Amar Doman becomes the new owner of the BC Lions

(Courtesy of Matt Baker, BC Lions)

A British Columbia entrepreneur known for his business acumen and talent for seeing the big picture is the new owner of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.

Amar Doman, founder and sole shareholder of the Futura Corporation, was introduced on Wednesday at a media availability at the team’s practice facility.

“I’m thrilled and excited by the opportunity before us, to build a winning team on the field, to be a positive force for a better British Columbia off the field, and to provide a great experience for our fans and our partners every step of the journey,” Doman told reporters.

“The Lions are part of the fabric of this great province. I’m honoured to take on this role because of our team’s history. But I’m motivated, most of all, by the future I see ahead for this franchise. I am extremely excited to get started.”

Known for his dedication to building shareholder value and his vision for long term thinking, Doman has built the Futura Corporation into one of the largest and fastest growing companies in Canada. He purchased the Lions from the estate of previous owner David Braley, the business icon and Canadian Football Hall of Famer who passed away last October.

“Amar Doman is exactly the owner that David Braley wanted for the future of the BC Lions, a team he was proud to own and that he deeply loved,” said Grant Panchyson, Executor of David Braley’s estate.

“A resident of the Lower Mainland, Amar’s family has been in BC for more than 100 years, operating successful businesses throughout the province. I’m excited to see the team move forward.”

As the controlling shareholder, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Doman Building Materials, as well as the controlling shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Tree Island Steel, Doman brings more than 30 years experience in building materials, lumber, and forest products manufacturing industries, and in public and private investments with an employee count in North America approaching 3,000. Active in industry organizations, he was formerly a Director on the National Board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

“This is a great day for British Columbia, for the Lions and for the Canadian Football League,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL.

“On behalf of our Board of Governors, and our fans across the country, I want to welcome Amar and his family to the CFL family. I have every confidence he will be a strong owner who will make this franchise, and our league, stronger.”

Ambrosie publicly thanked everyone who has worked hard to maintain the franchise in the wake of Braley’s passing.

“The support and patience shown by David’s estate, led by Grant, the hard work of Lions’ President Rick LeLacheur and the Lions’ staff, and the dedication of the players, coaches and the entire football operation, especially as we all navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic, are all a testament to David’s legacy and his vision for the future,” he said.

“Now, the future has arrived in the person of Amar Doman. We look forward to working with him to move this great franchise forward and to help us build the Canadian Football League of the future.”

 

AMAR purchased the BC Lions in August of 2021 and is the founder and sole shareholder of The Futura Corporation, one of British Columbia’s largest privately owned companies. The son of Ted Doman and nephew of Herb Doman, who along with a third brother Gordon, founded Doman Industries in 1953, the company was one of North America’s largest forest based, trucking, saw mill and pulp mill operators. Icons in the forestry industry, the Doman’s built a sprawling forestry empire on Vancouver Island and the B.C. Coast.

Amar purchased his first lumber remanufacturing plant at the age of 18. After acquiring a succession of specialty lumber treating plants, Amar bought CanWel Building Materials in 1999 from sawmill operators Canfor and Weldwood. CanWel which Amar took public in 2004, has been renamed Doman Building Materials, is now one of North America’s largest producers of pressure treated lumber and is a fully integrated international distributor of building materials. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. and trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol DBM, the company owns and operates 29 distribution centres, 32 pressure treated facilities, 5 specialty saw mills, 4 specialty lumber planing mills, 3 truss plants and 2 post/pole plants throughout the United States and Canada. Additionally, the company owns approximately 117,000 acres of private timberlands, strategic licenses and tenures, log harvesting and trucking operations in B.C.’s interior. Today, the company has over 2,500 employees. Amar remains the largest and controlling shareholder of Doman Building Materials Group and is the company’s Chairman and CEO.

Doman is also the largest and controlling shareholder and Executive Chairman of Tree Island Steel. Headquartered in Richmond, B.C., Tree Island is a North American manufacturer and supplier of premium quality nails, steel wire and wire products used in industrial, commercial, residential construction and the agricultural industry.

Founded in 1964, the company operates 4 wire mills in California, British Columbia and Alberta. Tree Island’s products include bright, galvanized and annealed wire, fasteners including packaged, collated and bulk nails and stucco reinforcing products including mesh, fence and other fabricated wire products.

As the founder, President and CEO of his privately held The Futura Corporation, Doman invests, owns and operates various enterprises including real estate. A passionate British Columbian, Amar is former director on the national board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner in the (West) Business category and has served as a director of a number of industry related associations. A noted philanthropist, Amar is also a mentor to young British Columbian entrepreneurs, has guest lectured on business topics on Vancouver campuses and donates his time to the local charities that he supports. Born in Victoria, Amar lives in West Vancouver. He is married and has three young children, 11, 9 and 7.