Members of the Prairie grain industry’s influential Richardson family are planning a private memorial service for George T. Richardson, who helmed their wide-ranging business interests for 27 years.
Richardson, who died Wednesday at age 89, was president of the family firm, James Richardson and Sons, Ltd., from 1966 to 1993, and is credited for overseeing the expansion of its Pioneer Grain arm, now called Richardson Pioneer.
Pioneer, during Richardson’s tenure as president, opened a 112,000-tonne capacity port terminal at Vancouver, in 1979. The company also began construction of high-throughput Prairie elevators and would open its first near Strathclair, Man. in 1994.
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George Richardson had joined the family company in 1946 and was first assigned to its Richardson Terminals business at Thunder Bay, Ont.
Eight years later, Richardson became the family firm’s vice-president, developing two businesses, Marine Pipeline Construction of Canada and Patricia Transportation Co.
As president of the company, he oversaw the completion of Winnipeg’s Lombard Place, whose landmarks include the company’s Richardson Centre building at Portage and Main, and the neighbouring Fairmont Winnipeg hotel.
Richardson is also credited with developing Richardson Securities of Canada into an international brokerage. In 1982, Richardson Securities merged with Greenshields Inc. to form Richardson Greenshields, which was sold to RBC Royal Bank in 1996.
Richardson was named chairman and managing director of James Richardson and Sons in 1993, when his son Hartley took over as company president. George Richardson officially retired from the firm in 2000.
“George’s vision helped grow the business into one of Manitoba’s most successful international companies and one of the oldest privately owned companies in Canada,” Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said in a release Thursday.
“His vision helped create countless jobs for Manitoba families, helped grow our economy and shape our skyline.” — AGCanada.com Network
