Forbes has just released its inaugural list of Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture, and one business with a long history in Alberta has made the cut.
Forbes cites Indeed, noting that it comes down to a “combination of [an organization’s] values, vision, workplace environment, and operational norms.”
Companies are also starting to recognize the importance of culture, as employees are increasingly valuing it as well.
Forbes pointed to recent Gallup poll results that found when employees are “strongly connected” to their company culture, the chances of them looking for other job opportunities decline steeply, and they are less likely to feel burned out.
The ranking is based on a survey of more than 40,000 workers in Canada who are employed at companies with at least 500 people in the country.
Survey respondents (who remained anonymous so they could answer freely) were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to rate it based on a range of company culture-related topics involving fairness, inclusivity, and opportunity.
Respondents were also asked if they would recommend their previous employers (within the past two years) and those they knew through industry experience or through friends or family who worked there.
Data from the past three years of Forbes-Statista employee surveys were incorporated into a scoring system, with heavier weights placed on the more recent data and on recommendations from current employees. Each company ultimately received a score, and the 200 organizations with the highest scores made the ranking.
Freson Bros., headquartered in Stony Plain just west of Edmonton, made the list, coming in at #143. Pretty impressive considering giants like lululemon and Aritzia are included, too.
Founded in 1955, the retail and wholesale chain also landed on Canada’s Best Employers in 2025 list by Forbes, at #230.
Freson Bros./Facebook
The University of Laval in Quebec City, Que., was selected as the top employer in Canada for company culture.
You can view the full list of Forbes 2025 Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture online.
Do you agree with the inclusion of Freson Bros. on this list? Let us know in the comments.