NATIONAL PAYMENTS BUILDS ON SUCCESS AS IT TARGETS U. S.
Michael Strong made the move from Toronto to Calgary in 1991 to work for CIBC managing its merchant visas division for the mid- west region of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the N. W. T. In 1993, he was made responsible for introducing its clients to Interac and, under his watch, merchants were encouraged to upgrade equipment and accept new technology.
He has a total of 24 years experience in introducing and working with credit card payments, so when Calgary businessman Bob Dhillon launched his National Payments company he was a natural fit to lead it as chief operating officer.
Dhillon owns a real estate development in Belize. His merchant banker brother K. V., who resides in San Francisco, asked if he could bring a client down to San Pedro for some fishing, and they naturally talked business. The guest was CEO of Global Payments who suggested to Dhillon that he get involved and offered him a partnership for Canada, a country that “loves plastic.”
Meanwhile, Global Payments had bought out the CIBC merchant portfolio at the time when many banks decided to get out of the capital intensive processing business.
Strong left after restructuring and joined VeriFone, the largest manufacturer of POS terminals and pin pads. He was introduced to Dhillon in 2007 and was soon helping him to create a boutique, tailordesigned merchant service provider that has realized tremendous gains in the sector.
National Payments has been able to take on the big guys in processing Visa and MasterCard for the mid- market range of businesses. Strong offers a hands- on approach that can easily be tailor- designed to meet a client’s needs, activation is easy, service is quick, decisions are made locally and their customers are provided with easy, dependable and secure payment options. And it has proven itself a huge money- saver. Over the last three years National Payments has saved its merchants over $ 1.2 million in reduced credit card processing over what they had previously been paying.
The initial focus has been within the hospitality industry and Strong has built up a fine clientele of valued clients. In Calgary it boasts many of our better restaurants including Teatro, Caeser’s, Rouge, cibo, Craft Beer Market and National where customers enjoy pay- at- the- table convenience. Its corporate housing and hotel client logo sheets display Microtel Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Four Points by Sheraton, ExecSuite, Bedouin Boutique Suites and many others familiar to travellers across the country.
Now he has the licence to sell Visa and MasterCard in the United States and will be replicating his success with the hospitality merchants with the introduction of new chip cards there.
Strong says the potential for growth by National Payments is huge. There will always be a need to pay and people want the convenience of mobile payments. The hospitality industry provides many more accounts to hunt after, but so does the retail industry in which many merchants are not aware of options, and any of the Business on the Go companies that want to be able to receive secure payments on the doorstep.
After more than 20 years of real estate leasing and management throughout Western Canada, most recently six years with Primaris and four with Oxford Properties Group, Laurel Adamson has branched out on her own
Laurel Adamson & Associates will represent retailers using her expertise and experience in enclosed regional shopping centres. First in her stable of clients was Vancouver- based Famous Wok and its 100 locations across Canada with its Famous Wok, Sizzling Wok, Kung Pao Wok and Umi Sushi brands.
National Public Relations, one of Canada’s leading public relations firms, has acquired the business of investor relations and financial communications firm Equicom from TMX Group. The transaction bolsters its existing offerings in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal and solidifies National’s leadership in the market
Nick Hurst, Equicom vicepresident, Western Canada, has moved his team over to National’s Calgary office to work alongside Beth Diamond, managing partner and head of the firm’s Global Energy Practice, where they will continue to handle all investor relations and financial communications under the National Equicom brand while collaborating with National’s extensive public relations client base.
National Payments has been able to take on the big guys in processing Visa and MasterCard for the mid- market range of businesses.