Friesens has been employee-owned in some form since the 1950s. Since then, the ownership model has evolved but the constant has been a commitment to employee engagement through ownership.

Since the beginning, the company was started and operated with the belief that it would provide jobs for the family and the community. The Friesen family also believed that non-family members who worked at the company should be able to own shares as well, since they too were responsible for the company’s well-being. As a result, when the company was incorporated in 1950, two non-family members purchased some shares. This was the start of employee ownership at Friesens.

Today, Friesens is owned by an employee-trust and the active employees of Friesens are the only beneficiaries of the Trust. The Trust does not require a return on its investment in Friesens shares and can therefore distribute any dividends as an ESOT distribution to qualified staff members.

But employee-ownership goes beyond the financial aspects. Acting as an owner is a fundamental value of the people who work at Friesens. This value influences our commitment to:

Quality
Customer Care
Safety
Continuous Improvement
Profitability
Training
Community engagement
The environment
and much more
We’re proud to be 100% Employee-Owned