In the 1970’s, the kind of career guidance support systems we have today had yet to be invented. What to do after high school graduation was a thorny issue in my house, I really didn’t know what I wanted to pursue as a career.
In my fateful case, in 1979 I answered a newspaper ad seeking a sales representative at a micrographic service bureau in Vancouver. In 1981 I migrated to MCS, and I’ve been here ever since. Along the way, I became one of three owners in 1992, eventually outlasting the other two to become the sole owner in 2010.
As much as I have enjoyed the last 46 years, and I did, at some point, you have to consider retirement. I did some research, the average age for retirement is 65.3 years old, according to Stats Canada. If you own a business, announcing your retirement and walking out the door is not an option. Generally, there are four strategies for moving on as a business owner in Canada. They are:
In my personal case, option 1 wasn’t viable, as my children are very happy in the lives they have chosen. Option 2 frankly wasn’t very attractive at all, and option 3 wasn’t ideal because everyone that works here would like to continue to be employed. I began considering option 4 in March of 2023. I engaged in informal conversations with a few similar companies in Canada, all on a strictly confidential basis. For one reason or another, none of these discussions led anywhere constructive, and, as there is no Tinder for potential matches to sell a business, I resigned to wait it out.
One of the potential suitors I spoke with in 2023 reengaged earlier this year. They were seriously interested in expanding into the BC marketplace, and they truly seemed to understand what it takes to juggle the complex myriad of issues that running a document imaging service bureau entail.
No new relationship is without minor bumps in the road, but both sides really wanted this to work, so we ironed out all of our differences and came to terms on a deal we can both live with. I am very proud to announce that effective December 1, 2025, Micro Com Systems will have a new owner!
Consentia Inc. of Edmonton will be the new proprietor of MCS. As they operate a similar service bureau in Edmonton, they are well aware of how you keep clients happy providing the highest quality level of imaging services. Like MCS, they are a Canadian company, locally owned and operated!
I feel very comfortable handing them the keys before I take my leave and go on to the next phase of my life.
Thanks
Craig