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LETU ALUMNI IMPACT
Professional Sports
Written by Janet Ragland
Courtesy photos; logos used by permission
When Bob Gaglardi was a
mechanical engineering
student at LeTourneau
College from 1959 to
1963, he may never have
dreamed his family would
one day own a professional sports team, especially
one over 1,700 miles away from his home in
Vancouver, Canada.
Bob founded his family’s business on its first
35-unit Sandman hotel in 1963. The family business
grew, adding restaurants and a construction
company. Today it is known as Northland Properties,
Canada’s largest family-owned hospitality company,
employing over 11,000 people with $600 million in
annual revenue.
Northland Properties is the parent company
to over 40 Sandman Hotels, Inns and Suites
across Canada, as well as the Northland Asset
Management Company. It owns 70 Moxie’s
Restaurants, and nearly 30 higher end Shark Club,
Rockford and Chop restaurants, along with nearly 50
Denny’s franchise units.
“I have four kids and all are involved with me in
our business,” Bob said. “I was able to give away my
company to my four children. They now are equal
partners in the company.”
Bob’s son, Tom, was always interested in hockey
growing up, and due to the family’s success in the
hospitality industry, as well as Tom’s astute business
acumen, the Gaglardi family became the owners
of the Dallas Stars National Hockey League Team in
2011 when Tom Gaglardi purchased the team for
$240 million.
“I had a dream when I was a child, to be selfemployed,
to build a company, to be successful,”
said Bob Gaglardi. “Since I was 12 years old, I always
dreamt I would have the ability to build things. My
dreams have been fulfilled.
“I want my children to have their own
dreams and successes, to look at what they have
Tom and Bob Gaglardi both grew up playing hockey.
accomplished on their own. I want them to fulfill
their dreams,” he said. “So my son Tom loves
hockey, and I am so very pleased for him to have the
hockey team. They are wonderful athletes.
“People who do well in sports are smart
people,” he said. “They recognize their gift and work
hard to hone it. Talent alone is not enough. You
have to work your heart out to be the best at any
sport.
“I am so very pleased with Tom,” he said. “I do
some budgeting and work with the business side
of things with the Dallas Stars. I’m involved with
the general manager, sales people and accounting
group. I have a love for the game. I watch it.”
Hockey is a sport Bob played as a “preacher’s
kid” growing up in the city of Kamloops, British
4 | NOW Magazine | Spring 2013