),
OFA (occupational first aid), and acronyms like WHMIS
(workplace hazardous materials information system).
OHS practitioners are individuals who apply themselves to
a regimented program of study and who meet the academic,
experience and examination requirements of a national
registration authority. One of their highest designations is
known as CRSP.
According to the Board of Canadian Registered Safety
Professionals, the CRSP (Canadian Registered Safety
Professional) designation has become widely recognized as
the national standard of certification for OHS professionals
in Canada.
It also explains why Branch 2 warehouse and distribution
manager, Wayne Boudreau, is so pleased to announce the
certification of the company’s first CRSP, Gordon Yee.”
While currently employed as Branch 2’s CDC Manager,
Yee’s journey to CRSP certification involved a four-year
commitment, outside of his regular working hours, that
demanded a heavy combination of theory, practical study and
continuous professional development. It all led to Yee writing
the difficult CRSP exam on February 26 of this year, and an
agonizing wait of an additional six weeks to learn the results.
His long road to CRSP certification began in 2006 when he
accepted a new role and responsibilities as safety officer for
Branch 2. He quickly recognized that formal OHS training
would assist him in the performance of his duties and
responsibilities, so he enrolled in an Accident Causation and
Analysis course at the British Columbia Institute of Technolog y
with the assistance of Wallace & Carey’s Employee Tuition
Assistance Program.
“When I accepted the role of safety officer, one of my
personal goals was to attain the CRSP designation and reach
the highest level you can in Canada as a safety professional,”
Yee says.
What do you think about this interview?
I was stressed at first, but it was fun. You made it easy.
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
Thus began a multi-stage challenge for Yee that demanded
many years of study, coupled with real-world industry
experience, writing countless examinations and enduring
frequent competency testing.
“Wallace & Carey recognizes, values and has placed the
highest priority on workplace safety as an integral component
of its business,” Yee summarizes. “The things we do every day
to deliver exceptional customer service parallel the lessons I’ve
learned in becoming a CRSP.”
“The CRSP designation is the mark of an OHS professional
and a nationally recognized level of achievement within
the OHS field.” says Boudreau. “Gordon has demonstrated
integrity, knowledge and commitment to safety principles
and leadership at all levels through this process. It’s a huge
accomplishment and we’re proud to recognize his welldeserved professional accreditation.
latio ns,
C o ngratuGordon!
Did you know?
An initialism is an abbreviation consisting of the
initial letters of each word in a phrase and pronounced
by the letters separately. Everyday examples include CPU,
GST, IBM and HTTP. The lead story in this issue of The
Conveyor contains a five-letter initialism: PMTDR!
An acronym is a word formed from the initial letter
or letters of each one of the words in a phrase and
pronounced as a word: ASCII, NASA, NATO, WORCS,
RADAR, LASER, WYSIWYG.
The following are well-known workplace and everyday
acronyms that have interesting origins.
• SKU: Stock Keeping Unit
• WORCS: Warehouse Operations Real-Time
Control System
• HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
• Laser: Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation
• Radar: Radio Detection and Ranging
• Scuba: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing
Apparatus
• Taser: Thomas A. Swift’s electric rifle
• LASIK: laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis (ouch)!
Now you know.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
5
Crestcom Grads
OSSE Safety Recognition
C
NEGOTIATE, COMMUNICATE, INNOVATE, LEAD: key words that define the target
outcomes of Crestcom, a leading international provider of leadership development
programs designed to help individuals and, in turn, the businesses that employ them,
achieve bottom line profit and growth beyond what is currently possible.
“We’ve embraced the Crestcom philosophy because it goes further than teaching
simple business concepts and ideas,” says Jackie Bellerose, vice president, people
services. “They share knowledge and insights that help enrich company culture, and
we fully endorse that instructional approach.”
Designed to assist supervisors, managers and high-potential teammates grow and
enhance their leadership skills, the positive results experienced across the Wallace
& Carey distribution network have led other members in the Carey Management
group of companies (CMI) to also send their teammates for Crestcom training. In
conventional form it is a one-year program designed to accommodate busy schedules
and heavy workloads among professionals, with the option to meet the course
requirement over two years if extra time is required.
According to event and administrative coordinator Allison Nichol, Wallace
and Carey first began sending teammates through the Crestcom program in 2005.
Qualified individuals from across the Carey Management group are selected for
Crestcom training based on their leadership qualities and potential, along with their
approach to workplace culture.
As Bellerose emphasizes, ongoing training is important in any job, regardless of
previous experience or qualifications.
“We want to give our people the tools they need to succeed,” Bellerose says.
“Crestcom helps us provide that through their unique training approach, and we
want our graduates to be recognized for their efforts.”
Congratulations to the following teammates who successfully completed their
12-month training regime last year to become members of the Crestcom class of 2014.
CALGARY
Jeremy Benson, CMI accounting supervisor
Bob Gravonic, CDC supervisor
Todd Kizinkewich, receiving manager
Lorraine Walsh, auxiliary supervisor
Greg Roch, category buyer
ongratulations to Wallace & Carey’s Vancouver Branch
on successfully completing its Certificate of Recognition
(COR) recertification. COR status recognizes and
rewards employers who develop and implement health
and safety programs that not only meet, but often exceed
provincial standards.
The COR recertification was the latest safety success for
Branch 2 in a journey that began back in 2010 when Wallace
& Carey partnered with the BC Food Processors Health and
Safety Council (now FIOSA-MIOSA*) to work towards COR
certification, which Vancouver teammates successfully attained
in November 2011. That certification, since rebranded from
COR to the Occupational Safety Standards of Excellence (OSSE)
certification under the auspices of FIOSA-MIOSA, gave Wallace &
Carey’s Branch 2 instant and highly respected safety credentials.
Once a company has attained certification it must conduct
internal audits every year to maintain compliance. In addition,
it must undergo a mandatory external audit every three years
where an outside auditor comes in to inspect and verify the
company’s safety programs and processes, ensuring they
comply with the high standards of the program.
Because Wallace & Carey attained its initial COR
certification in British Columbia in 2011, Branch 2 underwent
its external audit in 2014, which it passed. In recognition
of the achievement, the company was presented with the
Occupational Safety Standard of Excellence award at the OSSE
Awards Gala 2015 held at The Burnaby Delta Hotel and
Conference Centre on April 29.
Attending the awards on behalf of Wallace & Carey and
Carey Management were Gordon Yee, Branch 2 CDC manager,
who led the drive to attain COR certification in 2010, and
Steve Gladney, national safety advisor for Carey Management,
who was instrumental in leading the Calgary and Edmonton
branches to COR certification in 2004.
“It was a great evening and an honour to be there,” Yee
says. “Not only do the awards recognize companies that
have challenged and passed the OSSE COR audit, they bring
together like-minded safety practitioners and business
leaders from various industries who recognize the benefits
of a safe workplace.”
“Achieving the Occupational Health and Safety Standard
of Excellence or OSSE certification is no easy feat,” says
FIOSA-MIOSA CEO Lisa McGuire. “It takes commitment
from all employee levels to achieve success. The OSSE
program has great value beyond exceeding regulatory
compliance and monetary rewards. Implementing effective
health and safety systems fosters the development of a
positive safety culture. The results of this achievement lead
to sustainable organizations with reduced injury rates and
many other benefits.”
For Gladney, who led Wallace & Carey’s Alberta branches
into COR certification 11 years ago, the evening was an
affirmation of hard work and commitment from teammates.
“Positive safety culture begins from the top and funnels
through the entire organization,” says Gladney. “This award
validates our efforts.”
EDMONTON
Steve Ferguson, CDC supervisor
VANCOUVER
Mark Baylon, order assembly supervisor
Richard Crewsdon, CDC supervisor
OAKVILLE
Steve Mannar, CDS Manager
Steve Bagshaw, shipping supervisor
Sandy Switzer, sales and implementation advisor
MUIRFIELD LAKES GOLF CLUB – LYALTA, AB
Julian Klatzel, golf operations manager
Nate Watts, culinary team manager/corporate events
Gordon Yee (left) and Steve Gladney
with Lisa McGuire, chief executive
officer of FIOSA-MIOSA who
presented the award
*FIOSA: Food Industry Occupational Safety Association of BC. MIOSA: Manufacturing Industry Occupational Safety Alliance.
6
THE CONVEYOR
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
SECOND QUARTER 2015
7
Phoning It In
Barking Up
the Right Tree
IT’S A SCENE BROUGHT TO LIFE in
countless movies and television dramas:
A police canine unit is brought in to
chase down a thief, sniff out a drug
cache or help provide security at largescale events. Exciting stuff!
Yet lost in the action, suspense and
thrill of seeing a canine unit at work are
the hours of drills, practice and training
that go into the development of the
four-legged officers.
Which begs the question – where,
exactly, are these animals trained?
“That’s something no one ever really
thinks about,” says Jackie Bellerose,
vice president, people services.
“Speaking for myself, I know that I
didn’t until recently.”
It’s a fact right across Canada: as
the economy slides, jobs are lost and
employment prospects dim for many,
it is not uncommon to see criminal
activity on the rise. Some are crimes of
opportunity, others of desperation, all
of them harmful.
It is the responsibility of police forces
across the country to respond to such
crimes in order to keep Canadians
and their property safe from harm or
loss. Yet amidst the real or imagined
drama of a canine unit tracking and
apprehending suspects, the fact remains
8
THE CONVEYOR
that extensive training is critical to the
success of the furry officers.
Cue Wallace & Carey.
“Our branches are located in major
urban centres across Canada, and their
size and complexity makes them ideal
training grounds for dogs that are
members of canine units,” says Bellerose.
Considering the size, activity
and complexity of the company’s
distribution centres, their suitability
becomes perfectly obvious: vast
warehouse complexes with multi levels,
cavernous spaces, echoing sound effects,
the hum of machinery and equipment,
the whirr of battery powered forklifts,
trucks coming and going with warning
beeps and flashing lights….
It all adds up to a blurring
distraction of sounds, sights, smells
and a kaleidoscope of packages,
people and possibilities, occasionally
interrupted by the whip-whip-whip of a
cellophane wrapper.
What better place to train police
dogs?
The idea of using Wallace & Carey’s
facilities was brought to the attention
of the company’s senior management
by IRISS Corporation, a consortium of
investigation, risk management and
training professionals with decades
of combined, specialized experience
in public, private, government and
military sectors. IRISS is committed
to ensuring corporate safety, security,
and business continuity...services its
principals have provided to Wallace &
Carey for over 25 years.
According to Shannon Glover,
CEO and managing director of IRISS,
police agencies across Canada are
constantly looking for facilities that
are suitable for training canine units.
With the many contacts that Glover
and her partner, Lance Saunders, have
established over the years with police
agencies across the country, the idea
emerged to ask Wallace & Carey if the
company would be willing to work
with police agencies to provide a realworld environment that would prove
invaluable to canine training.
“We thought it was a super
idea,” Bellerose says. To date IRISS
Corporation has actively communicated
with the police agencies located in the
cities where Wallace & Carey has its
distribution centres, and K9 contacts
with sergeants and constables in each
jurisdiction have been established from
Vancouver to Oakville.
“We can happily report a very
positive response across the board from
these law enforcement agencies,” says
Glover. Each K9 police unit has been
provided with contact information to
reach the warehouse and distribution
manager in the city in which they are
located. As the needs for training arise,
relationships that have already been
established mean a phone call can set
in motion the scheduling requirements
for training as required by each
police force’s K9 unit. Elements of the
training would include tracking and
finding hidden items in the warehouse
– a considerable space to cover!
Glover acknowledges there are a
few, “very reasonable conditions” that
have been placed on the arrangements
by Wallace & Carey. Any requests for
training must be scheduled to take
place during night hours when the
warehouses are least busy, and officers
must be present and on site for all facets
of the training with the animals.
Branch managers have already been
contacted by their local police forces, and
the police in each Branch jurisdiction
have now been added to the list of
keyholders at Wallace & Carey’s facilities.
“We were flattered when Lance
and Shannon brought the idea to us,
and we’re more than happy to offer
our warehouses as a training ground
for K9 law enforcement,” Bellerose
says. “If nothing else, we see this as a
huge opportunity to help protect the
communities our teammates call home.”
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
This is a story of four events, one cause, a whole lot of big hearts and an
outcome that makes you want to smile.
Every year, Wallace & Carey holds numerous fundraisers throughout its branch network to raise
money for Kids Help Phone (KHP), Canada’s leading youth counselling service that moves kids from
distress and isolation to confidence and competence.
KHP offers free, anonymous professional counselling to support the mental and emotional health and
well-being of Canada’s 6.5 million kids ages five to 20. Whether their problems are big or small, with
KHP, kids know they have a safe, non-judgemental place to turn where they can work through their
feelings and get help finding answers, 24/7 and 365 days a year.
Available any time of the day or night, in English and French, by phone and by web, KHP is the go-to
resource for kids when they need help or trustworthy information on issues that are difficult to discuss
with anyone else. Providing a service that is free, anonymous and confidential, KHP is a respected
charity, vitally dependent on individual donations and corporate support to remain available to kids
looking for help; sometimes looking for a lifeline.
To keep that lifeline open, Wallace & Carey and Carey Management continually develop new and
innovative ideas to keep their KHP fundraising fresh, relevant and fun. This past spring was no different
with a number of different initiatives in place to raise money for their charity of choice.
SERVING UP
ASSISTANCE
Our coverage begins in Vancouver
where, throughout the month of
April, a committed crew of teammates
spent their breaks at Branch 2 raising
money and awareness for KHP. Each
week, the dedicated squad prepared
and served $5 lunch and break
options to their fellow teammates,
everything from fresh-pressed juices
(with produce donated by HY Louie)
to hamburgers (donated by Maple Leaf
Foods), to pizzas from Fresh Slice and
samosas on the final day.
In addition to the primary goal
of raising money and awareness
for Kids Help Phone, Branch 2
teammates made it all happen
without detracting from their
other office commitments. As
mentioned in a thank-you email
A sample of the fresh food and helpful information
to all teammates involved, they
delivered to teammates throughout the month of April
“overachieved on all fronts.”
by the dedicated team of volunteers at Branch 2, and
with the generous assistance of local customers
The final tally for Vancouver
teammates was $1,245.00
For the kids they’re helping…priceless!
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
SECOND QUARTER 2015
9
THE POWER OF
TEAMWORK
One province over, Branch 1 was putting
on a spectacle that, without verging
on overstatement, you could say was a
hard-core gamer’s dream come true.
Imagine a four-day eliminationstyle video game tournament with
competitors battling for dominance in
three popular and challenging video
games – contests demanding the best in
hand-eye coordination, reflexes – and
some serious mojo at the controls!
Now consider three titles that top
the popularity list among gaming
enthusiasts: NHL15, Mario Kart Wii, and
Super Smash Brother’s Brawl.
One could be forgiven for thinking
of The International, the largest e-sports
tournament in the world where gamers
have the opportunity to win more than
$5 million in prize money.
“Our prizes were more modest and
we held it in the Wagon Wheel,” laughs
vice president of people services Jackie
Bellerose.
She’s referring, of course, to Wallace
& Carey’s 1st Video Game Tournament
named POWER UP, an almost
week-long venture created by Kent
DIPPING FOR
CHARITY
Fong, senior
accountant,
and Gerald
Tan, accounts
receivable clerk.
The two pooled
their ideas and
enthusiasm
to devise a
tournament that
would provide
hours of fun
while raising
money for KHP.
According to
event and administrative coordinator
Allison Nichol, part of the thinking
behind the tournament was to create
an event that all teammates could
participate in, particularly those in the
warehouse whose shift schedules make
it difficult to participate in the actual
walk, which was scheduled for Sunday,
May 3.
POWER UP was held from Monday,
April 27 to Thursday, April 30, offering
teammates a pay-to-play format at $5
per game. Teammates were invited to
test their skills against each other and
the event brought out everyone from
the mildly curious to the white-knuckle
CAUSE TO
Every year an annual fundraiser occurs in
communities across Canada that Wallace &
Carey’s Alberta branches take a keen interest
in joining. It’s the Kids Help Phone Walk So Kids Can Talk event
where kids, adults, families, schools, community organizations and
corporations take part in a fun 5K walk to help ensure KHP will
always be there to listen when kids need to talk.
This year’s events were held at Calgary’s Eau Claire Market and
at Edmonton’s Hawrelak Park. In addition to having teammates,
family and friends join in the fundraising effort, Wallace & Carey
also signed on as the food sponsor for both events.
Between the two 5K walking events more than $8,560 was raised
for KHP…another year when teammates, vendors, families and
friends went the distance.
WALK
Who knew raising money was this much fun?
diehards. In all, 34 teammates from
seven different departments (operation,
CDC, people services, procurement, IT,
accounting, and claims) took part as
tournament contestants.
The tournament winners
received wireless headphones
and commemorative “Power UP”
tournament champion T-shirts.
Runner-ups received Cineplex gift
cards and commemorative “Power UP”
tournament T-shirts. The final tally
after four days closed in on $300.00, but
the fundraising wasn’t over. Branch 1
was saving a powerful attraction for the
end of the week.
Friday, May 1…the last day in an intense week of fundraising.
POWER UP is over, but the outdoor fun is really about to start
with the first ever Wallace & Carey Fundraising Carnival for KHP.
Calgary teammates, family members and friends gather in
Eau Claire Market, ready to Walk So Kids Can Talk
Now you see him…
The attractions?
What one might expect at a Carnival: several games of skill and chance, a bean-bag-toss
game, tasty snacks and beverages…
And a full-on water dunk tank.
The candidates to go into the tank?
Pat Carey, Nikki Contenti, John Delaney, Tom Patterson, Jeff Appave, Allan Moggey and Alex Earl.
Enthusiasm for the opportunity to drop the volunteers into a barrel of water was so high
that the Edmonton and Vancouver branches donated sums of $200 and $100 respectively
to have their chance by proxy to drop the hapless victims into the briny blue. Organized
by central office administrative assistants Victoria Buckley and Bobbi Coyne, along with
Allison Nichol, the event was a splashing success, raising just over $2,000, which was
pooled with the funds raised by the final event in May (please walk your eyes over to page 11).
…now you don’t.
President Pat Carey
takes the plunge for
a good cause as CMI
national safety advisor
Steve Gladney looks on
Carey the Beaver makes a new
friend at the Carnival
10
THE CONVEYOR
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
Thank you to everyone for making Kids matter!
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
Let the
Games
Begin
I
f there was anything Wallace & Carey
learned during the 2010 Winter Olympic
Games in Vancouver, it’s that you can never
be too prepared.
As Toronto gets ready for this summer’s crush
of athletes, spectators, dignitaries and sporting
enthusiasts for the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am
games, Branch 7 has been equally busy planning
how to manage the traffic barriers, security
corridors, and restricted areas that will be in place
during the games. Already, teammates have been
dealing with seven busy construction zones in the
Greater Toronto Area (GTA) where facilities and
infrastructure are being readied to welcome and
host 41 countries with over 6,000 athletes, not to
mention more than 5,000 security personnel – all
of them being spread across venues that span
southern Ontario.
The games will run from July 7 to 26, 2015, and
cover all 36 Pan Am Games sports. The Parapan Am
Games, which run from August 7 to 15, 2015, will
cover all 15 Parasports with the two events jointly
covering a span of almost six weeks.
“Our sales team has already notified customers,
explaining how we plan to make their deliveries
either late at night or very early in the morning,”
explains warehouse and distribution manager
Wayne Joseph. Scheduling changes will affect
shipping, receiving, customer deliveries and
the sales team as they strive to ensure business
continuity for all customers during what is
expected to be a hectic 40 days with plenty of
road closures.
“Staging an event of this size puts a number of
demands on local authorities, along with many
restrictions imposed for reasons of safety and
security, which we understand,” Joseph says.
“While we do our best to manage our schedules
and deliveries, we’re still expecting commuter
snarls, unexpected delays and traffic obstacles
that are sometimes difficult to plan for.”
Thankfully, Branch 7’s planning and
preparation should minimize, if not outright
eliminate, the distribution challenges brought on
by the games as teammates make their deliveries
from Toronto to Hamilton.
“We’re going to succeed the way these athletes
do,” Joseph emphasizes. “Only as a team.”
SECOND QUARTER 2015
11
People Services Update
Fond Farewell
As any experienced fisherman will
tell you, it’s never easy to let
a good one get away.
That sentiment permeated the
gathering held April 17 at the Ridge
Meadows Event Centre in northwest
Calgary as Wallace & Carey shipping
manager, Allan Moggey, celebrated
his retirement the way he wanted after
22 years with the company: a small,
intimate and close-knit gathering that
was modest, understated and, in the
end, easygoing like the man himself.
Known for his dogged determination
and follow-through on every task
he threw himself into, Moggey led
his shipping team in managing
all of Wallace & Carey’s in-town
trucks delivering from the southern
Alberta border to Rocky Mountain
House. As he told The Conveyor in
an interview in 2014, just one of his
many responsibilities was to “make sure
that trailers get out to Saskatoon, Regina,
Edmonton and Winnipeg with their proper
orders. If there are any miscounts we check
that off and track it through WORCS to the
trailer and make sure the customers get their
correct orders.”
Meticulous, assured and radiating
leadership, Moggey projected a
business-like, tough exterior that
shielded what the man himself has
admitted is “an emotional guy” who
can get easily teary-eyed.
Never one to disappoint, Moggey’s
heart was on his sleeve during his
retirement celebration as numerous
teammates spoke about his
contributions, achievements and
friendship in speeches that were both
heartfelt and humourous.
With Rita, his wife of more than 40
years, at his side, Moggey wiped the mist
from his eyes and gruffly rebuffed the
offer of a tissue before thanking those in
attendance for such a memorable send-off.
His retirement plans? Moggey is
the proud owner of a small cabin in
Sundre, Alberta where he loves to go
quadding on his ATV. He’s been working
on the rustic getaway, known as the
12
THE CONVEYOR
MAMA MIA!
SUCCESS IN THE WORLD of distribution and logistics is hard-earned, and can only be
achieved through teamwork, capabilities, skills and the embracing of corporate culture.
“Our people have made us Canada’s leading independent distributor,”
acknowledges Jackie Bellerose, vice president, people services. “We recently made
some changes within our department to ensure that teammates have everything they
need to succeed at work.”
Those changes include the creation of two new positions within Branches 1 and 2.
Stepping into their new roles as people services coordinators are Adam Gallan in
Calgary and Nick Wheeler in Vancouver.
According to Bellerose, Gallan and Wheeler will assist in conducting teammate
surveys and interviews, and identifying potential gaps in knowledge, skills and
workplace orientation that can be supplemented and enhanced through training.
They will also be responsible for implementing and administering occupational
health and safety training programs, and serving as coordinators for occupational
safety programs within one or more divisions and/or departments.
As Gallan and Wheeler undertake their respective roles, Bellerose anticipates the
other Prairie branches will be managed out of Calgary with a third coordinator
anticipated in Oakville before year-end.
Welcome, Adam and Nick.
People services
coordinators
Adam Gallan (left)
and Nick Wheeler
Allan Moggey celebrates the culmination of a career at
Wallace & Carey with his Rustic Cabin cake
EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE
Neither rain, nor snow,
nor sleet, nor hail
can deter Wallace &
Carey from making
a delivery…not even
the Victoria Day Parade
captured in Victoria,
British Columbia on
May 18, 2015.
Branch 1 manager Tom Patterson helps deliver laughs, stories and
memories for the guests of honour, Allan and Rita Moggey
Owl’s Nest, for years, and plans on
spending most of his retirement there
with Rita and plenty of visits from his
three grandchildren, courtesy of his
daughters Alyssa and Kari.
for the camera!
On behalf of all teammates at Wallace
& Carey, The Conveyor extends best
wishes to Allan and Rita for a long,
healthy and prosperous retirement.
Congratulations, Al.
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
There’s great pizza, there’s great
service, there’s greatness by association
and then there’s great news when you
learn that you’re serving two of the top
three pizza establishments in the lower
mainland of British Columbia.
The verdict was delivered by The
Georgia Straight, Canada’s largest urban
weekly newspaper that has covered the
lifestyle and entertainment beats in
Vancouver for more than 40 years, and
bills itself as an integral part of the active
urban West Coast lifestyle.
Regular weekly coverage includes
News, Arts, Music, Fashion, Travel,
Business, High Tech, Food and
Restaurants, plus Vancouver’s most
comprehensive listings of entertainment
activities and special events.
Throughout the year the “Straight”
also produces a series of reader polls
covering a variety of interests that are
entering and informative.*
One of those annual polls is The Golden
Plate Awards, which is released in March.
This year’s Readers Choice survey of
where to eat the Best Pizza by the Slice
had two of Wallace & Carey’s customers
in the top three: Flying Wedge Pizza and
Freshslice Pizza.
“Readers who took part in the poll
have hundreds of choices when it
comes to pizza establishments in the
Lower Mainland,” remarks national
food service manager John Kielpinski.
“That’s a lot of competition, and we’re
delighted for our friends at Flying Wedge
and Freshslice,” he says. It’s an honour to
service them.”
A great story, any way you slice it!
*www.straight.com
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
SECOND QUARTER 2015
13
Vancouver Sun Run
“No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.”
Inspiring words that eight teammates took to heart on April 19th as they competed
in the Vancouver Sun Run, Canada’s largest 10km road race.
Approximately 40,000 people run the Vancouver Sun Run each year as the race
winds its way through the downtown core, over the Burrard Street Bridge, through
Granville Island then back over to BC Place.
Founded by former Canadian Olympians Dr. Doug Clement, his wife Diane, and
Dr. Jack Taunton, the Vancouver Sun Run has been Canada’s largest 10K road race
since its inception in 1985. Its purpose was to promote the benefits of running to
improve health and fitness as well as to support amateur athletics.
The first run attracted 3,200 participants; through the years, the run captured
the imagination and hearts of individuals wanting to improve their health and
wellbeing. The event morphed into the phenomenon it is today with thousands upon
thousands descending upon the streets of Vancouver each year in celebration of Sun
Run Sunday!
The run is supported by a loyal host committee and an army of more than 3,000
volunteers. Thirty years after it was founded, the Vancouver Sun Run is still Canada’s
largest 10K road race and is now the third-largest timed 10K run in the world.
The 2015 edition saw an incredible 45,183 registrants signed up for the event with
participants taking in the gorgeous weather and beautiful Vancouver scenery.
“It was a super day and everyone was in great spirits after the race as we met at
a local watering hole for brunch,” says Shawn McNaughton, manager, business
development, western Canada. “We look forward to having even more Wallace &
Carey teammates out to join us in 2016!”
Teammates taking part
in Canada’s largest 10
kilometre road race are
(left to right): Shawn
McNaughton; Ryan Reed,
inventory control; Mark
Chiccarelli, inventory
process manager; Patricia
Larios-Lacayo, order
assembly supervisor;
Mark Kielpinski, business
development food
service; Juanita LacayoVanegas, customer service
assistance; Gordon Yee,
CDC Manager; Missing
from photo: Wayne
Boudreau, warehouse and
distribution manager
14
THE CONVEYOR
REACHING
FOR SAFETY
Branch 7 is pleased to report that
it completed recertification for all
teammates using reach trucks, tail
riders and powered pallet movers prior
to the 100 Days of Summer.
“Recertification in both theory
and practical operation of equipment
is mandatory,” notes CDS manager
Steve Mannar. “Not only does it keep
safety practices top of mind, it also
helps identify potentially risky work
practices and correct them before they
become habits.”
The recertification was accomplished
with four-hour in-class sessions
provided by experts in the operation
of reach trucks and powered
material-handling equipment. It was
supplemented with third-party trainers
observing and grading teammates on
how safely they performed their daily
tasks using powered equipment.
“Our reach truck operators perform
hundreds of lifts a day,” Mannar says.
“Focus and concentration are needed
at all times. Whether it’s placing skids
in racking spots with other skids in
very close proximity, or navigating the
winding pathways of the warehouse
while minding pedestrian traffic and
teammates who are also operating
powered and manual pallet-moving
equipment, there’s a lot to be aware of.”
With the training behind them,
teammates are reaching forward to a safe
and successful 100 Days of Summer.
• LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS •
Safe Driving
1921
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, any given issue of The Conveyor will feature one or more
teammates being recognized for their safe-driving accomplishments. Those awards
take on new meaning when you consider how difficult it is to navigate Canada’s
highways and byways for five years or more without incurring a single accident.
According to Transport Canada and its formal report on Canadian Motor Vehicle
Traffic Collision Statistics for 2013, automobile accidents that year resulted in 165,306
injuries ranging from minimal to serious, and 1,741 deaths.
That works out to more than 450 injuries per day, and almost 5 deaths per day –
sobering statistics that give added significance to the safe-driving achievements of
Wallace & Carey drivers who ply their trade through four diverse seasons, urban
congestion, rutted roads and plenty of people behind the wheel who should probably
audition for Canada’s Worst Driver.
This issue we’re pleased to congratulate Branch 7 CDS driver Xiru Jiang, and
Branch 2 driver Mario Pavan for recording five years of driving and delivery without
accident or injury.
Jiang navigates Canada’s most densely populated province, largest city and
worst traffic congestion from his base in Oakville, Ontario, while Pavan, operating
out of Nanaimo, is challenged by bridges, mountains, isolated narrow roads and
switchbacks on Vancouver Island where it statistically rains for 42% of the year.
CDS manager Steve Mannar (left)
congratulates Xiru Jiang for attaining his
five-year safe-driving award
2015
Service
Recognition
2nd Quarter 2015
--------------- 5 YEARS --------------Kurt Bakowski
Calgary
Harpreet Basran
Vancouver
Erika Rivera
Vancouver
Krista Townson
Calgary
--------------- 10 YEARS --------------Jonathan Blackburn
Vancouver
Scott Bondy
Calgary
Mark Chiccarelli
Vancouver
Richard Crewdson
Vancouver
Michael Grenda
Calgary
Jack Kwasiborski
Oakville
Leo Lafreniere
Oakville
Joshua Vestrocy
Oakville
--------------- 15 YEARS --------------Brian Hastings
Vancouver
---------------- 20 YEARS ---------------Calvin Chan
Vancouver
Sheban Khan
Vancouver
Eric Tse
Mario Pavan (left) accepts his plaque
commemorating five years of safe driving
from shipping manager Len Ford
Calgary
Brenda Wilson
Oakville
Robert Wilson
Calgary
--------------- ABOVE 25 --------------Tim Kendall
Regina (27)
Paul Soron
Saskatoon (27)
Gordie Yee
Regina (27)
Morna Johnson
Calgary (35)
CONGRATULATIONS, XIRU AND MARIO.
WELCOME ABOARD
The department of people services is pleased to welcome the following new
members to the Wallace & Carey team in Alberta.
• Victoria Buckley – Central office administrative assistant, people services
• Bobbi Coyne – Central office administrative assistant
• Jason Falcon – Branch 3 warehouse and distribution manager
• Pat Kernaghan - Branch 3 receiving manager
• Reg Walsh - Branch 3 order assembly manager
Welcome Victoria, Bobbi, Jason, Pat and Reg!
• DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE •
SECOND QUARTER 2015
15
The Perfect Delivery
The Conveyor
The Conveyor is Wallace & Carey’s
primary method of communicating
with its key audiences including
customers, suppliers, consultants,
contractors and, most importantly, our
teammates and their families.
The next deadline for submissions
is August 7, 2015. Please have your
article, with any accompanying
photographs or reference material,
submitted on or before that date using
the following options:
Email:
conveyor@wacl.com
or
Regular/Inter-Office Mail:
The Conveyor
5445 - 8 Street NE
Calgary, Alberta T2K 5R9
5445 - 8 Street NE
Calgary, Alberta T2K 5R9
The Conveyor can be viewed online at www.wacl.com
WALLACE & CAREY IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE CAREY MANAGEMENT GROUP OF COMPANIES
16
THE CONVEYOR
www.wacl.com
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