PacBlue: Leveraging the Games and the Sustainability Advantage

Publish Date: August 2008

They won the contract, but just preparing a bid for 2010 Games-related business provided Vancouver's PacBlue Digital Imaging with an opportunity to grow. “The process challenged us to define exactly what it is we do best,” says Greg Downes, account manager for the 60-year-old printing company. “By focusing on our strengths and advantages, we were able to compile a formal package that really helped us solidify our corporate direction. “We are a stronger company for having gone through this exercise.”

PacBlue was selected as one of VANOC's suppliers of printed materials, including banners, posters and booklets. To prepare for the bidding process, Downes attended one of the 2010 Commerce Centre’s Business Opportunities workshop. He also registered the company with the Commerce Centre’s Business Network to learn about upcoming contracts. “The Business Network gives us visibility and presents PacBlue and our capabilities to the people who will be requesting and procuring printed items,” he said. “We continually update our profile, and use the website regularly to keep current on upcoming events and, most importantly, to identify forthcoming bid opportunities.”

Downes says PacBlue’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainable business practices helped the company win one of the printing contracts connected to the 2010 Games. For more than a decade, PacBlue has used recycled products to divert waste from landfills, and the company supports a broad range of organizations including the SPCA, the Canadian Cancer Society and Vancouver’s Flowers for Food Society. “VANOC has a responsibility to look for these values in their suppliers, and PacBlue's corporate philosophy aligns with those values,” Downes says.

The company also employs Gordon Balderstone, a medal-winning athlete who will be competing in the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Winning a contract with VANOC has opened up unprecedented opportunities for PacBlue, which began as a small family-owned printing shop and is now a state-of-the-art digital production facility. “By competing for and winning the opportunity to provide printing services, PacBlue will be able to obtain future work as the Games approach,” Downes said.

And while he admits the 2010 Games work hasn't been a major portion of the company's revenue, it has provided the chance to demonstrate the quality of its work and to lay the foundations for future opportunities. “We have certainly enjoyed the honour and recognition of being an Olympic supplier,” Downes said. “People know who we are and how well we can deliver.”

The 2010 Winter Games present a unique opportunity for the province, and Downes sees no reason why all B.C. companies can't leverage them to expand their business. “Directly or indirectly, the 2010 Games will have an impact on every company in British Columbia,” he says. “Even if you don't have the opportunity to compete at the prime contractor level, there are many opportunities as a subcontractor or supplier. “Identify your company's core strengths, develop a profile and put your message forward.”

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