History
From Hewitt to Toromont
The sale of our former employer, the Hewitt Group, to Toromont Industries in 2017 generated its fair share of uncertainty. It’s normal to have questions when a family business that’s been in operation for over 60 years gets swallowed by another company.
Consolidations are frequent in the private sector, with large companies often buying up smaller ones to increase their market share. Unfortunately, workers are always the first to feel the impact of these transactions.
The Hewitt Group was already a fairly large company when it was acquired by Toromont. As with any employer, not everything was perfect at Hewitt. We had workplace issues, but we knew where we stood, and we were often able to find satisfactory solutions to our problems.
The arrival of Toromont was a game changer.
Restoring a balance
Toromont Industries is not a family-owned SMB. It is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of nearly $10 billion. Toromont has one overriding objective: maximizing shareholder value.
We believe that achieving profitability is essential for any company. After all, our jobs depend on it. That said, we also believe that a balance must be struck between shareholders’ expectations and the interests and needs of a company’s employees.
The scales can’t always be tipped to one side.
Five years after Toromont’s arrival, we strongly believe that the time has come to restore the balance that has been lost. We need a strong voice to stand up for us and remind our employer that we can only be pushed so far.