Gin-Cor Industries: flexibility, family atmosphere highlights at Mattawa employer.

• Author: Strong, Graham
• Position: Five best places to work in Northern Ontario

It's hard to put your finger on just one thing that makes Gin-Cor Industries in Mattawa such a great place to work. This manufacturer of heavy vehicles, including dump trucks and snowploughs, is almost like a close-knit guild rather than a simple workplace. The camaraderie among the 55 or so workers is amazing, said Sheri Yank, marketing coordinator at Gin-Cor.

"A lot of people who work here all hang out together," Yank said. "Gin-Cor is really only one of the big places to be employed in Mattawa, so there's a major family dynamic as well--a lot of relatives who work here together."

Work picnics become family picnics. Family barbecues become informal work events. Everyone just hangs out together after work, Yank said. Everyone is friends with everyone. Certainly, the fact that the shop closes on the weekends is a big help.

"We work all week and have weekends off," Yank said. "There aren't a lot of places that are regular Monday-to-Friday jobs anymore."

But Yank said that what employees enjoy most about working at Gin-Cor is the fact that if something comes up in their lives--a dentist appointment, a child's school event--they can slip out and back, no questions asked.

"I'd say the number one thing employees like is the family flexibility," Yank said. "It's not a big deal if you sign out to watch your kids' school play, or take them to the doctor.

"It allows you to keep your family as...