98 BCBusinEss July 2015
YVR ranked among B.C.'s most loved
brands in a survey by Ipsos Reid and
BCBusiness. Maybe it's the breathtak-
ing native art. Maybe it's the Canada
Line, the quickest fixed-link connec-
tion between a major airport and its
downtown on the continent. Either way,
between 2004 and 2013, revenues at
YVR shot up 57 per cent, thanks in part
to sales and rents from its retail tenants,
which this summer will include a new
outlet mall on site. Thank the global
traveller for all this spending. Last
year,
YVR—with plans to become North
America's gateway to Asia—processed
almost as many international flyers as
San Francisco International.
Lululemon Athletica inc.
Revenue change: 21.1%
net income: $288 million
net income change: -48.7
When new
CEO Laurent Potdevin took
over in January 2014, he had his work cut
out for him. Lululemon's share price had
plummeted from $82 in June 2013 to $38
a year later, and the iconic brand was still
suffering under the weight of some bad
press (sheer pants, anyone?). He must be
doing something right. Backed by strong
fourth-quarter sales, Lululemon finished
2014 with a healthy increase to revenues.
Profit was down—but, as they say, you
need to spend money to make money;
Lululemon is expanding aggressively
abroad, with plans to add 40 new stores
throughout Europe and Asia by the end
of 2017. As of May, its stock had bounced
back to $65.
MacDonald, Dettwiler
and Associates Ltd.
Revenue change: 15.4%
net income: $47 million
net income change: -55.3%
While not the most consumer-facing of
tech companies, the space-minded firm
that built both Canadarms blasted off in
2012 following an $875-million acquisition
of California-based satellite maker Space
Systems/Loral. Despite lower profits, 2014
was another good year for
MDA, which
scored numerous large contracts (one
of them with a major U.S. government
agency to upgrade airport navigation) as
its share price continued its ascent.
