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Van Kam 2021 Year in Review

January 5, 2022

2021 was a bit of a roller coaster ride for Van Kam, and we’re pretty sure it was that way for most people in British Columbia for the last couple of years! It’s been fun, wild, and unexpected. From company changes to charity initiatives, Van Kam has been everywhere at once this year. We had some great times like employee work anniversaries, appreciation days, and new additions to our team, and obviously some not-so-fun days with COVID restrictions and extreme weather situations that have made the journey to 2022 quite interesting, to say the least. But now that it’s 2022, we want to reflect on 2021. Let’s take a quick look back at last year.

That Pandemic Thing

Okay, so hear us out: COVID SUCKS. And we’ve been praying for relief from this horrible pandemic. However, we appreciate the renewed interest in hygiene and personal safety exhibited by most BC residents. Van Kam has protocols to protect all our employees and clients from COVID-19, and we intend to strictly continue our safety measures into the new year as required.

A few smiling faces (under masks!) from the always-ready-to-serve Van Kam Customer Service Team.

Didn’t See This One Comin’…

Mother nature threw us some curveballs in 2021. From wild-fires to mudslides, floods, heat domes, and record-breaking freezing temperatures – 2021 is one of the worst weather years on record for BC. These events may be attributed to climate change, and it is one of the reasons we follow through on our green initiatives throughout the year. Eventually, as conditions in these events progressed, government-sanctioned road closures were put into place. We respect these decisions for the safety of our employees and customers. As everyone else has, Van Kam has had to learn how to deal with these restrictions. You can see how we continue to deal with the highway delays here.

Giving Back

The nature debacles of 2021 led to some devastating times for the people in BC. We know it is our responsibility to help the communities where we live and work throughout British Columbia. We gave back to our community this year in as many ways as we could. Van Kam employees donated toys to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, and baby supplies to Gateway Community Church for those affected by the BC Floods. Members of our Northern BC team also volunteered for the United Way of Northern BC (UWNBC) in decorating their 50ft ‘Tree of Lights’ in Prince George. We also give continued support to medical charities including Hope Air and the Surrey Hospital Foundation. We look forward to continuing our community involvement in 2022.

A car full of toys donated by Van Kam employees for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau’s BC Flood Toy Drive.

Three Generations

Our family-owned company has moved onto its third generation of Henry leadership, with Casey Henry taking the reigns as CEO, and Robert Henry III becoming the new COO. With 2022 being Van Kam’s 75th year in business, we look forward to celebrating our diamond anniversary with their guidance and vision as they support Van Kam’s future corporate plans and continued tradition of high-quality service. Read the full story here.

And That’s a Wrap!

If 2021 has taught us anything, it’s that we have to work together in times of crisis. We applaud our customers and everyone at Van Kam for staying strong through some of the most challenging times this province has experienced. Let’s hope for a brighter 2022 ahead and keep up our resilience and positive attitudes!