CALGARY HEAD OFFICES: FACT SHEET

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1 CALGARY HEAD OFFICES: FACT SHEET Head offices are highly desirable business for any city in that they provide the base of corporate decision making. This generates a significant benefit in terms of the employment profile as well as the economic benefits that accrue to businesses beyond just the head office. The importance of corporate head office activity can be observed in the economic impact generated beyond that directly associated with the head offices themselves. Professional business and finance services often establish themselves in proximity to larger corporate headquarters, creating a larger and more knowledgeable professional community one that can offer greater access to high-quality services for surrounding companies. Over the past several years, Calgary has emerged as Western Canada s head office centre and Canada s most concentrated headquarter location. This analysis provides an overview of Calgary s strength and positioning among Canada s six most populated Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in terms of head office count, concentration and employment, followed by listings of major Calgary-based corporations and head office relocations to Calgary. Head Offices 1 The absolute number of Calgary head offices increased by a staggering 60.3% over the past five years, from 68 in 2002 to 109 in This rate of growth was more than double the second ranked CMA of Edmonton. Head Offices (2002, 2006) Census Metropolitan Area Year Total Growth Calgary % Edmonton % Vancouver % Toronto % Ottawa % Montreal % 1 For this analysis, only those corporate headquarters as reported by the National Post s FP Top 500 and the Next Largest 300 Database were included.

2 5-Year Head Office Growth ( ) % % 2 8.1% % -13.3% -19.8% Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Toronto Ottawa Montreal Head Office Concentration 2 Calgary overwhelmingly had the highest concentration of head offices among the CMAs examined in this analysis. In 2002, it boasted 6.8 major corporate headquarters per 100,000 population. Five years later, by 2006, it reached a concentration of 9.8 head offices per 100,000 population. Calgary also dominated the remaining CMAs in terms of historical head office per capita growth, at an impressive rate of 45.1% over the past 5 years ( ). Once again, Calgary s growth more than twice exceeded that of its nearest competitor (Edmonton). 2 It is the consensus that the ideal measure of the real economic effect of head office activity is one that adjusts for population, rather than the use of absolute numbers. 2

3 Head Office Concentration (2002, 2006) Census Metropolitan Area (Per 100,000 Population) 5-Year Total Growth Calgary % Edmonton % Vancouver % Toronto % Ottawa % Montreal % 12.0 Head Offices per Capita (2002, 2006) Per 100,000 Population Calgary Toronto Vancouver Montreal Edmonton Ottawa 3

4 5-Year Head Office per Capita Growth ( ) % % 2.1% % -16.3% -22.4% Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Toronto Ottawa Montreal Head Office Employment Calgary s rise as a major head office centre over the past five years has been compelling, with head office employment increasing by 24.8% over the past 5 years, from 16,167 in 2002 to 20,175 in 2006, again outranking the growth of any other selected CMA. Head Office Employment (2002, 2006) Census Metropolitan Area Head Office Employees 5-Year Total Growth Calgary 16,167 20, % Vancouver 14,515 17, % Ottawa 4,768 5, % Edmonton 3,415 3, % Toronto 56,022 60, % Montreal 34,587 35, % Source: Statistics Canada, Business Register, 2006; Calgary 4

5 5-Year Head Office Employment Growth ( ) % 24.8% 23.0% % 15.0% 10.5% 8.3% 5.0% 3.7% Calgary Vancouver Ottawa Edmonton Toronto Montreal Source: Statistics Canada, Business Register, 2006; Calgary Major Head Offices Calgary is home to approximately 1 in 7 of Canada s major corporate headquarters. As Canada s energy centre, it is no surprise that the majority of top corporations in Alberta and specifically Calgary are energy-related. In fact, 74 of Calgary s 109 top head offices (68%) are categorized as such. Top Calgary-Based Corporations Head Office Relocations For company leaders, employees, investors and customers, the location of a corporation's headquarters is an important element of its identity in terms of image and personality and positioning. Calgary offers companies the exceptional business environment and internationally renowned lifestyle that today s companies are seeking. Listed are some of the more recent and notable corporate relocations to Calgary over the past 20 years. Head Office Relocations.doc Calgary Economic Development 731 1st Street SE Calgary Alberta Canada T2G 2G9 Telephone Fax Toll Free