BCBusiness

16 BCBusiness jULY/AUGUST 2018 PORTRAIT: ADAm BLASBERG O ver the almost three decades that BCBusiness has celebrated the Top 100, a few patterns have emerged. Starting on page 55, you'll ind names that perennially make the list of B.C.'s largest companies by revenue, many of them from industries like mining and forestry. Whatever you've heard about the rise of the tech sector, traditional businesses account for even more of the Top 100 than they did 10 years ago. As researcher Peter Mitham points out, though, there's a paradox at work. Yes, big companies still dominate, but nearly all of the enterprises that call this province home are on the small side. Vital contributors to the economy, these businesses often help their larger counter- parts to become more innovative. VR/AR studio LlamaZoo's work with mining titan Teck Resources, long a Top 100 front-runner (p.69), is just one example. When you're done with the Top 100, there's plenty more to read in our big- gest issue of the year. On page 30, Guy Saddy lays out three possible futures for the Vancouver housing market, from full-on meltdown to a dip in prices. The latter scenario seems most likely, but "After the Crash and Other Night- mares" reminds us that there's still much debate about whether boosting real estate supply will help residents buy their irst home, ind an afford- able place to rent or lure workers from elsewhere. If you'd rather think more cheerful thoughts, we have just the story. Dani- elle Egan's "Happy Inc." (p.110) exam- ines the corporate push to put a smiley face on every employee. More often than not, research reveals, trying to steer a workplace in that direction comes to a sad end. Looking on the bright side, Egan shows how Top 100 regular BC Hydro and other organizations have made life better for sta› by skirting con- ventional HR wisdom and letting them drive change. With cruise ships looming over Vancouver, it's the perfect time to check in on tourism, the biggest B.C. success story you may never have bothered to notice. In "Staying Power" (p.99) we explore how an industry employing more than 130,000 British Columbians is making its way, even if that means asserting itself against other sectors. But wait, there's more: "Harbouring Ambi- tions" (p.42), Andrew Findlay's un¢inching tour of Nanaimo, whose city hall shenanigans haven't exactly burnished its image as a place to do busi- ness. Despite those antics, startups keep coming to the Harbour City. Don't be surprised if you see some of them in the Top 100 one of these years. Nick Rockel, Editor-in-Chief bcb@canadawide.com / @bCbusiness ( editor's desk ) Why B.C.'s growing connection with China presents threats as well as opportunities I N S E P T E M B E R The Big Picture C ON T R I B U T OR S Guy saddy has written for magazines like Saturday Night, The Walrus, Travel + Leisure, enRoute and Elle on topics from HIV transmission rates on the Downtown Eastside to running over himself with his own car. Vancouver-based Saddy's latest feature, on his city's property market ("After the Crash and Other Nightmares," p.30), was challenging. "When it comes to housing prices, there's so much at stake," he says. "However this shakes out, we're at a crossroads now, that's for sure." Victoria photographer Nik West was born in New Zealand and moved to Canada at 13 but has also lived in Australia and Mexico. In this issue he shot images for two stories: "Harbouring Ambitions" (p.42), about up-and-coming Nanaimo; and "All for Yacht" (p.123), a Weekend Warrior profile of Cube Global Storage founder Mike Weston. "We took the boat out for a short jaunt," West recalls. "It was all pretty easygoing."

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