UPDATED

Bob Singh Dhilon, Real estate tycoon- Current Asset Value of over $1.9 billion

He owns over 10,000 apartment units across Canada

Los Angeles, Nov 7, 2019
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

Bob Singh Dhillon was born in Japan in 1965. His grandfather moved to Hong Kong for business reasons and set-up the North China Shipping Company to carry out trade with Japan

• In 1970, his family moved to Vancouver, Canada after living in Liberia
• His family sent him to India and he was educated at Bishop Cotton School in Shimla.
• After graduating from university, he completed his master's degree -MBA at Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario

His family moved to Hong Kong from Tallewal,  near Barnala, district  Ludhiana, Punjab. His grandfather left for Hong Kong for business reasons and set-up the North China Shipping Company to carry back between Japan.

Philanthropist

• In 2018,  Bob Dhillon donated $10 million to the University of Lethbridge  which is the largest donation in the university's history.

"I'm a first-generation immigrant and I'm very fortunate that I'm in a position to make this contribution. This is my way of giving back to Canada," said Dhillon.

• The UofL is a world-class university that the world needs to discover.

In Real Estate Business:

• In 1968,  the Mainstreet Equity Organization was incorporated
• Only  First Sikh-owned company in real estate company was listed in Toronto Stock Exchange.
• His Company own more than 5,000 apartments in North America
• He is developing a high-end tourist resort in Belize.
• He is also the honorary consul general of Belize to Canada

Founder, President & CEO--Mainstreet Equity Corp.

• Jan 1998 – Present21 years 11 months Calgary, Canada Area
• Founder and largest shareholder of Mainstreet Equity Corp.
  Property portfolio: Surrey, Abbotsford, New Westminster, BC; Calgary & Edmonton, AB; Saskatoon & Regina, SK
  Mainstreet Equity Corp. was the Top 10 Gainer on the TSE in 2011
• Current Asset Value of over $1.9 billion

Founder, Owner-National Payments Ltd.

• 2008 – Present11 years Calgary, Canada Area
• Point-of-Sale Payment Solutions for small business merchants--Helping merchants save money on their Visa, MasterCard, American Express and debit cards processing. Point-of-Sale Payment Solutions for small business merchants. Helping merchants save money on their Visa, MasterCard, American Express and debit cards processing

Developer- Developer, Belize

• 1996 – Present23 years
• Belize- Owner and developer of a 3,000 acre island
  Two miles from the Town of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
  First Phase underway: consists of residential, commercial, marina, and resorts, 100% green
• Owner and developer of a 3,000 acre island
• Two miles from the Town of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
  First Phase underway: consists of residential, commercial, marina, and resorts-100% green

Founder, Owner & President-Pan Pacific Mercantile Group

• Jan 1987 – Present32 years 11 months- Calgary, Canada Area
• International Trading – Export Company-Global Real Estate Development – focused on real estate development in emerging markets – Belize and India- Real Estate Holdings
• International Trading – Export Company
  Global Real Estate Development – focused on real estate development in emerging markets – Belize and India
  Real Estate Holdings

Books:  Business and Retirement Guide to Belize: The Last Virgin Paradise

Navjeet (Bob Singh) Dhillon Says:

• I was very fortunate that the importance of education was drilled into me by my family, my parents, my brother, really everybody around me growing up.
• I have a niche within the umbrella of the real estate world and that's the segment of apartment buildings. It is one business that hasn't been consolidated; there's an opportunity to add value to top-flying revenue instantaneously; interest rates are at a 45-year low; you got all the demand cycle... and then I am fortunate enough to be in Calgary, among the top seven growth cities in Canada.
• Winners never quit. Take advice from other successful people and not your relatives and friends. We are the luckiest people in the world as this is the era of Canada. The next decade, with the global demand for commodities, the Canadian environment is going to be positive for business, positive because they are going to further open up immigration. Canadian South Asians who happen to be here must know that Canada is a platform where it is very difficult not to succeed.
• My father was born in Hong Kong. I was born in Japan. My parents then moved to Liberia. Then we came here. As a new Canadian, it was a difficult time. It wasn't easy and there was discrimination. It leaves scars on a young person like me. When we first migrated I was 12 years old. It was a difficult time for any immigrant to go through and when (then prime minister Pierre Trudeau opened the gate, everybody came and everybody had a tough time adjusting.
• South Asians were a new phenomenon. It was difficult for South Asians. It was difficult for Canadians. Canada was going through an evolution, going through a change and we were caught in the crossfire of that change at that time.

We were banned from any frontline positions in offices, and no oil companies would hire me. But the end result is the success of all of us -- Ray Sahi, Steve Gupta (Toronto hoteliers), Pradeep Sood (former president, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce). These people said we will take on challenges. I call them mini-Columbuses.

• My parents, Steve Gupta and Ray Sahi are the Columbuses, these great explorers who came to Canada, Africa or Asia. They were adventurous people. These guys should be given the credit where it is due <for) opening and paving the road for generations. For the new immigrants who come in today, the road is paved.
• Think of the guys who came on board in the early 1900 versus the guys who come on the boat today. South Asians can today tap into social services. There are Hindi and Punjabi newspapers, language facilities. You've got successful Indo-Canadians.
• My mother was fired from her job at the post office strictly because of its racist attitude. We fought the case and won. At the end of the day, the Canadian system fought the case. We have to give credit to Canada. Canadians fought the case and Canadians said give justice where it is due. It is the greatest country in the world, Canada.

My heart is in Belize. First, it is two hours away from the biggest market in the world, the United States. It is a Ground Zero in terms of the tourist development, with a growth rate that is going to be beyond (what) anybody can imagine. It is English-speaking. It has the same land title system as Canada. It is common law and there's no foreign ownership restriction. There's no capital gains tax, very minimum income tax.
Mentoring young South Asians and doing philanthropy -- giving back to society anyway I can. It is easy making money. It is $800 million today, but transforming the tourist industry in Belize at such a high level is something.

Bob Singh Dhillon-Real estate tycoon- Current Asset Value of over $1.9 billion