Platinum-status produce marketer celebrates 24th straight year on Canada’s Best Managed list and CEO John Anderson’s 50-year milestone
Vancouver-based marketer and distributor Oppy has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the 24th consecutive year, securing its place in Deloitte’s 2025 Platinum Club only weeks after chairman and CEO John Anderson celebrated 50 years with the firm.
The accolade, announced on May 7, recognizes privately held companies that excel in strategy, culture, governance, and financial performance, and keeps Oppy among the longest-standing honorees in the program’s 32-year history.
Now in the Platinum tier for 17 straight years, Oppy points to operational excellence, constant innovation, and values-driven leadership as the cornerstones of its success.
Earlier in 2025 the company was also selected as one of British Columbia’s Top Employers, an editorial competition that lauds workplace best practices from flexible scheduling to community volunteering further evidence, according to the judges, of a culture built to attract and retain talent in an increasingly competitive produce sector.
The Best Managed designation has been part of Oppy’s identity since it first entered the program in 2001, and leadership sees it as validation of a long-term strategy that balances global growth with local accountability.
The 167-year-old company now sources fruit and vegetables from more than 25 countries, coordinating farms, logistics hubs, and retail partnerships across North America, Asia, and Europe while still operating from its original base on Canada’s west coast.
“At the heart of Oppy’s sustained success is John Anderson. John’s half-century with Oppy is nothing short of extraordinary. This Best Managed recognition is, in many ways, a reflection of his enduring legacy and the team culture he helped foster.”
David Smith, President and Chief Operating Officer, Oppy
Anderson, who joined the business as a teenager in 1975 and rose through sales and procurement to the top job in 1993, credited the entire workforce with keeping the company adaptive.
“It is a true honor to receive this recognition year after year. It speaks volumes about our organization’s commitment to excellence and the strong values we nurture. I’m incredibly proud to celebrate this achievement with the people who have made Oppy what it is today.”
John Anderson, CEO & Managing Partner at Oppy
Deloitte’s Best Managed program evaluates companies with revenues above CAD 50 million on four pillars strategy, capabilities and innovation, culture and commitment, and governance and financials through a months-long application process that includes independent verification of metrics and an in-person interview.
Platinum status is reserved for firms that have held the designation for at least seven consecutive years, placing Oppy in an elite cohort of organizations that consistently outperform their peers on both growth and social impact benchmarks.
Oppy’s 2025 submission highlighted recent investments in digital demand forecasting, sustainable packaging, and grower partnerships designed to reduce food waste and improve transparency from field to shelf.
The company also pointed to its employee wellness framework health- and lifestyle-spending accounts, paid volunteer days, and leadership-development tracks as proof that profitability and people-centric policies can coexist.
External judges for BC’s Top Employers cited many of the same programs when they ranked Oppy among the province’s best workplaces in February.
As the fresh-produce supply chain grapples with climate volatility, shifting consumer preferences, and rising transport costs, Oppy executives argue that the Best Managed title signals stability to international growers and retail buyers alike.
