Abbotsford company among 500 fastest growing in Canada

An Abbotsford company has made a national top-500 list for fastest growing businesses for a second consecutive year, though it was down 10 spots from 2017.

Valley Carriers was ranked number 408 on the Growth 500 list — formerly Profit 500, but renamed this year — compiled by Canadian Business and Maclean’s Magazine annually.

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“The companies on the 2018 Growth 500 are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today,” said Deborah Aarts, Growth 500 program manager, in a news release.

The Abbotsford transportation and logistics business claims a 137 per cent five-year growth rate, with $10-20 million in revenue and 108 full-time equivalent employees in 2017, according to Growth 500.

In 2017, the business had ranked 398 on the Profit 500 with 120 per cent five-year growth rate, about $10-20 million in revenue and 75 full-time equivalent positions.

“After several years of aggressive growth, our 55-year-old family enterprise is beginning to look and feel more like a startup,” said Travis Klassen, Valley Carriers chief operating officer, in a news release.

“As we continue to find new and exciting opportunities for growth and change, we are learning to balance our time working ‘in’ the business with time working ‘on’ the business creating strong processes and procedures and building a company culture our entire team can be proud of.”

While Valley Carriers was the sole Abbotsford company to make the list, it wasn’t alone in the Lower Mainland — about 30 city of Vancouver businesses made the list, along with seven from Burnaby, four from Richmond and two each from Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.

South of the Fraser River, eight Surrey businesses made the list this year, down from 10 in 2017. Langley’s Hardwoods Distribution ranked 280 on the list this year with a 239 per cent five-year growth rate, and TAK Logistics out of Delta ranked 262 with a 256 per cent growth rate.

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