Platinum Rings In 150th Anniversary Year For Oppenheimer

VANCOUVER, B.C. - What better way to start an anniversary celebration than with a platinum gift? The 150th anniversary of The Oppenheimer Group became an event of even greater value yesterday, as the marketer achieved Platinum status when it was named a winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies program for the seventh consecutive year.

"Earning Platinum Club status during our sesquicentennial year is truly an honor," said John Anderson, the Vancouver-based company's chairman, president and CEO. "Our anniversary coincides with the year that British Columbia was established as a colony, 1858. It's a year of celebration for us on so many levels."

The Oppenheimer Group has retained its Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies designation every year since 2001, when it first achieved the honor. Platinum Club status recognizes those outstanding companies that have sustained a standard of excellence and leadership in all areas of their business practices, and have qualified in the award program for at least six consecutive years, during some of the toughest and most competitive market conditions.

But platinum is not the only precious metal to feature prominently in the story of The Oppenheimer Group, which is acknowledged by the Vancouver Historical Society as British Columbia's oldest currently-operating company. In 1858, four Oppenheimer brothers - Charles, Godfrey, David and Isaac - followed the gold rush and founded a wholesale provisions company in Victoria to outfit fortune seekers heading to the Fraser River.

Within a few years the business had grown into a regional chain with multiple locations. The brothers eventually relocated their business to the area now known as Gastown in downtown Vancouver, constructing the city's first brick building in 1887. One brother, David, is often called the "Father of Vancouver" for his significant contributions to the area - he served four consecutive terms as the city's second mayor, was the first president of the Vancouver Board of Trade, and founded the B.C. Fruit Grower's Association.

And the company he helped create continues to operate today, 150 years later. Oppenheimer has grown into an international marketer of over 100 varieties of premium fresh fruits and vegetables grown in more than 25 countries around the world, serving retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators across North America. The company has 13 offices located across the U.S., Canada and Chile, with its headquarters based in Coquitlam, a Vancouver suburb.

The Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, which represents the Coquitlam area, added a golden accent to Oppenheimer's already platinum celebration last month, naming Oppenheimer as the "Outstanding Business of the Year" at its 2008 Business Excellence Awards.

"Being awarded this distinction by our home office's Chamber of Commerce has made our anniversary and our Platinum Club member status even sweeter," said Anderson. "This year is off to a bright start."

The Best Managed program is sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC Commercial Banking, National Post, and Queen's School of Business.

Related Web sites:
www.oppyproduce.com
www.canadas50best.com