When people talk about the elements woven into the fabric of a community, a strong small to medium sized business sector is a vital thread. As employers and tax generators, SMEs are essential to the overall strength of the community.
And when giving back through their corporate social responsibility initiatives, they are also positively impacting overall community health.
That simple fact is why Tempo Flexible Packaging in Innisfil is committed to ongoing support of initiatives designed to help community causes. It is something that is hard-wired into the DNA of the company since being founded in 1970.
“Being north of the greater Toronto area, we are one of the larger employers in Innisfil,” said Leonardo Giglio, who fulfills the role of Optimist & CEO in the company’s ownership group.
“We understand that’s a significant role in our community. For years we’ve done various things with either the town or different clubs like Rotary or Scouts Canada. We want to make sure that we have a positive presence and to be a positive influence in Innisfil and surrounding communities.”
While 2020 took a toll on many businesses, Giglio says Tempo was lucky enough to have expanded its workforce to around 165 employees as the result of increased demand for packaging products, primarily food packaging. As a result, the company was able to continue supporting such local community initiatives like Seeds of Hope.
“The pandemic has really shone a light on how important local business are to the community,” he said. “We were deemed an essential service this year and we haven’t shut down one day due to the pandemic. First and foremost, we must keep our employees safe by keeping a safe environment. But we have been thriving throughout the pandemic, so there is some positive coming out of this that we hope will trickle throughout the rest of the community.”
As a company manufacturing flexible packaging products, Giglio is aware of the challenges and scrutiny that Tempo faces in an era of heightened concern for the environment. He says that Tempo’s corporate response has been to remain transparent as the company makes a conscious transition towards greener initiatives.
“We’ve been around plastics for 51 years,” he said. “We want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. We have made major investments in recyclable packaging equipment. This year Tempo joined the Canada Plastics Pact, one of the only flexible packaging companies in Canada to do so. We are here for the long haul. We want to be a good corporate citizen, not only in this community but also the broader community of Canada.”
To address those corporate goals, Tempo recently made the announcement of a formal move in a more sustainable direction. It’s the reason why of all the community causes, Tempo Flexible
Packaging supports, Giglio is most proud of their decade-long commitment to providing bags and support for Innisfil Pitch In Day.
“It’s a big deal for us because litter and the misuse of packaging can wind up in the environment. This is not only a chance to do something positive for the environment, but also to acknowledge there are still challenges in our waste programs to collect plastics properly and the general misunderstanding that plastics do not have value at their end of use. We want to create awareness of the responsible use of packaging and help build a Circular Economy for Plastics.”
Learn more about the efforts of Tempo Flexible Packaging by visiting their website: https://tempoflexiblepackaging.com/.