History

1961 Automotive
  • Jim Pattison acquired a Pontiac Buick dealership in Vancouver
  • Started Jim Pattison Lease
1965 Media
  • Awarded license to operate Vancouver AM radio station CJOR
1967 Media
  • Acquired Neon Products and Seaboard Outdoor Advertising
1968 Foods
  • Acquired Overwaitea Foods
1969 Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired Provincial News
1972 Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired Mountain City News
1978 Corporate
  • Started Group Opportunities (GO) Program
1979 Illuminated Signs
  • Acquired Claude Neon
1980 Automotive & Export & Financial
  • Started Jim Pattison Real Estate Group
  • Opened Jim Pattison Toyota dealerships in BC’s Lower Mainland
1981 Media
  • Acquired Hook Outdoor Advertising
1982 Foods & Media
  • Acquired Gould Outdoor Advertising
  • Launched Save-On-Foods
1984 Foods
  • Acquired Canadian Fishing Company
1985 Entertainment
  • Acquired Ripley International Limited
1986 Media
  • Awarded license to operate Vancouver FM radio station CJJR
  • Acquired radio and TV stations in Kamloops, BC
1987 Automotive
  • Acquired Metro Toyota dealerships in Victoria and Duncan, BC
1989 Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired periodical distribution companies in Anchorage, AK and Atlanta, GA
1990 Packaging & Automotive
  • Acquired packaging companies, including Genpak, Coroplast and Montebello
  • Awarded Lexus franchise in Victoria, BC
1991 Export & Financial
  • Started Financial Services division – Great Pacific Capital Corp.
1993 Export & Financial
  • Assumed management control over Westar Group Ltd., including Westshore Terminals’ bulk loading facility, Roberts Bank, BC
1994 Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired periodical distribution business in Charlotte, NC
1995 Foods & Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired Buy-Low Foods; periodical distribution business in Jacksonville, FL
1996 Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired various periodical distribution companies in the US and Canada, rebranded as The News Group
1997 Periodical Distribution & Entertainment
  • Started Select Media Services
  • Opened Ripley’s Aquarium, Myrtle Beach, SC
1998 Media & Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired Enseignes Imperial Signs, Edmundston, NB
  • Formed The News Group, L.P.
1999 Foods
  • Acquired Cooper’s Foods
  • Acquired assets of B.C. Packers Ltd. in BC and Alaska
2000 Foods & Periodical Distribution
  • Opened Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg, TN
  • Formed magazine Information network (MagNet)
2001 Media & Foods
  • Acquired Monarch Broadcasting, Bulkley Valley Wholesale and Van-Whole Produce
  • Launched PriceSmart Foods
2002 Packaging & Periodical Distribution
  • Started ProLogix Distribution Services in Toronto, ON and AccuLogix Distribution Services in Calgary, AB
  • Acquired Ever Corp’s aluminum tube business, St. Louis, MO
2003Foods & Packaging
  • Acquired Nesters Market, Keller Foods and US Foam Packaging Business of Lin Pac, Inc.
2004 Entertainment, Automotive & Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired Classic Attractions in Texas
  • Acquired St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains in Florida
  • Acquired auto lease business of Cross-Canada Car Leasing Limited, Toronto, ON
  • Acquired periodical distribution companies in California
2005 Foods, Automotive, Packaging & Periodical Distribution
  • Acquired Icicle Seafoods (B.C.) Inc.
  • Acquired Freeway Dodge Chrysler
  • Acquired Spartech Corporation’s corrugated plastic sheet business
  • Formed ProLogix Distribution Services and News Group Distribution Services in the US
2006 Packaging, Media & Export & Financial
  • Acquired Carthage Cup, Carthage, TX
  • Acquired Creative Outdoor Ads, Halifax, NS
  • Acquired Island Radio Ltd.’s six FM stations on Vancouver Island, BC
  • Acquired OK Radio Group Ltd.’s two FM stations in Victoria, BC
  • Acquired A & W Fixtures, Cocoa, FL
  • Started Great Pacific Bank Limited, Warrens, Barbados
2007 Foods, Media & Automotive
  • Formed a strategic alliance between Canadian Fishing Company and Ocean Fisheries Ltd., Vancouver, BC
  • Acquired Downtown Toyota, West Lease, and Hino Trucks Vancouver BC
  • Acquired outdoor advertising companies in Alberta and BC
2008 Entertainment, Media & Packaging
  • Acquired Guinness World Records, London, England
  • Acquired out-of-home advertising companies in Barrie, North Bay and Thunder Bay, ON and Penticton, BC
  • Acquired the collapsible aluminum tube business of IntraPac Inc., Harrisonburg, VA
  • Acquired radio station CKIZ-FM in Vernon, BC
2009 Periodical Distribution
  • Expanded The News Group into WV, AL, KY, NE, CO and AZ following demise of Anderson News
  • Formed Islander New Group joint venture in Hawaii
2010 Entertainment, Foods, Packaging & Periodical Distributions
  • Ripley acquired attractions in Orlando, FL, Branson, MO and Copenhagen;
  • Acquired remaining 60% of Media Logix, a Cdn. specialty periodical distributor
  • Guinness World Records acquired Bragster.com
  • Acquired/leased assets of Baywatch Seafoods in Naknek, AK
  • Purchased various out-of-home assets in Canada
  • Acquired assets of Dover Cup in Brampton, ON
  • SunRype acquired the assets of Yakama Juice, Yakima, WA
  • Acquired Stenek Corporation, a smallwares distributor, Amherst, NS
  • Acquired assets of Leader Creek Fisheries, Bristol Bay, AK
  • Acquired assets of Spanish Periodicals, Miami, FL
2011 Automotive, Food & Beverage, Packaging, Media & Periodical Distribution & Marketing
  • Acquired Onestop Media Group, Inc., the owner/operator of national interior digital out-of-home advertising networks, and Fourth Wall Media Inc., an interactive agency specializing in online, digital and creative/content production services for out-of-home advertising
  • Acquired a vehicle lease fleet from Wolfe Motors Ltd.
  • Acquired assets of Ozark News for the states of Kentucky and Tennessee
  • Acquired two retail grocery stores located in Burnaby, BC, and one grocery store in Westerose, Alberta
  • Purchase all of the shares of Ocean Fisheries Ltd.
  • Acquired out-of-home advertising faces, including digital displays, located in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta and the BC Interior
  • Acquired the assets of Naumes Concentrates Inc., a Washington State juice concentrates manufacturer
  • Acquired Everything Wine Inc., BC’s ‘Wine Superstore’
  • Acquired a minority interest in Q99 - CIKT-FM an FM radio station in Grande Prairie, Alberta owned by Bear Creek Broadcasting Ltd.
  • Acquired Kelowna Super Foods, a retail business located in Kelowna, BC
2012 Automotive & Periodical Distribution & Marketing
  • Acquired Frontier Automotive Group’s Toyota and Subaru franchises together with a stand-alone body shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • Acquired Comag Marketing Group LLC and Comag Marketing Group Canada Inc. from Hearst Magazines and Condé Nast