Contents | July 2014
cover
The Top 100
For the 25th year in a row, we list B.C.'s biggest companies by revenue and dive deep into the market forces behind the year that was.
by Peter Mitham
features
Get Smart
Almost 90 per cent of British Columbians own a smartphone, changing the way we communicate with each other. Now many businesses are hoping a similar revolution will transform how we pay and get paid for goods and services.
by David Godsall
Made to Order
When Christine Day left the helm of retail phenomenon Lululemon last year, many people wondered where she would land. The answer, Luvo, a prepared-food maker, is both surprising and expected.
by Jim Sutherland
The Chinese Are Coming! The Chinese Are Coming!
Say goodbye to "Super, Natural B.C." The wild outdoors of our province take a backseat to the camera-friendly attractions of our biggest cities, thanks to the dominant new Chinese tourist market.
by Andrew Findlay
Talkin' 'Bout Your Reputation
In the age of social media, effectively managing your online reputation is critical. And for small-business owners, that task is both more urgent and more challenging.
by Anicka Quin
Prince of the City
Francesco Aquilini is best known as the man behind the Canucks, but his family empire now extends to include everything from blueberry farms to golf courses to high-end restaurants. An intimate portrait of one of Vancouver's most influential corporate citizens.
by Gary Stephen Ross
Good Things Come in Small Packages
It won't make him rich, but Aaron Quesnel's foray into the world of urban agriculture–growing and delivering microgreens to chi-chi Vancouver restaurants–is part of a growing movement to keep things intensely local.
by Richard Littlemore
Building the Future
Ever wonder who's behind all those scale-model towers that enchant us so at the condo sales office? A look behind the bustling business of AB Scale Model.
Photos by Adam Blasberg / Text by Ben Oliver
B.C. Takes on the World
The inaugural BCBusiness survey on International Business. Who's doing business abroad–and who isn't?
by Dee Hon
Frontlines
RETAILBottoms Up, B.C.
After the government signalled its intention to change B.C.'s Victorian-era liquor laws, many were hoping for big changes to take effect this summer drinking season. Well... not so fast, partner.
by Kristen Hilderman
ENERGYDavid Demers
Westport Innovations CEO David Demers thinks that the time has come for natural gas–and for his company, naturally–to "put Vancouver on the map in the automotive engineering business."
by David Jordan
RETAILThe $3 Doughnut and Our Gourmet Food Obsession
Three-dollar doughnuts. Ten-dollar pints of ice cream. Thirty-five dollars bottles of olive oil. How did B.C. become the mecca for gourmet food?
by Kristen Hilderman
MININGPot Miners
You're a junior miner and you're down on your luck. You need to raise some cash, quick. What do you do? You start growing marijuana, of course.
by Jacob Parry
Intel
LAW "Hey, would you like to read my newsletter? How about attending this cool event I'm hosting? Wait, what–I might get fined $10 million just for asking?" Inside Canada's scary new spam laws.
VISUAL LEARNING How to deliver bad news (tip #3: Do it on a Monday).
HUMAN RESOURCES The corporate retreat: making the dog days of summer work for your bottom line.
INDIA With a new pro-business government in place, India–and its largest city, Mumbai–are worth a second look.