KOREAN CONNECTION B.C. reaps benefits of overseas free trade
HAPPY PLOT TWIST Province’s film and television industry bounces back
A FRIEND IN FOREIGN LANDS Government can be an important ally when entering new markets abroad
RIPENING INDUSTRY The world discovers B.C. wines
JUNE 2014 SPONSOR
LLP
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND.
Where do you go from here? Seizing the right opportunities is only the first step towards realizing the growth potential of your business. The second step is working with a trusted, experienced advisor whose entrepreneurial approach will help you recognize the right opportunities and drive your business in the right direction. Contact Mackenzie Kyle, Regional Managing Partner, Advisory Services and B.C. Consulting Leader at 604.637.1596 or mackenzie.kyle@mnp.ca
JUNE 2014
Building locally, competing globally From the solo entrepreneur to the largest corporation, innovation drives manufacturing and manufacturing drives growth. A healthy manufacturing sector is critical for the Canadian economy, but what does it take to build a company from concept to production and then compete on the global market? How do you find out about crossborder sales, overseas taxation, government regulations and issues around shipping? In this quarter’s Business Excellence Series, Business in Vancouver looks at manufacturing and exporting, examining how to set up manufacturing and find out what steps to take when you’re ready to make that beyond-border leap. Accompanying this special edition, BIV has organized a moderatorled panel discussion/breakfast revolving around manufacturing and export issues faced by emerging and established B.C. businesses. This year’s event, moderated by Marcus Ewert-Johns, vice-president for British Columbia of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, takes place June 10 at the Pan Pacific Hotel’s Crystal Pavilion. Expert speakers on hand include Pete Mitchell, president and COO, Vancouver Film Studios; Lyndon Cormack, director, Herschel Supply Co.; and Bruce Marsh, director, performance improvement consulting, MNP LLP. Visit www.biv.com/events/biv for details and registration.
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CONTENTS 4 Friendly help in foreign markets
Government is a reliable resource for Canadian manufacturers that depend on exports
6
B.C. reds, whites on the radar
As China and the U.S. discover B.C. wines, vintners say exports must be a collaborative effort
8 Resurgence is welcome plot twist
Return of television productions has helped revive the fortunes of the city’s ailing studios
10 B.C. reaps benefits of free trade with South Korea
B.C. companies such as Arc’teryx are already doing business in the far eastern country
14 Business excellence series speakers
Business in Vancouver 102 East Fourth Avenue Vancouver, BC V5T 1G2 P: 604.688.2398 F: 604.688.1963 E: info@biv.com
Friendly help in foreign markets
Government is a reliable resource for Canadian manufacturers that depend on exports
BY JEN ST. DENIS | JSTDENIS@BIV.COM
Given the size of the Canadian economy … you have to export
[] MARCUS EWERTJOHNS VICE-PRESIDENT FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS
W
hen Kari Yuers’ father sought out new export opportunities in the 1970s and ’80s, he began by buying a one-way ticket to a far-flung destination. Once there,
he pounded the pavement for as long as it took to make a deal. “He didn’t buy a return flight until he’d sold something,” said Yuers, chief executive officer of the family business, Kryton International. The company makes a concrete waterproofing product out of its facility in southeast Vancouver. Ron Yuers’ first stop was always the local office for Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), where he would get information about the local market. “If he was really good, he would get them to lend him their car so that he could show up with the fancy car with the [Canadian] flags on the front of it, so he looked really important,” Yuers said. While in-person meetings are still important, much more of the legwork now gets done ahead of time, including market research and initial contacts with potential clients. Kryton now does business in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States. One thing that hasn’t changed? Savvy exporters know to make full use of the Canadian government resources available. “The DFATD offices are all over, and [we] would try to make connections with certain DFATD officers and
4 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES
get them to help [us] understand or evaluate the area and the opportunities, and then make connections,” Yuers said, speaking of the company’s successful attempt to break into the Middle East construction market in the early 2000s. For most Canadian manufacturers, whether small, medium or large, exporting isn’t an option, it’s a must, said Marcus Ewert-Johns, vice-president of the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) association. “Given the size of the Canadian economy, given the size of the provincial economy, you have to export,” Ewert-Johns said. “It’s the only way to make money.” But many businesses are still unaware of the government help available. It’s a problem identified by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The business advocacy organization recently released a report calling on the government to increase its diplomatic presence abroad and co-ordinate export services, which are currently spread across several different government departments and not well advertised. The chamber warns that if Canada doesn’t work to build what it says is a weak international brand, the
Kari Yuers co-owns Vancouver-based Kryton International. Using government resources is a good first step when developing new markets abroad | DOMINIC SCHAEFER
Resources for exporters
country won’t be able to take full advantage of recently signed trade agreements with Europe and Korea. Government services can range from identifying the most likely companies to be open to a pitch – reducing the time a Canadian company needs to spend cold-calling – to troubleshooting a foreign government’s regulations, the best way to structure your company to operate in a country like China, or how to negotiate a conflict zone. “You want to have these government guys on your side in a lot of these markets because the stature of government is critical in a lot of these countries,” Ewert-Johns said. The federal government has now started a program to place trade commissioners in 25 industry associations across the country in order to better connect business with export opportunities. Trade commissioner Carl St-Laurent will be stationed in the CME’s office for the next three years, Ewert-Johns said.
K biv.com
FOR MORE MANUFACTURING NEWS, GO TO BIV.COM/NEWS/RETAIL
Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Go Global program Conference calls with international export experts and vetted company database In-house government trade commissioner Vancouver office: Suite 540, 688 W. Hastings St. www.cme-mec.ca Trade and Invest BC Provincial agency with offices in Vancouver as well as trade representatives stationed in countries around the world Vancouver office: Robson Square, Suite 288, 800 Hornby St. www.britishcolumbia.ca Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Trade commissioners in offices throughout Canada and around the world Vancouver office: Library Square, Suite 2000, 300 W. Georgia St. www.international.gc.ca Export Development Canada Financing, insurance and risk management for exporters www.edc.ca
BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES 5
B.C. reds, whites on the radar
As China and the U.S. discover B.C. wines, vintners say exports must be a collaborative effort
BY MICHAEL BERNARD | NEWS@BIV.COM
B
ritish Columbia winemaker John Skinner used to hate local wines. Now, not only is he a local winemaker, but his Painted Rock Estate Winery in Penticton is also one of a
number of local wineries starting to find an export market. And what a market that can be. Earlier this year, Skinner discovered that Painted Rock winery’s Red Icon was listed at almost $900 a bottle in a Shanghai restaurant (see “Asian restaurants charging top dollar for B.C. wines” – BIV Jan. 7–13) “I was not a champion of B.C. wines,” said Skinner, who formerly earned a living in the investment industry before switching to winemaking 10 years ago. “I had a very large cellar and less than 1% of it was B.C. wines.” His epiphany came in the 1990s when the industry started to see winemakers rewarded with excellent fruit after ripping out vineyards and plants that had produced the notorious jug wines of the 1970s. It was the planting of these new species that put B.C. on the world wine map. He was sold on B.C.’s potential when wineries like Burrowing Owl started producing award-winning wines. “They did a really good job; they were showing that our region could ripen fruit in the way that other accomplished regions were ripening fruit. I thought if this region had this potential, I wanted to be part of it,” Skinner said. Today, Painted Rock is one of a small group of vintners leading the charge exporting B.C. wines. The amount is a drop in the bottle — about $8 million last year out of a production of $204 million in “made in B.C.” wine. But that is up from virtually nothing 10 years ago.
6 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES
Mainland China quaffs by far the largest share of B.C.’s wines, with exports rising from $200,000 in 2007 to $7 million last year. Hong Kong (at $371,000), the United States ($280,000) and Taiwan ($92,000) account for much of the remainder. Skinner believes the B.C. industry has to focus on sending its very best wines overseas if it hopes to make its mark in an intensely competitive world market. Ezra Cipes, CEO of Summerhill Pyramid Winery in East Kelowna, says the B.C. industry should concentrate on selling its expensive wines overseas, as his winery has been doing since 1991 with its famous icewines. Summerhill’s 2008 Zweigelt icewine, made from the Austrian varietal of the same name, sells for $148 for a 375-millilitre bottle in B.C. and for much more than that in China. “We have dabbled in India, Japan and Hong Kong because we don’t want to say no to an opportunity, but the areas where we have invested the most is in the United States and mainland China,” said Cipes. “There is no point in us exporting value wine,” Cipes said. “There is much cheaper land and labour and easier growing conditions in Australia, Chile and Spain. This is one of the most expensive places in the world to make wine. We would be foolish to compete in the under-$15 bottle of wine category.”
AMOUNT OF WINE CONSUMED 2013 (billion litres) U.S.
2.9 France
2.8 Italy
2.2 Germany
2.0
China
1.7
SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF VINE AND WINE (OIV)
John Skinner, founder of Painted Rock Estate Winery, believes Canada has to put its best wines forward to succeed in the competitive international wine market
I thought if this region had this potential, I wanted to be part of it
[] JOHN SKINNER OWNER, PAINTED ROCK ESTATE WINERY
BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES 7
Resurgence is welcome plot twist Return of television productions has helped revive the fortunes of the city’s ailing studios BY MARKE ANDREWS | NEWS@BIV.COM
All these other jurisdictions came out with their tax-credit programs, and many of them turned out to be
W
hen you work in the movie business, no two projects are alike, and no two work days are the same. But even industry veteran Pete Mitchell, president and COO of Van-
couver Film Studios, was startled by the hordes of fans trying to slip through the studio security gate during the 2008 filming of New Moon, the second feature in the Twilight franchise. Sure, he knew teenage girls would want to gawk at stars Robert
unsustainable.
Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. But a gaggle of 40-year-old women from Brazil who
So the
flew here in the hopes of a close encounter?
jurisdictions have cut back and modified them
[] PETE MITCHELL PRESIDENT AND COO, VANCOUVER FILM STUDIOS
“Not the demographic you’d expect,” said Mitchell, with a wry smile. Not all surprises in the film and television business are good ones, but the recent turnaround in the fortunes of the Vancouver industry qualifies as unexpected good news. It was only a year ago that Mitchell lamented the fact that 90% of the industry’s 25,000 workers were unemployed as jobs continued to migrate to other provinces, states and countries that offered better tax breaks for producers. That, and a strong Canadian dollar, kept U.S. productions at home or in Ontario. Since then, the dollar has fallen significantly and producers have learned that when it comes to tax breaks, what you see on paper isn’t necessarily what you get with the bottom line. “All these other jurisdictions came out with their taxcredit programs, and many of them turned out to be unsustainable,” said Mitchell. “So the jurisdictions have cut back and modified them. A good example is Ontario, because they
8 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES
keep modifying what’s a qualifying expense. “There’s all this uncertainty elsewhere, but in B.C., there is absolute certainty,” Mitchell said. Activity has picked up in B.C. since September, primarily in the television market. Feature film work is still sluggish. “There are no mid-range movies any more,” said Mitchell, explaining that features are either low-budget or megabudget. “Nobody makes a movie between $25 million and $100 million any more.” Born in Scotland and raised in Montreal, Mitchell arrived in Vancouver in 1986 and earned his MBA at the University of British Columbia. He served for four years as business agent for the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 669), then was B.C.’s film commissioner from 1995 to 1999 before going to work at Vancouver Film Studios (VFS), owned by the McLean Group, which created the 35-acre studio from several 1950s-era warehouses it owned near the corner of Grandview Highway and Boundary Road. In those early years, the company had four employees
Manufacturing Business Prosperity With substantial markets now in every region of the world, B.C.’s Manufacturing and Exporting companies have become truly international in their scope as well as their vision. At MNP, we recognize that the manufacturing & exporting industry is dynamic and continually evolving to meet new operational, trade and regulatory changes. You face numerous business challenges every day. Success in this sector depends on how well you manage the myriad of issues that can arise. Filming of TV shows and movies is on the upswing in B.C., says Pete Mitchell, head of Vancouver Film Studios
Our expertise in this ever-changing industry can help you resolve these issues effectively and
and one purpose-built studio, gradually expanding to its current state of 12 purpose-built studios and more than 200 employees. In addition to renting out its studios to productions, VFS also has three subsidiary companies: Pacific Backlot Services, which rents production equipment; Signal Systems, largely an IT and radio communications company; and Blackcomb Aviation, a helicopter and charter company. Only 10% of Blackcomb Aviation’s revenue comes from the film and television industry; the rest derives from maintaining transmission lines, aerial searches for minerals, tourism flights, charter rentals and heli-skiing. “Pete has provided strong business leadership for the motion picture industry for over two decades,” said Peter Leitch, who, as president of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios, competes with Mitchell but also, as chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC (MPPIA), works with him to aid the industry. “He has been passionate about minimizing the environmental footprint of the industry and been a thought leader as an executive board member of the MPPIA.” VFS has just launched a fourth division, Gun Lake Pictures, which will develop and produce original screenplays. “The McLean family doesn’t stand still,” said Mitchell.
enhance the profitability of your business. We deliver personalized services in international and cross-border consulting and tax compliance to support exporters conducting business internationally. From ongoing assurance over accounting and internal controls and assistance during debt or equity financing, to performance improvement and supply chain management to consulting services and international taxation, MNP has the industry experience and knowledge to help your business prosper.
Ron Miller, CPA, CA, CBV, CPA (WA) Regional Managing Partner 604.637.1524 ron.miller@mnp.ca Mackenzie Kyle Regional Managing Partner, Advisory Services 604.637.1596 mackenzie.kyle@mnp.ca
BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES 9
B.C. reaps benefits of free trade with South Korea B.C. companies such as Arc’teryx are already doing business in the far eastern country BY NELSON BENNETT | NBENNETT@BIV.COM Greenlight Innovation CEO Ross Bailey: “We do 10 projects a year there and it’s well into the millions” | DOMINIC SCHAEFER
B.C.
manufacturers who have been ignoring South Korea to focus on China, India and
Japan may want to take a second look at the Land of the Morning Calm. South Korea may have a fraction of China’s population (50 million, compared with China’s 1.4 billion), but it has a large, wealthy middle class, an appetite for high-quality Canadian goods and an approach to business that is more western in style than that of China or Japan, according to one B.C. company already doing business there.
10 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES
BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES 11
KOREA Imports from
$7.4 billion Exports to
$3.4 billion Imbalance
$3.9 billion SOURCE: INDUSTRY CANADA, 2013 STATISTICS
This Arc’teryx store in Bukhansan National Park is one of 14 in South Korea
South Korea is also now the only Asian country with a free trade agreement with Canada. The Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, signed March 11, puts Canada on a more even footing with the U.S. and Australia, both of which already have Korean free trade agreements in place. “There is no province that will benefit more from this agreement than British Columbia,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said during a visit to Vancouver in March. According to Industry Canada, Canada had a $4 billion trade deficit with Korea in 2013. The Harper government says the new agreement will increase Canadian exports to Korea 32% – an increase worth $1.7 billion. The agreement will remove tariffs in both countries, which will make it easier for B.C. manufacturers to do business there, especially those that may have competitors in South Korea. “Because Korea is sandwiched between two larger economies, they do tend to get overlooked,” said Marcus EwertJohns, B.C. vice-president for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), who spent three years with the Canadian embassy in Seoul. “Korea’s a great market because it’s at that maturity point where Canadians can do business and it’s not as wild as China. It’s not as unpredictable as China. It’s a safe economy [with] a large, wealthy middle class.” The bulk of Canadian exports to Korea are resources, such as metallurgical coal, lumber and minerals. But the CME sees a growing opportunity in Korea for Canadian
Korea’s a great market because it’s at that maturity point where Canadians can do business and it’s not as wild as China
[] MARCUS EWERT-JOHNS B.C. VICE-PRESIDENT, CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS
12 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES
manufactured goods and food products, as well. Arc’teryx and Greenlight Innovation are two B.C. manufacturers already exporting products to Korea. Both expect the new free trade agreement to improve business. Greenlight Innovation makes testing equipment for hydrogen fuel cells. Korea’s two biggest auto makers, Hyundai and Kia Motors Corp., both make hydrogen fuel cell cars, and Seoul has been pushing clean energy, including residential hydrogen energy systems, so the demand for Greenlight’s technology is strong there. “Since 2008, it’s probably been our largest single geographic market,” said Greenlight CEO Ross Bailey. “We do 10 projects a year there and it’s well into the millions that we’re doing there.” The removal of tariffs will help Canadian companies that are directly competing with Korean companies or with Australian or U.S. competitors. “We don’t have a lot of Korean competitors, but there are some, so it will help level that playing field,” Bailey said. Arc’teryx CEO Vincent Wauters also expects the free trade agreement to make it easier to do business in Korea. Arc’teryx already has 14 branded stores in South Korea and plans to open four more. Arc’teryx makes high-end outdoor clothing, packs and climbing gear. Some of the company’s jackets sell for as much as $1,000. Having duties removed could lower some of those prices for Korean buyers. “Everything we produce here in Canada will have less duty on it,” Wauters said. “So it will give us better competitiveness. We may have a chance to adjust some of the pricing and increase volume.” Korea is similar to Japan in that both countries have a wealthy, fashion-conscious middle class that likes to participate in outdoor sports. But even though Japan has more than twice Korea’s population, Korea is Arc’teryx’s fifth-largest export market, while Japan is the seventh. “Korea is actually a very important outdoor market,” Wauters said. “It’s actually considered as being the secondbiggest outdoor market in the world.” In January, Straitline Components, a Vancouver Island company that makes mountain bike components, got an order from a Korean distributor, and it has since filled two orders. “It hasn’t been a huge market just yet,” said Straitline brand manager Melissa Camelon. “We’re hoping that it’ll increase.” Bailey said it can be easier to do business in Korea than it is in Japan, especially for technology companies like his. “Japan is very insular,” he said. “It’s a difficult market to break into. [Koreans] have adopted a mindset where they will import technology, where Japan doesn’t have that mindset. I think Japan thinks they’re a leader, [so] they don’t need to go outside for western technologies.” And China can be unpredictable, he added. “Trust is a harder issue to get there. You’re never really sure that things are going to get done there. It’s more of an uncertain business environment.” B.C. businesses that want to do business in Korea will want to have boots on the ground, Wauters and Bailey said. Arc’teryx and Greenlight both have local distributors in Korea who have a deep understanding of the local business environment. “Having a local partner would help to understand the local needs,” Wauters said. “But otherwise it’s a very well-organized country. The communication, the logistics, the overall organization of the country is super, super advanced.”
B.C. EXPORTS 2004 0.5% 2.3% 1.7%
2013
0.2% 5.0%
0.4% 3.1%
0.3% 4.5%
15.2%
1.4%
9.6%
32.4% 14.2% 7.9%
3.4% 14.7%
14.9%
2.8%
30.9% 6.7%
16.2% 3.1%
3.8%
4.7%
Wood products
Machinery and equipment
Pulp and paper products
Machinery and equipment
Pulp and paper products
Plastics and articles of plastic
Agriculture and food other than fish
Plastics and articles of plastic
Agriculture and food other than fish
Chemicals and chemical products
Fish products
Chemicals and chemical products
Fish products
Apparel and accessories
Metallic mineral products
Apparel and accessories
Metallic mineral products
Textiles
Fabricated metal products
Textiles
Fabricated metal products
All other commodities
Energy products
All other commodities
Energy products
Exports to United States by commodity
Exports to Asia $7,000
$8,000 7,000
6,000
5,000
5,000 Millions of dollars
Millions of dollars
6,000
4,000 3,000 2,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
2011
2012
2013
Wood products
Fabricated metal products
Pulp and paper products
Machinery and equipment
Agriculture and food other than fish
Natural gas
Fish products
Coal
Metallic mineral products
Electricity
1,000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Mainland China
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Japan
South Korea
2012
2013
India
BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES 13
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES SPEAKERS BRUCE MARSH leads M N P’s Va ncouver-based performa nce i mprovement con s u lt i n g te a m a nd br i n g s to h i s cl ients over 25 ye a rs of bu si ness improvement experience gained through numerous consulting, project management and industry roles. T h roughout h is consu lti ng a nd i ndustry career, Bruce has stayed close to his manufacturing roots and has worked with manufacturers in Canada, the U.S. and Europe on a variety of projects. His clients and employers have ranged from small, single-site, family-owned operations to large, complex, multinational, multi-site organizations. H i s pro duct ex p er ience i s equ a l ly va r ied , w it h supply chains that have stretched to all corners of the globe. Given the cha nce, Br uce w i l l tel l you about one of h is favou rite manufacturing engagements – working in a chocolate factory! B r u c e h a s ser ve d on t he Va nc ouver b oa rd of t he S upply Cha i n & L og ist ics A ssociat ion of Ca nad a a nd A PICS, and is currently a part-time instrucutor with Royal Roads University. Bruce is a frequent speaker at APICS and PMAC conferences and authored a series of articles for Business in Vancouver on a variety of business topics.
LYNDON CORMACK is co-founder of the Herschel Supply Co. and currently serves as its managing director of sales, marketing and operations. T he compa ny was fou nded i n 2009 and shipped its first bags to customers in 2010. Sales have grown 17,000% in four years, and Herschel Supply’s products are available at retailers throughout the world. T he bra nd h a s t he attent ion of t he world’s ta stem a kers. Its pro ducts h ave b een fe at u red i n magazines such as GQ, Vogue and Monocle, and the bags have been sported by celebrities like Seth Rogen and Suri Cruise. Collaborations with key partners such as Stussy, New Balance and Barneys have been released, and work with others is in development. In a short a mou nt of ti me, th is Va ncouver compa ny has become a dom i n a nt bra nd of bags a nd accessor ies i n t he global market.
PETE MITCHELL was appoi nted president a nd ch ief operati ng officer of Va nc o uver F i l m S t u d io s ( V FS) i n 2010, following appointments as execut ive v ice-president, ch ief op erat i n g of f icer, v ice-president a nd as sen ior vice-president of marketing. Widely recognized for his leadership in transforming VFS into one of the most successful production facilities in Canada, and the first of its kind to acquire carbon-neutral status, Pete is one of the senior officers of the McLean Group and has responsibility for the continued growth and financial management of VFS production facilities. Pete is past chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia and is currently co-chair of its environmental committee. Prior to joining the McLean Group in 1999, Pete was director of the BC Film Commission. He has also been a partner in Compass Research and a business agent for the International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE. Pete has a master of business administration from the University of B.C. and a bachelor of arts in communication studies from Concordia University. He received his diplôme d’études collégiales from John Abbott College in 1982. Pete is an avid sailor and can occasionally be spotted on local waters in his sailboat, Secret Passage.
M A R C U S E W E R T-J O H N S i s t h e divisional vice-president for Canadian M a nu fa c t u rers & E x p or ters B r it i s h Columbia. He is responsible for leading the team to improve the competitiveness of manufacturers and exporters in the province through advocacy, training and business development. Marcus joined Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters in 2013. From 2007 to 2 013, h e w a s e x e c u t ive d i re c to r, international relations and business development, for British Columbia’s provincial economic development and trade ministry. In this role he established and led the province’s international investment, marketing and export development programs, including the opening of a dozen B.C. trade and investment offices in key markets in Asia, Europe and the United States. He led a number of trade missions to Asia, bringing in more than $6 billion in foreign investment. In the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Marcus also served as the acting assistant deputy minister for the International Trade and Investment Attraction Division. Earlier, Marcus spent a decade as a Trade Commissioner with Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. Before entering public service, Marcus worked in the private sector with Procter & Gamble and at AT&T Solutions.
14 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER BUSINESS EXCELLENCE SERIES
Business Excellence Series
2014
An opportunity for you to excel Business in Vancouver’s Business Excellence Series includes a quarterly magazine followed by a breakfast event featuring an interactive panel discussion of the selected business theme. Business Excellence Series e-magazines can be found online at biv.com/publications. Scroll down for Business Excellence Series in the directory. During 2013 we covered the themes of digital strategies, leadership, business growth and recruitment & retention. Topics for 2014 will be:
BES1 | MARKETING TO INCREASE SALES
BES3 |
» Magazine: March 18, Event: March 25
Startup funding, incubators, financial institutions, angel investors and family members’ pockets – these are just a few areas where businesses source cash. Each phase of a company’s growth require a different strategy. In BES Money/Finance, we explore new and traditional resources to get the cash flowing again.
You work hard getting the right message in your website and social media realm, what message do you need when trying to close a deal? BES Marketing to Increase Sales will tackle the strategies and processes that get you in front of the right clients at a point when their ready to buy.
MONEY / FINANCE
» Magazine: September 16, Event: TBD
BUSINESS GROWTH
BES2 |
MANUFACTURING AND EXPORTING
BES4 |
» Magazine: June 3, Event: June 10
In the business world, growing companies are often envied. Growth can be a concern if your supplies or service can’t keep up with market demand, if you don’t have strategies to deal with growth or if you have not planned your succession or exit strategies. In BES Business Growth, we examine what it takes to build a company and grow it successfully and how to avoid the pitfalls that come with expansion.
From the solo entrepreneur to the largest corporation, innovation drives manufacturing and manufacturing drives growth. In BES Manufacturing and exporting, we look at how to set up manufacturing and steps to take when you’re ready to make that beyond-border leap.
» Magazine: December 2, Event: TBD
www.biv.com/events/biv
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