Salt Spring Coffee

The organic coffee roaster, also recognized in our Inclusivity category, is known for crafting a sustainable, fair-trade product, and for fleeing its

namesake island in 2010 after local government rejected plans for a bigger facility. Although “Richmond Coffee” might be a more accurate handle, the company–which employs 47 people– isn't a corporate machine.

“I think it helps that we're still a fairly small business,” says marketing manager Peter Chu of the culture at Salt Spring Coffee. “Part of the reason why our staff feels that the company is aligned with their own values is that [co-founder and CEO] Mickey [Mcleod] fairly frequently communicates with the team and likes to make sure their well-being is considered.”

A 2019 survey indicated that staff agree with Chu's assessment: 97 percent of respondents said the company's values matched their own, and the same share felt that their jobs were important to Salt Spring's mission. Besides standard medical benefits, staff are given a $350 annual wellness benefit toward gym memberships, yoga classes and the like. •