Our 25th Year in Business…Highlight #9 of 25
1997!
The year 1997 was filled with major moments and milestones around the world:
- The movie Titanic was released to rave reviews
- The first Harry Potter book was published
- Steve Jobs returned to Apple while Microsoft became the worlds most valuable company
- The Kyoto Protocol was adopted by the United Nations to address global climate change
- Wi-Fi was introduced
- and the world was shocked by the death of Princess Diana
If that list doesn’t make you feel old (or if you weren’t old enough to remember those events…) consider this – the average price of a new house (US$) in 1997 was only $124,100!
1997 was also a significant year for Wilson Blanchard. The company continued to grow in terms of both clients and employees, nearing the 5,000 unit mark by the end of the year and adding four long-standing employees who are still with WB to this day.
On February 1, 1997 both Stan Dulberg and Samantha Mills joined Wilson Blanchard. Stan continues to be one of the most respected Condo Managers in the industry, and an excellent mentor for newer managers, while managing a large portfolio of properties including one corporation that he has managed for close to 40 years!
Samantha is no stranger to anyone who comes into contact with WB, be it a Board member, condo owner, tenant or contractor – for 22+ years Sam has answered the phone and greeted visitors at reception with a larger than life personality that makes it hard for anyone to forget her.
Gwenn Phillips joined the WB team on April 1, 1997, but don’t be fooled (pun intended – yes, we can hear the groans now…) as Gwenn is a master of the accounts, primarily now handling accounting duties for our commercial property management division.
Shortly after, in September 1997, Gwenn was joined in the accounting department by Anne Upright. Another one of our stalwart team members, Anne works closely with our condo clients to maintain the outstanding reputation of our accounting department.
While there are many pictures from years gone by of our long standing employees, some are more comfortable in front of a camera (Samantha….) than others, so for this edition of our highlights we will simply share with you our company past – the original WB logo that served the company well from our inception in 1995 until 2011.
Wilson Blanchard continues to recognize that it is thanks to our great employees that we have built such a successful company, and that is why we take this time to recognize and thank them for their continued support throughout our 25 years in business.
In celebration of our 25th year in business, Wilson Blanchard is highlighting our “top 25” – the moments, accomplishments and people that have made WB a success and a great company to work for. This is post #9 in the series.