Early Life
James Allen Pattison was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on October 1, 1928. When he was six years old, his family relocated to East Vancouver, British Columbia. He had a strong work ethic from a young age, taking on numerous jobs in his youth, including selling seeds door-to-door and delivering newspapers. He graduated from John Oliver Secondary School in 1947.
Rise to Success
Pattison's career began in the automotive industry. He started by washing cars and eventually selling them. In 1961, Pattison, with a $40,000 loan, purchased a General Motors dealership, marking the founding of the Jim Pattison Group. Through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, he expanded his business interests into diverse sectors, including media (radio and television stations), advertising, food retail (Save-On-Foods, etc.), and entertainment (Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Guinness World Records).
Key Business Strategies
Pattison's success is attributed to several key strategies. He focused on customer satisfaction, which helped individual divisions become leaders in their markets. He employed a strategy of acquiring existing businesses and expanding into new markets. He is known for expecting a lot from his employees and rewarding those who succeeded. Pattison has also been described as a learning machine, adapting his business strategies based on insights gained from various sources.
Philanthropy
Jim Pattison is a well-known philanthropist, donating to various charitable organizations. He has made significant donations to healthcare, education, and community development. Notable donations include record-breaking contributions to the construction of St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver and the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon. He has consistently given a portion of his income to charitable causes.