The Jim Pattison Group

Type	Private
Industry	Media, automotive, packaging, food sales and distribution, magazine distribution, entertainment, export and financial industries
Founded	1961 (1961), in Vancouver, British Columbia
Headquarters	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Area served	Canada United States Mexico Europe Asia Australia
Key people	Jim Pattison (Chairman and CEO) Glen Clark (President and COO)
Products	Media, Broadcasting, Grocery, Billboards
Revenue	$10.9 Billion (2020)
Owner	Jim Pattison
Number of employees	48,000 (2020)
Divisions	See § Divisions
Website	jimpattison.com

The Jim Pattison Group is a Canadian conglomerate based in Vancouver. In a recent survey by the Financial Post, the firm was ranked as Canada's 62nd largest company. Jim Pattison, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur, is the chairman, CEO, and sole owner of the company. The Jim Pattison Group, Canada's second largest privately held company, has more than 45,000 employees worldwide, and annual sales of $10.1 billion^[1] based on investments in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Asia and Australia. The Group is active in 25 divisions, according to Forbes, including packaging, food, forestry products.^[2]

In early 2022, the 93-year-old Pattison was still working full-time. According to Forbes, his net worth then was $5.7 billion, having increased substantially from the $2.1 billion reported in March 2009.^[2][3] In September 2020, a news item stated that "Jim Pattison Group Inc. had $10.9 billion in revenue and employed 48,000 people".^[4]

History

The Jim Pattison Group was created on May 8, 1961, when Pattison purchased a General Motors automobile dealership by borrowing $40,000 from the Royal Bank of Canada, and placing his home and life insurance policy with the bank as collateral.^[5]

In 1965, The Jim Pattison Group was awarded a license to operate Vancouver AM radio station CJOR. The group then acquired Neon Products (Vancouver) & Seaboard Outdoor Advertising in 1967, Overwaitea Foods (Vancouver) in 1968, and Provincial News (Edmonton) in 1969. The real estate arm of the group was created in 1980. The Jim Pattison Group acquired British Columbia Magazine, Canadian Fishing Company in 1984, and Ripley's Believe It or Not! in 1985.

In 1990, the group acquired Foodservice Packaging Group, Flexible Packaging Group, and Coroplast and Montebello Packaging. The following year, the group launched its financial services division. The Jim Pattison Group acquired Westshore Terminals (B.C.-based coal-export terminal facility) in 1994, Buy-Low Foods in 1995, and launched Select Media Services. In 1999, the group acquired Cooper's Foods.

The Ripley's Aquarium opened in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Ripley's Aquarium of The Smokies, Gatlinburg, TN opened in 2000. In 2001, the group acquired Monarch Broadcasting and Van-Whole Produce, and started ProLogix Distribution Services and AccuLogix Distribution Services the following year. Ever Corp. was acquired in 2002 and LIN PAC Inc. in 2003. In 2004, the Jim pattison Group acquired Classic Attractions (Texas), St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains (Florida), Maltese Signs (Norcross, GA), the auto lease business of Cross-Canada Car Leasing Limited (Toronto, ON), and the periodical distribution companies in San Jose and Chico, CA.

• 2005 – Acquired control of Icicle Seafoods (BC.) Inc.
  • Acquired Freeway Dodge Chrysler
  • Acquired Spartech Corporation's corrugated plastic sheet business
  • Started the Vancouver edition of 24 Hours (in partnership with Quebecor Media)
  • Formed or purchased interests in several US and Canadian joint ventures in the periodical industry
  • Employees: 28,000 Sales: $6.1 billion
• 2006 – Acquired Carthage Cup, Carthage, TX
  • Acquired Creative Outdoor Ads, Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • Acquired Island Radio Ltd.'s six FM stations on Vancouver Island
  • Acquired OK Radio Group Ltd.'s two FM stations in Victoria, BC
  • Acquired A&W Fixtures, Cocoa, Florida
  • Started Great Pacific Bank Limited, Warrens, Barbados
• 2007 – Disposed of interest in the Vancouver 24 Hours
• 2008 – Acquired Guinness World Records from HIT Entertainment
• 2009 – Funded the Peak Performance Project
• 2010 – Acquired Amc Billboard Co
• 2011 – Acquired Ocean Brands

October 29, 2013, Pattison became an insider of the Just Energy Group, a publicly traded corporation on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange, by taking possession of more than 14 million shares (over 10% of the company's shares outstanding).^[6]

• 2013 – Acquired Sun-Rype
• 2014 – Purchased 5 John Deere Dealerships in Saskatchewan.
• 2015 – Employees: 39,000 Sales: $8.2 billion
• 2015 – Purchased Peterbilt Pacific Dealerships
• 2017 – Amalgamated JayDee AGTECH and Maple Farm Equipment John Deere Dealerships as one company, Pattison Agriculture with 17 locations across Saskatchewan and Manitoba
• 2017 – Took controlling interest (March 23, 2017) of Quality Foods with 13 locations across Vancouver Island, British Columbia
• 2017 – Acquired Choices Markets from the Lockhart family to be operated as a division of Buy-Low Foods LP
• 2019 – Sold Sun-Rype to Lassonde Industries for C$80 million in an all-cash deal.^[7][8] As well, in announcing the sale, it was reported that Sun-Rype had C$164 million in gross sales for their fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, and C$9 million in EBITDA.^[8][7]
• 2020 – acquired remaining magazine and book distribution business not previously held in Canada from Metro360 for $925,000. The News Group is the only major distributor of periodicals in Canada.

Divisions

Some of the more significant divisions of the Jim Pattison Group include:

References

External links

• Official website of Jim Pattison Group
• Official website of Jim Pattison Auto Group
• CRTC chart of Jim Pattison Group's broadcast assets
• Jim Pattison Group at the Canadian Communications Foundation website