At Don-Mor, teamwork is a core value. Supervisors and team leaders foster a mentorship‑driven environment where staff support apprentices and one another through knowledge sharing and cross-departmental collaboration. The management team believes that every staff person can contribute to five‑star results. This is why the trial-and-error approach is important. Supervisors encourage their apprentices to jump in, get their hands dirty, and learn alongside more experienced colleagues. They also want them to speak up.
Diane and Maryam emphasize that the Don-Mor workplace reflects staff input. Something as simple as installing a worker-requested coffee station is a way of demonstrating that staff should be rewarded for their professionalism. They recognize that a small but meaningful gesture, such as offering coffee, reinforces a culture of respect, openness, and shared ownership in the workplace. The operations and HR teams are proud that this approach is a cornerstone of Don-Mor.
For many, Don Mor has become a place to build a career because it invests in its people. In a previous era, workers across industries could imagine rising to a management role from an entry level position. At Don-Mor, this is still an option. Diane, who has been with the company for nineteen years, became the Operations Manager by working her way through every department. Any staff member (or apprentice) who is committed to the business can rise in the ranks.
But professional growth is just one reason staff choose to stay. Don-Mor is aware of the financial challenges workers face, from transportation to tool costs. They want to be an employer of choice, offering staff a living wage and benefits, an RRSP savings program, employee discounts, a work boot allowance program, air-conditioned facilities, and supplying tools for apprentices. Don-Mor is also a community-minded business. They encourage their team to volunteer in the community and to seek a meaningful life outside of work. Diane and Maryam speak with pride about Don-Mor’s partnership with the Humane Society, their involvement, through CARSTAR, with raising money for cystic fibrosis research, and their annual participation in the Santa Claus Day Parade (they are two-time winners).
Don-Mor is proud of its people and believes they have a team that can mentor anyone to become a top-of-the-line professional. Jeff Brown has observed that "Culture isn't something you talk about, it's something you do. Diane and Maryam genuinely care about the people here, and that makes all the difference. The culture we've built at Don-Mor starts with them."
Diane and Maryam recognize that teamwork, mentorship, and personal growth are a recipe for employee satisfaction. At a time when it is rare for professionals to build a lifelong career in one place, Don-Mor stands out. But according to them, retention has always been part of their culture.
