A century of roots: following is the sixth of an eight-part series in commemoration of Saskatchewan's 100th anniversary, appearing exclusively in Saskatchewan Business Magazine.

Rare is the business that can hold tight to its values while adapting to a changing economic landscape. Even more remarkable is the business that can manage this feat for a full 100 years. There have been a number of businesses that have displayed the foresight and flexibility needed to endure through the province's first century. In recognition of Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 we celebrate the longevity and integrity of such businesses:

Early's Farm and Garden Centre

The secret was in how S. A. Early ran his business, not the business he was in. In the opening decade of the 1900s it was obvious to all that Saskatchewan's fortunes would spin on the wheel of agriculture.

"We've always been agriculture-related but through the years, management has had the foresight and the initiative to grow with it and adjust with it," says Early's Farm and Garden Centre management consultant Joe Bloski.

At its inception in 1907 the business was strictly hay, grain and feed. During the second generation, headed by Tom Early, the seed industry changed as on-farm producers grew and evolved. Early decided against throwing money into fatigued equipment that had served its purpose and chose instead to turn his attention to retail.

"We got in on the threshold of the pet food and pet supplies business," says Bloski, an Early's employee since 1966. "The last 20 years we have been fortunate in being in on the golf course business and being able to serve the entire province in what is a very specific business."

The gardening, greenhouse and outdoor seasonal decor businesses have each been part of the Early success story. Now presided over by Spencer Early, S. A.'s grandson, Early's Farm and Garden Centre remains on alert for the next new wave.

"As a family-owned business it gives us a little more ability to move to the left or to the right," Bloski says. "We can react to the situation but at the same time we remain true to our key strengths of dedication, commitment and knowledge of agriculture."

The company's long history and reputation for treating people fairly, he believes, makes it easier to recruit and retain good employees. The combination of great customers and excellent employees has made for a grand century of Early's business in Saskatchewan.

"The opportunity to grow with the province has been wonderful," Bloski says. "This is a place where your own initiative is your only limitation. There are many resources still to be explored."

McDougall Gauley

In a business where name recognition takes on great meaning it's good to have a name worth recognizing. In Saskatchewan legal circles the name McDougall Gauley holds tremendous worth thanks to the lasting reputation of its founders and the people the company employs.

The formal name McDougall Gauley identifies a company created this century but refers to a lineage of influential law firms dating back to the early 1890s. McDougall Ready was the successor to a practice started in Regina by Norman MacKenzie, K.C., in 1891 while the Gauley law firm has been under the watchful eye of Tom Gauley Q.C. in Saskatoon since 1945.

"Each predecessor firm had a rich history and an outstanding reputation for providing quality legal services to a wide range of clients," McDougall Gauley states. Partner David McKeague, Q.C. believes Tom Gauley stands as an icon of the company's ideals.

"Tom steered his law firm through good times and bad and he remains at the very centre of our firm culture in Saskatoon," McKeague says. "He quietly commands the utmost respect and receives genuine affection from his colleagues and friends in the firm."

Gauley's work both professionally and in the community has given him a well-deserved reputation for leadership and integrity. He has trained many of Saskatchewan's top lawyers and has been a mentor to generations of lawyers in the province, all the while contributing greatly to the advancement of his profession provincially, nationally and internationally.

The Hill Group of Companies

"We attribute much of our success not to ourselves but to the many blessings from God and the talent of those around us," says Rosanne Hill Blaisdell, affirming up-front that her's is a family of faith. "We have a family-type culture. We believe in not just shareholder value but in family values."

Those values have carried through each generation as the Hill Group of Companies has grown to become one of the most influential business entities in Saskatchewan. Beginning with Rosanne's great-grandfather when he arrived in Regina, continuing with his son, Frederick, and on to Rosanne's father, Paul, the Hill name has been closely associated with both good business and good work.

The Hill business philosophy is fairly straightforward. Real estate and insurance remain the mainstays of a company that is, as Rosanne says, fluid yet disciplined. "We have a saying: 'Let's make sure we're sticking to our knitting.'"

To some this value-based philosophy must seem an artless, even simple manner of business, yet therein lies a Hill advantage. Frederick, a strong Roman Catholic, believed that business people failed their mission if they couldn't contribute to the world and help people. It also goes against Rosanne's Roman Catholic grain to do business in any other manner and, she believes, this philosophy has led to their success.

"We have been very fortunate in that we have been able to attract phenomenal people, people who are exceptionally competent and who share our values as a fluid, empowering company," she says. "That really has made all the difference."

Known today for a portfolio of office buildings, the company shifted from an institutional focus in its early days to a residential push in the 1950s and then back to a corporate bent in the 1980s. They've always had very good relationships with municipal and provincial bodies, Rosanne says, and have done business in good faith with each different administration.

Successful forays into industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing and broadcasting have, at different times, involved joint venture activity and partnerships with outside entities. Still, the Hills are mindful to focus on specific projects and do them well, preferring to have each of their companies operate distinctly and separately and with their own presidents.

Rosanne believes operating from Saskatchewan allows them to do business from a strong base both economically and philosophically.

"All across North America people equate goodness to the way Prairie people live. There is a sense of belonging to the community and a sense of needing to contribute," she says. "We feel blessed to be in Saskatchewan and blessed that we are in a great place."