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PRESS COVERAGE The top 50: Secrets of success The Financial Post THE MISSION The 50 best managed privately owned companies in Canada represent a broad array of firms from retail to auto parts, farm equipment to financial services. The companies, chosen by accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co. and The Financial Post from among more than 600 nominees in the second-annual award, represent eight provinces. Four of the winners are based in British Columbia. Alberta has six, Saskatchewan one, Manitoba three, Ontario 22, Quebec 12, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia one each. At a time when some Canadian companies were struggling to survive, the 50 Best saw growth increase 47% from 1992 to 1994 as total revenue rose from $2.7 billion to $4 billion. Average annual sales per company increased from $54 million to $79 million. "We have an economy in transformation. There are a lot of hot small and medium-sized companies," said Ken Morell, partner in charge of The Enterprise Group of Arthur Andersen & Co., of Toronto. 'They will be the saviors of Canada if they can grow fast enough to replace all the jobs shed by large corporations." Winners are confident about the economy for 1995, noting that profits are improving for most firms. "The capacity to put money back into the company is very important for continued growth," said Rajiv Manucha, president of Management Systems Resources Inc., of Toronto, another winner. "Coming out of the recession, companies are going to be in better shape." "Interesting things can happen with small passionate groups. The country's going micro," Morell said. "If people thought manufacturing was dead in central Canada, they're wrong." The high profile of the information highway has helped Management Systems Resources sell its own electronic data interchange solutions. Management Systems Resources Inc. "The result of all the talk is a generally high degree of computer literacy," said president Rajiv Manucha. "We're finding that we can more easily talk to corporate controllers about our systems than ever before." MSR was incorporated in 1981 by Manucha, an engineer and former IBM manager, who initially ran the business from the second floor of his house. For the first half dozen years, MSR developed proprietary software for different clients, creating something new each time. The focus on customized work ended when federal customs procedures changed in 1988. At that point, when electronic filing replaced paper-based systems, MSR designed a program that allowed firms to handle their own customs clearance, thus ending reliance on customs brokers. MSR now has more than 600 clients, including Sony, GE, Firestone and Alcan for its rules-based software, which is updated regularly when duties or other aspects of border business change. 'We find that Japanese companies are more innovative than North American companies. They put a lot of value in control and automation," Manucha said. "One of the reasons they can install our kind of system is that they're looking for long-term payback, not short-term gain. "We help clients get over their fear of dealing directly with Revenue Canada and their fear of being unable to manage this process on their own," said Vice-president Maria Sheppard. "We're not selling software; we're selling a business solution." Honda Canada has said it is saving $500,000 annually using MSR's software. Shipment data arrives electronically from Yokohama and goods can be customs-ready before they reach Canada – without additional brokerage fees. Customers can also use tariff classifications, specific designations that brokers are not always familiar with. Savings for a smaller firm might only be $5,000 a year, but control of the function means other benefits for MSR
clients who are able to assure their customers that contracts will be filled on time because they know in advance there
will be no customs delays. |
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MSR CUSTOMS + TOLL FREE 1-877-328-7866 + INFO@MSRCUSTOMS.COM |
