Here is your first Forum » Biggest Canadian holding companies

Today Canada is the seventh largest economy. Many companies are owned by private entities, but the government participates in the healthcare system and oversees some services, such as public transport and the utility industry. The Canadian economy is very diverse and quite well developed.

Most of Canada's economy is international trade and export. Currently, the US is Canada's largest trading partner. In Canada, international trade accounts for almost 45% of GDP considering that free trade agreements between Canada and the US have dramatically increased trade by eliminating tariffs. Despite its relatively small population, Canada's economy is currently one of the most prosperous in the world.

All strategic industries of the country are very well developed. Although the agricultural sector is small, it takes advantage of Canada's numerous natural resources, which are scattered across the country. In view of this, Canada is an attractive destination for global businessmen and corporations. Canada's flexible tax legislation leaves room for the use of holding structures: the country is home to several large holding companies.

ATCO Group
ATCO Group is one of Canada's largest holding companies with large net sales and assets. Today this company employs almost 7 000 specialists of various professions. The holding's subsidiaries are diverse, but most of them are active in either the gas/electricity or construction sectors.

ATCO was founded in 1947 by S. Don Southern, who gave his son Ron Southern a minority interest under the name Alberta Trailer Hire and leased fifteen commercial trailers in the Calgary area. As the company's business grew, they also began selling trailers, becoming first the Alberta Trailer Company, then ATCO. By the early 1960s the company had operations throughout North America and Australia.

In 2004, with deregulation of the retail energy industry in Alberta, ATCO sold ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric retail operations to Direct Energy Marketing Ltd.; ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric continue to operate as distributors (they own and operate the infrastructure that supplies natural gas or electricity in their service areas) but are no longer active in the retail market. As part of the sale to DEML, DEML contracted call center and billing services from ATCO I-Tek.

DRI capital
DRI Capital Inc. is a Toronto-based Canadian healthcare royalty fund manager, a type of private fund. The holding company's remit includes the purchase of robust and predictable royalty payments from existing pharmaceutical medicines, thereby providing investors with consistent returns.

The holding was founded in 1992. In its first year in business, it quickly went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange and acquired a licensing interest in the innovative British biotechnology development company.

Great West Lifeco
Great-West Lifeco is primarily an insurance-focused Canadian holding company operating in territories of North America, Europe and Asia with 5 local subsidiaries around the world. Most of the companies that Great-West Lifeco controls indirectly are part of its largest subsidiary: The Great-West Life Assurance Company; the rest is handled by the US-based subsidiary.

Onex Corporation
Onex Corporation is a privately held venture capital and holding company based near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2016, the company had an estimated net worth of $22 billion under its stewardship. The company is headquartered in Brookfield Place, Toronto, with multiple offices in New York City, New Jersey and London.

The company invests in a variety of industries. Onex Corporation has previously shown a particular interest in acquiring equity stakes in high-cost manufacturing companies and then converting them into cheap, low-cost suppliers.