Winter road conditions in effect. Click to view all current service delays.

75 Years of Celebrating Our Employees

September 21, 2022

Since 1947, Van Kam Freightways Ltd. employees have been front and center when discussing our company’s success over the years. Their commitment and dedication are beyond words, but this blog entry is going to take a stab at it!

The Guests of Honour

To honour our extraordinary employees, Van Kam recently held our much anticipated (and expertly planned!) Annual Employee Appreciation Event. This year was a bit more special as it also marked our company’s diamond anniversary, so we made sure to ratchet up the event with a few unique extras!

With approximately 350 guests converging on the Van Kam lot in Surrey, BC, throughout mid-day, the cooperatively sunny skies brought smiles, handshakes and hugs amongst our employees and their respective guests on Saturday, September 17th. Local celebrations also occurred on the previous day, the 16th, at all eight Van Kam Freight Service Centers throughout BC, as many team members would be unable to attend the Surrey event.

Image of food trucks
Food trucks were busy throughout the day serving up a variety of dishes for guests.

Trucks + Food = A Match Made Just for Us!

Our business is trucking. We all love food. So what good would our outdoor event be if there weren’t any ubiquitous food trucks for which the Lower Mainland is known for? That’s why we commissioned the help of the iconic Tacofino and Whistler Wood Fired Pizza Company food trucks to provide the mouthwatering on-site catering. For dessert? The Cloud Nine Cotton Candy Company brought their baby-blue truck full of warm mini doughnuts to nosh on!

A custom-baked cake was commissioned for the special event.

Let Them Eat Cake

The mini doughnuts weren’t the only sweet thing on site. Van Kam also had a unique 75th-anniversary cake custom baked for the event, which was topped with a sizeable edible truck & trailer fashioned after our iconic vehicles seen on the highways. Needless to say, our guests were able to satisfy their sweet tooth in many different ways, and we didn’t even mention the supporting act of cupcakes and ice cream treats!

The 75th Anniversary trailer was a popular backdrop for many attendees.

Not Without You

The event was marked with some gracious introductory words from Van Kam COO, Robert Henry III, who welcomed everyone before a brief speech from Van Kam CEO, Casey Henry. “Today is not about us, but all about you… our employees. Celebrating Van Kam’s 75 years of success today couldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for your commitment and dedication that you all bring to work every day,” said Casey when addressing the crowd before the cake-cutting ceremony.

“You all have a part in our purpose of uniting businesses with communities through freight delivery,” stated Casey. “Whether it’s a shipment of medical supplies to a community in need after a natural disaster, pallets of pet food for animals, mechanical supplies for a mining company, clothing articles to mall retailers, or various other types of goods… you play an essential role in keeping communities functioning, and we thank you for that.”

Giving Back… Pack

Van Kam has a solid philanthropic belief in regularly giving back to the communities we operate within, so we took this event as an excellent opportunity to run a 50/50 draw with proceeds going to the Starfish Pack charity which provides backpacks with 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and snacks to hungry students each weekend of the school year.

Thanks to all those who purchased tickets and joined us on this joyous day of celebrating and honouring our employees. It was a pleasure working with all our event vendors and event planner, Emerald Events in Surrey, to make sure everything went smoothly. We already look forward to another 75 years of working with our extraordinary group of employees!

Share This

Stay Connected!

Connect with Van Kam on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
to our newsletter for future Van Kam stories!

Related Posts
Current service interruptions
Current Road Closures and Service Delays

View All Regional Service Delays Below Road closures are mandated by the BC Ministry of Transportation and directly affect the ...

Empowering Change: Van Kam’s Tribute to International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women's Day 2024 this March, Van Kam Freightways is proudly continuing our tradition of supporting the ...

Van Kam Freightways Supports Women’s Health, Donates to BCWHF

Van Kam Freightways is proud to announce our recent donation to the BC Women's Health Foundation (BCWHF), marking another significant ...

Meet Ryan Dewar: Van Kam’s New Surrey Terminal Manager

Van Kam Freightways is thrilled to announce Ryan Dewar as our new Surrey Terminal Manager, a significant addition to our ...