BC Business Magazine

EDITOR’S DESK

-

Making bigger better

Over the almost three decades that Bcbusiness has celebrated the Top 100, a few patterns have emerged. Starting on page 55, you’ll find 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 counterpar­ts 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 biggest 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 Nightmares” reminds us that there’s still much debate about whether boosting real estate supply will help residents buy their first home, find an affordable place to rent or lure workers from elsewhere.

If you’d rather think more cheerful thoughts, we have just the story. Danielle Egan’s “Happy Inc.” (p.110) examines 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 staff by skirting convention­al 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 Ambitions” (p.42), Andrew Findlay’s unflinchin­g tour of Nanaimo, whose city hall shenanigan­s haven’t exactly burnished its image as a place to do business. 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
Nick Rockel, Editor-in-chief bcb@canadawide.com / @Bcbusiness

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada