The story
The Jim Pattison Group was created on May 8, 1961, when Pattison purchased a General Motors automobile dealership by borrowing $40,000 from the Royal Bank of Canada, and placing his home and life insurance policy with the bank as collateral.
In 1965, The Jim Pattison Group was awarded a licence to operate Vancouver AM radio station CJOR. The group then acquired Neon Products (Vancouver) & Seaboard Outdoor Advertising in 1967, Overwaitea Foods (Vancouver) in 1968, and Provincial News (Edmonton) in 1969. The real estate arm of the group was created in 1980. The Jim Pattison Group acquired British Columbia Magazine, Canadian Fishing Company in 1984, and Ripley's Believe It or Not! in 1985.
In 1990, the group acquired Foodservice Packaging Group, Flexible Packaging Group, and Coroplast and Montebello Packaging. The following year, the group launched its financial services division. The Jim Pattison Group acquired Westshore Terminals (B.C.-based coal-export terminal facility) in 1994, Buy-Low Foods in 1995, and launched Select Media Services. In 1999, the group acquired Cooper's Foods.
The Ripley's Aquarium opened in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Ripley's Aquarium of The Smokies, Gatlinburg, TN opened in 2000. In 2001, the group acquired Monarch Broadcasting and Van-Whole Produce, and started ProLogix Distribution Services and AccuLogix Distribution Services the following year. Ever Corp. was acquired in 2002 and LIN PAC Inc. in 2003. In 2004, the Jim Pattison Group acquired Classic Attractions (Texas), St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains (Florida), Maltese Signs (Norcross, GA), the auto lease business of Cross-Canada Car Leasing Limited (Toronto, ON), and the periodical distribution companies in San Jose and Chico, CA.
As of April 2020, the group was headquartered in the Shaw Tower in Vancouver. The Shaw Tower was later renamed to the Rogers Tower in May 2023, after Shaw Communications merged into Rogers Communications.
2005 – Acquired control of Icicle Seafoods (BC.) Inc.
Acquired Freeway Dodge Chrysler
Acquired Spartech Corporation's corrugated plastic sheet business
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Started the Vancouver edition of 24 Hours (in partnership with Quebecor Media)
Formed or purchased interests in several US and Canadian joint ventures in the periodical industry
Employees: 28,000 Sales: $6.1 billion
2006 – Acquired Carthage Cup, Carthage, TX
Acquired Creative Outdoor Ads, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Acquired Island Radio Ltd.'s six FM stations on Vancouver Island
Acquired OK Radio Group Ltd.'s two FM stations in Victoria, BC
Acquired A&W Fixtures, Cocoa, Florida
Started Great Pacific Bank Limited, Warrens, Barbados
2007 – Disposed of interest in the Vancouver 24 Hours
2008 – Acquired Guinness World Records from HIT Entertainment
2009 – Funded the Peak Performance Project
2010 – Acquired Amc Billboard Co
2011 – Acquired Ocean Brands
October 29, 2013, Pattison became an insider of the Just Energy Group, a publicly traded corporation on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange, by taking possession of more than 14 million shares (over 10% of the company's shares outstanding).
2013 – Acquired Sun-Rype
2014 – Purchased 5 John Deere Dealerships in Saskatchewan.
2015 – Employees: 39,000 Sales: $8.2 billion
2015 – Purchased Peterbilt Pacific Dealerships
2017 – Amalgamated JayDee AGTECH and Maple Farm Equipment John Deere Dealerships as one company, Pattison Agriculture with 17 locations across Saskatchewan and Manitoba
2017 – Took controlling interest (March 23, 2017) of Quality Foods with 13 locations across Vancouver Island, British Columbia
2017 – Acquired Choices Markets from the Lockhart family to be operated as a division of Buy-Low Foods LP
2019 – Sold Sun-Rype to Lassonde Industries for C$80 million in an all-cash deal. As well, in announcing the sale, it was reported that Sun-Rype had C$164 million in gross sales for their fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, and C$9 million in EBITDA.
2020 – acquired remaining magazine and book distribution business not previously held in Canada from Metro360 for $925,000. The News Group is the only major distributor of periodicals in Canada.
2024 - acquired Northern California-based grocer Save Mart Companies which includes Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx stores; Yosemite Wholesale; and the office division of Save Mart.
2026 - on January 21, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security announced it would purchase a warehouse in Hanover County, Virginia owned by the Jim Pattison Group for use as a potential "holding and processing" facility. After significant public outcry, on January 30th the Jim Pattison Group stated it would no longer be proceeding with the sale.
From Wikipedia’s article on Jim Pattison Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4