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[2] 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.[3]
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.[3][4] In September 2020, a news item stated that "Jim Pattison Group Inc. had $10.9 billion in revenue and employed 48,000 people".[5]
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.[6]
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.
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).[7]
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.[8][9] 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.[9][8]
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:
The News Group, North America's largest newspaper and magazine distributor; in November 2018, the company agreed to sell this group, and its entire United States magazine distribution business to American News Company, LLC.[2] The Canadian periodicals division of The News Group, as well as the Non-Periodical's portion of The News Group remains a division of the Jim Pattison Group.
$10.9 Billion (2020)