SAWCHUK GROUP OF COMPANIES
Sawchuk Group Companies
Sawchuk Insurance Group
In 1984, Ben Sawchuk began acquiring insurance brokerages in Northeastern B.C., later expanding into Northwestern B.C. The consortium became the largest ICBC Autoplan broker in Northeastern B.C.
From 1984 to 2007, Ben grew the business from $5M to $100M+ in general insurance premiums (excluding ICBC Autoplan). He sold the group to Western Financial Group in 2007—at the time, the largest private sale of independent brokerages in Canada. Before the sale, Sawchuk Group was the largest ICBC auto-insurance broker.
The growth model was Ben’s “Golden Handcuffs” strategy: team ownership with 2% equity per year up to five years. With 22+ offices, he didn’t lose a single branch manager—each manager held equity in their branch.
Sawchuk International Real Estate
In 1978, Ben Sawchuk earned his real estate license and helped establish Loiselle Realty Ltd., named in honour of his late father-in-law, Paul Loiselle (1972). By 1984 Ben acquired the corner building at 110th Street and 5th Avenue—renaming it the Ben Visa Centre—and led the top Block Brothers franchise in Canada in 1984–85. In 1986 he secured RE/MAX franchise rights for Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Fort St. John, later selling two offices and keeping Dawson Creek. That office ranked #1 RE/MAX franchise in Canada in 1986–87, and Ben was Canada’s top real estate salesman both years. In 1990 he sold the office and moved to Vancouver.
In 1992 Ben founded Sawchuk International Real Estate Services Inc. (SIRES) at Harbour Centre, building broker partnerships in West Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. He marketed B.C. farm and commercial properties with German-language materials under an exclusive-listing model (10% commission, split 50/50 with partner brokers). Notable receivership assignments from NA Properties included major assets across northern B.C. and the Yukon—among them the Dawson Creek Mall (sold in six weeks for $6.1M), the Scott Road Mall in Surrey, and the White Rock Recreation Centre. As European demand cooled, SIRES expanded to clients from South Korea, Kenya, and Hong Kong. Since Feb 5th,2020, Ben has focused on consulting for realtors and investors.
