Kryton International

Number of employees: 43
Head office: Vancouver
Quote: “As immigrants, we need to feel we belong. I worked at five companies before Kryton, but it was only here I felt I truly belonged”

If my company were a celebrity, it would be: DANIEL IGALI
“He exhibited passion when he accomplished his Olympic dream, integrity when he ran for MLA and expertise when he obtained a master’s degree in criminology”

When the recent recession struck, Kryton did not respond, as many companies did, with layoffs. Instead, the concrete waterproofing products manufacturer announced it would pursue various cost-saving measures (including having staff, not outsiders, lead in-house training sessions). Employees praised Kryton for not sugar-coating the financial crisis, with one reporting that executives “called a staff meeting right away, addressed everyone’s concerns and reassured us that although times may be tough we would ride out the storm together.” Kryton has profit-sharing, a gym and extended benefits, but employees are more likely to cite the company’s compassionate human resources policies and multicultural workforce as reasons why they aren’t “clock watchers.” They also praise the go-kart trips and other events planned by the CFO (Chief Fun Officer), which allow employees to get to know each other. “The president of the company sings karaoke (not very well) at the barbecue celebrating the arrival of summer,” jokes one employee.