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Contents

Volume 24 • Number 7

PUBLISHERS

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

EDITOR

John Hardy

COPY EDITORS

Lisa Johnston & Nikki Mullett

On our cover…

ART DIRECTOR

The 2014 Leaders of Tomorrow award winners

Cher Compton cher@businessincalgary.com

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

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Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessincalgary.com Kim Hogan kim@businessincalgary.com Melissa Arthur info@businessincalgary.com

www.businessincalgary.com

Jessi Evetts

ADMINISTRATION

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Richard Bronstein Frank Atkins David Parker Lonnie Tate

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Heather Ramsay Stewart McDonough Andrea Mendizabal Parker Grant Stephen King Bruce Graham Dan Cooper

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cover photos courtesy of Ewan Nicholson Photography Inc.

ADVERTISING SALES

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Contents

29

Volume 24 • Number 7

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 29 • Marketing the Brand Heritage versus mega-hype

By Parker Grant

36 • A Tale of Two Traditions Cowboy hats and pointy boots

By John Hardy

83 • Retail’s New Normal The highest retail sales growth in Canada

By Dan Cooper

83

86 • Downtown Real Estate Looking for uptown and excitement? Come see what downtown has in store!

By Heather Ramsay

103 • ByTake it or Leave it Rules and Etiquette John Hardy COMPANY PROFILES 89 • Borger Group of Companies 95 Anniversary th

97 • Advanced Measurements Celebrates 25 Years of Uptime

REGULAR COLUMNS

18 • On Filth

19 • The Saddledome, Again

20 • My Fuzzy Thinking Award

By Richard Bronstein

By Frank Atkins

By Lonnie Tate

109 • Leading Business 113 • The Calgary Report Current developments for Calgary Telus Convention Centre,

Tourism Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, and Innovate Calgary

118

• Marketing Matters

By David Parker

16 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

36

On Filth • Richard Bronstein

BY RICHARD BRONSTEIN

E

nvironmentalists are the master illusionists of our time.

Pulling a rabbit out of a hat is nothing to them. Sawing a woman in half is child’s play. Making a tiger disappear from a cage is easy peasy.

Our environmentalists are much more talented than that.

How is this for a masterful trick?

You shut down oil production in Canada (slightly less than four million barrels a day) and the planet will be saved from the disaster of climate change.

There are some in the audience who may wish to point out that the rest of the world produces 85 million barrels of oil per day. But that would ruin the illusion so they create a distraction.

Hey, let’s bring in Reverend Desmond Tutu to visit the Canadian oilsands. And it works. Tutu declares the oilsands “filth,” and everybody gets excited.

Oh my, I haven’t heard that word used so forcefully since that time long ago when some people in my town wanted to ban the book “Peyton Place” from the public library. Because it was “filth, filth, filth.”

That’s how illusionists work; they create distractions.

Remember Neil Young’s visit to the oilsands? You thought that he was just a rock star. Not to environmentalists apparently. They want you to think his voice matters. So I guess in the future we can expect Neil Young to start making policy speeches to the Canadian Neurological Society or a paper on cosmology to the Royal

On Filth Astronomical Society of Canada. Why not? If snarly old Neil is smart enough to talk about world energy production, he must also be smart enough to talk about brain surgery.

And what is retired Anglican Bishop Tutu’s expertise?

Well, I can reveal that the recent visitor to the oilsands was not Desmond Tutu. It was really Stephen Colbert, the American television personality, who is one of the great satirists of our time.

The real Desmond Tutu, winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, would have something more intelligent than “filth!”

This is how we make energy policy? To hire a preacher to proclaim it’s all “filth.”

It seems that for some environmentalists, it’s only about putting on a show.

They don’t have to solve the problem.

All they want is bragging rights. You say pollution; I say filth, so I am a better environmentalist than you.

In the meantime, serious things are happening on the planet but few people want to pay attention because the dialogue consists mainly of screaming and finger pointing. Few people in positions of leadership are doing any heavy lifting.

Maybe President Obama started something positive by issuing executive orders to the Environmental Protection Agency to cut down on coal-fired electricity generation. If this measure succeeds, it would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced in the United States.

It’s interesting also that the main selling point of this initiative is not climate change but the health of Americans.

18 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

But it’s a big “if”, that this measure will quickly spring to life. Various states, unions and coal producers could tie this up in the courts for years.

In the meantime, the reality show called life on earth keeps sending out disturbing messages. Soon we will be eight-and-a-half billion people who all want a better lifestyle. A key component of quality of life is energy use.

OPEC predicts that global energy demand will increase by 52 per cent by 2035. In 2010 the world produced 251.9 mboe/d (millions of barrels of oil equivalent per day) so that means the world could be using 381.7 mboe/d by the year 2035. That’s a huge increase in 20 years.

Not to dazzle you with too much raw data, but fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas) will continue to supply 80 per cent of that need. Other energy sources are listed as nuclear, hydro, biomass and other renewables. Renewables are expected to be the fastest growing energy sector in the coming years (oil will flatten out) but even by 2035 renewables will only supply 2.8 per cent of world energy needs from 1.8 per cent now.

It seems to me we need to invest in big-time solutions and be smart enough to get it right.

Inviting another celebrity to visit Fort McMurray is just a cruel hoax when there is difficult work to get done. How does creating illusions build social consensus over the real task at hand?

So who is coming next – lovable little Dumbo the Elephant? BiC

The Saddledome, Again • Frank Atkins

BY FRANK ATKINS

The Saddledome, Again

I

am continually amazed by how some individuals think facilities. It was very curious that a cultural deficit would that an economy works. There exists a group of people include recreation facilities. It was even more curious that who think that it is not only correct, but absolutely some members of Transformation Calgary were associated essential, that governments at all levels spend money. with the Calgary Flames organization. Thankfully, that idea According to this doctrine, if this kind of “stimulus” were just faded away. to be removed, it is a certainty that a recession would soon However, as with all of these elaborate plans to spend follow. In Calgary, this appears to be the manner in which taxpayer money, this idea will likely return. I am hoping the mayor and some of council view how the local economy not, but I suspect the idea of some kind of municipal tax operates. may be floated, and this will somehow be tied to what This is why I am very concerned over a speech that was politicians like to call “our necessary infrastructure.” given in early June by Brian Burke, president of hockey operRemember that these politicians believe that if they do ations for the Calgary Flames. Mr. not keep spending money, the Burke stated that the Saddledome is economy may go into recession. embarrassing and he wants a new Perhaps we need a public debate Perhaps we need arena built. I find that this is both a concerning what exactly does curious and frightening statement. and does not constitute necessary a public debate It is curious because NHL hockey infrastructure. I cannot see how a is a moneymaking industry, much new Saddledome falls into the catconcerning what exactly the same as, say, a Mac’s conveegory of necessary infrastructure. nience store. Now, if Mac’s wanted Now, in anticipation of the angry, does and does not to renovate, or even build a new ill-informed emails that I anticipate store, I assume that they would just getting, let me state the following. constitute necessary announce their intentions, rather The money that individuals in Calinfrastructure. than announcing that they need gary spend on Flames tickets and a new store and waiting for the concession at the game is recreation money to pour in from somewhere money. If the Flames were not here else. I have always wondered why, if an NHL team needs a this recreation money would not just dry up, it would still be new arena, they do not just go ahead and build it. here and probably be spent on some other form of recreation.

This brings us to the frightening part. It is very clear that Yes, if the Flames were not here, jobs would be lost. However, this is the reopening of a plea for taxpayer involvement in we have a looming labour shortage, so if these people who building a new arena. There have been off-and-on semilost their jobs could not find another one, I assert that they negotiations about this for several years. In 2011 there was are not trying very hard. Let me be very clear. I like having an elaborate plan to finance a new arena through a one the Flames here in Calgary, but not at the cost of taxpayer per cent municipal GST. You may recall that in 2011 the money being used to keep them here. Let them operate like Canada West Foundation and a group called Transformation other businesses and compete for entertainment dollars. BiC Calgary were claiming, without any shred of evidence, that FRANK ATKINS IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT Calgary has a cultural deficit. What is even more amazing THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, A SENIOR FELLOW AT THE FRONTIER is that these groups were claiming that they could elimiCENTRE FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY nate this cultural deficit if the City of Calgary could levy a BOARD OF THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTABILITY. one per cent GST in order to pay for recreation and cultural businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 19

My Fuzzy Thinking Award • Lonnie Tate

BY LONNIE TATE

My Fuzzy Thinking Award

C

algary city council has reached a milestone for fuzzy thinking. I think council deserves two Fuzzy Thinking Awards: one for the downtown bike path decision and one for the ongoing allocation of infrastructure costs to an arts and sculpture program. This column deals with the bicycle path decision.

The Calgary folks I know are unanimous in their condemnation of bicycle lanes in the downtown core. Probably half of them cycle; most work in the downtown core. But all think this decision is just plain stupid. Consider: It snows here nine months of the year. For at least half of the days in a year, streets are not fit for bicycle travel. So regardless of infrastructure, no one cycles.

Then there are narrow downtown streets. Traffic is congested without bicycle lanes. Putting in two-way cycling lanes adds to congestion by reducing car lanes and eliminating spaces to load and unload passengers and the stuff of commerce. Please don’t tell me that tens of thousands of those driving into the city centre will convert to cycling on the good days. They won’t.

I have read it would be nice if we had a bicycle system like Amsterdam. Wait a minute!

This is Calgary – home of western hospitality and the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. We have an identity that is recognized around the world that has been formed through countless hours of time and investment. And now some council members are swayed by the thought of Amsterdam.

They will have us turning in our boots for wooden clogs, and re-zoning a sizable area of the city for houses of ill repute. And we will have to arrange for the wide-spread use of drugs.

What we have now is a downtown core designed to deal with the elements. The +15 grid works incredibly well. Our network of rapid transit lines is great at moving people to the downtown core and more lines are planned. What we need is more of the same.

It is my view that city hall should be listening to those who frequent the downtown core. All those towers pay huge

20 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

property and business taxes. The city spends tons of money cajoling and encouraging a strong downtown core. Several decades of hard work promoting a central business community has resulted in a vibrant, exciting downtown. And then this happens … over $7,000,000 for temporary bicycle lanes. Our elected representatives have reached a new low in counter-productivity.

With our rapid growth, logic tells me that taxes will increase as the demand for infrastructure continues to grow.

I’m all right with that. A strong economy is good for all of us and comes at a cost that includes necessary infrastructure spending. But it also means that our elected city councillors need to carefully consider spending initiatives and spend our tax dollars on the important stuff.

I’m here to tell you that bicycle lanes in the downtown core are not important stuff! Rising local taxes and fees have the attention of everyone … well almost everyone. It seems some of our elected people have missed the message.

So who gets a coveted Fuzzy Thinking Award? The councillors who voted in favour are: Gian-Carlo Carra, Andre Chabot, Druh Farrell, Shane Keating, Brian Pincott, Richard Pootmans and Evan Woolley. If you count carefully, that is only seven. There were seven who voted against … it was a tie! And then enter Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Now I like the mayor and most things that he has done.

But I have an axe to grind on this one. This bicycle thing is (at best) a controversial program promoted by a few for the benefit of a few. It clearly does not have the support of a majority of taxpayers.

The mayor’s office should lead in matters such as this and they will tell you this is a bold stroke of leadership by Mr. Nenshi. Nonsense! A real leader would have let the matter die a natural death with a tie vote. Stepping in to spend a sack full of money at a time when taxes are skyrocketing because of necessary infrastructure requirements was a bad idea.

In recent history, other mayors have made unwise decisions and reversed themselves. Hmmmm! BiC

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Off the Top • News

Indspire Launches $20-Million Indigenous Education Campaign On May 27, 2014, Indspire announced the launch of its $20-million Building Brighter Futures Campaign in support of bursaries and scholarships for indigenous students across Canada. Through the campaign, donations to Indspire from corporate, provincial and private partners will be matched up to $10 million through a commitment from the Government of Canada’s economic action plan 2013.

The campaign was launched at the Iniikokaan Aboriginal Centre at Bow Valley College as the national charity celebrated reaching the halfway point of its fundraising goal.

The campaign is being supported by federal and provincial governments, as well as some of corporate Canada’s biggest players, including CIBC, Suncor, Shell Canada and HSBC Bank Canada, among others.

“This campaign, the first of its kind for Indspire, has the potential to create a deep and wide-ranging impact on the lives of indigenous students across the country,” says Roberta Jamieson, president and CEO of Indspire. “It is heartening to see the scale of commitment to indigenous education by our

Building Brighter Futures Campaign co-chairs (L to R: David Tuccaro, Steve Williams and Joe Dion with Minister Oberle)

partners in government, the corporate sector and individuals across Canada.”

Statistics Canada reports that only 10 per cent of indigenous students graduate from university, compared to 27 per cent of non-indigenous students. Research conducted by Indspire shows that lack of financial resources is the number one barrier for indigenous students in completing their postsecondary education.

“Our government firmly believes that Aboriginal students

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24 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Calgary

Region

Off the Top • News

Roberta Jamieson, Indspire president and CEO

deserve a quality education like every other Canadian, and we applaud this initiative from Indspire. Canada will continue to work with our partners to support First Nations and Inuit students so that they can reach their potential and become full participants in the Canadian economy, and we are proud to support Indspire’s campaign to deliver additional bursaries and scholarships to these students,” says Bernard Valcourt, minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

The campaign is being driven by a high-profile cabinet of Canada’s corporate leaders, led by co-chairs David Tuccaro, Indspire board chair and president and CEO of Tuccaro Inc.; Joseph Dion, Indspire board member and chairman and CEO of Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp.; and Steve Williams, president and CEO of Suncor Energy Inc., who agree: indigenous education not only empowers individuals, it has the potential to impact entire communities, as well as Canada’s economic well-being.

“Indigenous students want and deserve the same access to education as their non-indigenous peers, but they face barriers that are unique to First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth,” says Tuccaro.

“Supporting the education goals of the next generation is also a strategic investment in a workforce that will allow Canada to continue competing globally,” says Williams.

Dion adds: “The time to act is now, and today I am challenging my business colleagues and all Canadians to join me in supporting indigenous student success.”

Through bursaries and scholarships, Indspire disburses funds to indigenous youth across Canada to help them pursue post-secondary education. Indspire’s bursaries and scholarships provide financial support for a wide range of student needs, from textbooks and tuition to childcare and daily living expenses. BiC

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businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 25

Concord Pacific Unveils Calgary’s Most Luxurious and Flood-Mitigated Residential Development Ever Designed Canada’s largest urban community developer, Concord Pacific, recently unveiled The Concord, Calgary’s new luxurious multi-family development.

Located along the Bow River in Eau Claire, The Concord will be the best engineered flood and emergency prepared residential building ever designed in Canada.

“The Concord will be the first uncompromised answer to luxury single-family living in Calgary,” says Peter Webb, senior vice-president of development for Concord Pacific. “It’s everything we could imagine. A water feature in summer to a skating rink in winter, five-star amenities, Porsche kitchens designed by the world’s oldest kitchen brand, Poggenpohl, and oversized garages. The high level of detail that has gone into every area of this project is unparalleled to any development in Calgary’s history.”

26 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Construction will begin in 2015 on the West Tower consisting of 105 units, followed by another 95 units when the East Tower is completed. Move-in dates are expected to begin in 2017 and with a price tag starting between $1-2 million (with the top estate penthouse suite at close to $13 million) the development will appeal to young professionals and young retirees.

“The building will have a resort feel, but built to Calgary standards,” notes Webb. “Inspired by Canada’s most celebrated architect Arthur Erickson, The Concord was designed by Nick Milkovich, who worked with Erickson for over 40 years. We aren’t trying to place a Vancouver-looking building in Calgary – it was purposely designed for the area and specifically for all four seasons.”

Although the site was not affected by the 2013 flood, The Concord’s robust infra-

Off the Top • News

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taking way too long?

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The Concord, Calgary’s new luxurious multi-family development, located along the Bow River (top).

Inset: the private water garden (above) and indoor swiming pool (right).

structure designed by flood-mitigation experts, Associated Engineering, includes: • A building design engineered to withstand an episode twice as significant as the 2013 flood • A perimeter system which includes secant piles that surround the foundation and above-grade fortification walls with floodgates for pedestrian access • Waterproof foundation with self-sealing capabilities to prevent underground water seepage • Storm-water backup prevention management • Emergency backup power for building and suite systems designed to run indefinitely (far exceeding the city requirement for two-hour emergency backup power)

“The Concord’s location next the Bow River overlooking the Peace Bridge is one of the most beautiful in Calgary,” says Deputy Mayor Druh Farrell. “The Arthur Erickson-inspired design will add a global flavour to our downtown and help complete the Eau Claire community.”

To date, Concord Pacific Developments has built over 100 tower projects with dozens more in various stages of development across Canada and the U.K. The Concord will be the company’s first project in Alberta. BiC

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businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 27

Off the Top • News

Randy Mowat Named 2014 Marketer of the Year Prestigious honour awarded by INSIDE Public Accounting and the Association for Accounting Marketing Randy Mowat, senior vice president, marketing, MNP, has received the prestigious 2014 Marketer of the Year award.

INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) presented the award to recognize Mowat’s exemplary performance in the field of accounting marketing during a gala awards celebration at the Association for Accounting Marketing’s (AAM) 2014 Summit in Austin, Texas. A panel of judges, who are leaders in the profession, chose the Marketer of the Year after a rigorous selection process.

As a first-time sponsor of this award, IPA’s publisher Kelly Platt was enthusiastic about the outcome. “Competition was extremely tight, as we received a record number of nominations from real rock stars in the field,” says Platt. “We are thrilled to present Randy with the profession’s most coveted award. Randy is performance-oriented, entrepreneurial and

Randy Mowat, senior vice president, marketing, MNP, receives the prestigious 2014 Marketer of the Year award.

Welcome, David We are pleased to announce the appointment of David Collyer as Chair of the Board of Governors of Bow Valley College.

As we go about creating leaders in vital fields here at Bow Valley College, we are fortunate to have a leader of David’s calibre at the helm. He is the past President and Chair of Shell Canada, and the current president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). David is a graduate from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Mineral Engineering, and a Masters in Business Administration. He is an experienced strategic and operational leader in his field, and has served on numerous boards.

28 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

a visionary, and he helped take MNP to the next level.”

Kelly Bernakevitch, executive vice president, MNP LLP, nominated Mowat for Marketer of the Year. “Randy has pushed our brand and our firm to constantly evolve and adapt to changing technology and trends,” says Bernakevitch. “Marketing is the cornerstone of our business strategy and truly a major part of what has made our firm such a success story.”

This has been a year of achievements for both MNP and the marketing team.

In April 2014 MNP was recognized by the Bottom Line Magazine as the sixthlargest accounting and consulting firm in Canada and the fastest growing national firm in the country. Mowat is considered an integral contributor to the double-digit growth MNP has seen over the past decade, which in turn ultimately led to this recent surge within the national rankings. This latest achievement by Randy Mowat is the pinnacle that follows a long list of national and international award recognitions for the department. BiC

The 2013 TransAlta Grandstand Show

Marketing the Brand • Marketing

Marketing the

Brand Heritage versus mega-hype

BY PARKER GRANT | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CALGARY STAMPEDE

I

f there was an A-list of recognizable and valuable special event brands, the lineup would include the Super Bowl, the Oscars, the Daytona 500, the Grammys, the Stanley Cup and ... the Stampede.

Flashing the brand – on everything from clothing, gimmicky knick-knacks and mugs to local ads, souvenirs and chicken wing specials – is not only priceless promotion for the event but invariably translates into potent exposure and hefty revenues for the special event organization.

Like most other proudly Canadian branding and marketing, the approach and business strategy tends not to be in the same hard-sell and razzle-dazzle world as many American approaches.

Some Canadian marketing pros use words like “laid back, softer and dignified” while others patriotically and boldly

cite stark differences between Canadian and American consumers – consumers of products and hype.

The stories are legendary about brands like the Super Bowl and the Oscars doing constant surveillance and sending cease-and-desist infringement notices and warnings to car dealerships, knock-off T-shirt and cap pedlars, sports bars, travel agents, appliance stores and pizza joints.

With many of the mostly American A-list brands, it’s usually not so much about the loyal protection or integrity of the brand as much as policing and maximizing the ka-ching, ka-ching revenues the brand brings in. Even if it creates the craziness of local lose-lose situations, when local sports bars resort to avoiding infringement with cagey advertising like “Enjoy the Big Game with our amazing wing and nacho special!” or appliance stores enticing with “Watch the businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 29

Marketing the Brand • Marketing

“We encourage everybody to promote Stampede and the

Best Movie winner on your new giant screen TV.” Stampede experience.

So, whether marketing the Stampede It’s win-win and extremely brand is intentionally softer or dignified, or just more Canadian, or that the valuable exposure that brand is a genuinely iconic bit of Canadian heritage and a national treasure, we could never pay for. the Calgary Stampede has never, ever, sent out a cease-and-desist letter.

It all helps promote our Although the Calgary Stampede and the stylistic CS (with the livestock tremendous event.” branding iron font of the horseshoe Deanne Carson, the Stampede’s vice-president of and the horizontal ‘S’) is formally and ~ Deanne Carson marketing and external relations legally a registered trademark and there is carefully worded and defined policy for negotiating and securing brand and As well as the CBC, Grandstand Show and concert sponmarketing rights, “it’s just not the way sors, midway vendors, chuckwagon tarp (canvas) and other we do things” explains the personable and focused Deanne suppliers and event sponsors.

Carson, the Stampede’s vice-president of marketing and “The value-added details of the partnerships can get comexternal relations. plex and specific,” she says, clicking through terms and “Besides, the word ‘stampede’ is a verb and we can’t tradeconditions files in her database, “but the partnerships usumark a verb. Of course we could insist that THE Stampede ally include authorized use of official Stampede trademarks is our exclusive but that would be silly and pointless. The and branding.

Calgary Stampede and the white CS logo are registered “Our approach does not chase down people or businesses trademarks, we do have a branding and guidelines book and for using the words Calgary Stampede. In fact, most of the there are rules and terms and a sales rate card. That’s mostly time it’s a harmless but valuable bonus. for the rights to use the logo, usually for merchandising.”

“We encourage everybody to promote Stampede and the On very rare occasions, Stampede officials have investiStampede experience,” Carson points out with enthusiasm. gated infringement situations where unauthorized use of the “It’s win-win and extremely valuable exposure that we could official logo has appeared, usually on clothing and novelty never pay for. It all helps promote our tremendous event.” items sold by sidewalk vendors around town during StamThe brand that is the Stampede and particularly the pede week but no lawyers or registered letters were involved. unusual marketing opportunity of chuckwagon tarp (canAs Carson recalls, invariably the matter was resolved with vas) sponsorships have become big-budget marketing ROI one phone call from the Stampede office. for many Alberta-based companies.

But Stampede’s marketing and brand approach should not The total annual rights for corporate logos on the Stambe misunderstood. The brand is by no means a free-for-all pede’s 36 chuckwagon canvases is $3.5 million worth of or a cinchy pushover. marketing and branding.

On the contrary! Carson clarifies that the Stampede freUnlike mostly American, mega-hyped special event big quently licenses rights for usage of the logo and elaborates brands (like the Super Bowl, the Oscars, the NBA Finals and that intentional Stampede marketing and brand strategy the World Series) which are fiercely protected, marketed opts more for positive and negotiated partnerships, often and calculated to generate enormous revenues and profits, major sponsorship categories: Calgary’s pride and promotional joy is different. Drastically • Stampede Champion $375,000+ (including BMO, different.

Enmax, Agrium, GMC, Coca-Cola and others) The Calgary Stampede is a not-for-profit community • Stockmen’s Club up to $374,900 organization, governed by a volunteer board of 20 directors • Ranchman up to $149,999 elected by shareholders, seven appointees and an execu• Cattle Baron up to $59,999 tive management team with more than 1,200 year-round • Trail Boss up to $19,999 employees and more than 2,000 volunteers, all mandated • Wrangler up to $9,900 30 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

500 employees, 300 pieces of equipment and 40 facilities remediated in 10 days.

more than 450,000 kg of debris safely disposed.

W H E T H E R I T ’ S H E L L O R H I G H W AT E R , I T ’ S A m A z I n G W H A T y O u c A n R E d u c E W I T H A L I T T L E H E L p.

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E A R T H

W A T E R

W A S T E

R E S O U R C E S

Marketing the Brand • Marketing

Day to night at the Calgary Stampede – the Stampede opened its gates on time and welcomed 1.1 million guests over the 10 days following the flood in 2013.

by defined bylaws to “preserve and promote western hosStampede’s hectic and exceptional relationship with the pitality, integrity, pride of place and a commitment to the national TV network. community.”

“Much of the credit for our exposure to the rest of Canada Realistically, although Stampede is different, it must marand the world goes to our CBC partners. The schedule is ket and compete on the national and international circuit convoluted and complicated but, the CBC does 100 hours as a dynamic big business, a legitimately big-draw special of Stampede programming, a vast majority is live and some event and a world-renowned brand, not only in terms of of the coverage, like the parade and some weekend events, tourist draw and excitement but internationally recognized are on delay. and respected as an identity that distinguishes Calgary and “The CBC’s investment in things like staffing and proCanadians in general. duction is invaluable. But a key aspect of our broadcast The intricate job of managing the most marketing strategy is that we own the potent and highest profile marketing of licensing and all rights to the feed, so Stampede and quirkiest revenues from we can generate additional coverage the uniquely Calgary brand is Karen Conand exposure by providing highlight nellan’s 365-day-a-year responsibility. packages to other networks,” ConnelConnellan is the Stampede’s highlan explains. energy and marketing-savvy director “Just the partnership with the CBC of programming. Her multifaceted is priceless exposure for the Stampede. role includes negotiating the terms of Over the 10-day period, more than 3.6 Stampede broadcast rights with the million Canadians tune in to watch CBC, manoeuvring and creating the Stampede. More than a half-million scheduling of “live” and delayed segpeople watch the parade!” ments of CBC coverage and making Connellan and her programming sure Ron MacLean is properly briefed staff also calculate and ink the $15and plugged in about everything to $120-per-square-foot rent and Stampede. commission structure agreements for “We are negotiating the renewal of on-site vendors of Stampede delicacies the CBC agreement but they are such from the legendary Mini Donuts, Pulled Karen Connellan, The Calgary Stampede’s Director of Programming superb partners,” she says about the Pork Poutine and Bacon and Maple 32 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Marketing the Brand • Marketing

Anjulie donned the Hell or High Water t-shirt at the Coca Cola Stage. The Stampede announced the Hell or High Water t-shirt campaign following last year’s flood, several days prior to the 101st Stampede. All net proceeds from the t-shirt sales went to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood Funds.

Syrup Funnel Cakes to Deep Fried Donut Bacon Cheeseburgers, Bacon Wrapped Pork Belly and Chocolate Dipped Cookie Dough on-a-stick.

“Marketing the space gets tricky,” she admits, “because it all depends on size and, most importantly, location in the park.”

Stereotypes about marketing and branding have always included excitement, glamour, serendipity, crazy ideas, predictable unpredictability and always expecting the unexpected.

“Two days after last year’s flood, crews were working around the clock so we could open the 101st Stampede on time and various media reports and social media posts about the damage and devastation to Calgary used the phrase ‘Come Hell or High Water,’” Deanne Carson tells her remarkable story.

“One of our staff had a bright idea. Why don’t we make

up some Hell or High Water souvenir t-shirts and donate the money to flood victim relief? So we ordered 793 t-shirts.

Word of mouth and online, all 793 shirts sold in less than one day. So we ordered 160,000 more. It was wild and amazing,” she remembers.

“Online sales were wild. Local businesses jumped on board. WestJet put all their pilots and crews into the shirts.

Who could have dreamt that two weeks later, on closing day, with the unique power of our brand and state-of-theart marketing channels, Stampede had raised $2.4 million for the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood Fund, just from the sale of ‘Stampede 101 - Hell or High Water’ t-shirts?

“It was the accidental holy cow of all branding!” BiC

businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 33

The Greatest of Events

Dave and Ro

b Kelly.

With Kelly Brothers Productions, events become extraordinary

T

he Kelly name has long been synonymous with dynamism, personality, storytelling and garnering audience attention.

After mutually successful careers in television and production with Breakfast Television and Spruce Meadows respectively, Dave and Rob are charting new courses with Kelly Brothers Productions in Calgary.

For the past five years, this first-rate team has worked on numerous special events and productions locally and around the world, and they continue to push the envelope in all areas of their work. As people people and story people, Kelly Brothers has an inherent ability to weave a story into an event, integrate the overall experience and engage people in unexpected and intrinsically powerful ways.

“There isn’t room for a cookie-cutter approach in video production or events. Every client, every event, every project is unique and we get serious about getting to the heart of the story or theme and then making it buzz!” explains Rob Kelly. “Events are a ridiculously interesting challenge because they are live, dynamic and you get one chance to make an ultimate impression.”

A diverse combined background and humility are what gives Kelly Brothers a significant competitive edge. Their experience includes music, ethnomusicology, theatre, public speaking, media and anchoring, video direction and production, and beyond. Not only are the ‘brothers’ personable and forward thinking, they are also mavericks with a keen ability to leverage ideas into productions and programming with national and international event producers and managers. Their work is nothing short of extraordinary.

“Kelly Brothers is without question THE team for video production and event hosting. They are incredible listeners, highly intuitive and consistently deliver exceptional material and experiences.

The combination of their skills, personalities and professionalism is refreshing and makes them fun

to work with,” explains Joceyln Flanagan, CEO of e=mc2 Events.

When you ask them about their greatest success, Dave quickly jokes, “making sure my socks matched this morning and that I’m not wearing my breakfast.” Then Rob jests, “you really shouldn’t get dressed in the dark, man!”

Kidding aside, the passion, creativity and technical aptitude of Kelly Brothers Productions is what sets them apart and what their clients value in their work. “There is something very powerful about being able to bring other people’s ideas to life at an event. We have always aspired to work with leading talent from around the globe, and really want our work to be interesting, memorable and like nothing people have seen before,” says Dave Kelly. “We want people to say ‘now THAT was cool!’”

As hosts, writers, screen and video directors, Kelly Brothers Productions and their team continue to take projects of all sizes and scope, and turn them into first-rate experiences. Since their work on an internationally consolidated and broadcast event in China, Kelly Brothers are now ramping up for a major event closer to home. This July Kelly Brothers Productions will be writing the Grandstand Show at the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede.

“We are very pleased and flattered to be included in this year’s production. There is such rich history in the Stampede, agriculture and the people behind the rodeo and chuckwagon experience.

We are determined to make that even more compellingly human and push the limits of event and video production even further,” promises Dave Kelly.

While these brothers are familiar faces in Calgary’s business, media, theatre, event and video production scene, as well as the greater community, they say that collaborating with countless people is what keeps them grounded. “Hard work is what gets things done. The harder part is trusting in ourselves, and knowing that what we create is interesting enough to continue to build our business,” explains Rob. Clearly Kelly Brothers knows what they are doing.

If you want your next event to go from good to great, the catalyst is right here in Calgary. They may sass you a bit and banter amongst themselves on occasion, but you can bet that your event will be nothing less than remarkable!

Above two photos: Kelly Brothers Productions screen designs for an international co-production with Insect 8 Productions, currently touring China.

Dave Kelly talking with Astronaut Chris Hatfield at the Calgary Stampede

Top 10 ‘Kelly’ Ways to Make an Event

Memorable

1. No one complains about an event being too short. Everyone will complain if it’s even 15 minutes too long. Keep it short.

2. Get a great emcee. The funny guy who works in HR is not that guy. You’ll realize this after he spends 15 minutes begging the audience to shut up.

3. The Keynote Speaker gets to talk for more than 90 seconds.

That’s why they’re the keynote speaker. Everyone else gets 90 seconds. Even the CEO. (see #1)

Dave hosting a fundraiser for e=mc2 Events.

4. Audio is king. An audience will forgive almost any video, stage, or decor problem, but if they can’t hear, you will lose them. Get a decent sound system. Then test it. Test it again.

5. If you need video for the event, hire pros. Not the funny guy from HR. He’s a nice guy. And he’s funny. But you wouldn’t ask his band to be the entertainment.

6. Give people time to talk at their tables. Don’t hope they will sit quietly for an hour of speeches during the meal. (Hint: they won’t.)

7. Every sponsor and executive might think they deserve a moment at the podium. They don’t. They deserve a well written, thoughtful thank you from the podium. (see #1)

Interview with Former Ambassador to Israel in Amman, Jordan

8. If you have a live auction - please God - hire a real auctioneer.

The funny guy in HR is the WORST POSSIBLE IDEA. A pro auctioneer will make you their fee back and then some.

9. Never trust a guy that says, “I don’t need a script. I’m better when I wing it.” Unless that guy is Robin Williams.

10. People like to know when things are ending. The silent auction.

The meal. The bar service. The world. Make it clear.

403.261.3808 info@kellybrothers.ca kellybrothers.ca

A Tale of Two Traditions • Calgary Stampede

Will and Kate, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, officially opened the Calgary Stampede in 2011. Photo

by Chris Bolin, The Calgary Stampede.

A Tale of Two Traditions Cowboy hats and pointy boots

BY JOHN HARDY

T

he month of July is prime time and peak season – for not only Calgarians and Albertans but Canadians from Corner Brook to Kelowna and faraway visitors from Texas to Tokyo – to enjoy genuine, obscure or madeup examples and moments of western fun and hospitality.

It’s a terrific excuse for horses clopping through downtown streets, giant rental tents housing herds of people in parks and parking lots, letting one’s hair down, mingling, sipping, munching and finding cowboyish excuses to yahoo and party. In-person or on TV, it’s an annual opportunity to cheer and applaud rough, tough and real rodeo and chuckwagon cowboys.

It’s also a good time for locals and Calgary visitors to be adventurous, and maybe even get hooked about two fabulous samplers of Calgary’s western spirit.

Nevermind the knock-offs! The pointy or rounded toe, stitched or plain, completely handmade and 100 per cent genuine leather boots from Alberta Boot or the White Hat, the Cattleman, the Jake, the Gus, the Bull Rider or the six other models of authentic western Smithbilt hats, both made right here in Calgary and celebrating the legacy of two local family businesses and two indelibly Calgary traditions.

36 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Many loyal or wannabe Stampede partiers and pancake breakfast or big barbecue shmoozers probably don’t know that, for 36 years, Ben Gerwing’s family has managed to transform Alberta Boot cobblers-making-boots into a cultural art form.

The remarkable tradition and the meticulous high standards of boot-artistry involved in each of the 200 stages of handcrafting every boot in the popular and busy southwest Calgary boot factory has become one of the unofficial symbols of Stampede and the infectious western hospitality that is showcased during Stampede time.

Aside from the importance of genuine leather, Gerwing explains that proper fit is essential for the enjoyment of wearing an authentic western boot. “Contrary to city slicker stereotypes, new western boots should feel comfortably snug. The ball of the foot should be right in the widest part of the boot, indicating proper arch length and adequate toe room and the toes should sit flat and free. The boot should be snug over the instep (boot jargon for the top of the foot) since there are no laces or buckles.

“There should be about a half-inch lift in the heel when walking but don’t worry,” Gerwing smiles, “the ‘lift’ will

A Tale of Two Traditions • Calgary Stampede

Some of the many options availalble at Alberta Boot Co. Photo by Bookstrucker Photography.

One of the most popular boots sold at Alberta Boot Co. - the dark brown Crazy Horse which is an oil-tanned cowhide. Photo courtesy of Alberta Boot Co.

Many probably don’t know that, for 36 years, Ben Gerwing’s family has managed to transform Alberta Boot cobblers-making-boots into a cultural art form. subside as the sole starts to flex. If a boot is too tight it’s The (pointy western) walking heel is a favourite but so is not good and there will be hardly any lift. If the boot is too the (rounded) lower roper heel. They both make for combig it’s also not good because the heel will annoyingly slip.” fortable walking. And almost every boot has some sort of He points out that, especially due to American music stitch pattern.” celebrities like Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum, western culture is going more and more BUSINESS JET FOR SALE mainstream and all types of people are CITATION ULTRA getting into wearing western boots.

Gerwing calculates that 130,000 pairs of western boots have been Cessna’s ideal combination handmade and sold by Alberta Boot of Speed, Range, Load & since his grandfather, Clem, started the Short-Field capabilities. company. Today, it’s more like 4,000 Partnership opportunities pair a year. also available.

“The boots that we have sold the most are still the most popular,” he explains. “The dark brown Crazy Contact: John Hopkinson | e: john@hopkinsonassociates.com | p: 403.637.2250 Horse which is an oil-tanned cowhide. businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 37

A Tale of Two Traditions • Calgary Stampede

The iconic Smithbilt hats have been donned by countless celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey during her sold out event at the Scotiabank Saddledome last year.

There’s probably no western symbol more recognizable tured prominently in western movies like Unforgiven with than “the hat.” The cowboy hat. The black cowboy hat. The Clint Eastwood, Brokeback Mountain with Jake Gyllenhaal brown or tan cowboy hat. And for Calgary and universally, and Heath Ledger, The Assassination of Jesse James with the white cowboy hat.

Brad Pitt and several American western TV series like HeartLikely nobody in the world knows that better or has more land, Lonesome Dove and others. expertise about cowboy hats than Brian Hanson, the vice presiHanson traces Calgary’s iconic white hat tradition back dent of the Calgary-based Smithbilt Hats. to 1948, when the mayor represented Although quality hats, fedoras, clasCalgary at the Grey Cup and started a trasic top hats and authentic and traditional dition of giving away white cowboy hats cowboys hats are a shrinking indusas symbols of the Stampeders as well as There’s probably try because, as Hanson candidly admits, Calgary’s western spirit and hospitality. established manufacturers of quality hats The cowboy hat tradition, and the Calno western symbol can’t compete with offshore and other gary connection, is not only potent but knock-offs. more recognizable indelible. It is also the key to the success Cowboy hat aficionados are often surstory that is Calgary’s Smithbilt hats. prised to know that Smithbilt hats are “It’s great to be a part of a heritage than “the hat.” made from either wool or fur felt. brand and to be an official symbol of “We also make ‘straw’ cowboy hats but Calgary,” he admits. “But the Calgary felt is the most popular and affordable,” Stampede connection is also extremely he explains. “The felt is placed over vintage wooden hat good for business. We do well over $1 million in sales and blocks that form the size and crown shape of the finished more than 60 per cent happens in May, June and July, leadhat and then we steam and press it in a blocking machine.” ing up to and during Stampede.”

Cowboy hats made from a rabbit/beaver blend or a pure Whether it’s the handmade and stitched genuine leather beaver fur felt are also in-demand western clothing people western boots from the cobblers in the back room of Alberta but fur felt tends to be on the more fragile and pricey side Boot or the sea of white and black cowboy hats in the Stamof western gear. pede grandstand or flipping pancakes at the big corporate Calgary’s Smithbilt (black, brown or white) hats have been breakfast party in the parking lot, it is a tradition from Calgary the cowboy hats of choice for countless celebrities and fea– with western love! BiC 38 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Honouring Calgary’s

Visionary Business Leaders

businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 39

|

|

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leaders of Tomorrow They shape how business is done in and from Calgary

BY JOHN HARDY

W

“There’s a definite emphasis about ‘can this ith business smarts, innovative vision, business be around in five to 10 years?’ The a passion for Calgary and a whole lot The Judges Leaders of Tomorrow are forward-thinking of guts, drive and determination, they entrepreneurs who are building something that make success seem easy. will sustain for years.”

They are Calgary’s Leaders of Tomorrow LOT judge Ed Straw is vice president of stra(LOT), although they are solid and already tegic business solutions at ATB. He echoes the doing very nicely, today! reaction that the judges were impressed when There are countless clichés about business they reviewed the calibre and diversity of the success – from being one per cent luck and 2014 LOT nominees.

99 per cent hard work, to a blend of inspira“We noticed a common thread of entrepretion and perspiration – and they all fit the 20 neurial guts and risk taking. In many ways,” focused and dynamic Calgary businesses that Dave Zimmel he says, “it validates my solid belief that the were nominated and judged as the 2014 LeadCalgary business community is blessed with ers of Tomorrow. visionary leaders who aren’t reluctant to take What they do is an interesting kaleidoscope calculated risks. of a story. From environmentally friendly ways “Many had to deal with adversity right out to incinerate waste gases; providing the latest of the gate and some left a stream just so they in caskets and cremation urns; a superb and could do it their way and follow a dream.” uniquely Calgary dining experience; selling After careful review and discussion while $700,000 heavy-duty trucks; to innovatively judging the LOT nominations, Straw also sensed managing a network of golf courses; ingenious “something special about the way the LOT nomihuman voice messaging technology; producDavid Allwright nees personally and professionally approach ing all-natural soaps; finding choice real achievement. It’s not only success and how big, estate for stores and restaurants; and the other but how they can make a difference.”

Calgary-based LOT business success stories.

According to Dave Zimmel, fourth-year LOT How they do it is individual, but it’s inevitajudge, partner and vice president of private bly focused and driven. enterprise for MNP, “The LOT finalists are a Their peers, their customers and often their good reflection of Calgary as an exceptional competitors agree with the LOT judges: the and unique business marketplace. Perhaps the Leaders of Tomorrow impact and shape how most unique in Canada. business is done in and from Calgary.

“Maybe it’s the resilient energy sector that is “Calgary is a large and diverse community still at the business core of Calgary or the feisty, with qualitative lifestyle needs and services,” Ed Straw western business spirit, but business people says David Allwright, LOT judge and dean of look at risk differently. Calgary’s business comthe Chiu School of Business. “Calgary’s econmunity not only encourages innovation but it’s omy has also become very diverse, with so more entrepreneurial in approach and attitude.” much more opportunity than just the oil-gas sector. And Zimmel points out that reading through the LOT nominathere is noticeably a new business trend toward social entretions emphasized “a group of business professionals who have preneurship, not only chasing quick millions.” a dream, who are not afraid of failing and, most importantly, Allwright openly admits that he was pleasantly surprised who are determined and stretching to build on their bright idea. with not only the volume of qualified LOT nominees but “They are a lot more realistic about what they can and also their strong commitment to sustainability and longcan’t do. They are all doers!” BiC term success.

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Trevor Haynes Company: Black Diamond Group Limited

B

lack Diamond Group Limited has not only built a remarkable reputation for innovative and brilliant industry ideas but it continues to earn a solid track record for delivering valuable logistics and solutions.

Black Diamond makes facilities happen! Modular, mobile facilities to make the workplace more efficient and comfortable for Black Diamond’s oilfield and other clients.

One of the competitive edge differences that sets Black Diamond apart is the extensive professional experience and expertise in the modular building industry which continues to enable strong and reliable relationships with clients and suppliers in all four company divisions: Black Diamond Camps, Black Diamond Logistics, Black Diamond Energy Services and BOXX Modular.

“A number of us on the management team came out of the industry and we realized we could put together a platform to address the industry’s needs and problems,” recalls Trevor Haynes, president and CEO of Black Diamond.

“We were able to engage a couple of larger clients and started to build our credibility.

There is a lot of specialized expertise required in this business, like understanding building codes, regulations and the unique obstacles and challenges of remote locations.”

Today, 11 years after the company’s launch, Black Diamond is a dividend-paying corporation with over two million square feet of net leasable modular space, as well as a fleet of high-quality and well-maintained rental equipment.

The company has also earned a reputation for delivering full-service solutions for the development of large modular construction camps and modular offices, as well as managing a range of client facilities, operating 5,000 rooms and serving 15,000 meals.

Haynes says there is no secret for the Black Diamond success. “We have grown organically, purchasing new and existing equipment and structures to meet the client needs and we hire skilled and experienced professionals to manage our assets and relationships.”

Haynes is openly proud of the Black Diamond innovation and staff, and the company’s reputation and performance. “We operate throughout the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, Eastern Canada, in Texas, just outside Denver and throughout Australia.”

“Our annual cash flow is $150 million and revenue is over $400 million,” he says with a proud sense of achievement. “Most of all, there’s good energy internally and lots of excitement in our company about what’s coming up.”

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LEADERSHIP MEANS

MAKING OUR OWN TRACKS

Leading the industry in innovation, we are breaking new ground in everything we do. We are quick, flexible and creative in how we conduct our business.

blackdiamondgroup.com

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Michael Kehoe Company: Fairfield Commercial Real Estate Inc.

F

or all of his 35 years in Calgary commercial real estate, Michael Kehoe has always specialized.

After decades of hard work and literally thousands of property searches and lease negotiations, Kehoe has earned a widely-respected reputation for expertise and excellence in retail real estate and is considered one of Canada’s leading authorities in the commercial real estate specialty of shopping centres, retail stores and restaurants.

“Knowledge of the market and local expertise is essential,” Kehoe admits, “but finding and leasing the most suitable real estate for retail stores and restaurants is a long-term relationship business. The entrepreneur — whether it’s a store or a restaurant — needs a space. We search to find the best location for their needs and secure it with the landlord.”

“Ultimately, we earn our reputation with the relationships we build with our clients. Some have been with us for more than 25 years.”

Fairfield Commercial Real Estate Inc. represents all types of retail real estate projects — from new developments to retail remerchandising assignments, power centres, category dominant box-style retail formats, resort markets and main street/urban business districts.

He admits that the sometimes roller-coaster nature of the commercial retail real estate business can be unpredictable and relies heavily on the mood and other circumstances with both the retailer and the consumer.

“When it comes to real estate for restaurants and stores, there are so many moving parts. That’s what makes it interesting and exciting,” he says.

Kehoe is positive and knowledgeably upbeat that the retail real estate market in Calgary is a sustainable niche. “It’s booming. In general, whether it’s the economy or the mood of the community, Calgary is on an extended wave of prosperity and optimism. The city continues to enjoy strong inter-provincial migration, there are high levels of disposable income, consumer confidence is high — those are all big positives for retail store and restaurant activity.”

He adds the industry inside-line that Calgary is viewed across North America as an economic bright spot and it is one of the several reasons why Calgary is attracting Americans, first-to-market and new-to-Canada retailers.

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Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography. Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leaders of Tomorrow:

Joel Poissant & Rich Poissant Company: Imperial Group, Inc.

A

side from the list of Imperial Group, Inc.’s loyal clients, most people usually have an initially awkward second look when they hear about the company’s actual product line.

“We specialize in exceptional service but we are definitely a product-driven company,” says the friendly and upbeat Joel Poissant, president of Imperial Group, Inc. — ­ fifth-generation providers of burial caskets, cremation urns and other funeral industry supplies.

The respected company has offices in Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg with the global head office and large service centre in Calgary.

“Our customers are the funeral homes and we hold them in very high regard. They have the truly tough job. They always have rough days, mostly because all the emotion that is a normal aspect of the funeral business is at their end,” Joel says with empathy. “But things have changed. Death is no longer such a dark and gloomy taboo. Especially baby boomers talk more about death than their parents used to. It may be a bit of a cliché but we are genuinely respectful that dying is a fact of life. And funerals are a huge part of the grieving process.”

“This is a serious business but we make sure we provide our service with an understanding and respect for culture and also maintain a certain sense of humour,” says Joel.

Last year, the family-owned and operated business celebrated its 100th anniversary and the Poissant brothers have a fascinating and realistic perspective about the many changes.

“For our business, it is now a global marketplace with many products now being manufactured in Asia, India and Mexico.

And today more than ever, the business is inventory heavy and has become very, very time sensitive. Getting product the same day or next day is not only a must, it is routine,” adds Rich Poissant, co-owner of Imperial Group, Inc. Rich underscores that people create the most significant changes. “Families are all over the place. And society’s attitude about disposition (buried or cremated) have changed.”

“The trend to cremation is definitely changing. Nationally, it’s well over 50 per cent and the farther west the more transient the attitudes,” Rich points out. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have low cremation rates. In Toronto it’s about 40 per cent. Calgary is 70 per cent and Vancouver is 85 per cent.”

More than 100 years of service excellence has taught Imperial Group, Inc. a lot. “This is a business with a lot of good-hearted people in it,” conclude the Poissant brothers.

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Vince Danielsen Company: INLIV

I

NLIV is an ingenious idea, a superb concept, a unique Calgary-based facility and a consummate example of teamwork — providing premium medical, corporate, cosmetic, and personal health and fitness services for private individuals and corporations.

“We started as a fitness-based facility partially because of the huge boomer generation that started aging and having complex health needs, as well as a vision about where health care in general was headed and finding ways to make it better and more efficient,” explains Vince Danielsen, president of INLIV. “Health care simply had to move in a collaborative direction of integrated health services that embraced medical, testing and examinations, health, fitness and lifestyle.”

“In 2005, we merged with an established, 35-year-old health-care company, reinvented ourselves, consolidated our services, rebranded and relocated to a 20,000-square-foot facility.”

Danielsen details the collaboration of INLIV’s 82 specialists and various health disciplines as the core of the unique concept, offering a complete and comprehensive range of health-care services to individuals and employers.

“We have a legitimate health-care crisis in Canada,” he warns. “More than 44 per cent of Alberta’s budget goes to treating sick people. Our concept is to be proactive, to screen people earlier in life and provide the health care to reduce their reliance on the public system.”

“We emphasize preventative health care, where possible.

Like early screening for everything from blood pressure, cholesterol, various conditions and possibilities to glucose and sugar levels, healthy behaviours, mental health, addictions, lifestyle, stress and fitness. All done in one facility.” ”INLIV is one of only two Canadian companies that offer such a comprehensive range of health services.”

And Danielsen underscores one of the key INLIV differences: all the members of his team work together and collaborate. Doctors work with therapists, technicians and trainers. “They complement each other’s role in the individual’s total or specific health care. And it’s all about communication.”

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Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography. Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Dr. Wael Badawy Company: IntelliView Technologies Inc.

I

t’s not easy to describe! IntelliView Technologies Inc. provides video analytics solutions for industrial surveillance applications.

The sophisticated, Calgary-developed and cutting-edge IntelliView technology uses state-of-the-art video analytics to automatically detect threats and hazards in real time and monitor user-defined incidents that immediately trigger a response and generate several types of notification messages.

Of course the concept and the high-tech systems are complex but, simplistically, it converts traditional cameras into business decisionmaking which understands the content of the video data and converts it into alerts.

IntelliView provides industry clients with an integrated system of intelligent video cameras, video analytics software, ruggedized hardware, specialized housing enclosures and various communication components. Operators quickly respond to situations, leading to efficiency and vitally important and enhanced safety and security.

The IntelliView detection systems not only notify the operator about critical incidents in industrial and outdoor environments, but they have been proven to reduce false alarms, prevent economic and environmental loss, reduce labour costs and increase the efficiency of human and machine assets.

Calgary’s Dr. Wael Badawy, an accomplished and innovative computer engineer, created the concept and began marketing it in 2003. Today, Badawy and his brilliant team of 15, mostly masters and PhD researchers and engineers, continue to enhance the features and the limitless possibilities of the valuable IntelliView video analytics technology.

“So far, much of the use for our systems is by oil and gas companies, to view their operations and remote sites, monitor leaks and provide remote security monitoring. But we are updating and developing new concepts and systems all the time,” he explains. “Thermal and infrared imaging systems will be the latest new technologies.”

Badawy admits that, especially in the beginning, the concept was so new and so high-tech that it was a bit of a hard sell. “Some companies just didn’t understand.

Now that innovative technology is such an integral part of many businesses, it’s much easier. We call it educative sales,” he notes with a smile.

“But Calgary has lots of great resources that help us do our kind of research and development. The city is a terrific environment to be productive with a hightech business. And the industries are so receptive and innovative.”

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leaders of Tomorrow:

Alf Garvin, Brent Boyle, Wayne Renick Company: Jersey City Canada

R

ooting for the Stampeders, the Flames, the Seahawks, the Blue Jays or the Raptors is much more exciting, thanks to Jersey City Canada — the Calgary-based Canadian retailer with over 20 stores and a strong online business, specializing in authentic and licensed team apparel and sports collectibles.

Jersey City Canada is earning respect and is well on its way to being one of the predominant licensed sports apparel retailers in Canada.

“Forgive the pun but our team is exceptional and tremendously experienced,” says Wayne Renick, echoing the sentiments of his partners Alf Garvin and Brent Boyle. “It’s our company culture, our mantra and it’s our trademark. Teamwork. We genuinely encourage our team members to excel and be the absolute best that they can be.”

Retailing team apparel and sports collectibles can be a fickle and competitive business with unexpected and unpredictable highs and lows; and although the Jersey City management team has the buying power and the connections, living with risks is an occupational hazard.

“We are proactive and partner with all the leagues. NFL, CFL, NHL, MLB and Team Canada and popular vendors like Adidas, CCM, Nike and others,” he explains. “The competitive goal is to always be first to market, especially leading up or right after hot market events like the Stanley Cup, the Grey Cup, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA finals and the Canada Cup.” Renick emphasizes that when it comes to the cyclical and exciting business of sport jerseys, t-shirts, hats, novelties and memorabilia for superstars like Sidney Crosby, LeBron James and Russell Wilson, it has become a sophisticated and complex business. “Not only conventional retailing,” he points out, “but a 360-degree marketing program, crucially including social media, e-commerce and whatever it takes to get our message out to the fans.”

Is it fickle? Of course. But as Renick logics, “It all balances out. After Team Canada won at the Olympics or the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, we had an instant run on Team Canada merchandise and Seahawks jerseys. When the Oilers were expected to get going – and they didn’t – sales did not surge as expected. Fans appreciate that the Flames tried hard and played exciting hockey so their jerseys stayed strong.”

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Chad Hughes Company: LandSolutions LP

A

lthough the formal description of the work done by Calgarybased LandSolutions LP is land acquisition and management services for the oil and gas and mining industries, the power generation and transmission industries and public infrastructure providers, it’s much more specialized than that.

“When you get right down to it, it’s all about people skills,” says Chad Hughes, president and CEO. “It’s about relationship building, rapport, communication skills, consulting with people, trust and representation.”

“With our LandSolutions network of field offices, we have a superb team of experienced landmen and land administrators with tremendous local knowledge and they build exceptional relationships with landowners.”

It is also vital that LandSolutions, with offices across Western Canada and affiliates in Eastern Canada and Midwest U.S., always be well versed on all aspects of the specific, proposed development and up to date about the latest regulatory aspects of the province and the area where the project will be developed. “There is always full and detailed disclosure,” Hughes adds.

The LandSolutions experience and flexibility delivers value. The dynamic land acquisition firm works closely with companies of all sizes and interests, with government organizations, community groups and especially the front-line landowners to maximize the opportunity for win-win situations.

“It’s important that we unconditionally inform the landowner about their options, their rights and all aspects of the land and the project, because it is imperative that people make a fully-informed decision when it comes to allowing for use of their land.”

“We also advise the client because, ultimately, our clients become part of the community. A key aspect of our role is to make life easier for the client and also to make things better in the community.”

Finding and arranging land is somewhat simplistic. LandSolutions specializes in negotiating leases, various terms and royalties for subsurface rights, oil and gas and mineral rights and, frequently advises and consults with clients about community involvement and the sometimes delicate ways to engage the public.

Hughes points out that the average lease agreement is an initial term of 25 years and is renewable, which means a solid and a long-term relationship.

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

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Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

|

BUILDINGS

|

CIVIL

INFRASTRUCTURE

|

SPECIAL

TogeTher We build SucceSS.

PCL enjoyed working with Greg Stahl, one of the Leaders of Tomorrow, on the New West Truck Centres project in Calgary.

Congratulations, Greg, on this recognition!

Watch us build at PCL.com

PROJECTS

|

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Greg Stahl

Company: New West Truck Centres

G

reg Stahl realizes that expert, customized and personalized service is what his specialized business is all about. Stahl and his expert and knowledgeable New West Truck Centres team live it, every day.

Since 2008, New West Truck Centres has been a successful full-service, heavy truck dealership specializing in new and used heavy truck sales, parts sales, repair services and a variety of heavy truck rental and leasing options for popular brands like Freightliner, SportChassis, Autocar and Mitsubishi Fuso trucks for customers in Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. “Customer satisfaction is unconditionally our top priority,” Stahl says with enthusiasm.

“We have such a diverse range of customers for unique and different needs. Understanding their situations and their must-haves are the most important part of our job.”

“We are blessed with an exceptional and skilled team with different personality traits and we’re lucky to have family involved. Our team not only has terrific and up-to-date product knowledge but superb communication skills to build genuine relationships with customers.”

“Looking after a customer is not only a rewarding sense of accomplishment but it’s actually fun.”

Stahl explains that dealing in trucks is a totally different business operation than passenger cars. “Not only less volume and serious money but the features and specs are more sophisticated, complex and almost customized, from truck to truck. From horsepower, torque requirements, chassis, body and other details, almost every spec is custom from the ground up.

The trucks are unique, like snowflakes,” he says with expertise and a warm smile.

A key aspect of the exceptional New West Truck Centres service is respect and understanding the importance of the truck when it comes to the business of the New West customer.

“We know that and we respect that! For our customers, their truck is a vital tool they must have for work and to generate revenue. Their biggest need is to get up in the morning and do work. Quick delivery of a new truck and minimal downtime for service are crucial,” he points out.

Although today’s state-of-the-art trucks are as Stahl says, “like snowflakes” in features and specs, the true competitive edge for New West Truck Centres is the communication, respect and the relationship with customers.

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Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography. Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Congratulations Greg Stahl on your recent achievement in the business community.

Daimler Truck Financial and Freightliner Trucks Canada are proud to be associated with Greg and New West Truck Centres.

We wish you continued success.

www.freightlinertrucks.com

www.daimler-truckfinancial.ca

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leaders of Tomorrow:

Don Getzlaf & Marty Stromquist Company: NCS Oilfield Services

“T

here was a definite need in the industry for something new and unique — an effective way to get the job done for our customers and to create an environment where we can do the job without limits,” says respected oil industry executive and NCS Oilfield Services COO Marty Stromquist. “Both my partners and I were determined to find a way to connect the dots.”

Don Getzlaf and Marty Stromquist partnered to form NCS Oilfield Services and began working in Western Canada in 2008 with an innovative downhole tool that allowed operators to perforate and fracture multiple stages in a single trip.

Six years later, with over 33,000 frac stages pumped, over 715,000,000 pounds of proppant successfully placed, a sand-off recovery rate of 94.8 per cent and offices in Calgary and Houston, NCS Oilfield Services is a solid, respected and visionary oil industry leader that prides itself on helping operators realize the goal that has become the company’s mantra: “Leave Nothing Behind.”

“When we finish with the wellbore, it’s open, unobstructed and ready for production,” says Eric Schmelzl, vice president of strategic business. “Perhaps more importantly, by placing the stimulation treatments precisely where operators want them, they can be assured of recovering the full potential of the asset, and leave nothing behind when they are done.”

With the evolution of horizontal wellbores, NCS successfully refined their processes so that operators could continue to apply abrasive cutting for reservoir access in the horizontal well environment.

Today, accelerating the speed at which operators execute their treatments is of paramount importance.

The NCS Multistage Unlimited frac sleeves — which allow operators to accelerate the speed with which they can complete their stimulation treatments, eliminate the need for abrasive cutting and save on both time and fluid requirements — often results in higher production rates when compared to other ‘non-pinpoint’ stimulation techniques.

“We believe in technology!” Stromquist says with great enthusiasm.

“NCS has an amazing staff of like-minded thinkers. They get our vision.

They think outside the box and don’t just look at things and understand.

They are determined to understand and always strive to find ways to make it better.”

“Of course we’re proud to have created some innovative industry changes. But our employees are the key to our success. Our priorities are that they be safe ... and that they have fun.”

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Congratulations NCS Oilfield Services For Your Continued Success!

At Calfrac, we are committed to safely and efficiently providing the highest possible degree of expertise, innovation and service to our customers while ensuring the impact to the environment and communities where we operate is minimized.

FRACTURING

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Zakir I. Hussein Company: Organo Group Ltd.

O

rgano Group Ltd., the successful Calgary-based waste management company, not only has a bottom line — it has an ambitious and dynamic triple bottom line.

“We are unconditionally committed to the social, economic and environmental benefits of what we do,” says Organo Group founder and CEO Zakir I. Hussein. “We are still growing and expanding but, at the moment, our key clients are Calgary area restaurants, malls and hospitals.”

Organo Group handles the gamut of commercial and residential waste management services, from bulk paper and cardboard recovery, glass, styrofoam and metal recycling to large waste bins for oilfields and compacting services to the collection and recycling of used cooking oil and motor oil.

“Did you know just one litre of used motor oil can pollute as much as one million litres of water,” says the enthusiastically environment-focused Hussein, whose much-in-demand company refines oils and resells it for biodiesel companies.

Positively impacting the future of the environment and the quality of life in the Calgary community were the key motivators for Hussein deciding to start Organo Group in 2011.

Three years later, with lots of hard work and vital, innovative waste management services, Organo Group has 14 employees and several heavy-duty trucks for the collection and disposal of the various commercial and residential waste. The company continues to earn Alberta-wide respect as a waste management leader in the field of organic and non-organic waste recovery, drilling waste characterization and treatment and various applications to monitor environmental waste reduction and diversion.

“Even back when I was a University of Calgary student,” he recalls, “I loved the topic of the environment. Looking after the environment is vital. Not long ago that was a hard sell, but now, most people realize that thinking about the long-term future of the environment is a real necessity.”

“Alberta, and especially Calgary, are very supportive and a majority of people now understand the time-sensitive issues.”

In addition to providing his “triple bottom line” of vital waste management services, giving back to the community runs deep for Hussein. Of every gallon of recycled fuel that Organo Group sells, two per cent of proceeds are donated to the Calgary Homeless Foundation.

“The social, economic and environmental aspects of waste management are so important.”

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

RUNDLE COLLEGE SOCIETY Attention to Excellence Experience Rundle www.rundle.ab.ca

CONGRATULATIONS Rundle Academy Alumnus, Zakir Hussein ‘07

”

W ns eM ove Mountai

“

Rundle Academy congratulates Zakir Hussein, recipient of the prestigious Leaders of Tomorrow Award by Business in Calgary magazine, recognizing his accomplishments in environmental business and contributions to the City of Calgary.

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Moiz Bhamani Company: Prime Real Estate Group

“C

algary is a terrifically exciting business community,” says Moiz Bhamani, the respected and experienced CEO of Prime Real Estate Group, a Calgary-based full-service commercial real estate development and investment firm.

“Calgary is a young city, with lots of entrepreneurs, new business ventures and established businesses that are growing. And despite the oil and gas stereotypes, it is becoming a much more diversified economy with growth in other areas, from the financial sector, IT and retail is also booming. It’s healthy and good for the city to have a more diversified base.”

Bhamani explains that the dynamics of Calgary’s business community are also changing some trends in Calgary’s commercial real estate market.

“It used to be normal and consistent that business offices had to be downtown. But the escalating costs of being located downtown are pushing especially small- to mid-size offices out of downtown and into what used to be categorized as ‘suburban’ locations. Some of the commercial real estate challenges are evaluating potential suburban office locations and effectively predicting population growth and their spending power.”

Bhamani is an upbeat Calgary-booster and openly admits a passion for “everything real estate.” His Prime Real Estate Group “is now seven years old and has grown phenomenally, in excess of 200 per cent per year over the past three years,” he says with genuine pride.

His gung-ho, Calgary-based real estate firm has a growing portfolio of over $250 million under direct control and is planning to acquire lands and real estate projects throughout Western Canada as well as a recent expansion in the U.S. Prime’s goal is to deliver the finest quality commercial properties in major North American corridors with the best growth potential for tenants and investors.

Prime Developments is a subsidiary that focuses on project planning, development, construction, leasing and asset management services to internal and external projects throughout Western Canada and now Texas.

It has already developed over 500,000 square feet of commercial real estate projects, and is managing and has a development pipeline of over two million square feet.

Bhamani admits that he completed an MBA program and is currently enrolled in an executive program at the Harvard Business School not only to enhance his skills but also to learn from the experience of other business leaders. “I am grateful that it not only built my character but very strongly affected my approach to business. I’m a believer!”

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

BRACE FOR COMPLIMENTS •

Supreme Mens Wear proudly welcomes

Aaron Miller as our Manager of Sales and Presentation.

401 - 4 Ave SW Calgary suprememenswear.com

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Audrey Mascarenhas Company: Questor Technology Inc.

Q

uestor Technology Inc. and its president and CEO Audrey Mascarenhas were both way ahead of their time!

In the late 1990s, long before it was trendy and everyone was talking about the environment and pushing for greening, GGEs and sustainability, Questor had some daring and wild ideas about the oil and gas industry; it also had lots of debt and wasn’t really making any money.

“The environment was just gradually starting to be an issue in Alberta but even bringing up a subject like flaring was a taboo. I often felt as if I was pushing a string up a hill. But I knew that we urgently needed to start paying attention to what we were putting into the atmosphere,” recalls the respected and admired Questor CEO who grew up in Kenya, immigrated to Canada, graduated as a chemical engineer and was hooked on the oil and gas industry during her first summer job at a Texaco refinery.

“Even as far back as 1999, when I joined Questor, my industry knowledge and engineering background made me determined that there must be a better way to deal with air pollution and flared gas.”

And 30 years later, Questor Technology is not only an innovative industry pioneer but a world leader in providing vital environmental solutions to the oil and gas industry. The company’s prime focus is waste gas incineration which enables the complete combustion of waste gas streams, making harmless carbon dioxide and water vapour the only emissions that go into the atmosphere.

The company also applies its cutting-edge technology to other industries such as agriculture, landfills, water and sewage treatment — wherever waste or toxic gases require effective disposal.

“Because concerns about air quality and greenhouse gas emissions are an enormous global problem, half of Questor’s business is international and some of our biggest clients are in the U.S.” Mascarenhas says. “Taking waste gas and applying ways to not only handle it safely but to destroy it in a responsible way is good for the environment and creates a better community.”

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Sal Howell Company: River Café

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his May, Calgary’s gifted and passionately committed Sal Howell was named “best restauranteur in Canada” at the prestigious Terroir Symposium in Toronto, which brought together more than 500 chefs, food writers, wine and food experts and culinary activists from across Canada and abroad.

It was the latest on a long list of honours, awards and recognition for the uncompromising chef and successful owner of Calgary’s uniquely beautiful and tremendously popular River Café, on Prince’s Island Park.

“Of course our location is special,” Howell admits, “but our choices, our menu, our features, the quality and flavours, our uncompromising dedication and use of local foods and ingredients sets us apart.”

“In-season fish, like halibut in the spring and wild salmon in summer, to local bison, duck and lots of local in-season plant material like nettles, fiddleheads and asparagus. We grow our own edible salad bowl in our garden. We are intentionally very ingredient-driven and, for various reasons including seasonality, our menu changes often. Have you tried our bison burger at lunch? It’s fantastic!”

From a business point of view, Howell cautions that the hospitality industry, restaurants in particular, are a high-contact industry with the constant demand of exceptional service.

“Customers invariably have high expectations,” she cites from nearly 25 years in Calgary’s restaurant business. “It’s our job to make people feel good and provide an exceptional experience.”

She is openly proud that Calgary has become one of the most vibrant and exciting culinary centres in Canada, with great talent and a steady influx of talented chefs from restaurant hot spots like Vancouver and Toronto.

Whatever the ‘ingredients’ of her success, the River Café continues to earn rave reviews — from its location to the quality and the sensational uniqueness of the food.

According to John Gilchrist, CBC Radio Calgary’s popular restaurant critic, “The River Café has, hands down, Calgary’s prettiest location. The food is adventurous without being pretentious, confident without being complacent, outstandingly Canadian and one of Calgary’s very best restaurants.”

The award-winning Calgary chef and restaurant owner (and mother of six-year-old twins) employs a rotation of about 100 staff and proudly admits to personally enjoying the River Café menu. “I love the fresh fish or the grilled chicken and the salads.”

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

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Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Allison Grafton Company: Rockwood Custom Homes

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here is a big secret to the tremendous success and respected reputation of master builder Rockwood Custom Homes: genuine and unconditional passion!

And, despite company modesty and denial, it does filter down from the top.

The wealth of homebuilding design, management and construction skills of Allison Grafton and Grainger Nimmo combined with the experience and skills of Rockwood project managers, designers, trades and artisans, make the Calgary-based boutique custom home renovation and construction company an example of a true partnership of passion.

“Aside from uncompromised quality and excellence in everything we do, our primary focus is client engagement,” says the high-energy and gregarious Grafton.

“We are building the home for them. So, engaging them throughout the process — from conception, design and construction to finishing — always assures the client is involved. We guide our clients, we consult them and we educate them. It is their home and they are the key.”

“This industry is, by nature, unsophisticated and chaotic,” she concedes. “We do whatever it takes — and it’s a crucial priority for us — to keep the chaos out of the formula for our clients, in every aspect: the planning, the design, the budget and the construction. Efficiently managing the project is our job, not the clients’.”

“Our financial management and metrics are very important,” she explains.

“We detail and advise the client about true costs and then we design and build the house strictly according to the budget, within two to three per cent. We minimize any surprises.”

Grafton is spirited and enthusiastic, and cites some of the key Rockwood Custom Homes differences being uncompromisingly sound financial management, precise execution at all stages of building the custom home and the critical aspects of responsiveness and customer care.

“It’s vitally important that we get to know our clients and their families. We get to know who they ‘are’ and, every day, we translate that personal dimension into our work.”

She is modest but justly proud of the exceptional success and reputation of Rockwood Custom Homes, the skill and commitment of the company’s team and trades (“one of the best teams in the city”) and about winning the Alberta Contractor of the Year award two years in a row.

Most of all, she is proud about Rockwood “never, ever, missing a move-in date!”

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Specializing in: Corporate Videos Commercials Web Videos producers of

The Top 20 Leaders of Tomorrow TV Show At she devil productions...

We don’t think outside the box... We BURN it!

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The Face, She Devil Productions

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What you want, baby, we got it !

The team at The Beach. Standing L-R: Steve Dodd, Natalie Gregory, Derek Sylwestrzak, Paul Du Toit Schreve, Dary Barclay, Ryan Koichopolos. Seated: Lanny Williamson

M

any Calgary area companies have something special in common with Brad Pitt, Amy Sky, Leonardo DiCaprio, popular music videos, Usher, Sir Anthony Hopkins and an award-winning movie featured at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

This is because many Calgary companies also work with the superb skills, talents, creativity and expertise of internationally-respected Lanny Williamson at The Beach Advanced Audio and Jose Luis Gonzalez and Candace Schmidt, the passionately creative duo at L&C Style Productions in Calgary.

Creativity, innovation and an uncompromised client-focus are the keys to the audio and video excellence that is L&C Style Productions and The Beach Advanced Audio.

They share a unique and exceptional synergy and the practical challenge that being up to date with cutting-edge audio and video technology is an ever-changing and pricey cost of doing business.

“Technology is rough on both of us,” admits Williamson. “There are huge changes with technology, software and processes. Mostly when it comes to equipment, falling behind is simply not an option.”

The Beach has earned a solid industry reputation for audio ingenuity and brilliance for the sound quality of everything from corporate projects to TV programs, commercials and feature films.

Williamson draws on decades of audio engineer experience and openly thrills about working with the limitless possibilities of the new technology. “Sound has been evolving since the ’30s. It started with MONO (one

The creative duo behind L&C Style Productions - Candace Schmidt and Jose Luis Gonzalez.

speaker,) then STEREO (two speakers) and QUAD (four speakers) and eventually 5.1 surround sound (six speakers).

“A few years ago, Blue Ray changed everything and professional sound had to quickly up its game to 7.1, with two more speakers in the rear.

“Today, The Beach is the only purpose-designed and built 7.1 surround sound mixing room between Toronto and Vancouver.”

As in many other professions, audio and video production have their own worlds of technicalities and jargon. Williamson is supercharged about his three cutting-edge recording studios, “acoustically tuned for balance and sweetness.”

He spontaneously drifts into mentioning the LaFont 128 input analog console, the Pro Tools HD digital recording system, the Tannoy and Yamaha audio monitors and “world-class” Neumann, AKG and Sennheiser professional microphones.

“It has taken a lot of work and constant upgrading,” he says, proudly. “But The Beach is now acknowledged as Calgary’s biggest and best-equipped jingle house and production studio, especially for the many corporate presentations, features and documentary work as well as commercials and consumer products.”

Next door to The Beach – but under the same roof – is where the cinematic magic happens. It’s the headquarters for the award-winning L&C Style Productions film studio – the brainchild of Candace Schmidt and Jose Luis Gonzalez.

New 7.1 Surround Sound suite in The Beach Audio’s Laguna Studio

Lanny and Derek working in the Big Sur studio on the La Font console.

Luis, in the 4K editing suite.

The visual is an equally exciting, creative and dynamic science. Technology plays a much more vital role than audiences, TV viewers and corporate clients imagine. The creative flair and the remarkable skill of telling a story and translating expression to film is widely acknowledged as an exceptional talent and art.

Whether it’s corporate presentations, TV commercials, music videos or feature films, the infectiously-focused, driven and upbeat Calgary couple (who have been together for 20 years in 29 countries) get it!

“We relate and empathize with the client because we have both been there. We have a corporate background in marketing and advertising and we understand, especially corporate expectations,” Schmidt explains.

“We listen and we’re good collaborators. We just shot a TV commercial and told the human story within a corporate context. It worked beautifully.”

The creative side together with the warp-speed changes of film technology makes the visual happen.

Empathy and a practical grasp of the business world makes the visual possible.

“We always take a personal approach,” Gonzalez says with enthusiasm.

“The client communicates what they want and we work hard to interpret what they’re feeling. We bring our cinematic background and our sense for life.

Ultimately, we portray lifestyles and relationships.”

Schmidt adds, “The corporate client knows their target market best and we do our part to ensure the final product helps propel the company forward.”

When it comes to overhead, the L&C Style film and video studio faces the similar crunch as the The Beach audio studios: new, sophisticated (and pricey)

The 25' x 45' x 24' green screen shooting space, with 25' fully motorized jib arm

technology and equipment is a basic must to produce the quality that is expected.

“As owner-operators we constantly upgrade and make capital investments in gear and software,” says Gonzalez. “And although we use some of the latest technology, what sets us apart are the world-class skills we bring to the table to create the best finished products.”

The two superbly creative and innovative Calgary businesses – The Beach Advanced Audio and L&C Style Productions – masterfully tell stories in pictures and sound and they also earn an exciting reputation for Calgary as a place for world-class audio and film production. Their dynamic and signature work is a breath of fresh air for Calgary’s media production scene. These companies point to the ever-evolving talent that thrives in this city and we can only hope will stay.

www.thebeachaudio.com

www.lncstyle.com

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leaders of Tomorrow:

Karina Birch & Cam Baty Company: Rocky Mountain Soap Co.

I

n 1999, Karina Birch and Cam Baty were just doing some Christmas shopping in Canmore and found out that one of their favourite stores — a 300-square-foot shop that sold only natural soaps — was for sale.

Now, 15 years, three young children, lots of hard work, entrepreneurial guts and smarts later, Rocky Mountain Soap Co. has 50 employees, a 9,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Canmore, and annual sales of over $5 million, mostly from eight locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, Winnipeg and Canmore.

“We’re very entrepreneurial and we work hard, and resist some tempting and wild opportunities to maintain our laser-like focus,” Birch says with friendly but firm conviction. “For us, success means executing our vision, at our pace, and always staying true to our values, principles and our ‘culture.’”

The enthusiastic and super-motivated couple continues to grow their Rocky Mountain Soap business with a strategic plan for a total of 18 stores in the next four years, a new 20,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, launching a new brand and a new website.

“We started very, very small, with 100 per cent natural handmade soap and bath and body products,” Birch tracks their solid growth and success. “We were astounded to learn that our skin can absorb anywhere from 21-94 per cent of what is put on it. There are many synthetic ingredients in personal-care products that are questionable about long-term health effects.”

“Our take is that if there is an ingredient that could potentially be harmful to health, why would we use it in our products, when there are healthy and safe alternatives? That’s why we are unconditionally committed to making only 100 per cent natural products,” she says with pride and business satisfaction.

Birch admits that juggling family time, social life and a growing, indie business takes a bit of doing, but it’s all part of their ambitious family-business plan. “Cam is the tactical guy and deals with operations,” she explains. “I have the vision and look after marketing. We complement but don’t compete.”

“I’m not smarter than anyone else,” Birch shrugs with a smile. “I’m just really committed.”

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leaders of Tomorrow:

Andrew Hamill & Tara Kelly Company: SPLICE Software Inc.

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t’s exciting, it’s cutting edge and it’s changing the way business is done. The truism applies to various contemporary technologies that are not only mind-bogglingly new, efficient and fascinating but, by nature of their innovative newness, they may also be a bit tricky to comprehend.

More and more businesses are adopting the Calgary-based SPLICE Software Inc. technology and concepts and it is dramatically changing the way they do business and succeed in the digital age.

The SPLICE system bears no resemblance to the antiquated and robotic voice or “Siri” messaging. SPLICE created and provides personalized human voice solutions to enhance customer messages and interactions with customer-specific, relevant information.

The sophisticated SPLICE technology allows the company to “get personal” with the customer. According to upbeat and focused SPLICE president and CEO Tara Kelly, “We use exceptional software, professional voice talents and a hard-working team to deliver the best telecommunications software and client service available.”

The uniqueness of SPLICE is that it “humanizes the digital experience by splicing together linguistically optimized human voice audio and enabling the messages to seamlessly integrate a company’s brand, customer preferences and corporate transactional data into a single thread of conversation.”

The SPLICE personalized human voice system delivers messages through the phone to the customer’s landline or cell, as audio links in emails or text messages, or as video links with personalized voice-over in emails or websites.

“Our system has been proven to maximize customer engagement throughout the customer life cycle.”

Kelly, who in less than eight years has parlayed the revolutionary technology into a multimillion-dollar company, takes much pride not only in the close relationships with clients (more than 75 per cent are based in the U.S., Africa and Europe) but the company’s true competitive edge — SPLICE’s team of A-players, like Andrew Hamill, director of technical operations and software development.

“The key to success is to hire people smarter than yourself. I’m passionately obsessed with making things better and with making people excited and curious. Curiosity is such a major part of learning. But it’s also important that, in various ways including a variety of team-building activities, that we have a strong interdepartmental bond. It not only makes us successful but it creates a fun work environment for everyone.”

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Platinum Partner Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Stephen D. Smith Company: STRIKE Energy Services Inc.

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TRIKE Energy Services Inc. continues as a remarkable Canadian and oil and gas industry success story.

The solid and respected reputation of STRIKE Energy is hard-earned by the company’s innovative and broad range of oilfield products, energy and construction services and the skilled and cutting-edge expertise of the STRIKE management and oilfield team.

In just 10 years, the dynamic, Calgary-based and industry-leading construction and oilfield services company has grown to be a respected and reliable oil and gas industry leader with 41 employee-shareholders and over 1,000 employees servicing STRIKE customers throughout Western Canada — from northeast British Columbia to central Saskatchewan.

In terms of innovative oilfield services, the STRIKE focus is on four primary product lines: • Three fabrication centres build and supply carbon steel, stainless and alloy piping, as well as small vessel fabrication and structural steel including modules, skids and platforms • Large projects such as module installation and site works including pad construction of processing and SAGD production facilities • General oilfield contracting services including complete pipeline installations, gathering systems and well pads, and facility construction including oil treatment and gas processing facilities • Electrical and instrumentation services including wiring for skids and control panel fabrication, power distribution, heat tracing, pneumatic and electric controls, burner controls, fire and gas detection, control system installations and maintenance “Outstanding customer service is our priority and a cornerstone to our success,” says STRIKE co-founder, president and CEO Stephen D. Smith. “Focusing on client needs and expectations is what we do. We never have and will never cut costs to sacrifice quality. Customer loyalty has no price and our clients support our beliefs.”

“We are proud to say that we are ‘Built on Experience.’ We have a veteran leadership team with over 200 years of combined industry experience and STRIKE is 100 per cent employee-owned,” Smith explains with pride.

Underscoring the company’s staff-focus is the 2013 recognition when STRIKE was named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for a sixth year in a row. “Our employees are a priority! Our skilled, experienced and up-to-date staff is the key to STRIKE’s services, reputation and success.”

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Jeff Booke

Company: Talisman Centre

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t’s the largest multi-sport complex of its kind in Canada. Jeff Booke, the gung-ho COO, is also an extremely active Talisman Centre member, and he quickly gets to the point and explains that the sprawling, $10-million-a-year Calgary facility with 4,000 to 5,000 daily users and more than 1.5 million annual users, is not a conventional fitness club or a rec centre.

“It’s a world-class sport and fitness facility that inspires individuals and teams to achieve their goals and dreams through innovation, expertise and passion. We focus on Calgarians — of all ages — who are serious or working on being serious or performance athletes. Sometimes it gets misunderstood because we’re not referring to professional athletes. By serious, we mean commitment, energy, effort, knowledge and working at the individual’s personal best. Look, I’ll never go to the Olympics but I have a routine, I work out hard and I sacrifice.”

“And Talisman fits the community! Calgary is solidly a sport city,” Booke says with pride and enthusiasm. “It’s a former Olympic city, a Stampede city, the Flames and Stampeders city.”

“We embrace sports and, in general, we are active, engaged and sports-minded. Talisman Centre is an established, strong business with a focused and clear purpose.

We target a very niche market. The niche is sports activity for Calgary residents of all ages.”

The city-owned and board-of-governors-managed sports facility does have two formal mandates. To provide training and competition facilities and services for the development of Calgary’s high-performance athletes in their respective dry land and aquatic sports. And to provide facilities, programs and services for the wellness and recreational sporting needs of the citizens of Calgary.

As Jeff Booke points out, Talisman Centre is “a no-nonsense place with a sense of community” and it offers the gamut of activities from aquatics, endurance (strength and mobility), Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) developed

by Canadian Sport for Life, triathlon and personal training and nutrition to post-physiotherapy exercise and rehab, fitness groups, cardio kick-box and sport camps, Preschool for Active Living programs, and Olympians training and competing at provincial and national levels.

Talisman Centre is a Calgary business built on good sports.

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Mostar’s patented VX motor is the toughest in the industry, and has conquered some of the most difficult and unyielding drilling conditions ever encountered. Mostar mud motors last 2-3 times longer than the industry standard, with one of the lowest failure rates in the industry. So go ahead, throw your worst at it.

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MOSTAR – hOW IT ShOuLD bE DONE

Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Barry Ehlert

Company: Windmill Golf Group

“C

algary is the best place in the world to do business,” roars the supercharged and upbeat entrepreneur, Barry Ehlert, the owner and managing partner of Windmill Golf Group which includes the Hamptons Golf Club, Springbank Links, Boulder Creek Golf Course, Harvest Hills Golf Course, Silverwing Links, the new Copithorne Club (which is breaking ground in Springbank), the Northern Bear Golf Club in Edmonton and the Wilderness Club in Montana.

The proudly Calgary-based dynamo is now in peak season, juggling 12-15 hour days of meetings throughout Alberta or at one of his popular Calgary-area golf properties. His cellphone is almost always squeezed to his ear, negotiating, following up, dealing with staff and looking after the short- and long-term golf and non-golf business matters of his golf courses.

“From a business perspective, if the goal is solely profit, golf is the wrong business to be in. There are much higher profit-yield businesses. Golf courses are not cash-flow valued,” he cautions. “They are niche businesses and assetbased businesses.”

“Hey! They are not making any more land. If managed efficiently, owning and operating golf courses is a strong business and a great way to make a living.”

Ehlert is usually too revved with future plans and looking after the needs of his 500 staff and golfing customers to discuss the details and fine points of business and management strategy, but he singles out centralization of his eight golf course properties as a key to the efficiency and success.

“We have a foundation, an infrastructure, and it allows us to centralize many of our management functions like marketing, accounting and bookkeeping systems. Basically, a department of three people mostly look after the needs of all eight courses.

“And marketing memberships, a key aspect of the golf business, is also a plus. We can market one membership which allows access to all eight courses.”

Ehlert is a successful Calgary business leader and also a refreshingly practical business thinker.

“As crazy as it sounds,” he grins, “our core business is not golf.

It’s entertainment. We’re competing for people’s recreational spending with the Stampeders, the Flames, restaurants, clubs and movies.”

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography. Furniture provided by RGO Office Products.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Voice & Data Cabling Phone Systems Paging Systems Voip Services

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Leaders of Tomorrow 2014 • Cover

Leader of Tomorrow:

Mario Amantea Company: ZGM Collaborative Marketing

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he dynamic and fresh ZGM Collaborative Marketing website says it honestly, factually, best and proud: “We’re collaborative, as in we work together. Always.

We brainstorm together. We ask for and accept input into our work. We share ideas openly, freely and without fear. No egos. No excuses. Just an unflinching belief that together we can be better than we ever would be alone.”

The 44 uniquely talented staff of ZGM Collaborative Marketing walk the walk of strategizing, designing, creating, consulting and servicing clients as one innovative and collaborative team. From the writers, designers, the head of planning and insights, account managers to the web developer, president and executive creative director and the office manager­— creativity and collaboration are the keys to the ZGM reputation and success.

The agency admits that “we can’t be defined by what we do because we do it all.”

But clever, sharp, tight and right to the point, in keeping with the team’s culture, the key ZGM services are: planning and strategy, advertising, design, digital, social and mobile.

“Our competitive edge is not so much business related. It’s our culture. We attract and retain bright and talented people. Our team is truly exceptional and it’s genuinely about working together and collaboration,” according to Mario Amantea, who happens to be a partner and the general manager of the ZGM team. “And we live it on a daily basis. It’s how we work and how we service our clients.”

Effective marketing continues as a fluid, constantly changing and unique business.

Technology is now almost as vital to effective marketing as creativity.

“The industry is evolving so quickly and excitingly,” he explains. “There will always be a need for print but there is such a need for new solutions. Digital and social media and being mobile-friendly is a fundamental part of what we do. Having the talent and the leaders who stay current is essential to creating and executing effective contemporary marketing.”

Amantea enthusiastically points out that Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton) are great markets to work in and genuinely includes the ZGM clients as part of the collaborative team. “We are fortunate to have very, very savvy clients, who get it.”

Platinum Partner

Gold Partners Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

Who believes in your business?

We do.

We’re changing the game, but we’re not playing games. It takes guts to run your own business, so we want to reduce or even eliminate unlimited personal guarantees on business loans and give you a healthy, trusting relationship instead. atb.com/business

BUSINESS ACCOUNTS І CASH FLOW І FINANCING І KNOW-HOW ™ Trademarks of Alberta Treasury Branches.

YOUR VISION GOT YOU THIS FAR.

Where do you go from here?

The mark of a true leader is the ability to embrace today’s challenges head on while uncovering opportunities to shape a successful tomorrow. The mark of a visionary, however, is defined by a leader’s ability to capitalize on those opportunities while effectively using their available resources to do so. Our national scope and local focus positions leading organizations – and the visionaries behind them – for success, no matter where business takes you.

MNP proudly congratulates the 2014 Leaders of Tomorrow.

We celebrate your achievements and anticipate the positive impact you’ll have on our business community.

Contact Trevor Winkler, CA at 403.536.5557 or trevor.winkler@mnp.ca

Retail’s New Normal • Retail

Retail’s New Normal The highest retail sales growth in Canada |

BY DAN COOPER

T

he business of retail is dynamic, demanding, strategic and ever changing.

The business of retail is also like dominoes: the busier the Calgary employers, the more jobs. The more jobs, the more Calgary paycheques. The more Calgary paycheques, the more fridges and stoves, new cars, appetizers and entrées, the more TVs and tablets, shoes, dresses, jeans, suits, garden hoses, sunglasses, rib-eyes, cheese slices and lawnmowers.

The business of retail is not so much about shopping as it is about the shoppers.

It’s about second-guessing the economy, projecting and analyzing population and market trends, location-location and anticipating fickle consumer whims.

Why are there 33 women’s clothing stores and a Hudson’s Bay and soon the American giant Nordstrom, all doing retail battle in Chinook Centre, all making rent, payroll and probably turning a healthy profit?

How can there be nearly 1.2 million square feet of retail space in CrossIron Mills with lots of shopper traffic to usually make it crowded?

And despite the key factor of triple-A square-footage rates, why is retail still a boom business on Stephen Avenue and the CORE? Because the business of retail is a slick, strategic and accomplished science. Not so much about what we buy or order from the menu but calculating, analyzing, tracking and projecting where we buy and how we buy.

One business fact is undisputable. Alberta buys, a lot!

According to Statistics Canada numbers, retail sales in Alberta recently spiked to over $6 billion, by far the highest year-overyear retail sales growth in the country.

“Compared to the rest of Canada, Alberta (particularly Calgary) retailers are doing very well,” cites Lanny McInnes, director, Prairies for the Retail Council of Canada (RCC).

“Not only is Alberta leading the country for retail sales growth, it is almost doubling the national average.”

The RCC’s year-to-year summaries show that Canada’s average retail sales growth was 4.9 per cent. Ontario is approximately two per cent, B.C. is 3.8 per cent, Saskatchewan is 5.4 per cent and Alberta is 9.4 per cent.

“Retail is where the rubber meets the road in terms of reflecting where the economy is and where it is headed,” he explains, “and a measure of consumer confidence and security about jobs and wages. The recent retail sales trends and numbers show that Alberta has the strongest economy in the country and Alberta consumers are confident,” McInnes illustrates with screens of charts and tables.

Scotia Centre, part of The CORE shopping centre, on Stephen Avenue.

Photo by Melissa Arthur.

Lanny McInnes, director, prairies for the Retail Council of Canada businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 83

Retail’s New Normal • Retail

[Kehoe] points out that location-location variables of retail space are drastically different than residential, office or industrial.

Factors like traffic flow, ease of access, visibility, good exposure and what Kehoe calls “the mother’s milk of retail space:” parking.

Street-level stores, with above-ground parkade.

Photo by Melissa Arthur.

“Most people don’t realize what significant business retail is in Alberta. The numbers show that retailers are the largest employers in the province. More than 10.9 per cent of Alberta’s labour force works in some kind of retail.”

Whether the RCC numbers, StatsCan, the industry-tracking Moody’s Investors Service or the reams of commercial real estate facts, figures and trends, Calgary is indisputably a retail hot spot that’s getting hotter.

The retail segment of Calgary’s commercial real estate market has one of the lowest vacancy rates, not only in Canada but in all of North America.

Calgary’s 2014 retail project roster shows a mini-boom of 51 retail site developments (planned or already under construction) adding more than 13 million square feet of additional retail space.

“These days, all categories of retail are firing on all cylinders,” says the upbeat and Calgary-boosting Michael Kehoe, owner of Fairfield Commercial Real Estate.

With more than 35 years of Calgary market experience, Kehoe specializes in retail (stores and restaurants) and he is revved about the trending of retail in the Calgary market. “Although some things never change, in the retail space business – maybe even more than in residential real estate – location is a huge factor and high traffic, good visibility and affordable rates are basics.

“Site selection is a highly evolved skill,” he explains.

“Clients come to us for specialized expertise like location choices, trending, traffic counts, demographics, and dealing with large landlords.

“Whether it’s a store or a restaurant, we do location searches, negotiate leases and often get involved with the business plan. Coaching our clients in the tricky areas of city permits and approvals is a vital part of retail real estate. The landlord and the city must both approve the use of space.”

He points out that location-location variables of retail space are drastically different than residential, office or industrial. Factors like traffic flow, ease of access, visibility, 84 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

good exposure and what Kehoe calls “the mother’s milk of retail space:” parking.

Calgary retail space for stores and restaurants varies dramatically and the market ranges from the pricey and traditionally popular like the CORE, Stephen Avenue and the redeveloping Eau Claire Market areas to new retail locations in areas like the sprawling East Village, Inglewood, Fashion Central, Marda Loop, StoneGate Common, an outlet mall near Callaway Park and others.

Is there a risk of too much retail space in Calgary, especially if the current speed bumps of oil prices continue?

“Calgary is evolving and it has become much more diversified than it was even 10 years ago,” according to Kehoe.

“Of course oil is still a vital factor but today’s Calgary retailer is not nearly as vulnerable to fluctuating commodity prices.”

What is a legitimately and inevitably challenging issue for not only Calgary but Canadian retail is what some cynics and retail insiders call “the American invasion.”

It’s real but not nearly as sudden as some consumers think.

Others point out that the steady cross-border migration of solidly American retailers is not only a growing trend but logical business strategy.

Safeway was the earliest invader, opening its first Canadian stores in 1929 while Sears came north in 1952. Retail analysts track the relatively new wave of retail immigration to Canada being triggered by the free trade deal (NAFTA) in 1994.

Just 20 years ago, the most American of giant American retailers – Walmart – hopped the border, grabbed up 200 Woolco locations and seamlessly launched its Canadian tradition.

The trend continued with Home Depot, Costco, Best Buy, Target and smaller conquests like Gap and Victoria’s Secret.

This year, the iconically American Nordstrom – the upscale Seattle-based department store chain with a solidly established reputation for impeccable customer service – is about to open four Canadian stores, the first-ever international location all set for Calgary’s Chinook Centre.

Retail’s New Normal • Retail

Michael Kehoe, broker of Fairfield Commercial Real Estate

Debi Andrus, assistant professor of marketing at the Haskayne School of Business

Retail analysts predict that other legendary American stores like Macy’s, J.Crew, JCPenny and Kohl’s are also on their way.

“Not only are Canadian consumers very similar to Americans in lifestyles and consumer habits,” says Debi Andrus, assistant professor of marketing at the Haskayne School of Business, “our economy has recovered faster and the Canadian retail market is very attractive for U.S. retailers.

“But, if you think about it, when it comes to generations of TV and other advertising and exposure by travel, Canadians are familiar with many American brands. Nordstrom, for example, is a well-known brand for Canadians and should do well in Canada. Target was also an established American brand but today, after its first year in Canada, it doesn’t seem like they have the Canadian consumer figured out, yet.”

Andrus echoes the gut feel of many consumers and retail analysts. By consumer perception cliché or cold-hard reality, there is a significant customer service and selection difference between American and Canadian retail.

“Nordstrom is a good example. It has built its brand on exceptional service. Consumers tend to have similar perceptions about Home Depot and Walmart. So Hudson’s Bay (the Bay was renamed to Hudson’s Bay last year,) Loblaws (Superstore), Canadian Tire and others must really up their game, quickly,” she suggests.

“More and more, they must fight for retail market share.”

In addition to the challenge of going head-to-head (and sale-to-sale) with popular American stores and the slump-

ing loonie putting added pressure on Canadian retailers who source their merchandise in U.S. dollars, Canadian retail is now facing a much tougher and more threatening competitor.

“The huge factor and reality check for not only Canadian but the North American retail industry is that, despite the science of market analysis and strategy, retailers no longer have the luxury of assuming that they are operating just locally.” McInnes touches on what retail industry insiders already consider “the elephant in the store.”

“With a click of a mouse or a hand-held keypad, the consumer now shops anywhere and everywhere. Brick-andmortar stores will continue to thrive but online retailing is a ferociously growing sector.

“Consumers are far more informed, they have done a lot of product research and they are aware of the brands, the products and the price points. In the past year or so, although online may be a much smaller footprint, retail industry surveys show that consumers may be doing as much shopping online as in-store.”

Andrus agrees that, especially in the past few years, technology has drastically changed the retail experience, both online and in-store.

“It is fascinating and for retailers it’s a bit challenging, because technology is developing at such a speed and they must target such different consumer segments. Boomers, millennials and gen-Xers are retail’s market.

“They are all approaching the peak of their income earning and discretionary spending. And in-store and online technology is a basic fact of their life.

“Innovations like the cutting-edge omnichannel in-store technology, which was revolutionary just a couple of years ago, is becoming common,” she explains.

“About 47 per cent of consumers do an online search before buying and actual online shopping is growing by about 10 per cent a year. As remarkable as it is,” she shrugs, shaking her head, “some retailers don’t offer online shopping and some retailers don’t even have a website.”

The business of retail will continue to make Calgary a hot spot. It is provenly sound business strategy. Calgary has dynamic migration and population growth, the demographics and income ranges that retail is targeting and the documented stat that Calgary consumers spend more than other major Canadian cities.

No wonder retailers want to do business in Calgary. BiC

Stephen Avenue offers many retail options including The CORE and Fashion Central.

Photo by Melissa Arthur.

businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 85

Downtown Real Estate • Real Estate

DOWNTOWN

D O W N T O W N R E A L E S TAT E

Looking for uptown and excitement? Come see what downtown has in store!

BY HEATHER RAMSAY

I

called the Calgary Stampede. Pat Burns, A.J. Maclean, t’s the nucleus of a city – the heart and hub of business George Lane and A.E. Cross were the ‘Big Four’ and were activity, shopping, dining, entertainment and more. unaware of the magnitude Calgary would achieve and the While over the past few years that vitality of Calgary’s international recognition and success the Calgary Exhibidowntown has waned beyond business hours, indications tion and Stampede would attain. are that things are really starting to pick up. As residential To say much has changed over the and commercial real estate continpast century is certainly an understateues to grow in development, projects ment. However, the heart of the city and pricing, so too does the life and and the core of activity, interaction and energy of the core in various aspects business, remains in the downtown. and offerings.

Generally defined as the area reachWhen the railway came through the ing from 14th Street West, along 9th area in 1883, pioneers and ranchers Avenue, up 7th Street SE and looping poured in and at the time a population around Memorial Drive, the downtown of 4,000 deemed it a city. The peak of zone is comprised of three communithe rush to the land of opportunity that ties and a variety of districts. Beyond was cradled by two beautiful rivers and this zone lies the ‘inner city’ which is rolling hills under sunny skies hit in skirted by Sarcee Trail, 32nd Avenue 1912 when the population of Calgary North, Deerfoot Trail and Glenmore tipped 42,000.

Trail. Both of these zones have seen It was later that same year that Guy significant change, increase in populaWeadick brought together four powertion and a resurgence of activity over ful community members and formulated Ken Rigel, agent with the Ken Rigel Group. the past few years. a challenging investment experiment 86 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Downtown Real Estate • Real Estate

“The business, real estate, recreation and lifestyle choices are endless here and there is no question that Calgary is the powerhouse of the country.” ~ Ken Rigel, agent with the Ken Rigel Group

Photo courtesy of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation.

While many jest that summer (and more specifically July) is construction season in our city, there has been ongoing and expanding construction throughout Calgary and surrounding areas for some time. Residential, commercial and industrial development and construction continues to redefine the skyline and key areas of the city. Industry experts and economists anticipate that ongoing increases in net migration and local economic fortitude will continue to bolster real estate.

“Calgary remains a strong player on a national and international scale,” explains Ken Rigel, agent with the Ken Rigel Group. “The business, real estate, recreation and lifestyle choices are endless here and there is no question that Calgary is the powerhouse of the country. As net migration remains strong, pricing too continues to climb. Residential real estate especially is seeing record pricing, volume and activity overall.”

Although the year started off slowly, experts are encouraged with the pickup. Tightened inventory early on in the single-family home market encouraged buyers to look to alternate options such as condominiums, and prompted more developers to bring projects on stream. This activity is directly reflective in the uptake in social and community

activity and profitability in the downtown core and respective businesses.

Rigel explains that while the condominium market crashed in 2007, it has recovered and is a leading market in Canada’s top cities of late. As pricing and availability has tightened in the past two years, more buyers have moved into suburban communities throughout the city. This shift in markets resulted in saturation, leaving many buyers to reconsider properties in the inner city and downtown areas again.

“Calgary is young in urbanization and the real estate markets continue to be strong. Pricing for a single-family home remains over $500,000 which is an investment but still affordable given the economic viability and opportunities here,” says Rigel. In stark contrast, the price for a singlefamily home in 2005 peaked at just over $200,000.

Condominium apartment sales for the month of April saw a 4.7 per cent year-over-year sales growth increase, with an unadjusted benchmark price of $291,700. Albeit year-overyear price gains were 9.6 per cent, pricing remains shy of the peak levels seen in 2007. In April the unadjusted benchmark price for a townhouse property was $316,700 and singlefamily homes reached $496,700 which was an increase of 9.67 per cent over the same month a year earlier. businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 87

Downtown Real Estate • Real Estate

Much of the draw to downtown has become housing options paired with lifestyle and accessibility to experiences.

Photo courtesy of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation.

Much of the draw to downtown has become housing options paired with lifestyle and accessibility to experiences.

What was once considered a bachelor condominium world (single bedroom, 900 square feet) is now much larger, fitting for families and includes custom design and finishing, increased functionality and access to extensive amenities.

As projects such as the East Village and numerous commercial buildings evolve, the demand for and interest in residential real estate in the downtown will likely increase.

There are certainly numerous projects to keep an eye on including the new Central Public Library, National Music Centre and RiverWalk.

Caralyn Macdonald, marketing and communications manager with the Calgary Downtown Association, says that downtown is once again abuzz with activity, events and interaction. Much planning and preparation has gone into creating interesting, engaging and beneficial programs that will be taking place downtown.

“There are a number of things ramping up and the reception of Calgarians to date has been most positive. Stephen Avenue Walk boasts numerous patios, dining experiences, vendors and entertainment daily. The live stage runs Tues88 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

day through Saturday afternoons and evenings, and will showcase a wide variety of local and international bands.

Pop-Up Picnics will kick off soon, with activities and entertainment in various parks and plazas around the city every second Wednesday.” Macdonald goes on to explain that contests, campaigns and special culinary events have also been scheduled.

A project of special note is the community gardens that have been created in the planters along Stephen Avenue.

The Downtown Association has partnered with the DropIn Centre and other organizations whereby their teams are responsible for planting and tending to the gardens. This is a creative community outreach program that will directly assist in managing the gardens as well as provide fresh produce for the respective kitchens.

As we broach the height of festival season, there will no doubt be an additional influx of local, regional and international visitors to our city as well. Anyone considering housing options and looking for a new angle on the city, may want to consider what’s at the heart of it all. Downtown living offers a multitude of benefits and experiences right in your own backyard. BiC

Staff at the Windsong site, Airdrie, AB

Group of Companies

The Borger Team Makes it All Possible Written by John Hardy | Photos by Bookstrucker Photography

T

he milestone 95th anniversary of the Borger Group of Companies is a testimonial to the power of teamwork and a celebration of remarkable staff.

The dynamic, Alberta-based, fourth-generation, family-owned and operated construction company – with its roots dating back to Winnipeg in 1919 – has now grown into a diverse business with a staff of 300 whose hard work, skill, dedication and quality of service continues to not only earn the trust and loyalty of Alberta developers, municipalities and engineers but grows the Borger reputation as a respected leader in Canada’s underground infrastructure, earth moving and transportation industries.

“And it’s all because of our team! They not only make the difference, they ARE the difference,” says Bill Borger Jr., the high-energy president of the Borger Group of Companies.

Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 1

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Bill Borger Jr., president of the Borger Group of Companies

The Calgary-based company’s volume of projects and its broad client base is a reflection of the Borger Group’s emphasis on uncompromised service and efficiency, the solid company focus and production methodology, the reliability of the more than 200 pieces of equipment and, most importantly, the Borger employees not only earning the company’s success but delivering the quickest project turnaround in the industry.

Last year was a record for market share in all Borger Group divisions. And 2014 is already a busy year of exciting new projects, expansion working toward a forecast of about 20 per cent growth.

“It may seem like just a nice and polite thing to say, but it’s absolutely and unconditionally true,” the president says with genuine pride. “Our Borger team not only makes our success happen, they also make working here rewarding and fun.”

The company-employee relationship is a vital aspect of the Borger Group history and current formula for business success. Bill Borger Jr. cites from a long and innova-

tive menu of the company’s staff-focused priorities and without hesitation, he is adamant about the company’s unconditional top priority: safety!

“The safety of our staff is paramount. It’s well known that the construction business is a very, very dangerous business. And it’s not just a stereotype. It’s disturbing and tragic that, in the last six years, the Alberta construction industry has had a rising number of fatalities,” he says with concern.

All the care and prevention possible doesn’t change the normal and unpredictable risks of working on construction. The physicality of the work. The hazards. The materials. The large equipment. It’s a rough and tough workplace.

Although safety has always been a big focus for the family-owned construction company, Bill Borger Jr. admits that, inside the business, creating a culture of safety can sometimes be a challenge.

“Daily we have Borger staff going up and down icy ditches and manoeuvring on frozen pipe in the howling, brutal thick

Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 2

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BORGER GROUP OF COMPANIES FOR 95 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE. At Finning, our strength and success comes from the customers we serve and an army of dedicated employees driven to help them succeed every day. We don’t take words like partnership, loyalty and dedication for granted because they’re at the very heart of everything we do.

We’ve seen the Borger Group of Companies grow using these same fundamental principles. Technology and faces may change, but basics like hard work, partnership and loyalty never waver.

Juan Carlos Villegas President Finning Canada Chief Operating Officer Finning International

Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 3

…the superb and innovative Borger team spirit manages to shine and transform the company’s safety record into an exciting (and fun) staff-incentive program.

of frigid winter or dealing with mud and extreme heat while moving mountains of soil and gravel and working under overhead cranes in sweltering summer.”

Since the early days of Alberta’s construction industry, when most companies had basic and superficial safety rules and recommendations – like mandatory hard hats, steel-toed boots, work gloves, eventually harnesses and various bits of safety gear – Borger has uncompromisingly prioritized employee safety.

“Regardless of on-site situations, details and routine risks of the construction business, it’s very personal for us. We want nothing to do with anybody getting hurt. We want everyone going home safe.”

In addition to safety being a key corporate focus, he credits the company’s positive safety record to the hard work, creativity and commitment of the company’s safety team.

“Safety is a vital example of what matters most for us and it is one of the key aspects of our corporate culture.”

And it’s working! In 2013 the Borger Group won the Canada’s Safest Employers - Silver Medal and also

acquired two sizable construction projects, directly as a result of its safety programs and strong safety record.

Morale and the employee relationship factor prominently in the Borger Group’s priority of maximizing employee safety. Since the employee’s performance-based bonus is pegged mostly on production and safety, the individual’s safety record can boost or reduce the actual amount of the bonus.

Refreshingly, even on a serious and urgent topic like employee safety, the superb and innovative Borger team spirit manages to shine and transform the company’s safety record into an exciting (and fun) staff-incentive program.

Last year, the company set a safety target of 1,500 days with no time-loss accidents (work-related injuries that hinder employees from performing their duties the day after the accident) in each of Borger’s three divisions. Aside from the vital benefit of making for a safer workplace, when the target was achieved last October, the company surprised employees and underscored the safety

Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 4

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CORIX Water Products congratulates Borger Group of Companies on 95 years of success! We look forward to many more years of continued partnership.

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1.800.667.2445 www.corix.com

The best success stories are the ones written right here Congratulations to Borger Group of Companies on 95 years in business. Your hard work and commitment embodies all that makes Western Canada a great place to live, work and play. We look forward to helping you reach even loftier heights to come.

Calgary Main: 606-4 Street SW / P: 403.262.8700 / cwbank.com

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Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 5

A unique dimension of the Borger Group’s outlook, attitude and corporate culture is genuine sensitivity about what employees think and feel. “It matters a lot.

Corporately and personally, we take staff opinions and comments very seriously,” says Bill Borger Jr.

incentive with an element of team-building fun. As a thank you (and congratulations) each employee received two tickets to the Stampeders’ Western CFL final football game, complete with a big Borger Group tailgate party for 700 employees and guests, including face-painters, jugglers and loot bags full of Borger swag proudly labelled “1,500 days.”

This year, the company is upping the incentive ante and targeting 2,500 days with no time-loss accidents. No word yet (not even enthusiastic Bill Borger Jr. is hinting) about possible surprises if the ambitious safety target is met.

As of May, the total was more than 2,000 days.

“The key is not just the fun of throwing a big party as appreciation for staff achieving safety targets. It’s not as if we’re not saving the money in WCB (Workers’ Compensation Board) premiums. It’s much more important than that,” he adds. “The team is making this a safe and a great place to work.”

A unique dimension of the Borger Group’s outlook, attitude and corporate culture is genuine sensitivity about what employees think and feel. “It matters a lot.

Corporately and personally, we take staff opinions and comments very seriously.”

“Two years ago our annual employee survey responses indicated that some workers, particularly the crews in the workplace, didn’t always feel respected at work. Whether it was the pressure of tight timelines or the foreman pushing hard to meet project deadlines,” Bill Borger Jr. recalls. “How could we focus on getting the work done

without compromising respect for the individual?”

Last April, as a direct result of survey comments, the Borger Group was the first Canadian construction company to implement a Respect in the Workplace program, to promote a workplace free from harassment and bullying.

The respect-sensitivity training consists of a three-hour online course every three years. It is mandatory for all staff, including senior management.

The company’s weekly SPC award recognizes the employees who contribute to the company’s safety, production and cost savings and the winner is announced each Monday, along with a safety tip of the week, in a phone call directly from Bill Borger Jr. that is broadcast to all Borger staff.

This year, the Borger Group (recently recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies) harnessed new technology to not only increase its efficiency and quality of service but applied technology to boost its industry-leading employee-relationship approach with the introduction of the employee web portal on the Borger website.

The state-of-the art employee tool enables each member of the Borger team to stay up to date with Borger special events, maintain their Borger employee profile, track and calculate their hour bank, track earned bonus calculations, track no time loss and workloads, access newsletters, check internal career postings and also lets employees review the latest innovation in Borger’s exciting and unique team spirit: Borger Bucks.

Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 6

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Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 7 COMM_AD_Borger95Years_0514.indd 1

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It recognizes outstanding individual employee efforts, including SPC awards, longevity, client commendations, outstanding service and more. Borger Bucks get banked in the employee’s individual web portal account and they can spend to buy special perks like hockey, football and concert tickets, travel discounts, gift cards for shopping or dining out and buying popular Borger swag like logo’d golf shirts, golf balls, tote bags, jackets, caps, hoodies and more directly from the Borger online store.

In contrast to Bill Borger Jr.’s supercharged private and professional Type A personality and his driven weakness for ‘doing’ and challenges, he is mellowed and gratified when talking about the Borger team.

“This is truly a remarkable company,” he says with admiration.“ Seventy per cent of the senior staff has worked in the

field, 93 per cent of management positions are promoted from within and well over 50 per cent of our current staff is part of their own family’s multigenerational commitment to our company.

“The most recent employee survey is a reflection of just how the team makes this company such a terrifically great place to work. Despite the sometimes difficult and nasty weather, the rough and gruelling hard work that is construction and other occupational hazards, 93 per cent of our employees responded that stated that it is fun to work at Borger, 97 per cent plan to be working at Borger in 12 months. When asked ‘How likely you are to recommend Borger as a place to work?’ (with 10 being most likely) 85 per cent scored a seven out of 10 or higher!”

Bill Borger Jr. smiles and nods. “Our team makes it all possible and they make it all worthwhile.” •

Group of Companies

www.borger.ca | 403. 279.7235

Borger Group of Companies | 95th Anniversary | 8

Advanced Measurements Celebrates 25 Years of Uptime

“W

by Stephen King

hen you’re running a frac job, you simply can’t afford downtime with your control system.”

That’s the first sentence of the new Advanced Measurements video script, introducing people to the company and its FracCommand hydraulic frac automation technology.

It’s a good first sentence. And a great place to start when thinking about Advanced Measurements. Their customers are pressure pumping service companies that need to deliver consistently and efficiently; especially in today’s competitive marketplace where a little bit of knowledge goes a long way! And, yes, Advanced Measurements knows a lot.

The Calgary-based company was founded in 1989 with a background of hardware and software integration. Into the late ’90s, they provided turnkey solutions for a variety of industries, including automotive, process control, telecommunications, exploration, drilling, fuel cell testing, and of course, oil and gas. In 2002, Advanced Measurements began to focus exclusively on mobile oilfield service equipment monitoring and automation, and hasn’t looked back since.

These days, the FracCommand Suite from Advanced Measurements is the industry’s premier frac control system. This provides service companies around the world with a complete end-to-end suite of software and hardware controls to optimize frac jobs. The high-quality controls are made in their Calgary manufacturing facility. When shipped to customers worldwide,

the controls are connected to pumps, blenders, chem units, etc. for use in a frac spread. During the frac job, Advanced Measurements data van software is used to automate the frac schedule and to log all the data channels, providing monitoring, reporting and post-job analysis.

It’s all about delivering reliability, consistency, safety and profitability to their customers. Learn more about Advanced Measurements products on their YouTube channel or through their website www.advmeas.com.

World-Class Frac Technology Based in Calgar y The unassuming building just off Macleod Trail in southeast Calgary disguises the technology, innovation and world-class manufacturing hidden within its walls.

With over 80 people in the Calgary head office and more worldwide, Advanced Measurements is a high-performing team that optimizes the use of information from oilfield equipment in an integrated hardware/software perspective – they’ve made it their main area of expertise.

On the 25th anniversary of the company, Rod Berreth, president of Advanced Measurements, says the success and longevity of the company is a direct result of that focus.

“The average tenure of the senior managers here is 9.5 years,” states Berreth. “That’s a testament to people who enjoy the work and like to contribute to advancing the world. I’ve always been

2 5 Ye a r s • A d v a n c e d M e a s u r e m e n t s • P a g e 1

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impressed with the team’s dedication in dealing with a wide range of variables and keeping the quality and reliability of our products so high. This is our real competitive advantage that has enabled us to lead the industry for many years.”

FracCommand Suite Technology, Development Processes and Manufacturing Delivers Reliability The FracCommand Suite is a collection of highly configurable hardware controllers (PumpLink, BlenderLink, HydrationLink and Chemlink) and DVCommand software that can control an entire frac spread from a centralized data van.

The FracCommand software platform is Advanced Measurement’s secret sauce. The company estimates that it has invested over 50,000 man-hours of software engineering into the platform. It helps the company provide flexible and fast customization for clients, with bulletproof code that’s been tested in the harshest conditions.

“Our customers have already realized a lot of control solutions,” says Mike King, director of technology development.

“They’ve benefited from continual system enhancements that control many different pieces of equipment. This knowledge allows customers to benefit from products with more time spent focusing on innovations and customer solutions, rather than reinventing the wheel.”

Safety of customers’ employees and their assets is extremely important to Advanced Measurements. Not only is the team proud of reducing injuries on the worksite, it’s also contributing to an even greater decrease in downtime for frac jobs. Advanced safety features include redundant hardware and intuitive software controls, fail-safe pressure kick-outs, and automation that reduces operator error.

It’s challenging to build quality, reliable controls that provide years of dependable service. Advanced Measurements facilities include full end-to-end manufacturing and focuses on high-quality production. It’s important to get things right in Calgary because it’s far more costly to deal with errors out in the field. Throughout the product development and manufacturing cycle, the company puts every piece of equipment and functionality through simulation testing and quality assurance before shipping.

Global Footprint Advanced Measurements controls have been used on over 100,000 jobs globally. More than 1,700 systems are deployed in Russia, China, Oman, Bahrain, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, and all producing regions of Canada and the United States.

In particular, the team is spending a growing amount of time looking for export opportunities in China. They’ve had a booth with the Canadian and Alberta Pavilion at CIPPE (China International Petroleum and Petrochemical Exhibition) in Beijing over the last few years.

“In addition to growth in our current markets, the China market is of particular interest to us. China has the largest shale gas basins in the world, and they are in the very early stages of development and will benefit from reliable and innovative

frac control systems. Our products could really help development of these basins, especially with the latest efficiencies that our technology has to offer,” says Jeff Aitchison, VP of business development. “The Australian shale gas play is also starting to really heat up, so that interests us as well.”

To win in the global market, Advanced Measurements offers 24-7 phone support from anywhere in the world. Training certification is offered in multiple languages to support the deployment of systems worldwide. All of which helps end users take confident ownership of their controls and software.

The Key Energy Connection Advanced Measurements is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Key Energy Services Inc. After being acquired, the relationship provided a tremendous amount of knowledge about the pressure pumping market that Advanced Measurements was able to leverage. Customers gained the benefit of all Key Energy’s experience and expert input into technology development, as well as Key Energy’s global reach.

In the summer of 2010, Key Energy Services, Inc. and Patterson-UTI Energy reached an agreement whereby Key sold its pressure pumping assets to Patterson-UTI and totally divested itself from the pressure pumping market. Patterson-UTI continues to be a valued customer of Advanced Measurements.

Strong Customers and Par tners Also key to Advanced Measurements’ success are their customers and partners.

Global partners include companies like NRG Manufacturing, UE Manufacturing, Turnkey Industries and the new partner in China, Northern Heavy Industries. They provide

2 5 Ye a r s • A d v a n c e d M e a s u r e m e n t s • P a g e 2

Rod Berreth, president; Wayne Wilkinson, service and support manager; Ian Graham, PMO; Ryan Faith, reporting and QA manager; Mike Tracy, design and manufacturing manager; Mike King, director of technology development; Douglas Chacin, director of finance; Jeff Samis, product manager; Jeff Aitchison, VP business development.

equipment for their customers with Advanced Measurements controls, pre-installed.

For customers who are slowly upgrading their fleet, it’s comforting to know that the controls work with hundreds of different engines, transmissions and other existing equipment.

In addition, the FracCommand Suite is designed to work with third-party controls systems. All this is designed to make it easy to integrate FracCommand into customers’ operations – fleet conversion can happen over time, all the while maintaining an interoperable fleet. It’s future-proofed because customers aren’t locked into a single equipment manufacturer.

Big Data? Big Future.

Advanced Measurements has been a leader in frac hardware controls and software automation for 25 years. What lies in store for the future?

“The FracCommand Suite logs thousands of channels of realtime data, more than any other solution available,” says Jeff Samis, senior global product manager. “This data is used to run the frac job from the data van, of course, but also can be used for post-job, trend and predictive analysis, which is where we can add a lot of value in the future.”

The skilled engineering and development teams are putting a business focus on providing customers with decision quality information at their fingertips. For example, data can be used to produce customized maintenance and treatment reports based on sensors that monitor actual wear-and-tear on the equipment, not just an estimate or “monthly” maintenance. This reduces non-productive time by identifying specific repairs at time of need before a failure occurs, rather than an arbitrary schedule.

Advanced Measurements closely follows the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) studies on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing. It is widely anticipated that the results of EPA studies will require compliance reporting that will demand sensor verified activity data; something that Advanced Measurements excels at.

Whatever challenges come, Advanced Measurements is committed to leading the industry into the next 25 years.

7110 Fisher Road SE Calgary, AB T2H 0W9 403.571.7273 • www.advmeas.com

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2 5 Ye a r s • A d v a n c e d M e a s u r e m e n t s • P a g e 3

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403-276-1184 102 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

People | Partners | Performance

Take it or Leave it Rules and Etiquette • Golf

Take it or Leave it Rules and Etiquette

BY JOHN HARDY

O

K, OK. Golf is great game, deep-rooted and rich in history and tradition.

Although as far back as cavemen, the idea of using a club to hit a round rock into a hole in the ground could have happened (they weren’t sporting cargo shorts, hot-pink shirts and bush hats) yet there is universal agreement that the game of golf was invented in Scotland, by wonderful people who dressed funny, sipped heavenly drink and loved to eat chopped liver and oatmeal stuffed into the lining of a sheep’s stomach.

Can even golfers take people like that seriously? YES! The traditions, the sacred spirit and, probably, the rules and etiquette of the game of golf dates back to the 18th century.

For more close-to-home relevance, Calgary was founded only in 1875 and because there were likely other priorities, like houses, roads, sewers and where to put the first Tim Hortons, it took the early Calgary pioneers about 22 years to open the Calgary Golf and Country Club.

A mere 117 years later, Calgary golfers have dozens of

more options about where to play the sacred game. But even in Calgary, give or take a few tweaks and edits over the years, the rules and etiquette of golf are predictable, traditional and pretty much same-old, same old.

Time for a refreshing top-up. Maybe just a fluffing up of the pillows, pick-and-choose list of golf rules and etiquette, especially for enjoying the game at Priddis Greens, Springbank Links, Shaganappi, Glencoe, D’Arcy Ranch, Bearspaw and all around Calgary.

The traditions, the sacred spirit and, probably, the rules and etiquette of the game of golf dates back to the 18th century.

businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 103

Take it or Leave it Rules and Etiquette • Golf

ous marriage to Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Eminem or Kanye, do not wear caps, lids or hats backward while playing golf.

Not funny, not charming and definitely not cool.

No Denim Nothing to do with being snooty, stodgy or stuck-up, there’s just something about jeans that doesn’t fit on a golf course.

Maybe because shorts are the unofficial uniform of golf or maybe because jeans, anywhere and any time, are the fashion world’s slippery slope.

There are jeans and there are jeans. There are jeans that cost more than some people’s three-piece suit. There are jeans that have memories of engine oil, house paint and mustard and there are pet jeans that look all-comfy but barely denim anymore.

Besides, most jeans don’t “feel” right during golf. Making a full turn while carrying a ball, tees, divot tool and scorecard in your jeans pocket can be hazardous to your health.

Hats Off Indoors!

New Rules?

Digital Ban Yes, we get it. You’re important. You can’t risk being unreachable and yes, your cell is like an extension of your ear. But your golf buddies are not amused (and likely won’t even give you a squinted dirty look) when your cutesy-cute and clever ringtone goes off in the middle of a partner’s backswing.

Not funny, not charming and not nice.

Go ahead, shut it off and try to escape all those real-world pressures. You may be shocked (and disappointed) that they, and the world, will survive without you.

No Hats on Backward Unless your bucket list includes trying out to be a catcher for the Blue Jays or the Red Sox or you are related by previ-

104 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Having a cool and frothy and a cheeseburger on the 19th hole or getting ready in the change room, there’s no more need for shade, avoiding sunburns or a place to squeeze in the little pencil. There’s likely a fancy ceiling with a solid roof above. It takes the place of a hat.

You may have sweaty, clammy-looking and unmanageable golf hair but most people understand and share the look.

Being true, compassionate and rights-respecting Canadians, most people would likely be OK with hats indoors for special religious reasons or ... the agony of exposing usually camouflaged receding hairlines.

New (and classic) Etiquette The Spirit of the Game Unlike many sports, golf is played without the strict and watchful eye of an enforcer – a referee or an umpire. The game relies on the integrity of players to be considerate of other players, or whether you wanted to play with them or not. Keep smiling, at least grinning.

Competitiveness It’s OK to be competitive, focused and humourless but stay disciplined and a good sport (even if you have to force a grin).

Golf is not like a good fight on the ice in the NHL. They’re

Take it or Leave it Rules and Etiquette • Golf

professional, with just a few teeth. You’re not! They have an audience. You don’t! They get paid to play the game. You don’t.

You may get humoured out of pity but an obnoxious tantrum in the name of being a very competitive golfer is neither forgiven nor forgotten.

Safety Seriously, golfers must ensure that other golfers are not close by or near enough to be hit not only by the club or wild ball but stones, pebbles, twigs and stuff during a stroke or practice swing.

If a player plays a ball in a direction where there is a danger of hitting someone, he should immediately shout a warning. The traditional PGA word of warning is “fore.”

Do Not Disturb Golfers should always show consideration for other golfers in the group or the foursome ahead or behind and not disturb their play (or give them cheap excuses) by moving around a lot, loud talking, yucking, or with laughter, spontaneous bouts of victory or embarrassed failure dances.

Whether delighted, relieved or surprised that you have made it to the putting green, be considerate!

Play Nice on the Green Whether delighted, relieved or surprised that you have made it to the putting green, be considerate! Golfers should not stand on another golfer’s line of putt or cast even a groundhog shadow over the line of another golfer’s putt.

And don’t drift into your own little world. You’re not alone or avoiding paparazzi like Tiger or Rory. Stay on or close to the green until all the other golfers in the group have holed out.

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106 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

It could be aliens. Or the fairway is haunted. If you’re just out having some fun with friends and a golfer loses sight of the ball or can’t find it by the time it’s time for the next shot, do the planet (and the rest of the foursome) a favour: take a drop and a one stroke penalty and keep playing.

No, nobody will say anything after the fifth long minute of searching, but they do mind!

Transferring Your Weight

John Seymour Head Golf Professional Lynx Ridge Golf Club

These changes should get your club head traveling more on the correct swing path (straight) towards the golf ball and consequently hitting straighter shots!

Hooking the golf ball, not hitting the ball very far and consistency are the bad habits of many golfers. A good golf swing starts with the setup, grip and posture. The next step to review is the transferring of the weight. As the club goes back in the swing the weight should be going back to your back foot and shifting towards your front foot as you bring the club through the downswing to strike the golf ball.

Without any weight transfer, your golf swing will be all arms resulting in a hook, not getting the desired height and/or not getting much distance.

Like any sport, weight distribution in golf is so important going through the swing because it helps to get more distance, helps to get the ball up in the air after you strike it and produces a more consistent golf swing.

“

Figure 1.

As shown in the picture, a good drill to get your momentum and weight moving forward in your swing from your back leg is to get your back shoulder turning through the ball from the top of your swing. As you go through the ball at impact, your shoulder position should finish squarely at your target. This is an easy swing thought to think about when creating your downswing towards the golf ball. You should start to feel your front hip turn towards your target. All your weight going towards that front foot and your back heel coming off the ground is completing your swing in a proper manner.

These changes should get your club head travelling more on the correct swing path (straight) towards the golf ball and consequently hitting straighter shots!

John Seymour, Head Golf Professional

Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect.

It is at the same time rewarding and maddening and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented. ~ Arnold Palmer, US golfer

�

Take it or Leave it Rules and Etiquette • Golf

…at the end of the day, the great pleasure of the game is the time that you get to spend with friends.

Finally Done At the end of the round, shake hands, congratulate the winners, console and go along with the cheap excuses of the losers and thank them for their company.

Because, at the end of the day, the great pleasure of the game is the time that you get to spend with friends. BiC

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the Club and own a piece of the experience.

Call today for a membership package and your private tour 403 931 3171

108 8 • April • July2014 2014 BUSINESS BUSINESSININCALGARY CALGARY | | businessincalgary.com businessincalgary.com

Leading Business Connecting to solve business challenges

JULY 2014

Increased Fees and Taxes Threaten City’s Competitiveness

C

algary is one of the most expensive places to do business in Canada. Wages are well above the Canadian average, as are parking, commercial real estate and housing costs. As the cost of living and doing business in Calgary continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly challenging to operate a business successfully and attract and retain skilled talent.

In May this year, city council approved increases to property taxes, utility rates, waste-water charges and recycling fees for the next four-year budget that will impact citizens and businesses alike. Taxes will rise 4.7 per cent a year and water and sewage fees will increase by 8.3 per cent annually.

This means by 2018 the average homeowner will be paying $900 more per year in civic bills. This is a significant amount of money for average Calgarians. Business owners face an increased challenge as they pay tax rates 3.5 times higher than homeowners.

The Calgary Chamber has worked in partnership with government for over a century to create the conditions necessary for businesses to grow and be successful. However, the Calgary Chamber believes these and further tax and fee hikes will have a serious impact on the city’s business community and will decrease competitiveness compared to other jurisdictions. The

Calgary Chamber surveyed Calgary business leaders from a variety of industries on this issue. Results showed that 50 percent of Calgary business leaders think that given the current environment, any further tax and fee increases from City Hall over the next four years will have a significant impact on the profitability and competitiveness of their business.

These increased costs have the potential of resulting in the loss or relocation of companies from outside of Calgary.

As the voice of the business community, the Calgary Chamber issued a letter to Mayor Nenshi and the rest of city council on behalf of its membership expressing its concern, and called on city council to conduct an overall analysis of the competitiveness of the city and evaluate the implication of these tax and fee increases as a whole on that competitiveness.

Since issuing the letter, the Calgary Chamber has been making headlines across the city with positive reaction from the business community, average citizens and several members of council. In the coming months the Chamber will continue working to keep taxes and fees as low as possible, helping Calgary continue to be the best place in Canada to both live and work. To read the letter go to CalgaryChamber. com/TaxLetterToCouncil. businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 109

2014 Board of

Directors

Chamber Member Spotlights

Executive Chair: Leah Lawrence, President, Clean Energy Capitalists Inc. Immediate Past Chair: Joe Lougheed, Partner, Dentons Canada LLP Chair Elect: Rob Hawley, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Second Vice Chair: Denis Painchaud, Director, International Government Relations, Nexen Inc. Vice Chair, Finance: Bill Brunton, Chief Communications Officer, Calgary Board of Education CEO: Adam Legge, President and CEO, Calgary Chamber

Directors David Allen, President, Calgary Land, Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. Carlos Alvarez, Audit Partner, KPMG Lorenzo DeCicco, Vice-President, TELUS Business Solutions Rob Hawley, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

The Calgary Chamber is proud to represent many Calgary businesses large and small; this month we are highlighting some of our industry leading members.

Air Canada Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving over 180 destinations on five continents. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities and is proud to serve the province of Alberta, which is home to over 1,500 Air Canada employees, with non-stop service to seven communities: Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

With a wide range of corporate programs, which includes Air Canada Corporate Rewards, Air Canada gives the business community flexibility and choice while helping companies realize cost savings and added value to their travel program.

For more information visit AirCanada.com.

Wellington Holbrook, Executive Vice-President, ATB Financial Guy Huntingford, Chief Executive Officer, Urban Development Institute Bruce Okabe, Chief Executive Officer, Travel Alberta Phil Roberts, Vice-President, Axia NetMedia Corp Linda Shea, Senior Vice-President, AltaLink Mike Williams, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services, Encana

Management Adam Legge – President and CEO Michael Andriescu – Director of Finance and Administration Kim Koss – Vice President, Business Development Scott Crockatt – Director of Marketing and Communications Rebecca Wood – Director of Member Services

BP Canada BP Canada’s main focus is on developing energy from Canada’s oilsands and helping to supply customers with safe and reliable energy every day. Their integrated supply and trading business spans the country and makes them one of the top oil and natural gas marketers and traders in Canada. As a major buyer of Canadian oil and natural gas, BP Canada holds interests in three oilsands assets in the Athabasca region of northeastern Alberta. BP Canada also provides risk management services for commodities including oil, natural gas liquids and power to both producers and consumers.

For more information visit BP.com.

Justin Smith – Director of Policy, Research and Government Relations

Leading Business magazine is a co-publication of the Calgary Chamber and Business in Calgary Calgary Chamber 600, 237 8th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2G 5C3 Phone: (403) 750-0400 Fax: (403) 266-3413 calgarychamber.com

Mango Maids Mango Maids is a commercial and residential cleaning company serving customers in both the Calgary and Edmonton areas. Each location has different cleaning needs. Mango Maids’ highly-trained professional staff work with clients to create a custom cleaning plan for the home or office to ensure it receives the best possible clean, and that clients are completely satisfied with the results.

Mango Maids specializes in home cleaning, commercial cleaning, move out/in cleaning, post-construction cleaning, janitorial, carpets, tile and grout cleaning, and summer barbecue cleaning.

For more information visit MangoMaids.com.

110 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

Upcoming Events For details and to purchase tickets for any of the Calgary Chamber’s events please visit CalgaryChamber.com.

Friday, July 4, 2014 Calgary Chamber Stampede Breakfast 7:00am-12pm | Delta Bow Valley They say some of the best business deals are made during Stampede. Come network and make connections amongst other members of the Calgary business community, while celebrating the kickoff of the city’s largest event.

Join the Calgary Chamber and other Calgary business executives for a hearty buffet breakfast at the Delta Bow Valley, prior to the annual Stampede Parade. Then stay for the parade, as the Chamber also has reserved bleacher seating located on 6th Avenue between 3rd Street and Macleod Trail SE.

Flood Resiliency Workshops The Chamber played an essential role in helping businesses recover from last year’s devastating floods, including partnering with 12 other community organizations to create the Business Recovery Task Force – aimed at getting businesses cleaned up and repaired as quickly as possible, and helping business owners prepare to reopen.

The Chamber also held a business recovery expo, designed as a one-stop shop event consisting of an expo and panel discussion to provide the necessary tools and information for flood-affected business owners.

Over one year later, most of the city has returned to normal operation, but many small businesses continue to need support, as they may have opened their doors, but now struggle to draw customers back into their store. After discussions with Calgary BRZs and Chambers of Commerce in Bragg Creek, Okotoks and High River, it has been determined the common challenge faced by small, flood-affected businesses now is marketing.

The Calgary Chamber in partnership with the Government of Alberta has continued its floodrecovery work by hosting marketing workshops in Calgary communities and the surrounding areas directed towards flood-affected business owners wanting to learn a new set of skills to market their business in order to revive it. Participants had the opportunity to learn from a panel of marketing professionals and walked away with tangible and actionable marketing strategies to get customers back in the door. To see upcoming workshop opportunities visit CalgaryChamber.com.

112 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

T Ce im 40 le e T Ye br o ar aT s e

T Ca Ha N F Pa or lGa Ks rT be rY oF iNG The Calgary Telus Convention Centre (CTCC) turns 40 this year and plans to share this milestone with all Calgarians. To celebrate the CTCC’s 40 years and to highlight its role in the growth of the city and the lives of many Calgarians, there will be a range of outdoor activities in central Calgary throughout the summer bringing Calgarians and visitors together.

HigHligHTs of THe ConvenTion CenTre’s 40 year HisTory inClude: Bringing 200,876 TeaCHers TogeTHer Helping 233,999 sTudenTs CeleBraTe THeir graduaTion WelComing THe THousands of ouT-ofToWn visiTors THaT visiT THe CenTre every Week

generaTing over $50 million spenT By meeTing and ConferenCe delegaTes every year faCiliTaTing THe gaTHering of Hundreds of Canadian Companies aT THe CTCC every year To meeT, To CeleBraTe, and To CommuniCaTe

reCeiving over 350,000 visiTors per year To THe CenTre CreaTing over $105 million in annual eConomiC impaCT on THe CiTy of Calgary HosTing THe Calgary arT markeT sinCe 1986

The Centre was the first full service convention facility built in Canada and was, and remains, a showpiece for the dynamic city of Calgary. The city’s population has increased by approximately one million people in the 40 years since the Centre opened, and the facility has expanded twice since its original construction in 1974 to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city and an ever expanding population. former premier the late ralph klein used a laser to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the new addition in 2000.

The CTCC is a hub of activity for Calgarians and continues to bring people together to share ideas, build new relationships, and to celebrate all that our city has to offer. The Centre has both preserved and created history over the last 40 years. for example, the gargoyles from the original Calgary Herald Building were saved and incorporated into the new facility’s construction. The celebrations planned for this summer feature many of Calgary’s landmarks and will celebrate the city’s past, present, and bright future.

Watch for activities this summer and join the Calgary Telus Convention Centre in celebrating 40 years of creating history. calgary-convention.com expandthecentre.ca businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 113

Inviting Toronto to the Calgary Party

BY STEWART MCDONOUGH

G

ood marketing campaigns, just like dinner parties, are journeys – stay with me now. You have to figure out what you’re going to make, who you’ll invite to the party, if there will be entertainment or gifts, and who’s paying. Then you need to give your guests an experience worthy of a Facebook post or a tweet and/or a food presentation worthy of an Instagram share.

Tourism Calgary and their partners went through all those steps as part of a recent Toronto adventure. Let’s break their journey into stages.

Discovery

Tourism Calgary had to consider research, reality and resources. Research indicated that Calgary was now better established in regional markets and should look to longer-haul markets for incremental, higher-yield growth.

According to the Conference Board of Canada and Statistics Canada, the Toronto market travels to the tune of $2.3 billion annually spent on travel within Canada with roughly $128 million of that spent directly in Calgary. Tourism Calgary expects to see an increase in spending from Ontario travellers in Calgary of $20 million over the next three years.

To make a noticeable dent in Toronto’s packed marketing landscape requires a long-term strategy, a big idea and close to a million-dollar investment. So Tourism Calgary needed, as is always best, to bring their friends together.

Fortunately, their friends were there already. Individually, the Calgary Hotel Association, the Calgary Stampede, Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Heritage Park Historical Village, Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance and Travel Alberta were considering approaching the competitive Toronto market.

By pooling resources and planning collaboratively, the group could build a plan with a variety of measures and one common goal – to grow visitation from Toronto to Calgary’s experiences.

Develop(ery)

A big idea was needed that would rally the troops and grab an inundated media’s attention. With that in mind, Tourism Calgary’s creative agency, Venture Communications, presented this: “Let’s take our iconic White Hat and what it symbolizes, make it humongous, float it in the Toronto harbour front and 114 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

use it to pivot to everything Calgary has #underthehat.”

While the pivot is important, the White Hat itself encompasses Calgary’s well-known western hospitality welcome, harkens back to a western heritage and, of course, brings to mind the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth – all things Tourism Calgary wants to recognize and use as a starting point to the broader Calgary story.

Delivery

The first stage of delivery was to reach out to the highly sought-after, and very buzzword-y, influencers who demand serious attention and can deliver wide audiences: Calgary influencers and social media managers started to share Calgary’s #underthehat stories; the Toronto campaign kicked off with high-profile Calgary ambassadors including Arlene Dickinson, John Gilchrist and 10 star chefs hosting media and social media influencers at a Calgary dinner experience; and the following night the team hosted Toronto’s most influential tour operators and online travel agencies.

Then the team launched the world’s largest buoyant white cowboy hat with significant media support including 16 million impressions from social media alone.

The White Hat incursion continued on the Toronto harbourfront at a major international children’s festival with 10,000 attendees.

The giant floating hat met the giant elevated hat – a 40-foot hat-covered tent hovering above hoop-dancing demonstrations, Calgary Top Chefs, mural artists, Cowtown Opera performances and 2,500 white Smithbilt hats given away.

The intent was to leave them, Torontonians, wanting more.

And then to remind them to visit with a digital advertising campaign including offers and packages that create urgency to visit with a strong call to action.

To conclude, let’s return to the dinner party metaphor: At the end of the party it’s important to figure out what appetizer didn’t work, who to add to the invite list, and how to make it bigger and better next time around.

This is the beginning of a minimum three-year Toronto strategy necessary because lasting impressions are made over time and sustainable growth from major markets is hard won. So Tourism Calgary and their friends and partners are evaluating tactics, measuring impact and already planning for the next party in Toronto.

Calgary’s Core Strength and Financing City-Building

BY BRUCE GRAHAM

I

have recently been thinking about the significance of Calgary’s prosperity for the province and for the entire country. And it all starts within eight square blocks in downtown Calgary.

Statistics Canada reports that Alberta accounted for 27.5 per cent of employment growth in 2013. Out of the 725,000 people employed in Calgary (CMA, 2011), 23 per cent work in the city centre. The market capitalization of TSX-listed Calgary-based companies represent 25 per cent of all listings and Calgary has the highest concentration of head offices per capita in Canada.

You may be surprised to learn that at the same time, 37 per cent of Calgary’s tax base is paid by business within these eight square blocks. So what does this all mean?

I like to think of our downtown core as Canada’s beehive of activity. The country’s bright spot that Calgarians should be proud of, government should continue investing in, and businesses should appreciate that we cannot rest on our laurels if we want to see this continued prosperity well into the future.

Calgary has been steadily adding new office inventory to downtown since 2006. During this period, Calgary has increased its inventory of downtown office space by 29 per cent, faster than any other major market in the country creating one of the most densely populated and influential downtowns in Canada. A recent Avison Young report said Calgary surpassed Toronto in 2013 as the biggest office development market in Canada. It is anticipated Calgary will soon overtake Montreal as the second largest downtown office market by square footage in Canada. A city centre driving the country’s economic growth deserves our ongoing TLC if we want to ensure not only its strength, but its vibrancy, for years to come.

While Calgary needs to continually invest in our downtown to ensure future prosperity, the city has limited means to raise revenue to invest in hard and soft infrastructure. The city’s primary source of revenue is property tax. As stated previously, one third of Calgary’s tax base is generated by the downtown core. However, these revenues need to cover the costs of the entire city. At the same time, the city needs

to remain competitive with respect to the costs of doing business. Calgary’s healthy business climate and increasing values of commercial properties have resulted in Calgary’s relative taxes paid being lower than all other major cities in Canada, less than half the relative taxes paid in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

While this is all great news for our city, there is some research suggesting we still have work to do. Last summer, Statistics Canada released a report suggesting only one quarter of those migrating to Alberta made the province their permanent residence. In business terms, when half the battle is getting customers into your store, one should expect a higher customer retention than 25 per cent. If this is not happening in Alberta, as the study suggests, we need to ask ourselves why. While many factors come to mind, there is no doubt that the perceived lack of quality-of-life infrastructure (arts and culture, sports and recreation) has had an impact.

In recognition that our downtown core is carrying more than its fair share of Canada’s economic prosperity, we need to be continually creating and maintaining our soft infrastructure including hotels, convention function space, cultural and recreation facilities, and green spaces. If we’re lagging in one area, it’s that investment in these types of infrastructure isn’t keeping pace with the investment the private sector has made in our core. While great progress is being made with the National Music Centre and Calgary Public Library, we must remember that continual investment in these types of projects will be important to keeping the businesses and people who run them here for the long term.

With a competitive market for talent, Calgary cannot be meek about improving the quality of place.

The City of Calgary will continue to strive for cost competitiveness and keep a lid on non-residential property taxes.

Given this, we need to figure out a way to raise the funds to invest in this much-needed quality-of-life infrastructure.

All levels of government are maxed out paying for hard infrastructure in our growing city. Now is the time for us as Calgarians to figure out how we raise the funds to invest in making Calgary a highly sought-after lifestyle and workplace destination for generations to come. BiC businessincalgary.com | BUSINESS IN CALGARY July 2014 • 115

A Seat at the Roundtable

Sponsored by

Advisory group provides support for CEOs of fast-growth tech companies |

“I

t has been said to me before that being the CEO can be a lonely position because there are not a lot of other people to talk to,” says Scott Pickard, president and CEO, Business Infusions. Founders of technology companies now have a forum to discuss their challenges in a confidential environment. The CEO Roundtable, an Innovate Calgary program sponsored by ATB Corporate Financial Services, engages members through one-on-one mentoring and monthly meetings with a dedicated group where candid discussions and problem solving can take place. And what happens in the roundtable stays in the roundtable.

“The fundamental principal of the CEO Roundtable is trust.

It’s a group of people that have built a high degree of trust in each other and have a vested interest in helping one another,” says Michael Kurtz, president, ITforDev. At the helm of each roundtable group is a facilitator to champion the program.

Both Pickard and Kurtz are program facilitators who initially became involved as members in need of a peer group to help grow their businesses. Here are their insights into the program.

Q. Why do entrepreneurs decide to participate in the CEO Roundtable?

Scott Pickard (SP): I think that companies have a requirement to have a trusted and confidential peer group that they can talk to about their business, their challenges and issues, and get some second opinions on whether they’re approaching things the right way or doing it in ways that are going to be most successful.

Michael Kurtz (MK): They want to benefit from the experiences of others that are going through exactly the same thing. Generally within the peer group, everyone will have had some kind of experience in an area that comes up as an issue for someone else. It’s really an experience, sharing and learning group.

What learnings can be expected?

SP: Content is really driven by each of the users and their particular issues at the time. They can expect to really get different opinions from other seasoned CEOs about the best way to drive their business forward. We cover pretty much everything the CEOs need an opinion or second opinion on. Common topics include lack of time, looking at the big picture versus getting caught up in details, and financing.

MK: We’ll cover everything from people issues, financing, legal, sales growth, product strategy, exiting and acquisitions. We touch on just about everything that’s involved in building and growing a business. We’re also working on rolling out a separate Board Roundtable pro116 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

ANDREA MENDIZABAL

gram that will provide the same peer sharing experience but on a board level.

How does collaboration between peers help increase the success of a business?

SP: It gives them another sounding board and outside opinion. The CEO Roundtable brings the venue of other CEOs in a similar position and gives them the framework and a confidential structure to share ideas, thoughts and help each other out.

MK: Instead of being on your own, trying to figure it out, you have a group of people who are in the same boat who can help you. Learning is often a process of making mistakes and collaboration provides a chance for you to hear and learn from others’ experiences first rather than making those same errors yourself.

Can you provide an example of a company that experienced a turning point in the CEO Roundtable?

SP: We had a company that was able to leverage the input from the group to help negotiate some licensing rights and this allowed that company to really expand their product and revenue on the international stage.

MK: We had a company whose sales were not moving forward and it was not profitable. Our roundtable group helped them with the strategy that saw their sales grow from tens of thousands per month to hundreds of thousands of dollars per month in a period of a year.

How is confidentiality handled within the groups?

SP: People want to know how the content will remain confidential. The real answer to that is personal integrity. The technology space in Calgary is relatively small and the roundtable groups that are in play right now have a high level of integrity to each other. You can sign all the paperwork that you want but it’s really about the people that are going to be involved. What happens in those sessions remains confidential, really allowing people to share issues and challenges.

MK: If there is an ounce of concern on anyone’s part, it’s not good for the trust and comfort of the group. We had a situation where two member companies looked like they might have competing businesses. I had both CEOs speak to one another, describe what they were doing, express concerns and then I talked to them individually. In that situation we decided to place each CEO in separate roundtable groups. Our members are not competitive with one another so they have a vested interest in helping one another.

To learn more about Innovate Calgary’s CEO Roundtable program, visit innovatecalgary.com/growing-a-company/CEOs. BiC

THE CALGARY TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CAN HOST UP TO 4,000 PEOPLE

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN 5,000 PEOPLE WANT TO CONNECT HERE? WHAT’S NEXT AT THE CENTRE OF ENERGY? –

calgary-convention.com

MarketingMatters • David Parker

MarketingMatters

BY DAVID PARKER

J

oe Hospodarec, one of this city’s, and Canada’s, brightest creative talents, has joined Karo Group as creative director. The former executive creative director and founding partner of WAX, he has 17 years of experience including stints at TBA and Trigger Communications.

Karo CEO Chris Bedford says Hospodarec, who has been internationally recognized for his work, will be instrumental in shaping the firm’s integrated approach to brand and business communications including work in corporate reputation, advertising, design, identity, packaging, digital online and web.

Karo has been successful in recruiting several other talented individuals recently. Mark Lucas moved over from Cult to accept the role as senior digital art director; Lyndsay Wasko, a recent grad of Alberta College of Art and Design, has joined Karo as art director; and Matt Durnan, who was a former account manager at TAXI and O&M in Toronto, went back to school and graduated from Humber College, has moved to Calgary to join Bedford’s team as copywriter.

They will be kept busy with new work including corporate websites for Tervita and AIMCo; a new consumer website for Wild Rose Brewery following the all-new packaging and labelling that is now at retail; and a consumer campaign for Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) entitled Love to Recycle.

Karo is working on a summer campaign for Banff and Lake Louise Tourism entitled Nature Rules and

continues with lots of new work for Streetside Developments.

Its newest client is Neuchâtel Junior College, one of Canada’s pre-eminent university prep school experiences for Grade 12/gap year students based out of Toronto that operates in Switzerland, with students boarded with local families there. Karo has been named social and digital agency of record.

•••••••••••••• Randy Mowat, senior vice president of marketing at MNP, received the prestigious Marketer of the Year award at the gala celebration of the Association for Accounting Marketing’s 2014 Summit in Austin, Texas.

It was presented by sponsor INSIDE Pubic Accounting magazine to recognize Mowat’s exemplary performance in the field of accounting marketing. Publisher Ken Platt says, “We are thrilled to present Randy with the profession’s most coveted award; he is performance-oriented, entrepreneurial and a visionary.”

In its 20 years the award has been presented, Mowat is the first Canadian to be recognized.

•••••••••••••• Sorry to see Stewart McDonough has left the city after 10 years working with the media here. The director of communications at Tourism Calgary has departed for Ontario to seek new adventures and opportunities.

•••••••••••••• Royop Development used its groundbreaking ceremony for its Gates of Nolan Hill shopping centre to introduce its new company logo and brand position.

It is the work of Chatterson Drive, a Calgary-based agency that specializes only in residential, commercial real estate and real estate development, that after a visioning process provided Royop with a complete branding pack-

118 • July 2014 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | businessincalgary.com

age that will help it tell its message to industry partners, tenants and the end consumer.

Chatterson managing partner Jason Hardy says the company is now in its seventh year and currently has 12 full-time staff kept very busy within the core areas of research, strategy and marketing, creative services plus a new video production company called Chatterson Motion.

He says the firm has worked with many of the major real estate companies including Jayman, Hopewell, Royop and WestCreek and is heavily involved in research and strategy for seniors’ health-care facilities. A big feather in the cap was the recent award to do the branding, research and marketing for the West Campus lands on the west side of the University of Calgary at 32nd Avenue and Shaganappi Trail NW. •••••••••••••• Union Athletica is “Calgary’s hottest urban fitness facility focusing on spin, barre, yoga and trx” according to Ryan Townend, CEO of William Joseph Communications. His agency has been engaged to add the edge to their brand to ensure campaigns and branding resonate with the not so faint of heart.

William Joseph is also boasting of other new clients including gymnastics facility Flip Factory; new nightclub Standard YYC; and the Egg Farmers of Alberta. And big news for its Saskatoon office is to work for Credit Union Centre, home of the Saskatoon Blades, to rebrand the facility with its new – as yet unnamed - title sponsor. BiC

Parker’s Pick: The better Stampede art on downtown windows.

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