Hi-Performance Distributors have become a Certified Living Wage Employer!

Hi-Performance Distributors (HPD) has just become a certified Living Wage Employer - committing to pay their staff and contracted workers a living wage. HPD is the largest distribution business for hobby items in Canada. With a vast product selection, their largest category is R/C vehicles (and their many varied accessories) followed by models, including plastic, die cast, and wooden models that range from historic/military models to classic cars to pop-culture themed items and more! We're so glad to welcome them into the Living Wage family!

Dan and Chris were both avid R/C car racers who partnered together to buy the business name and assets in 2016. At that time, it had 2 employees working in the warehouse. Since then, they have grown it significantly in various ways. Financially, the growth after they took over was enough to land HPD on numerous lists of Canada’s top growing businesses. That growth was mirrored in the size of the team - there are now 20 team members working between the warehouse fulfilling orders and the office doing the administration. They are continually learning how to do business better for themselves, their team members, their clients, and their vendors. Their company’s core values are Care, Honour, and Initiative; their vision is to be trusted as the experts in fun, and while they don’t have a mission statement, their self-description as “Real People Enabling Canadians to Have Fun” is probably the best insight into who they are as a company. Viewing fun as something like self-actualization in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, they know that just having fun products will not enable everyone to have fun. They must first ensure that needs are met so that one is able to have fun. This is one of the reasons that they have committed to a Living Wage – amongst other things – to help their team members build a solid foundation that will allow them to have fun in their lives.

“It is important that all employees within our organization can provide for themselves and their family. That's the whole reason to be in business - creating value for people. We recognize that not every position in every organization is a long-term position, but we want to make sure that we are making lives better while they entrust us with their time and talents.” Dan Schellenberg, CEO, Hi-Performance Distributors

As the cost of living has increased across BC, the importance of paying a living wage has never been more important. The living wage is the hourly amount someone needs to earn to pay for basic essentials like food and rent, it doesn’t include paying off debt or saving for retirement. The Living Wage for Metro-Vancouver is $24.08 an hour.

“We’re delighted that Hi-Performance Distributors have become a Living Wage Employer. We hope it encourages other employers to join the Living Wage movement. Paying a living wage is good for workers, employers and the local community” said Anastasia French, Living Wage for Families BC.

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies. There are now almost 400 Living Wage Employers across BC.

Find out more about Hi-Performance Distributors on their website: Hi-Performance (hpd.ca)