Saskatchewan-born business owner returns to his roots

But his visit to Northern Saskatchewan was a little bit personal too. Born 200 kilometers west of Saskatoon in the small town of Luseland, Pattison spent part of his childhood in Prince Albert. His father worked as a Ford salesmen before moving the family to British Columbia.

“There are no people like the people from Saskatchewan. They are very loyal to each other; honest people,” Pattison said.

An only child, Pattison grew up around cars and became a salesmen like his father.

“I was very fortunate. I couldn’t have had better parents,” Pattison said. “I liked cars so I got a job in the used car business. I worked for a GM dealer for a number of years, and then I struck out on my own in the car business in Vancouver.”

The GM dealership Pattison purchased in 1961 was the beginning of his illustrious career as a business tycoon. While Pattison still owns car dealerships to this day – 25 to be exact – he has ventured into much, much more.

His influence in Saskatchewan continues to grow with the acquisition of Maple Farm Equipment, John Deere dealerships, and the expansion into the prairies with his successful grocery chain Save-On-Foods.

In June, it was announced that the Save-On-Foods chain would be coming to Saskatchewan, the first store to be built in Regina in 2016. A total of four stores are planned for Saskatchewan including locations in Saskatoon, Yorkton, and Moose Jaw.

The expansion into Saskatchewan isn’t surprising considering Pattison’s view of the province.

“I think there was a time when a lot of young people had to leave Saskatchewan because there wasn’t any jobs. Today there are more and more people coming back to Saskatchewan because there are more opportunities and that of course is very positive,” Pattison said.

Pattison took advantage of those opportunities last year when the Jim Pattison Broadcast group acquired several radio stations in Saskatchewan from Rawlco Radio. Pattison’s first venture in the broadcast world was in the 1960s with Vancouver-based AM Station, CJOR. Over the years, the Broadcast Group has also acquired stations from Monarch Broadcasting and Bell Media. The group is currently responsible for nearly 50 radio stations in western Canada.

“The music changes, the attitude, the world has become much more international than it used to be,” Pattison said.

“News is such a big issue today because something happens in the Middle East and it affects us one way or another … No matter where you live, in a remote town or somewhere else, what happens a long ways away definitely affects our live much more than it used to.”

Pattison credits part of his success to his ability. Even at his age, Pattison has managed to stay at the forefront of the changing world.

“What’s different today is that there has always been change, but it’s the speed of change that’s different today … the risks are higher but also the rewards are higher if you can adapt.” he said.

“Everything changes all the time. Nothing stays still. If you don’t move forward and adjust you’ll get left behind.

The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group owns Power 99 FM, Mix 101 FM, 900 CKBI, and paNOW.

knguyen@jpbg.ca

Follow on Twitter: @khangvnguyen

by Khang Nguyen

Saskatchewan-born business owner returns to his roots

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