Vidir continues with upward ascent

With more than 40 years of experience, Vidir Vertical Storage Solutions continues to keep climbing upwards in its ascent to success. 

Ernest Rempel, CEO of Vidir Vertical Storage Solutions, shared insights about the third-generation family business at a recent WTC Talks event. The April 23 event, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, offered networking opportunities at Kilter Brewing Co. 

His wife Carissa Rempel is the granddaughter of company founder Willie Dueck, who launched the business in the late 1970s. It began as a small machine shop in Arborg to serve local farmers.  

“Willie was an entrepreneur by nature. … He was known as the guy who would help anybody,” Rempel said. “If you needed a hand, Willie was the guy to help you out.”  

Over time, the business expanded to include a lumberyard. To help streamline their processes, Willie and his sons ended up designing a customized carousel storage system for inventory. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the carousel system would also serve as an ideal solution to similar problems in other industries.  

Today, the company is known internationally for its automated storage solutions. With upwards of 40,000 installations in more than 45 countries, Vidir is known for its high standards around the globe, where the company lives up to its tagline: Making the world’s products safely accessible.  

“We help to manage the material flow with our inventory and we help it go vertical,” said Rempel, who has worked for Vidir for 22 years. 

“You’re manufacturing or operating in three-dimensional buildings. … Most people use the square footage but if you look up at the ceiling, it’s all empty space. So we help you use that space as well to get the material closer to where you need it.” 

Vidir’s customer base includes many big box stores across Canada and the United States. For example, Home Depot uses Vidir’s flooring carriers, while Walmart uses the company’s three-tier bicycle racks.  

“We’re in basically any industry. … We’re in health care, construction, aerospace, retail – you name it, we’ve probably got something there,” Rempel said.  

Reflecting on Vidir’s success, Rempel said some of it can be attributed to being in the right place at the right time, combined with a little luck – but all of it relies on a dedicated team along with a great product. 

“If you talked to Willie, he was always overly proud of what his team had done and what the group had put together,” Rempel said. 

As a company, Vidir is involved in every step of creating its products from beginning to end. 

“A few years ago we launched our vertical lift module, which is our latest and greatest product. We design, manufacture, ship and install our product. And our design includes mechanical , electrical, and software engineering” he said.  

“So we design all the controls, all the coding and the logic that goes into the machine operation. We cut the steel, roll the steel, paint the steel, assemble it. We ship it and we install and then we manage the after-sales service on it as well. So we are vertically integrated from raw material all the way through finished goods.”

Vidir has also made its mark through its progressive approach to hiring. One example, the company set a goal of hiring 25 per cent women by 2025 and promoted employment opportunties to females at job fairs, schools and beyond.  

“Manufacturing is a traditional male world. But now it’s open to anyone who wants to weld or wants to paint or whatever that job might be,” Rempel said.  

“We really did a focus on that and we saw our applications rise from female group significantly. I think we hit 25 per cent in 2023. It wasn’t that women didn’t want to work in manufacturing. They just didn’t see it as an option.” 

In addition, the company has provided employment to newcomers to Canada – and even offered English language classes to help them feel settled in their new community. 

The company has earned a long list of accolades, including being named one of Manitoba’s Top Employers in 2024. In addition, on behalf of Willie Dueck, Rempel recently accepted the Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters Pioneer Award. This award recognizes individuals and companies that have achieved notable success in initiating, improving, or growing a manufacturing business in Manitoba.