Six decades and three generations after it was formed, Berry & Smith Trucking remains a family business in the truest sense of the word.
It’s also equally committed to the community and is now donating $30,000 to the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation’s campaign to provide the medical equipment for the upcoming expansion of Penticton Regional Hospital.
Berry & Smith was formed in the mid-1950s, when co-founders Stu Berry and Ted Smith decided to merge their two small trucking operations in Naramata that hauled fruit and other goods such as coal, firewood and peat moss.
Now some 60 years later, it is among the biggest trucking firms in the B.C. Interior. In addition to Penticton, it has offices in Vancouver and Calgary with 180 employees and 110 trucks including lease operators, driving across North America. It also operates the transit service in Penticton for the City of Penticton and the RDOS (for going on 39 years) and has provided school bus service for the Okanagan Skaha School District for over 50 years.
Family still runs deep at Berry & Smith. President Matt Berry and vice-president Mark Berry head the company started by their father. Their sister Deb works in the front office and sister Julie is a former driver.
A third generation is also involved. Deb’s son, Kaolin Mallette is among the Berry & Smith mechanical shop staff, while Mark’s children, Warren and Bree have also worked for the company at times. Matt’s son Parker is currently taking Business at UBCO and in addition to summer work at the company he plans to make Berry and Smith his career choice.
Mark, who has been with the company for 42 years started working for Berry & Smith when he was quite young, driving, dispatch and now oversees the trucking division.
Matt, who has been with Berry & Smith for more than 30 years, admitted the family aspect of their company, is somewhat of a rarity in today’s corporate world – and a source of pride.
“We have a lot of respect for our father, who started it all with Ted. The pride is always there,” he said. “Dad always had a philosophy of providing high customer service and to look after your staff, but expected good work from them as well.”
Matt added they have tried to maintain that outlook over the years.
“We are extremely proud of the people we work with at Berry & Smith. Typically people who come on here tend to stay. We have lots of people who have been here for 25, 30, 35 and some of them over 40 years,” he said.
“We try and think long-term with business relationships and how can we make this work for everyone.”
Ted Smith sold his interest in the company to Stu Berry in 1970 when he joined the Penticton Fire Department, and remains a good family friend to this day.
Being able to contribute to the SOS Medical Foundation’s $20-million PRH campaign is the right thing to do and it received full support from the Berry family and its management team, said Mark.
“It’s a great cause, we’ve got an aging population here in Penticton and the need is there,” he said.
“It’s giving back to the community as well. The community has supported our company over the years and we feel strongly about that too. We congratulate those who have stepped forward to contribute and we encourage others to do what they can to help make this project work.”
Construction of the new Patient Care Tower will get underway this spring.
