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The Ultimate Canadian Capitalist: Gerry Schwartz is Born

“I’ve always liked transactional things,” says Gerry Schwartz. “And I always knew that I’d go into business. But the person I was in high school wouldn’t recognize me today. I had no inkling, not even a slight one, of building a company as large and as much fun as Onex.”

No Holds Barred: Schwartz Takes Onex to the Top

In 1983, Schwartz founded Onex with one single mission at hand: to search for and acquire under-managed and undervalued companies, streamline their operations, and sell the acquisitions for a profit after their asset bases had been added to. Early on, Schwartz focused on purchasing such big name companies as Purolator Courier Ltd., an in-flight catering company called Sky Chefs Inc., and Beatrice Foods. He sought to acquaint himself with companies that already had a recognized brand name that he could draw upon.

Lesson #1: A Company Is Only As Strong As The Team Behind It

“One of the hallmarks of Onex is that since I started the company in 1983, every professional who has joined the company at our Toronto head office is still here,” says Schwartz. “We’ve had no turnover.”

Lesson #2: Know When to Hold ‘Em and Know When to Fold ‘Em

In 1995, Schwartz embarked on one of his most ambitious business deals to date, and one that would forever haunt his career. That was the year Schwartz decided to put in his bid to buy the John Labatt Brewery. He had even been successful in persuading the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board to support his $2.3 billion bid to takeover the popular beer company. But Schwartz would not experience the smooth sailing he had predicted.

Lesson #3: Create Long-Term Value For Your Shareholders

Before Schwartz ever made a decision to acquire a company or not, he would always ask himself one question: what can this company become? Schwartz was not interested in making short-term profit. Instead, his number one goal centered around creating value for his shareholders. “Every decision Onex makes is made on the basis of creating long-term value,” says Schwartz. “Our philosophy is to operate like a forever owner of an asset.”

Lesson #4: Learn From Your Mistakes and Make Less

“The hardest lesson I’ve learned has been to not repeat the dumb mistakes I’ve made over the years,” says Schwartz, “which are too numerous to list.”

Lesson #5: Pride Can Power Your Company

“I’m a nationalist who believes huge opportunities are lost with every head office departure,” says Schwartz. “We need to make things easier for Canadian-based companies. And I’m not talking about a lower dollar. That just sells our labour cheap.”

Canada’s Billionaire Businessman: How Schwartz Made Onex a Success

Schwartz is 66 years old this year but has no plans of slowing down. As Chairman and CEO of one of Canada’s most successful companies, Schwartz’s goals for the future remain the same as they have for the past quarter century: “More people. More transactions. Larger amounts of capital. Identical philosophy,” he says. How did this son of an auto-parts dealer become one of the Top Ten Wealth Creators in all of Canada?

Gerry Schwartz Quotes

Gerry Schwartz Quotes

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