Hard to believe that the Ottmann brothers have been publishing Business in Calgary for 35 years, and that I have had the privilege of knowing them for almost all of that time.
We first met when I was with Calgary Economic Development Authority when it was located on the fourth floor of the Burns Building, across from City Hall. Naturally, interested in Calgary’s businesses, I went through the building introducing myself to the other tenants to find out what they were all about.
I was surprised and delighted, being a print person, to find myself in the penthouse suite offices of a publishing company.
Business in Calgary was in its infancy then, but Pat and Tim Ottmann welcomed me, eager to show off their stable of magazines that included a couple of national funeral home publications, one for those who loved the sport of archery and a landscaping magazine, as well as Business in Calgary.
A tough business, Calgary magazines have come and gone – like the Chamber of Commerce magazine that couldn’t last despite its large membership at the time.
Yet, here we are, and Calgary business is still benefiting from a local publication, as is Edmonton where a sister publication was lunched in 2012. Canadian Funeral News is alive and well, and more recently the brothers purchased Farming for Tomorrow – a good fit for the brothers, as if there’s one way to describe them it is as ‘good, honest Saskatchewan farmers’ who at certain times of the year will answer their phones astride some mighty combine or a smaller tractor.
But above all they are savvy businessmen. Straightshooters. And you need to be in the publishing world. I’ve been writing a Business in Calgary column for decades. Started as ‘Marketing Matters,’ which was certainly enjoyed by the advertising agencies and PR companies I wrote about. Then, over a Pat Ottmann call to lunch he said, “You know. I can’t remember any one of those agencies ever calling me to buy an advertisement for one of their clients, can we change the focus of your column?”
And so, ‘Parker’s Pen’ was born, which gives me great scope to air grievances as well as put a little humour into my writing.
Another big plus in getting to know the Ottmanns is the ways they honour friendship. They have a circle of friends who I am honoured to be included in, who support them, give good advice and share stories and laughter over a pint. I must mention Fred Edwards, Gerry Wood, Randy Mowat and the incomparable business adviser, the late Lou MacEachern who was so looking forward very much to the 35th anniversary celebration.
A good example of the kindness and thoughtfulness of the co-publishers was shown to me at the company’s annual staff, columnists and contractors to the magazine Christmas lunch at Centini.
I sat next to a young lady I hadn’t met before. In answer to my question, “So what do you do for Business in Calgary?” her response was, “I clean the offices, they are such good clients and so kind of them to invite me to this lunch.”
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Final words: Anybody who isn’t pulling his weight is probably pushing his luck.
