SilverChef Rentals has a healthy recipe for success

Anewcomer to Vancouver in 2018, Sheena Duddy hadn’t heard of SilverChef Rentals Inc. when she learned it was looking to hire a sales representative. Still, Duddy thought her background in banking and wealth management would be a good fit for an organization that offers flexible finance solutions to entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector.

Her conjecture was spot on. Duddy joined SilverChef as a dealer relationship manager – a job title that is a clue to why she continually finds her work so satisfying. After rental or lease documents are signed for food-and-beverage service equipment, she still stays connected with her clients, checking that the deal continues to serve their needs.

That emphasis on customer engagement stems from SilverChef’s purpose – to help people achieve their dreams. That, and other core values rooted in the purpose, have also made a big impression on Duddy. She cites the example of how SilverChef, founded in Australia in 1986, has a global partnership with Opportunity International that’s enabled 1.5 million people in developing countries to work their way out of poverty.

“SilverChef is committed to giving back and that’s something I can fully get behind,” says Duddy. “For the first time in my life, I can truly say I love my job.”

President Robert Phelps points out that as a progressive Certified B Corporation, the company cares about more than the bottom line. “SilverChef is both a commercial and a social enterprise with a clear purpose,” he says. “We believe in balancing profit and purpose, in using business as a force for good. We believe in helping people achieve their dreams.”

So with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the Canadian hospitality industry particularly hard, SilverChef has a special role to play, Phelps says. It quickly introduced hardship relief programs for its customers, including consolidated and extended repayment terms.

SilverChef also helped customers get up-to-date information on relevant federal and provincial government resources instead of sifting through reams of constantly evolving program particulars.

For her part, Duddy says she’s proud of how SilverChef has performed during the pandemic. Like her colleagues in Vancouver and employees throughout Canada, she could access help with the resources she needed to work from home as well as a range of innovative initiatives to stay engaged and connected.

But it was the groundwork already laid that made a difference, Duddy says. “Our belief in ‘we’re all in this together’ has made us able to respond in a really positive way.”

SilverChef seeks to make dreams come true

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic nightmare, SilverChef Rentals Inc. still found ways for its employees and their clients to realize their dreams.

“Our purpose is to help people achieve their dreams – our corporate culture is all about impact and purpose,” says Robert Phelps, president of SilverChef Rentals Canada.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our employees for their level of commitment and support over this disruptive period and what they deliver on a day-by-day basis.”

SilverChef Rentals Canada provides flexible equipment finance for hospitality businesses. Headquartered in Vancouver, the company is a certified B Corporation that balances purpose with profit. It finances hospitality sector companies in renting or leasing the equipment needed to set up everything from a fast-food outlet to an elegant restaurant.

So when the pandemic hit, the company pivoted internally and externally. Employees quickly shifted to working remotely and were given the tech support needed to make the transition. But for employees like Caroline Schmidt, it was also important to find ways to keep their clients afloat.

“We gave them breathing room to be able to respond to what was happening and move forward,” says Schmidt, recently promoted from credit solutions manager to vice president, customer experience.

“SilverChef is really committed to their purpose, whether that’s supporting our employees, supporting the hospitality industry or supporting our community. It’s evident in everything we do every day.”

With clients hard hit by lockdowns, SilverChef offered payment delays and six-month payment deferrals that helped them survive. It also kept clients up to date with the latest government business support programs and other information. With SilverChef’s assistance, businesses changed to take-out and delivery models to keep the lights on and the ovens hot.

SilverChef Rentals also continued its commitment to charity, especially around food poverty. Employees receive paid volunteer days and stage fundraising events. The pandemic has moved events online, but the company has maintained its community support programs.

Employees enjoy an extensive benefits and support package. Every employee starts with four weeks vacation. Matching RRSP contributions of up to five per cent help employees save for the future, as do workshops on budgeting and financial planning.

In addition to education allowances, the company gives students paid time off to study for exams. The company also offers maternity leave top-up payments of 100 per cent of salary for 12 weeks and phased-in return-to-work options to help with the transition.

Health and safety is another company priority. In addition to the benefits package, employees also enjoy an annual, flexible $750 top-up allowance that can be spent on anything that increases wellness. From physiotherapy and gym memberships to even veterinarian bills, it’s covered.

It’s part of a holistic approach that’s based on three core principles, says Phelps.

“It’s about helping our customers achieve their dreams, helping our employees in their career development and helping the community. We’ve got great people that support us as a company, so we support them,” says Phelps.

SilverChef has also found ways to maintain its strong corporate culture despite the pandemic. Online weekly challenges like “one truth, two lies”, “guess my first job” and Friday afternoon virtual happy hours help keep employees connected. Shout-outs for a job well done and check-ins with employees to see how they’re doing also maintain corporate camaraderie.

“I have to have a purpose to what I do every day,” says Schmidt. “That’s extremely important to me. There are just so many things the company does that are purposeful, it makes me excited to get up every morning.”