Vancouver Island grocer is celebrating 40 years in business and now have something else to celebrate - being named one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 best employers.

Founded in Qualicum Beach four decades ago, Quality Foods was named to the Forbes list of B次元官网网址楤次元官网网址� for 2022. The list was developed by Statista, who surveyed more than 10,000 Canadians working for businesses with at least 500 employees. All the surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. The respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely theyB次元官网网址檇 be to recommend their employer to others. Statista then asked respondents to nominate organizations other than their own. The final list ranks the 300 employers that received the most recommendations.

Quality Foods president and co-founder Noel Hayward said he was B次元官网网址渢hrilledB次元官网网址� with the accolade.

B次元官网网址淲e started in small towns and grew with the communities. Our people have always been the key to our success, they like where they live and enjoy helping people in the neighbourhoods they serve,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his B次元官网网址榮mall-town grocer attitudeB次元官网网址� has been even more evident over the past couple of years with all the disruption and uncertainty in the supply chain. WeB次元官网网址檝e worked together to provide a safe and hospitable environment for our customers and employees; we were very excited to hear this news.B次元官网网址�

Hayward said he was especially pleased the recognition came from their own employees.

B次元官网网址淲e are very proud our people surveyed honestly really liked where they work and I think it has a lot to do with how we handled the pandemic last couple of years,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎s someone who has been here from day one, it feels really good to get recognized from your own people. It means more.B次元官网网址�

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He said their ability to effectively manage through the COVID-19 pandemic was aided in part by a massive B次元官网网址榯otal-lossB次元官网网址� fire two decades ago in Qualicum Beach.

B次元官网网址淚 think that was definitely an experience in crisis management,B次元官网网址� said Hayward. B次元官网网址淲hat we learned is take care of your people and take care of your customers and everything will work out fine. And it has.B次元官网网址�

As soon as the pandemic was announced by the World Health Organization, said Hayward, they implemented a $2 per hour temporary pay premium for employees. That increase eventually became permanent.

In 2020, they began using an innovative piece of technology called the B次元官网网址楥lean CartB次元官网网址�, the first of its kind in Canada, which uses far-UV light to kill 99.9 per cent of viruses on shopping carts. Now, when customers enter Quality Foods, they can grab a cart, push it into the cleaning cube, wait for the light to turn green and go about their shopping.

Hayward noted Quality Foods was also an early adapter of other pandemic precautions now widely used, such as plexiglass shields and the AEGIS Microbe Shield on checkout conveyor belts.

In 2017, controlling interest in the company was transferred to the Jim Pattison Group.

B次元官网网址淚 told Jimmy (about the Forbes honour) and he was very impressed,B次元官网网址� said Hayward. B次元官网网址淗e said, B次元官网网址榶ou know, weB次元官网网址檝e been doing that for 75 years and this was a first.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

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