Page 7 - Viterra Vibe_October 2023 - Oct. 23 (Final)

Tim Kennedy celebrates 45 years with Viterra

Tim Kennedy, Director of Transportation primary elevators across the Prairies.
& Logistics, recently reached a significant Today there are 346 in total, which
career milestone with 45 years of service includes all CGC registered facilities.
at Viterra. We recently reached out to Tim In the early 1990s railways introduced
to get his thoughts and reflections on his efficiency trains of 18 cars or more.
career with our company. Today’s large unit trains consist of 144
Why did you decide to join Viterra? cars. In addition, railcars each hold an
When I graduated high school, average of 15 tonnes more.
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (SWP), one The average farm truck in the late 1970s
of our heritage companies, was hiring. carried 7 – 10 metric tonnes. Now most
I had two brothers already working for grain trucks on farm carry 26 – 44 tonnes.
the company and was hired for what was The average vessel cargo in the late 1970s
initially a summer job until I decided what was 25,000 – 40,000 tonnes. Today’s
direction I wanted to take. 45 years later average grain vessels are 60,000 – 75,000
and I’m still here. tonnes.
What was the industry like when you Farm sizes have doubled and, in many
joined? cases, tripled. I was raised on a farm of What words of wisdom would you like to
share with team members just starting
When I started in 1978, Sask Wheat Pool 960 acres. at Viterra?
was in Saskatchewan only. At that time What are some of the best memories
there was over 3,000 wooden elevators you’ve had working at Viterra so far? Large agricultural firms such as Viterra
across the Prairies. Large car spots were offer employment in many areas including
considered 15 - 20 cars. Over the course of 45 years, I have made operations, merchandising, logistics,
many great memories. Memories of the and many professional areas such
What work accomplishment are you business include mergers, acquisitions, as corporate, finance, HR, and many
most proud of? and major industry changes that certified trades. This presents countless
I think the fact that in this day and age presented opportunities for companies opportunities within the same company.
when a person can remain with one such as Viterra that is made up of The key to a successful career is directly
company for 45 years and stay focused employees who embrace change and turn linked to the relationships one cultivates
and challenged is a big accomplishment. change into opportunity. with coworkers, management, and
What are some of the biggest changes On the personal side I have made customers. It is the people that create
you’ve experienced in the industry since many friends, I have watched staff and successful organizations and it’s those
you started? What about specifically as coworkers start families and watched same people who help each other make
it relates to transportation/logistics? those same coworkers raise families right successful careers.
In the late 1970’s there were 3,600 through university and into the workforce,
some even at Viterra.
HR employee program spotlight

September was Suicide Prevention Suicide is preventable but can be a You access the HumanaCare portal here.
Month in Canada. From 2019 to 2021 difficult subject to talk about. If you’re 1. Select Member/Employee Portal
the percentage of Canadian adults who concerned about someone, talk with 2. Select the green Sign Up button
reported thinking about suicide rose from them. Asking about suicidal thoughts or 3. Enter the access code: humanacare
2.7% to 4.2%. Approximately 12 people in feelings won’t push someone into doing 4. Create a login and password. You will
Canada die by suicide each day and many something self-destructive. In fact, use this information to access the
more experience thoughts of suicide or offering an opportunity to talk about portal for subsequent logins
attempt suicide. The ripple effects of feelings may reduce the risk of acting on
suicide are far reaching. For each death, suicidal thoughts. You can also visit humanacare.
the World Health Organization estimates Learn more about Suicide Safety from mylifeexpert.com on your mobile device
10 survivors are significantly affected by HumanaCare, our Employee Family to download HumanaCare to your home
the loss. Based on our benefits usage Assistance Program, by clicking here. screen or call 1-800-661-8193.
statistics for Viterra, we are seeing more
of our team members reaching out for If you need support, HumanaCare is
assistance with mental health including there when you need them, with 24/7
suicidal thoughts. confidential counseling and support.

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