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Written by Kieran Delamont, Associate Editor, London Inc.
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Steve Copp and Ryan Finch announced as 2024 London and District Business Hall of Fame laureates
Junior Achievement South Western Ontario (JA SWO) this week announced the two newest inductees into the London and District Business Hall of Fame. This year’s laureates are Steve Copp, president of Copp’s Buildall, and Ryan Finch, president of Finch Auto Group. “Steve Copp’s journey from shadowing his father in lumber yards to becoming president of Copp’s Buildall in 2000 reflects a legacy of strong work ethic and salesmanship,” the announcement reads. As for Finch, the announcement noted he “extends his father’s automotive legacy across eight dealerships in London, Sarnia and Georgetown, while forging his own path,” and praised his philanthropic endeavours over the past few years, including the Finch Match My Donation fundraiser and a $5-million donation to St. Joseph’s Health Care London to establish the Finch Family Mental Health Care Building. The duo will be officially feted at this year’s London and District Business Hall of Fame Gala on October 24.
The upshot: Strong representation for adult sons: both Copp and Finch find themselves as Hall of Fame inductees as inheritors of family businesses that they have put their stamp on. “From a young age, Steve followed Brayl around the lumber yards. His father was his biggest mentor, bestowing a strong work ethic, integrity, honesty and the importance of a work-life balance,” JA SWO said. Finch, they added, “spent his summers working at his father’s dealership in various roles from lot attendant, service advisor and salesperson. These experiences instilled in him a strong work ethic and set the foundation for his future success.”
Read more: JA SWO
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London District Energy pulling the plug on almost one third of its core-area heating customers
London District Energy has informed 17 core-area properties that it is shutting off their heating services, citing safety precautions due to an aging, century-old infrastructure. The news comes with a tight deadline: the company told the 17 customers its service will end by May 31, 2025. The co-generation plant, located at Colborne and Bathurst streets, burns natural gas to serve about 60 downtown customers with steam and chilled water and produces electricity which is sold back to the power grid. The plant’s clients include the St. Joseph Health Care complex on Grosvenor Street. London District Energy maintains three steam heating lines under city streets with low-, medium- and high-pressure capacities ― it is the low-pressure line that is being decommissioned.
The upshot: Lots of questions here, including why only a one-year notice to impacted customers (who will have to install entirely new heating systems in those properties) and are the additional lines also in jeopardy? “They’re aging and from what I gathered the cost of replacing that aging system is too high,” core-area Councillor David Ferreira told The London Free Press. “I’m not happy about this. It’s not good news.” The system dates back to the establishment of a central steam heating plant in London in 1878. London District Energy was last purchased in 2017 by Toronto-based Enwave, a firm that operates similar plants in Toronto, Windsor, Markham and Charlottetown, PEI. According to the Free Press report, Enwave stated it will continue to monitor the other steam lines in the city and will “provide ample notice” of any changes. The company will also assign a community liaison and a project manager to work with businesses.
Read more: London Free Press
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Darrin Pollard tapped as new head at RBC Place London
RBC Place London has appointed Darrin Pollard as its new general manager and CEO, the organization announced this week. RBC Place London’s former CEO, Lori Da Silva, announced her retirement earlier this year, and will formally leave the position next month. “We are thrilled to appoint Darrin Pollard as the general manager and CEO of RBC Place London,” said the company’s board chair, Susan Judd, in a press release. “Darrin’s unparalleled leadership skills and deep industry expertise make him the ideal candidate to lead our organization into its next chapter of growth and success.”
The upshot: Pollard comes to the job after 13 years as RBC Place’s director of business development, during which the city-owned convention centre has modernized, changed its name and weathered the pandemic. After a search that included looking at over 200 candidates, the centre now turns to Pollard, an industry vet with a long résumé in hospitality (including 15 years at Hilton Hotel London) to lead it into its next chapter. As director of business development, Pollard “spearheaded sales and marketing efforts with a collaborative approach both internally and externally,” Judd said. “Throughout his tenure, Darrin has been instrumental in elevating the guest experience, inspiring engaged teams and ensuring seamless and innovative event execution.”
Read more: RBC Place London
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Two new downtown towers join growing stockpile of proposed residential developments
Add another 1,000 units to the growing and expansive list of proposed housing developments in the city. Florida-based Bellridge Capital LLC, owner of Citi Plaza, has applied to the city to build two towers of 40 and 45 storeys respectively at the southwest corner of York and Wellington streets, adjacent to the mixed-use mall where there’s currently a surface parking lot. The proposed development would include a six-storey podium connecting the two towers, plus underground parking and a total of 1,067 units. You can expect this one to likely sail through city council. “I am fully supportive of it. I knew it was coming,” said downtown Councillor David Ferreira. “We need housing and this is a perfect area. It is what we have been asking for.”
The upshot: The towers are tall ― taller than the officially permitted height of 35 storeys ― and will thus require at least a little work with the city. But though it’s a major project, it’s also a pretty conventional one. Developers are in their sweet spot with these high-capacity podium tower projects, and this is one that could do a lot to reshape York Street. “This is a very prime downtown site,” Casey Kulchycki, an associate with Zelinka Priamo, a planning firm that is working with Bellridge Capital on the proposal, told The London Free Press. “It is essentially a gateway to downtown as you come into the core. It will be on the BRT line, be close to the market, Bud Gardens and access to the Thames Valley Parkway. There are a lot of advantages.” Expect the proposal to start making its way through planning committee this summer.
Read more: London Free Press
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Zavitz Insurance & Wealth notches national family enterprise award
Zavitz Insurance & Wealth, a local insurance and wealth management firm, was awarded the 2023 National Family Enterprise of the Year Award by the Family Enterprise Foundation this week. “This prestigious accolade recognizes London-based Zavitz Insurance & Wealth’s remarkable contributions to the Canadian economy and local community, nudging slightly ahead of its two highly esteemed contenders, Vancouver-based Nicola Wealth and Alberta-based Sunterra,” the announcement stated. Terry Zavitz, the company’s president (pictured with vice president and daughter Justine Zavitz), said that the award recognized that “our core value of giving back is deeply ingrained in our company culture,” and highlighted donations to Circles London, Joan’s Place, the Atlosha Zhaawanong 24-hour women’s shelter and Pathway’s Advocacy Department. Naim Ali, chair of Family Enterprise Canada, said Zavitz “set an outstanding example for other family enterprises in Canada.”
The upshot: “All three finalists are models of some of the best family businesses in the world,” said Steve Beauchesne, CEO of Family Enterprise Canada. “It had to have been nearly impossible for the selection committee to pick one national winner. That speaks highly for Canada’s future economy, given that family enterprises generate half of Canada’s GDP.” It is a nice recognition for Zavitz, with only slight irony in the fact that earlier this spring Zavitz was acquired by Hub International, a global (and much less family-owned) financial services firm based out of Chicago.
Read more: Family Enterprise Canada
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Feds announce $28.5 million in support for Let’s Talk Science
A London-founded program aimed at boosting youth engagement with STEM is getting a major injection of federal cash. Let’s Talk Science, a charitable organization founded three decades ago by president Bonnie Schmidt (pictured), will get $28.5 million over five years, part of the federal government’s $1.8-billion funding package for the Strategic Science Fund, announced in this year’s budget. “It’ll allow us to continue to grow,” said Schmidt, on hand for the announcement last weekend. “More schools, more community groups, more teachers, more educators can be trained, more programming for families. It will really allow us to scale, increase our impact, increase our reach, and maintain free programming in English and French.”
The upshot: It’s a continuation of what’s been a fruitful partnership between the feds and Let’s Talk Science ― the organization has received funding to the tune of $2 million in 2018 and $5.9 million in 2021. This announcement, coming in at $28.5 million, is much larger, and aligns with the government’s larger goal of encouraging more young people to pursue careers in science and tech. “Our programming supports the development of engaged citizens and early talent by engaging youth in STEM, inspiring them to pursue STEM careers and supporting the evolution of STEM studies so they can thrive in an innovation economy,” said Schmidt.
Read more: Let’s Talk Science
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Dispatch: May 31, 2024
A summary of recent business appointments and announcements, plus event listings for the upcoming week.
View listings here
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