jULY/AUGUST 2018 BCBusiness 55 ISTOCK
S
ince the subprime mortgage disas-
ter of 2007 and the fall of Lehman
Brothers Holdings in October 2008
unleashed the nancial crisis upon
the world, British Columbia has prided itself
on economic stability and diversity. Shaken
by the Great Recession, B.C. tacked with the
winds of change to forge trade ties with Asia
and become a safe haven for global inves-
tors. Our exports weren't limited to the U.S.
like those of so many other provinces, and
our multicultural population helped to keep
international capital …owing.
Heading this year's list of the top 100 B.C.-
based companies by revenue are familiar
names that continue to post steady growth—
sometimes beyond steady, if commodity
markets permit. Telus Corp., Teck Resources
and Jim Pattison Group return to the top
three. Heavy equipment dealer Finning
International takes the No. 4 spot, while
BC Hydro and Power Authority hums along
in fth place. With the minor shu"ing in
ranking, these businesses dene the prov-
ince as one of innovation, natural resources
and retail savvy.
They also head a list of companies that
rang up more than $180 billion worth of sales
in 2017, the eighth straight year of expansion
for the province's biggest enterprises.
But topline variety aside, just how diverse
is the B.C. economy? Those ve companies
represent more than 26 percent of the busi-
ness done by the Top 100 in 2017. Comparing
this year's list to 2008's brings the consoli-
dation in who's driving the economy into
sharper focus.
B.C. may pride itself on weed overtaking
wood, and on clean, green entrepreneurs
in lumberjack chic edging out the men who
moil for gold, but the province's largest busi-
nesses still make most of their money from
old-fashioned industries like forestry, min-
ing, manufacturing and transport. That
group has gone from 48 percent of the list in
2008 to 59 percent today.
In fact, natural resources is the only
sector that boosted its representation over
the past decade. While tech companies such
as
PMC-Sierra and retailers like Thrifty Foods
b.C.'s lArgesT
CompAnIes bY
revenue AnChor
A dIverse eConomY
ThAT keeps
ChArgIng AheAd,
buT smAller
busInesses plAY
A keY role, Too
continued on page 63
The Big Get Bigger
b y P E T E R M I T H A M
SMAll STARTS
Just 2 percent of
companies in B.C.
have more than 50
employees
