Employee spotlight: Christian Role: Warehousing April 2022 will mark 7 years since I first arrived at Paco Group. After having spent many years as a municipal employee and contractor, I joined Paco Group in 2015. I applied via an online form on the Gala Systems site (a Paco subsidiary) and was hired after my first interview. I soon had the chance to meet the Laforest family and quickly came to appreciate the warm environment at Gala Systems. On my first day, I was welcomed like a member of the family – I felt at ease right away and was free to share my ideas. It was a great start, and I’m aware that not all companies work this way. Working at Paco is simple and pleasant. It really makes life easy! I can’t believe I’ve been here for 7 years already, I feel great! I initially applied for a warehouse position, but since I had lots of experience with inventory and parts management systems, they asked me to review their internal material, operations, and security system. Today, I’m still in that same position, and the department has grown and improved immensely. We frequently take on new roles within the same department that expose us to a variety of different tasks. A typical day includes managing inventory, conducting assembly, ensuring there are enough materials available for production, responding to client inquiries, etc. Days like these allow us to get involved in all areas of the company and get to know everyone, which is a very social experience. There is always a great variety of tasks to complete. When it comes to our work environment, Paco feels like a hockey team! Everyone knows each other, we have fun, no two people have quite the same job but everyone looks out for each other as a teammate. It’s a really friendly place and many of us have become friends outside of work, which is wonderful. People are open-minded: if you have an idea, people listen, and if you make a mistake, they take the time to show you how to improve. There’s nothing punitive about it. For me, working at Paco isn’t work – it’s really a pleasure. It’s a great company that makes me feel proud to get out of bed in the morning. Management is great: since the beginning, my boss has always been so open-minded with me. There is lots of respectful collaboration within the company, and I have never had any significant issues. Most social activities at Paco have allowed me to create friendships, enjoy excellent dinners, and play foosball with my boss between two events and an interview! That’s the beauty of the company’s collegiality: the relationship between management and their employees. I find it both reassuring and encouraging. Paco Group also genuinely understands the concept of work-life balance, and there is lots of lenience regarding time off and sick days. I don’t know how to explain it, but I’m a single dad who works full-time, and in 7 years I’ve never had a single problem. I admire their flexibility and family-first philosophy. The ability to choose your own schedule is another advantage of working at Paco – I’ve never experienced that anywhere else. THANK YOU TO THE LAFOREST FAMILY 😊 LOVE Y’ALL