Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/420096
8 MANITOBA'S TOP 25 EMPLOYERS 2015 W hen Boeing opened in Winnipeg in 1971, the companystartedbusinesswith57employeesin its$3.5millionplantat99MurrayParkRoad. Today – some 43 years later – Boeing employs over 1,600 people in 793,000 square feet of production space spread over two sites within the city - Murray Park Road and Redwood Avenue. In addition, they have expanded the Murray Park facility by 150,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and office space to support the 737 MAX and 787 work statement, which meets the silver level of LEED.Sufficeittosay,thecompany–whoseheadofficeis inChicago,andwhichemploysmorethan160,000peoplein theUnitedStatesand70othercountries–isdoingsomething righttosustainitsworkforceinWinnipegoveraspanofmore thanfourdecades. As a company, Boeing is committed to making investmentsinthreekeyareas.Thoseareasaretechnology, the community and of course, employees. As important as the first two areas are, it's the employees that make everythingwork. And because happy employees are far more productive than unhappy ones, Boeing Winnipeg has made a commitment to going above and beyond the norm of how a companyisexpectedto treatitsworkforce.Atthetopofthe list of best practices is how management constantly strives toinvolveemployeesinhowworkisdoneatthesite. It'sveryimportanttocreateanenvironmentthatprovides people with challenging and meaningful work. A good exampleofthatismanagement'scommitmenttocollaborate with our employees to achieve maximum efficiency in manufacturing. The result is the Winnipeg site has won internalBoeingrecognitionwiththeFredMitchellawardfour years in a row, for best in class for lean manufacturing. It showswhatabusinesscanaccomplishwhenitsmanagement andemployeesworkwelltogether. The importance of clear communication can't beunderplayed. It'sahallmarkthatislongembeddedinBoeingCanada's vision and mission. Our goal is to provide a great work atmosphere for our employees, and making sure they're involved–andknowthattheircontributionsareappreciated. We do our best to show our appreciation to our employees fortheirefforts. That appreciation is shown by Boeing's ongoing commitmenttoprovideahighqualityoflifeforitsemployees. Competitive wages are one part of that recipe, while an impressivebenefitspackageistheotherpart.Benefitssuch as tuition reimbursement, wellness activities and a forward- thinking eco-commute program are just a few examples of the employee-friendly perks that Boeing's workforce are privyto. Quality of life is tremendously important – if you treat your employees well, they'll be that much more productive. At the Winnipeg site, employees have access to a variety of amenities, such as a fitness facility (with subsidized membership), and a cafeteria that features healthy menus and subsidized meals. Those little things really add up, and do make employees' quality of life better while they're at work–healthandwell-beingissoimportant. Professionaldevelopmentisalsoencouragedthroughon- site training seminars along with online training resources. Additionally,employeesaspiringtomoveuptomanagement positions are encouraged to enroll in Boeing's nine month pre-managementprogram,whileemployeesnearretirement ageareeducatedonhowtoprepareforthateventuality. Employeedevelopmentisimperative,sowe'vemadeitour mission to give them the tools they need to prepare for the nextopportunity,inparticularthepre-managementprogram – it prepares employees for the responsibility by educating them on areas such as technology and the manufacturing process. At the same time, new employees can enroll in orientation programs and get peer mentoring so they get theircareerofftoagoodstart. BoeingCanadabelievesinbeingaresponsiblecorporate citizen. The Boeing Company invested more than $173 milliontoenhanceourcommunitiesanddonatedthousands ofvolunteerhoursin2013. As a Canadian leader of industry, we strive to help our communities address the challenges of today and create a bettertomorrow. Boeingemployeesaregenerous;theyusetheirtime,talent andresourcestohelpinmaintainingthesuccessandhealth ofcommunitiesaroundtheworld.BoeingWinnipegisdeeply involved in our community. Each year we support over 30 charitable organizations and non-profit groups in Manitoba. ThisyeartheyhavesurpassedtheirUnitedWaygoalby8% whichgivesthematotalof$108,000andclimbing. BoeingWinnipegispleasedtoberecognizedasaTop25 EmployerinManitobaforthelast8yearsinarowaswellas Canada'sBestDiversityemployerfor7years. BOEINGCANADA WINNIPEG Commitmenttoinvestin employeespaysoffinform oftop25employeraward JimReese,DirectorofHumanResourcesatBoeingWinnipeg,saysBoeingCanada'sgoalisto provideagreatworkatmosphereforitsemployees.PhotobyDarcyFinley Top 25 Employer for 8 years in a row.