KTI maintains its family values as the business grows

Maintaining the values of a small family business as it expands across the country is not easy. But at KTI Limited, an Aurora, Ont.-based distributor of gas, oil, electricity and water products for Canadian utilities and pipelines, a focus on trust and communication has helped its employees feel engaged and valued through that growth.

Chris Teehan started selling products for KTI 28 years ago, and he’s now the company’s president. “We are still a family business, with the same values that the Iwai family has maintained throughout the years, we are just a larger family now. We continue to treat our vendor partners, customers and employees like family members,” he says. “Six years ago, the owners decided to step back and asked me to lead it, and I’ve just tried to add onto that foundation they established.”

The company has grown rapidly over the past few years, adding offices in other provinces and launching a division that provides installation services for its utility customers. That led to an acknowledgment that more formalized employee programs were necessary to manage that growth. So, they added benefit plans and professional development and leadership training, as well as opportunities for staff to learn about and move into the different areas of the business.

“We have multiple disciplines now, and we’re trying to communicate more about opportunities across the entire business, so folks in core distribution can get experience in utility services, and folks on the services side can come to the core business,” Teehan says. “We also offer mentorships, and if employees want to get more training or go back to school, we’ll support them.”

Michelle Williams, KTI’s inventory analyst, has been with the company for seven years. “When I started, I immediately felt engaged and part of the family,” she says. “The senior leadership team are approachable and open and lead with integrity. They trusted me and my decisions from the beginning, and I thrive in that environment. I have autonomy to take on new or unique projects and run with them, which is a good feeling.”

Williams also appreciates the company’s focus on employee wellness, which includes a hybrid work schedule, an employee assistance program, an on-site gym with a personal trainer who comes in once a week and even financial wellness sessions.

“That work-life flexibility has been a game changer,” she says. “People are happier and more productive. The gym is fabulous, and there’s also a trail walking club, so people can go for a walk on their lunch break and talk about work and brainstorm ideas, or just take some time away from their desk. And we participate in an initiative called Walk for Water, which raises money for clean water projects around the world.”

The company also provides a day off for employees to volunteer at the charity of their choice. “We set a target goal of 250 hours of community volunteering, and we’re working toward that,” says Teehan. “We have people across the country volunteering at anything that’s important to them.”

For Teehan, that’s all part of keeping employees engaged and connected. “We’ve added things as we’ve grown, so those who are new to the company know how we got here,” he says. “We’re now 125 people and we’ll be 225 by this time next year, and it’s really important that as we grow, we don’t lose those family values.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers winners, published April 8, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.