The Vancouver Business Thread - Page 91

NewfBC · #**1801** Posted **Oct 9, 2020, 5:21 AM**

Heard today that Starbucks are closing multiple stores (mentioned - Waterfront Centre food court, Manulife Centre) and have given many employees (at multiple stores including stores that are not closing) choices on how they want to continue with the company ... 1. continue with reduced hours.. 2. layoff until January.. 3. termination with severance package

Tough times.. ugh.

Ron.

zahav · #**1802** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 8:08 PM**

BC and Vancouver are funnily enough doing well in manufacturing again. The Stats came up, and manufacuring sales are higher than February, and quite bit higher than last year, the only province to see a gain. Apparently wood and wood products are doing well again, and exports up by quite a bit. Vancouver itself grew significantly year over year and surpassed Edmonton for the first time in ages, to reach a record or near record for the month. Some good news at least, god knows the wood industry needs their moment of growth

Sheba · #**1803** Posted **Nov 12, 2020, 7:42 PM**

Telus announces new agriculture technology division

Quote:

Telus Corp. is launching a new agriculture technology division with a goal of transforming the global food system.

Telus chief executive Darren Entwistle says the new entity, called Telus Agriculture, can improve decision making by food producers and consumers.

It will offer expertise in communications, data collection and artificial intelligence.

It already works with more than 1,200 experts in Canada, the United States, Mexico and other countries.

Telus Agriculture will also add Florida-based AFS Technologies and California-based Agrian to its holdings.

They are the latest in a series of acquisitions made by Telus over the past year, mostly in the United States and Canada.

"Our efforts to optimize food production will contribute to a better yield of food supply to meet the ever-growing requirements of our hungry planet," Entwistle said in a statement.

supercanuck · #**1804** Posted **Dec 2, 2020, 6:22 AM**

Vancouverite Stewart Butterfield’s Slack sold to Salesforce for US$27.7b

https://biv.com/article/2020/12/vancouverite-stewart-butterfields-slack-sold-salesforce-us277b

LeftCoaster · #**1805** Posted **Dec 2, 2020, 11:00 PM**

This is great news for Vancouver.

Stuart Butterfield (local guy) walking around with a few billion dollars more in his pocket and time on his hands is likely going to do wonders for the tech startup scene here.

This is that self perpetuating ecosystem Vancouver is just starting to develop.

jollyburger · #**1806** Posted **Dec 3, 2020, 2:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

This is great news for Vancouver.

Stuart Butterfield (local guy) walking around with a few billion dollars more in his pocket and time on his hands is likely going to do wonders for the tech startup scene here.

This is that self perpetuating ecosystem Vancouver is just starting to develop.

And with Salesforce having a continued presence in the city..

supercanuck · #**1807** Posted **Dec 3, 2020, 10:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollyburger

And with Salesforce having a continued presence in the city..

Yeah, they seem to be liking Vancouver startups lately. First, Mobify and now Slack. Big news for local startups.

officedweller · #**1808** Posted **Dec 16, 2020, 10:09 PM**

Vancouver real estate: West 4th retail and office building listed with Whole Foods section priced $41,975,816
https://www.straight.com/news/vancouver-...ods-vancity-suzuki-foundation-listed-for

Changing City · #**1809** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 5:54 AM**

A rare Vancouver biotech success story. AbCellera Biologics had their IPO today, and the shares, sold at US$20 each, (raising over $300m for expanding the company) ended up trading at $58.90 - which gives the ex-UBC Professor (of physics and astronomy) who is CEO a CA$4bn fortune on paper.

They're based in a non-descript office in Mount Pleasant on Yukon Street that until a few years ago was home to a dodgy lottery ticket telemarketing company.

So that's an improvement.

jollyburger · #**1810** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 7:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Vancouver real estate: West 4th retail and office building listed with Whole Foods section priced $41,975,816
https://www.straight.com/news/vancouver-...ods-vancity-suzuki-foundation-listed-for

It seems to be all strata retail and offices. Built in 1994 for Capers. Whole Foods is probably better off in a larger space if they could find one.

WarrenC12 · #**1811** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 5:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

A rare Vancouver biotech success story. AbCellera Biologics had their IPO today, and the shares, sold at US$20 each, (raising over $300m for expanding the company) ended up trading at $58.90 - which gives the ex-UBC Professor (of physics and astronomy) who is CEO a CA$4bn fortune on paper.

They're based in a non-descript office in Mount Pleasant on Yukon Street that until a few years ago was home to a dodgy lottery ticket telemarketing company.

So that's an improvement.

They have a working(?) COVID-19 treatment. Talk about striking when the iron is hot! Hopefully they stick around.

mcminsen · #**1812** Posted **Dec 24, 2020, 10:34 AM**

I took some early morning twilight photos the other day and after looking at them I wasn't going to post them because they were too grainy.

And then I noticed that the Westin Grand Hotel across the street has a Hilton sign on it now.

Found this story on Daily Hive...

Westin Grand Hotel in downtown Vancouver to be rebranded as Hilton

Dec.22 '20, my pic

officedweller · #**1813** Posted **Dec 25, 2020, 12:00 AM**

News to me, thanks!

That ends many years of Hilton wanting a Hilton hotel in downtown Vancouver. The Hotel Blu site was supposed to be a Hilton at one time. Too bad the 'Grand' (tied to the piano-shaped floorplate) will disappear.

Also hadn't realized the Sonder at the old Coast Plaza has opened:
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/sonder-at-the-revival-vancouver-hotel

jollyburger · #**1814** Posted **Dec 25, 2020, 12:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I took some early morning twilight photos the other day and after looking at them I wasn't going to post them because they were too grainy.

And then I noticed that the Westin Grand Hotel across the street has a Hilton sign on it now.

I was reading a review of the Westin and they said there's only *two* elevators for hotel guests.

whatnext · #**1815** Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 6:47 PM**

Does anyone know if Mini-Yaletown closed? I was at Shine Autowash on Terminal and it looked like their lot was completely empty and fenced off. Given that there's Mini-Vancouver attached to the BMW Store perhaps there's no need for another dealer.

Changing City · #**1816** Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 7:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Does anyone know if Mini-Yaletown closed? I was at Shine Autowash on Terminal and it looked like their lot was completely empty and fenced off. Given that there's Mini-Vancouver attached to the BMW Store perhaps there's no need for another dealer.

From a definitive source: (Google). "MINI Vancouver Service Has Moved! Announcement: Our Service Department Has Moved To 1740 W 5th Ave,"

whatnext · #**1817** Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 8:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

From a definitive source: (Google). "MINI Vancouver Service Has Moved! Announcement: Our Service Department Has Moved To 1740 W 5th Ave,"

Thanks. It wasn't clear to me that Mini Yaletown became Mini Vancouver.

supercanuck · #**1818** Posted **Jan 5, 2021, 8:14 PM**

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nintendo-acquires-next-level-games

Nintendo acquires Next Level Games. I think they were pretty much 2nd party anyways so this move kind of makes sense.

Good to see so many large companies see value in Vancouver. However, some part of me wishes that the Vancouver company becomes the "buyer" rather than the other way around.

Migrant_Coconut · #**1819** Posted **Jan 5, 2021, 9:54 PM**

Hell, it sounds like they were practically second-party anyway. Might as well make it official.

Quote:

Originally Posted by supercanuck

Good to see so many large companies see value in Vancouver. However, some part of me wishes that the Vancouver company becomes the "buyer" rather than the other way around.

Would be nice. I don't see any local studios making the jump to publisher though.

supercanuck · #**1820** Posted **Jan 6, 2021, 12:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Hell, it sounds like they were practically second-party anyway. Might as well make it official.

Would be nice. I don't see any local studios making the jump to publisher though.

Yeah, very true. At least I think(/hope) Nintendo will be fairly stable in terms of jobs and perhaps even expansion.