JULY/AUGUST 2019 BCBUSINESS 63 BCBUSINESS.CA
not-so-distant past, when
revenue was closely linked
to local spending.
The 30th anniversary
of our Top 100 event gives us an oppor-
tunity to weigh how the list has changed
over the past three decades. Gone is
the preponderance of players rooted in
the local and regional economy: Paci•c
Brewers Distributors and grocery coun-
terpart Kelly Douglas & Co., retailing
giant Woodward's Stores, and food pro-
cessors Dairyland and Lucerne. Gone,
too, are larger resources companies that
proved attractive targets as globalization
swept the commodities sector: Cominco,
Fletcher Challenge, MacMillan Bloedel
and Placer Dome have been replaced by
Teck Resources and West Fraser Tim-
ber Co. (see p.87). Those two companies
remain cornerstones of the top 10, along-
side Telus Corp. (see p.81) and one of the
list's most resilient businesses, the highly
diversi•ed Jim Pattison Group (see p.76).
Outside of Crown corporations like
WorkSafeBC (see p.85) and retailers,
geographic diversi•cation is a hallmark
of the Top 100. For the most part, the
biggest businesses on this year's list
thrive thanks to activities beyond the
province's borders.
Finning International (see p.83) sup-
plies heavy equipment to projects around
the world, while outward-looking fashion
and food companies include Aritzia and
Nature's Path Foods. Gateway Casinos &
Entertainment's plans to go public on the
New York Stock Exchange mark a rare
initial public oœering by a B.C. company,
more than a decade after the •nancial
crisis and the
IPOs of the mid-2000s.
Meanwhile, companies from Ritchie
Bros. Auctioneers to Windset Farms have
struck deals that allow them to succeed
globally from a base in B.C.
It's a visible sign of an economy that
continues to attract talent, thanks to Ÿex-
ible immigration policies and an enviable
quality of life. Technolo¡y companies in
particular •nd B.C. a convenient place to
set up, giving them access to a talented
workforce within a short distance of other
West Coast tech hubs. Housing costs may
be high, but the other factors more than
make up for it.
"The quality of life is great, which
means we can attract the best global tal-
ent, and local talent wants to stay here
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