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FirstService

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FY2017 Annual Report · FirstService
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Financial Highlights

Investment Highlights

1,705

162

1,483

1,264

1,132

1,038

130

103

79

84*

75

Leadership Positions In Very

Strong Financial Profile

Large, Fragmented Markets

•  Strong free cash flow  

•  Leading market positions with 

generation with low capital 

well-recognized brands in all 

expenditures

service lines

•  Modest market shares in large, 

fragmented markets provide 

significant organic and tuck-

under acquisition growth  

opportunities 

•  Scale advantage, proprietary 

products/services and national 

coverage are competitive  

differentiators which are  

difficult to replicate

Proven Business Model

•  Conservative balance sheet

•  Ample capital and liquidity  

to fund future growth

•  Consistent, growing common 

share dividends 

Compelling Growth Prospects

•  Long and consistent track 

record of delivering growth

•  10%+ average annual  

revenue growth target

•  Strong organic growth through 

•  Essential outsourced property 

competitive advantages in 

services with highly predictable 

attractive markets

and recurring revenue streams

•  Margin enhancement  

•  Focus on customer service  

potential through operating 

excellence through high  

employee engagement

efficiencies

•  Disciplined tuck-under  

•  Leverage our differentiators to 

acquisition strategy

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

Revenues 

(US$ millions)

Adjusted EBITDA 

(US$ millions)

*Normalized for $9 million of 

   non-recurring expenses.

extend our leadership positions 

and win new business

•  Partnership philosophy  

aligns business leaders with 

shareholders

Operational  

excellence and 

strong client focus 

translated into  

of financial  

performance at  

FirstService in 2017

another record year 

platforms:

About FirstService 

Corporation

FirstService Corporation is a 

branded franchise systems 

North American leader in the 

and company-owned  

essential property services 

operations.

sector serving its customers 

through two industry-leading 

FirstService Residential and 

FirstService Residential 

– North America’s largest 

manager of residential 

communities; and

FirstService Brands both rely 

on the same operational 

foundations for success – a 

core competency in managing 

and growing market-leading, 

value-added outsourced 

property services businesses; 

FirstService Brands – one  

significant scale advantages 

of North America’s largest 

that are leveraged to create 

providers of essential property 

more value for clients; a 

services to residential and 

culture focused around 

commercial customers 

customer service excellence; 

delivered through individually 

and strong brand recognition.

Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting

The annual meeting of the shareholders will be 

held on Wednesday April 11, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. 

(ET) at The Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, 

Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto, Ontario

FirstService
2017
Annual
Report

Over Two Decades  

of Consistent Growth

5-YEAR REVENUE

CAGR

13%

$1,705MM

Corporate Information

Registrar and Transfer Agent

Canada – TSX Trust Company

Phone: 1.866.600.5869

E-mail: tmxeinvestorservices@tmx.com

U.S. co-transfer agent – Computershare

Phone: 1.800.368.5948

E-mail: webqueries@computershare.com

Stock Exchange Listings

NASDAQ Global Select Market – FSV

Toronto Stock Exchange – FSV

FirstService common shares are included 

in the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

www.FirstService.com

Creating
Value
One Step
FirstService
Annual
at a Time
Report

COMPOUNDED 

23 YEARS REVENUE 

ANNUAL GROWTH 19%

$37MM

Results From Operations

Revenues 

Adjusted EBITDA1 

Operating earnings 

Net earnings 

Financial Position

Total assets 

Long-term debt 

Shareholders’ equity 

Earnings Per Share Data

Adjusted EPS2 

Diluted net earnings per common share 

Diluted weighted average  

  common shares outstanding (thousands) 

Cash dividends per common share 

Notes

and stock-based compensation expense.

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

(US$ thousands, except per share amounts) 

               Year ended December 31

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

2013

$  1,705,456 

$ 1,482,889 

$  1,264,077 

$  1,132,002 

$ 1,038,087

161,977 

107,627 

76,673 

130,324 

90,550 

54,243 

103,038 

70,747 

38,198 

74,997 

45,621 

26,192 

78,913

37,083

18,452

$  837,733 

$  770,964 

$  600,483 

$  615,544 

$  610,297

269,625 

203,233 

250,909 

181,028 

201,199 

167,026 

239,357 

158,749 

225,425

168,660

$ 

2.03 

1.45 

$ 

1.62 

0.92 

$ 

1.20 

0.59 

$ 

0.84 

0.36 

$ 

0.96

0.09

36,559 

36,366 

36,425 

36,363 

$ 

0.49 

$ 

0.44 

$ 

0.40 

$ 

- 

$ 

36,306

-

1.  Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings before income tax, interest, depreciation, amortization, goodwill impairment charges, other (income) expense, acquisition-related items,  

2.  Adjusted earnings per share is defined as diluted net earnings per common share, adjusted for the effect, after income tax, of the non-controlling interest redemption increment,  

amortization, goodwill impairment charges, acquisition-related items, stock-based compensation expense, a stock-based compensation tax adjustment related to a US GAAP change, 

and an income tax recovery on the enactment of US Tax Reform.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial Highlights

Investment Highlights

1,705

162

1,483

1,264

1,132

1,038

130

103

79

84*

75

Leadership Positions In Very

Strong Financial Profile

Large, Fragmented Markets

•  Strong free cash flow  

•  Leading market positions with 

generation with low capital 

well-recognized brands in all 

expenditures

service lines

•  Modest market shares in large, 

fragmented markets provide 

significant organic and tuck-

under acquisition growth  

opportunities 

•  Scale advantage, proprietary 

products/services and national 

coverage are competitive  

differentiators which are  

difficult to replicate

Proven Business Model

•  Conservative balance sheet

•  Ample capital and liquidity  

to fund future growth

•  Consistent, growing common 

share dividends 

Compelling Growth Prospects

•  Long and consistent track 

record of delivering growth

•  10%+ average annual  

revenue growth target

•  Strong organic growth through 

•  Essential outsourced property 

competitive advantages in 

services with highly predictable 

attractive markets

and recurring revenue streams

•  Margin enhancement  

•  Focus on customer service  

potential through operating 

excellence through high  

employee engagement

efficiencies

•  Disciplined tuck-under  

•  Leverage our differentiators to 

acquisition strategy

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

Revenues 

(US$ millions)

Adjusted EBITDA 

(US$ millions)

*Normalized for $9 million of 

   non-recurring expenses.

extend our leadership positions 

and win new business

•  Partnership philosophy  

aligns business leaders with 

shareholders

Operational  

excellence and 

strong client focus 

translated into  

of financial  

performance at  

FirstService in 2017

another record year 

platforms:

About FirstService 

Corporation

FirstService Corporation is a 

branded franchise systems 

North American leader in the 

and company-owned  

essential property services 

operations.

sector serving its customers 

through two industry-leading 

FirstService Residential and 

FirstService Residential 

– North America’s largest 

manager of residential 

communities; and

FirstService Brands both rely 

on the same operational 

foundations for success – a 

core competency in managing 

and growing market-leading, 

value-added outsourced 

property services businesses; 

FirstService Brands – one  

significant scale advantages 

of North America’s largest 

that are leveraged to create 

providers of essential property 

more value for clients; a 

services to residential and 

culture focused around 

commercial customers 

customer service excellence; 

delivered through individually 

and strong brand recognition.

Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting

The annual meeting of the shareholders will be 

held on Wednesday April 11, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. 

(ET) at The Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, 

Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto, Ontario

FirstService

2017

Annual

Report

Over Two Decades  
of Consistent Growth

5-YEAR REVENUE
CAGR

13%

$1,705MM

Corporate Information

Registrar and Transfer Agent

Canada – TSX Trust Company

Phone: 1.866.600.5869

E-mail: tmxeinvestorservices@tmx.com

U.S. co-transfer agent – Computershare

Phone: 1.800.368.5948

E-mail: webqueries@computershare.com

Stock Exchange Listings

NASDAQ Global Select Market – FSV

Toronto Stock Exchange – FSV

FirstService common shares are included 

in the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

www.FirstService.com

Creating

Value

One Step

FirstService

at a Time

Report

Annual

23 YEARS REVENUE 
COMPOUNDED 

ANNUAL GROWTH 19%

$37MM

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

(US$ thousands, except per share amounts) 

               Year ended December 31

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

2013

Results From Operations
Revenues 
Adjusted EBITDA1 
Operating earnings 
Net earnings 

Financial Position
Total assets 
Long-term debt 
Shareholders’ equity 

Earnings Per Share Data
Adjusted EPS2 
Diluted net earnings per common share 
Diluted weighted average  
  common shares outstanding (thousands) 
Cash dividends per common share 

$  1,705,456 
161,977 
107,627 
76,673 

$ 1,482,889 
130,324 
90,550 
54,243 

$  1,264,077 
103,038 
70,747 
38,198 

$  1,132,002 
74,997 
45,621 
26,192 

$ 1,038,087
78,913
37,083
18,452

$  837,733 
269,625 
203,233 

$  770,964 
250,909 
181,028 

$  600,483 
201,199 
167,026 

$  615,544 
239,357 
158,749 

$  610,297
225,425
168,660

$ 

$ 

2.03 
1.45 

36,559 
0.49 

$ 

$ 

1.62 
0.92 

36,366 
0.44 

$ 

$ 

1.20 
0.59 

36,425 
0.40 

$ 

$ 

0.84 
0.36 

36,363 
- 

$ 

$ 

0.96
0.09

36,306
-

Notes
1.  Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings before income tax, interest, depreciation, amortization, goodwill impairment charges, other (income) expense, acquisition-related items,  

and stock-based compensation expense.

2.  Adjusted earnings per share is defined as diluted net earnings per common share, adjusted for the effect, after income tax, of the non-controlling interest redemption increment,  

amortization, goodwill impairment charges, acquisition-related items, stock-based compensation expense, a stock-based compensation tax adjustment related to a US GAAP change, 
and an income tax recovery on the enactment of US Tax Reform.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial Highlights

Investment Highlights

1,705

162

1,483

1,264

1,132

1,038

130

103

79

84*

75

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

Revenues 
(US$ millions)

Adjusted EBITDA 
(US$ millions)

*Normalized for $9 million of 
   non-recurring expenses.

Operational  
excellence and 
strong client focus 
translated into  
another record year 
of financial  
performance at  
FirstService in 2017

Strong Financial Profile

•  Strong free cash flow  

generation with low capital 
expenditures

•  Conservative balance sheet

•  Ample capital and liquidity  

to fund future growth

•  Consistent, growing common 

share dividends 

Compelling Growth Prospects

•  Long and consistent track 
record of delivering growth

•  10%+ average annual  
revenue growth target

•  Strong organic growth through 
competitive advantages in 
attractive markets

•  Margin enhancement  

potential through operating 
efficiencies

•  Disciplined tuck-under  
acquisition strategy

Leadership Positions In Very
Large, Fragmented Markets

•  Leading market positions with 
well-recognized brands in all 
service lines

•  Modest market shares in large, 
fragmented markets provide 
significant organic and tuck-
under acquisition growth  
opportunities 

•  Scale advantage, proprietary 

products/services and national 
coverage are competitive  
differentiators which are  
difficult to replicate

Proven Business Model

•  Essential outsourced property 

services with highly predictable 
and recurring revenue streams

•  Focus on customer service  
excellence through high  
employee engagement

•  Leverage our differentiators to 

extend our leadership positions 
and win new business

•  Partnership philosophy  

aligns business leaders with 
shareholders

About FirstService 
Corporation

FirstService Corporation is a 
North American leader in the 
essential property services 
sector serving its customers 
through two industry-leading 
platforms:

FirstService Residential 
– North America’s largest 
manager of residential 
communities; and

FirstService Brands – one  
of North America’s largest 
providers of essential property 
services to residential and 
commercial customers 
delivered through individually 

branded franchise systems 
and company-owned  
operations.

FirstService Residential and 
FirstService Brands both rely 
on the same operational 
foundations for success – a 
core competency in managing 
and growing market-leading, 
value-added outsourced 
property services businesses; 
significant scale advantages 
that are leveraged to create 
more value for clients; a 
culture focused around 
customer service excellence; 
and strong brand recognition.

Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting

The annual meeting of the shareholders will be 

held on Wednesday April 11, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. 

(ET) at The Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, 

Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto, Ontario

FirstService

2017

Annual

Report

Over Two Decades  

of Consistent Growth

5-YEAR REVENUE

CAGR

13%

$1,705MM

Corporate Information

Registrar and Transfer Agent

Canada – TSX Trust Company

Phone: 1.866.600.5869

E-mail: tmxeinvestorservices@tmx.com

U.S. co-transfer agent – Computershare

Phone: 1.800.368.5948

E-mail: webqueries@computershare.com

Stock Exchange Listings

NASDAQ Global Select Market – FSV

Toronto Stock Exchange – FSV

FirstService common shares are included 

in the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

www.FirstService.com

Creating

Value

One Step

FirstService

at a Time

Report

Annual

COMPOUNDED 

23 YEARS REVENUE 

ANNUAL GROWTH 19%

$37MM

Results From Operations

Revenues 

Adjusted EBITDA1 

Operating earnings 

Net earnings 

Financial Position

Total assets 

Long-term debt 

Shareholders’ equity 

Earnings Per Share Data

Adjusted EPS2 

Diluted net earnings per common share 

Diluted weighted average  

  common shares outstanding (thousands) 

Cash dividends per common share 

Notes

and stock-based compensation expense.

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

(US$ thousands, except per share amounts) 

               Year ended December 31

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

2013

$  1,705,456 

$ 1,482,889 

$  1,264,077 

$  1,132,002 

$ 1,038,087

161,977 

107,627 

76,673 

130,324 

90,550 

54,243 

103,038 

70,747 

38,198 

74,997 

45,621 

26,192 

78,913

37,083

18,452

$  837,733 

$  770,964 

$  600,483 

$  615,544 

$  610,297

269,625 

203,233 

250,909 

181,028 

201,199 

167,026 

239,357 

158,749 

225,425

168,660

$ 

2.03 

1.45 

$ 

1.62 

0.92 

$ 

1.20 

0.59 

$ 

0.84 

0.36 

$ 

0.96

0.09

36,559 

36,366 

36,425 

36,363 

$ 

0.49 

$ 

0.44 

$ 

0.40 

$ 

- 

$ 

36,306

-

1.  Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings before income tax, interest, depreciation, amortization, goodwill impairment charges, other (income) expense, acquisition-related items,  

2.  Adjusted earnings per share is defined as diluted net earnings per common share, adjusted for the effect, after income tax, of the non-controlling interest redemption increment,  

amortization, goodwill impairment charges, acquisition-related items, stock-based compensation expense, a stock-based compensation tax adjustment related to a US GAAP change, 

and an income tax recovery on the enactment of US Tax Reform.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Message From Our CEO

Another rewarding year 
for our shareholders

2017 was a very exciting year for FirstService in many ways.   
We made significant progress in advancing our most important 
operating strategies; we laid the groundwork for the launch of our 
Social Purpose initiative in January of this year and we enjoyed 
another excellent year of top and bottom line growth. Our proven 
business model enables us to leverage the enormous property 
service markets in which we operate to drive consistent growth. 
2017 represents our 23rd consecutive year of revenue growth.

From left: D. Scott Patterson Chief Executive Officer,  
Jeremy Rakusin Chief Financial Officer

Our highlights this year include:

Strong Organic Revenue Growth
We pride ourselves on being an organic growth company first and 
our goal across every service line is to grow on an organic basis at a 
higher rate than the market. We largely achieved this in 2017 and 
generated a consolidated organic growth rate of 6%, buoyed by a 
strong economy but also a reflection of our ability to consistently 
take market share. 

Robust Acquisition Activity
We followed up our record 2016 acquisition year with another very 
strong year of acquisition activity. We closed nine transactions in 
total; five in our FirstService Residential division and four within 
FirstService Brands; investing $40 million for over $80 million in 
annualized revenue. Our disciplined acquisition program enabled  
us to more than double our organic revenue growth for a total 15% 
increase for the year.

Continued Margin Improvement
Our consolidated EBITDA margin expanded again this year, improving 
by 70 basis points driven by operating efficiencies at FirstService 
Residential and several of our other brands. While our consolidated 
margin will be influenced year to year as we add acquired operations 
to our results, our operational focus is to enhance margins annually 
at existing operations within each service line. 

Conservative Capital Structure
Our business model drives very strong free cash flow which we use 
first, to invest aggressively in organic growth initiatives and acquisitions, 
and secondly, to reward our shareholders through dividends and a 
judicious share repurchase program; all while maintaining a very 
conservative capital structure. Our net debt to EBITDA ratio at 2017 
year-end was 1.3X, modestly down from a level of 1.5X at the two 
prior year-ends. Subsequent to year-end, we enhanced our financial 
flexibility by amending our credit facility with an increased capacity 
to $250 million and extension for another five years. And lastly, in 
early February of this year, we increased our dividend by 10% for the 
third time in less than three years since our June 1, 2015 spin-off 
into a new public company.   

Stock Price Appreciation  

During 2017, the FirstService stock price increased by an impressive 

47%. This built further upon significant appreciation over the 

previous two years, resulting in a cumulative 150% increase since 

becoming an independent public company. The public markets have 

been robust over the last couple of years but the FirstService story 

and business model have very clearly been recognized and  

appreciated since the spin-off. 

Social Purpose

The highlight I am most proud of during 2017 is the work we did to 

lay the foundation for our Social Purpose launch at the outset of  

this year. We undertook a nine-month exercise to find out what was 

important to our people, businesses and customers in terms of 

social responsibility and made a commitment to incorporate this 

feedback into our business model and messaging for 2018. What  

we found was inspirational and gave us clear direction. You can find 

out more in the sidebar of this report and also on our website. This  

is just the start for us – we are committed to consistently build on 

our efforts to positively impact society.

FirstService has entered 2018 in a great position. Our markets 

remain buoyant and our operating management teams and 

platforms have never been stronger. Our long term goal is to grow 

our revenues at an average rate of at least 10% per year with 

incremental growth at the EBITDA line. We have accomplished this 

for many years and we believe we will continue for the foreseeable 

future driven by the following factors:

•  We have leadership positions but modest shares in huge,  

  fragmented markets. There is significant running room for growth  

  both organically and through acquisition. In terms of organic growth,  

  we need to continue to differentiate our service offering and win  

  on a day-to-day basis. This is the principal focus of our operators.  

  We add to organic growth through selected tuck-under acquisitions  

  that expand our geographic reach, broaden our service offering or  

increase our market share. There is a multitude of small tuck-  

  under prospects in our markets.

•  We maintain a conservative, flexible balance sheet to ensure that  

  we have ample capital to invest in aggressively driving towards our  

  business plan targets and to opportunistically pursue acquisitions  

  as they arise.

•  Our people are aligned with our vision and aspirations and driven  

  to make a difference for our customers every day. We have a unique  

  culture at FirstService that I am very proud of.

Our strong results in 2017 are a direct result of the efforts of the 

33,000 employees that work for FirstService companies and  

franchises. We want to thank our operating partners and employees 

for all they do to drive our success. We also thank our shareholders 

for their continued support.

D. Scott Patterson

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService 

at a Glance

Annual 

revenues: 

$1.7 billion 

Annual

EBITDA: 

$162 million 

Geographical  

revenue:

94% US / 6% Canada

Annual

dividend:

US$0.54

FirstService

Brands

       Revenues

$531M

      EBITDA

$74 M

FirstService Brands is a leading North American operator 

and provider of essential property services to residential 

and commercial customers, with extensive franchise 

networks comprising over 1,900 franchises and over 

20 company-owned locations in all 50 U.S. states and 

ten Canadian provinces. 

In 2017, FirstService Brands’ 16,000 employees within 

franchised and company-owned operations generated 

aggregate system-wide revenues of more than 

US$2 billion. Services are delivered through eight 

well-known, market-leading brands, each of which aspire 

to define service excellence in their respective markets 

through a strong focus on customer experience.

•  10%+ organic growth in every quarter in 2017; strong  

  contribution from company-owned and franchised  

2017 Highlights

  operations

•  Opened California Closets Eastern Manufacturing  

  Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan

•  Significant progress within Paul Davis Restoration  

  company-owned platform in adding management team  

  strength and building out shared services infrastructure 

•  Closed four tuck-under acquisitions in key markets:

  •  Two Paul Davis company-owned – Washington, D.C.;  

  Omaha, NE

  •  Two California Closets company-owned – Orange  

  County, CA; Atlanta, GA

Chuck M. Fallon

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService Residential

Charlie E. Chase

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService Brands

       Revenues

$1,174M

      EBITDA

$100M

FirstService Residential is the largest residential property 

manager in North America, with 8,000 communities and 

1.6+ million residential units under management. Its 

mission is to deliver exceptional client service and 

solutions that enhance the value of every property and the 

lifestyle of every resident in the communities it manages. 

In achieving these objectives, FirstService Residential 

leverages its scale, expertise and local knowledge to add 

value to its clients and differentiate itself from its 

competitors. The business invests extensively in a team of 

people who are committed to customer service excellence 

and living its values on a daily basis: Being genuinely  

helpful, aiming high, owning it, doing what’s right, 

improving it and building great relationships.

2017 Highlights

•  Recorded 11th consecutive quarter of operating margin  

improvement since our mid-2015 spin-off

•  Exceeded 8% annual EBITDA margin one year earlier  

  than initial target

•  Immediate response and seamless service delivery by  

  our teams and resources to hundreds of our communities  

in hurricane-affected areas

•  Closed five tuck-under acquisitions:

  •  Key acquisition in important Washington, D.C. high  

  rise market (Zalco Realty)

  •  Strengthened property management presence in  

  Minneapolis, Minnesota (Paradise & Associates)

  •  Broadened ancillary services by expanding pool  

  maintenance and lifestyle/amenities capabilities

EST. 1983

FITNESS SYSTEMS

R

“The Fitness & Wellness Experts!”

Planned Companies

Janitorial    Maintenance    Security    Concierge

Social Purpose

At FirstService, we define service excellence daily. Outside of 

work, this service ethic is manifested through our contributions 

to social good. Across FirstService, our teams create and 

participate in hundreds of causes and events that benefit the 

communities where we live and work. 

In 2017, we worked to establish the FirstService Social 

Purpose platform. Launched in January 2018, it recognizes  

these local efforts to  highlight the dedication and humanity of 

our people, while inspiring us all to further enrich the fabric of 

our communities.

As part of our Social Purpose, we established the FirstService 

Relief Fund to financially assist  our people in times of 

economic hardship. The Relief Fund will be available for 

natural disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which 

displaced many of our employees from their homes. It is also 

available for unfortunate situations such as the death of a 

family member or unforeseen and uninsured medical 

expenses.

Together with our franchisees, we are 33,000 strong. Collectively, 

we exert a powerful and positive impact on the communities 

where we work and live. As a company, we are committed to 

supporting and nurturing our extraordinary culture which 

drives an authentic desire to #FirstServeOthers.

See our website for more about the FirstService Social 

Purpose and Relief Fund.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Message From Our CEO

Another rewarding year 

for our shareholders

2017 was a very exciting year for FirstService in many ways.   

Our highlights this year include:

We made significant progress in advancing our most important 

operating strategies; we laid the groundwork for the launch of our 

Strong Organic Revenue Growth

Social Purpose initiative in January of this year and we enjoyed 

We pride ourselves on being an organic growth company first and 

another excellent year of top and bottom line growth. Our proven 

our goal across every service line is to grow on an organic basis at a 

business model enables us to leverage the enormous property 

higher rate than the market. We largely achieved this in 2017 and 

service markets in which we operate to drive consistent growth. 

generated a consolidated organic growth rate of 6%, buoyed by a 

2017 represents our 23rd consecutive year of revenue growth.

strong economy but also a reflection of our ability to consistently 

take market share. 

Robust Acquisition Activity

We followed up our record 2016 acquisition year with another very 

strong year of acquisition activity. We closed nine transactions in 

total; five in our FirstService Residential division and four within 

FirstService Brands; investing $40 million for over $80 million in 

annualized revenue. Our disciplined acquisition program enabled  

us to more than double our organic revenue growth for a total 15% 

increase for the year.

Continued Margin Improvement

Our consolidated EBITDA margin expanded again this year, improving 

Residential and several of our other brands. While our consolidated 

margin will be influenced year to year as we add acquired operations 

to our results, our operational focus is to enhance margins annually 

at existing operations within each service line. 

Conservative Capital Structure

Our business model drives very strong free cash flow which we use 

first, to invest aggressively in organic growth initiatives and acquisitions, 

and secondly, to reward our shareholders through dividends and a 

judicious share repurchase program; all while maintaining a very 

conservative capital structure. Our net debt to EBITDA ratio at 2017 

year-end was 1.3X, modestly down from a level of 1.5X at the two 

prior year-ends. Subsequent to year-end, we enhanced our financial 

flexibility by amending our credit facility with an increased capacity 

to $250 million and extension for another five years. And lastly, in 

early February of this year, we increased our dividend by 10% for the 

third time in less than three years since our June 1, 2015 spin-off 

into a new public company.   

Stock Price Appreciation  
During 2017, the FirstService stock price increased by an impressive 
47%. This built further upon significant appreciation over the 
previous two years, resulting in a cumulative 150% increase since 
becoming an independent public company. The public markets have 
been robust over the last couple of years but the FirstService story 
and business model have very clearly been recognized and  
appreciated since the spin-off. 

Social Purpose
The highlight I am most proud of during 2017 is the work we did to 
lay the foundation for our Social Purpose launch at the outset of  
this year. We undertook a nine-month exercise to find out what was 
important to our people, businesses and customers in terms of 
social responsibility and made a commitment to incorporate this 
feedback into our business model and messaging for 2018. What  
we found was inspirational and gave us clear direction. You can find 
out more in the sidebar of this report and also on our website. This  
is just the start for us – we are committed to consistently build on 
our efforts to positively impact society.

FirstService has entered 2018 in a great position. Our markets 
remain buoyant and our operating management teams and 
platforms have never been stronger. Our long term goal is to grow 
our revenues at an average rate of at least 10% per year with 
incremental growth at the EBITDA line. We have accomplished this 
for many years and we believe we will continue for the foreseeable 
future driven by the following factors:

•  We have leadership positions but modest shares in huge,  
  fragmented markets. There is significant running room for growth  
  both organically and through acquisition. In terms of organic growth,  
  we need to continue to differentiate our service offering and win  
  on a day-to-day basis. This is the principal focus of our operators.  
  We add to organic growth through selected tuck-under acquisitions  
  that expand our geographic reach, broaden our service offering or  
increase our market share. There is a multitude of small tuck-  

by 70 basis points driven by operating efficiencies at FirstService 

  under prospects in our markets.

•  We maintain a conservative, flexible balance sheet to ensure that  
  we have ample capital to invest in aggressively driving towards our  
  business plan targets and to opportunistically pursue acquisitions  
  as they arise.

•  Our people are aligned with our vision and aspirations and driven  
  to make a difference for our customers every day. We have a unique  
  culture at FirstService that I am very proud of.

Our strong results in 2017 are a direct result of the efforts of the 
33,000 employees that work for FirstService companies and  
franchises. We want to thank our operating partners and employees 
for all they do to drive our success. We also thank our shareholders 
for their continued support.

D. Scott Patterson
Chief Executive Officer

From left: D. Scott Patterson Chief Executive Officer,  

Jeremy Rakusin Chief Financial Officer

FirstService 

at a Glance

Annual 

revenues: 

$1.7 billion 

Annual

EBITDA: 

$162 million 

Geographical  

revenue:

94% US / 6% Canada

Annual

dividend:

US$0.54

FirstService

Brands

       Revenues

$531M

      EBITDA

$74 M

FirstService Brands is a leading North American operator 

and provider of essential property services to residential 

and commercial customers, with extensive franchise 

networks comprising over 1,900 franchises and over 

20 company-owned locations in all 50 U.S. states and 

ten Canadian provinces. 

In 2017, FirstService Brands’ 16,000 employees within 

franchised and company-owned operations generated 

aggregate system-wide revenues of more than 

US$2 billion. Services are delivered through eight 

well-known, market-leading brands, each of which aspire 

to define service excellence in their respective markets 

through a strong focus on customer experience.

•  10%+ organic growth in every quarter in 2017; strong  

  contribution from company-owned and franchised  

2017 Highlights

  operations

•  Opened California Closets Eastern Manufacturing  

  Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan

•  Significant progress within Paul Davis Restoration  

  company-owned platform in adding management team  

  strength and building out shared services infrastructure 

•  Closed four tuck-under acquisitions in key markets:

  •  Two Paul Davis company-owned – Washington, D.C.;  

  Omaha, NE

  •  Two California Closets company-owned – Orange  

  County, CA; Atlanta, GA

Chuck M. Fallon

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService Residential

Charlie E. Chase

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService Brands

       Revenues

$1,174M

      EBITDA

$100M

FirstService Residential is the largest residential property 

manager in North America, with 8,000 communities and 

1.6+ million residential units under management. Its 

mission is to deliver exceptional client service and 

solutions that enhance the value of every property and the 

lifestyle of every resident in the communities it manages. 

In achieving these objectives, FirstService Residential 

leverages its scale, expertise and local knowledge to add 

value to its clients and differentiate itself from its 

competitors. The business invests extensively in a team of 

people who are committed to customer service excellence 

and living its values on a daily basis: Being genuinely  

helpful, aiming high, owning it, doing what’s right, 

improving it and building great relationships.

2017 Highlights

•  Recorded 11th consecutive quarter of operating margin  

improvement since our mid-2015 spin-off

•  Exceeded 8% annual EBITDA margin one year earlier  

  than initial target

•  Immediate response and seamless service delivery by  

  our teams and resources to hundreds of our communities  

in hurricane-affected areas

•  Closed five tuck-under acquisitions:

  •  Key acquisition in important Washington, D.C. high  

  rise market (Zalco Realty)

  •  Strengthened property management presence in  

  Minneapolis, Minnesota (Paradise & Associates)

  •  Broadened ancillary services by expanding pool  

  maintenance and lifestyle/amenities capabilities

EST. 1983

FITNESS SYSTEMS

R

“The Fitness & Wellness Experts!”

Planned Companies

Janitorial    Maintenance    Security    Concierge

Social Purpose

At FirstService, we define service excellence daily. Outside of 
work, this service ethic is manifested through our contributions 
to social good. Across FirstService, our teams create and 
participate in hundreds of causes and events that benefit the 
communities where we live and work. 

In 2017, we worked to establish the FirstService Social 
Purpose platform. Launched in January 2018, it recognizes  
these local efforts to  highlight the dedication and humanity of 
our people, while inspiring us all to further enrich the fabric of 
our communities.

As part of our Social Purpose, we established the FirstService 
Relief Fund to financially assist  our people in times of 
economic hardship. The Relief Fund will be available for 
natural disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which 
displaced many of our employees from their homes. It is also 
available for unfortunate situations such as the death of a 
family member or unforeseen and uninsured medical 
expenses.

Together with our franchisees, we are 33,000 strong. Collectively, 
we exert a powerful and positive impact on the communities 
where we work and live. As a company, we are committed to 
supporting and nurturing our extraordinary culture which 
drives an authentic desire to #FirstServeOthers.

See our website for more about the FirstService Social 
Purpose and Relief Fund.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Message From Our CEO

Another rewarding year 

for our shareholders

Stock Price Appreciation  

During 2017, the FirstService stock price increased by an impressive 

47%. This built further upon significant appreciation over the 

previous two years, resulting in a cumulative 150% increase since 

becoming an independent public company. The public markets have 

been robust over the last couple of years but the FirstService story 

and business model have very clearly been recognized and  

appreciated since the spin-off. 

Social Purpose

The highlight I am most proud of during 2017 is the work we did to 

lay the foundation for our Social Purpose launch at the outset of  

this year. We undertook a nine-month exercise to find out what was 

important to our people, businesses and customers in terms of 

social responsibility and made a commitment to incorporate this 

feedback into our business model and messaging for 2018. What  

we found was inspirational and gave us clear direction. You can find 

out more in the sidebar of this report and also on our website. This  

is just the start for us – we are committed to consistently build on 

2017 was a very exciting year for FirstService in many ways.   

Our highlights this year include:

We made significant progress in advancing our most important 

operating strategies; we laid the groundwork for the launch of our 

Strong Organic Revenue Growth

Social Purpose initiative in January of this year and we enjoyed 

We pride ourselves on being an organic growth company first and 

our efforts to positively impact society.

another excellent year of top and bottom line growth. Our proven 

our goal across every service line is to grow on an organic basis at a 

business model enables us to leverage the enormous property 

higher rate than the market. We largely achieved this in 2017 and 

FirstService has entered 2018 in a great position. Our markets 

service markets in which we operate to drive consistent growth. 

generated a consolidated organic growth rate of 6%, buoyed by a 

remain buoyant and our operating management teams and 

2017 represents our 23rd consecutive year of revenue growth.

strong economy but also a reflection of our ability to consistently 

platforms have never been stronger. Our long term goal is to grow 

take market share. 

Robust Acquisition Activity

our revenues at an average rate of at least 10% per year with 

incremental growth at the EBITDA line. We have accomplished this 

for many years and we believe we will continue for the foreseeable 

We followed up our record 2016 acquisition year with another very 

future driven by the following factors:

strong year of acquisition activity. We closed nine transactions in 

total; five in our FirstService Residential division and four within 

•  We have leadership positions but modest shares in huge,  

FirstService Brands; investing $40 million for over $80 million in 

  fragmented markets. There is significant running room for growth  

annualized revenue. Our disciplined acquisition program enabled  

  both organically and through acquisition. In terms of organic growth,  

us to more than double our organic revenue growth for a total 15% 

  we need to continue to differentiate our service offering and win  

increase for the year.

Continued Margin Improvement

  on a day-to-day basis. This is the principal focus of our operators.  

  We add to organic growth through selected tuck-under acquisitions  

  that expand our geographic reach, broaden our service offering or  

Our consolidated EBITDA margin expanded again this year, improving 

increase our market share. There is a multitude of small tuck-  

by 70 basis points driven by operating efficiencies at FirstService 

  under prospects in our markets.

Residential and several of our other brands. While our consolidated 

margin will be influenced year to year as we add acquired operations 

•  We maintain a conservative, flexible balance sheet to ensure that  

to our results, our operational focus is to enhance margins annually 

  we have ample capital to invest in aggressively driving towards our  

at existing operations within each service line. 

  business plan targets and to opportunistically pursue acquisitions  

  as they arise.

Conservative Capital Structure

Our business model drives very strong free cash flow which we use 

•  Our people are aligned with our vision and aspirations and driven  

first, to invest aggressively in organic growth initiatives and acquisitions, 

  to make a difference for our customers every day. We have a unique  

and secondly, to reward our shareholders through dividends and a 

  culture at FirstService that I am very proud of.

judicious share repurchase program; all while maintaining a very 

conservative capital structure. Our net debt to EBITDA ratio at 2017 

Our strong results in 2017 are a direct result of the efforts of the 

year-end was 1.3X, modestly down from a level of 1.5X at the two 

33,000 employees that work for FirstService companies and  

prior year-ends. Subsequent to year-end, we enhanced our financial 

franchises. We want to thank our operating partners and employees 

flexibility by amending our credit facility with an increased capacity 

for all they do to drive our success. We also thank our shareholders 

Social Purpose

At FirstService, we define service excellence daily. Outside of 

work, this service ethic is manifested through our contributions 

to social good. Across FirstService, our teams create and 

participate in hundreds of causes and events that benefit the 

communities where we live and work. 

In 2017, we worked to establish the FirstService Social 

Purpose platform. Launched in January 2018, it recognizes  

these local efforts to  highlight the dedication and humanity of 

our people, while inspiring us all to further enrich the fabric of 

our communities.

As part of our Social Purpose, we established the FirstService 

Relief Fund to financially assist  our people in times of 

economic hardship. The Relief Fund will be available for 

natural disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which 

displaced many of our employees from their homes. It is also 

available for unfortunate situations such as the death of a 

family member or unforeseen and uninsured medical 

expenses.

Together with our franchisees, we are 33,000 strong. Collectively, 

we exert a powerful and positive impact on the communities 

where we work and live. As a company, we are committed to 

supporting and nurturing our extraordinary culture which 

drives an authentic desire to #FirstServeOthers.

See our website for more about the FirstService Social 

Purpose and Relief Fund.

From left: D. Scott Patterson Chief Executive Officer,  

Jeremy Rakusin Chief Financial Officer

to $250 million and extension for another five years. And lastly, in 

for their continued support.

early February of this year, we increased our dividend by 10% for the 

third time in less than three years since our June 1, 2015 spin-off 

into a new public company.   

D. Scott Patterson

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService 
at a Glance

Annual 
revenues: 
$1.7 billion 

Annual
EBITDA: 
$162 million 

Geographical  
revenue:
94% US / 6% Canada

Annual
dividend:
US$0.54

FirstService

Brands

       Revenues

$531M

      EBITDA

$74 M

Charlie E. Chase

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService Brands

FirstService Brands is a leading North American operator 

and provider of essential property services to residential 

and commercial customers, with extensive franchise 

networks comprising over 1,900 franchises and over 

20 company-owned locations in all 50 U.S. states and 

ten Canadian provinces. 

In 2017, FirstService Brands’ 16,000 employees within 

franchised and company-owned operations generated 

aggregate system-wide revenues of more than 

US$2 billion. Services are delivered through eight 

well-known, market-leading brands, each of which aspire 

to define service excellence in their respective markets 

through a strong focus on customer experience.

•  10%+ organic growth in every quarter in 2017; strong  

  contribution from company-owned and franchised  

2017 Highlights

  operations

•  Opened California Closets Eastern Manufacturing  

  Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan

•  Significant progress within Paul Davis Restoration  

  company-owned platform in adding management team  

  strength and building out shared services infrastructure 

•  Closed four tuck-under acquisitions in key markets:

  •  Two Paul Davis company-owned – Washington, D.C.;  

  Omaha, NE

  •  Two California Closets company-owned – Orange  

  County, CA; Atlanta, GA

       Revenues

$1,174M

      EBITDA

$100M

Chuck M. Fallon
Chief Executive Officer
FirstService Residential

FirstService Residential is the largest residential property 
manager in North America, with 8,000 communities and 
1.6+ million residential units under management. Its 
mission is to deliver exceptional client service and 
solutions that enhance the value of every property and the 
lifestyle of every resident in the communities it manages. 

In achieving these objectives, FirstService Residential 
leverages its scale, expertise and local knowledge to add 
value to its clients and differentiate itself from its 
competitors. The business invests extensively in a team of 
people who are committed to customer service excellence 
and living its values on a daily basis: Being genuinely  
helpful, aiming high, owning it, doing what’s right, 
improving it and building great relationships.

2017 Highlights
•  Recorded 11th consecutive quarter of operating margin  

improvement since our mid-2015 spin-off

•  Exceeded 8% annual EBITDA margin one year earlier  
  than initial target

•  Immediate response and seamless service delivery by  
  our teams and resources to hundreds of our communities  

in hurricane-affected areas

•  Closed five tuck-under acquisitions:

  •  Key acquisition in important Washington, D.C. high  

  rise market (Zalco Realty)

  •  Strengthened property management presence in  
  Minneapolis, Minnesota (Paradise & Associates)

  •  Broadened ancillary services by expanding pool  
  maintenance and lifestyle/amenities capabilities

EST. 1983

FITNESS SYSTEMS

R

“The Fitness & Wellness Experts!”

Planned Companies

Janitorial    Maintenance    Security    Concierge

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Message From Our CEO

Another rewarding year 

for our shareholders

Stock Price Appreciation  

During 2017, the FirstService stock price increased by an impressive 

47%. This built further upon significant appreciation over the 

previous two years, resulting in a cumulative 150% increase since 

becoming an independent public company. The public markets have 

been robust over the last couple of years but the FirstService story 

and business model have very clearly been recognized and  

appreciated since the spin-off. 

Social Purpose

The highlight I am most proud of during 2017 is the work we did to 

lay the foundation for our Social Purpose launch at the outset of  

this year. We undertook a nine-month exercise to find out what was 

important to our people, businesses and customers in terms of 

social responsibility and made a commitment to incorporate this 

feedback into our business model and messaging for 2018. What  

we found was inspirational and gave us clear direction. You can find 

out more in the sidebar of this report and also on our website. This  

is just the start for us – we are committed to consistently build on 

2017 was a very exciting year for FirstService in many ways.   

Our highlights this year include:

We made significant progress in advancing our most important 

operating strategies; we laid the groundwork for the launch of our 

Strong Organic Revenue Growth

Social Purpose initiative in January of this year and we enjoyed 

We pride ourselves on being an organic growth company first and 

our efforts to positively impact society.

another excellent year of top and bottom line growth. Our proven 

our goal across every service line is to grow on an organic basis at a 

business model enables us to leverage the enormous property 

higher rate than the market. We largely achieved this in 2017 and 

FirstService has entered 2018 in a great position. Our markets 

service markets in which we operate to drive consistent growth. 

generated a consolidated organic growth rate of 6%, buoyed by a 

remain buoyant and our operating management teams and 

2017 represents our 23rd consecutive year of revenue growth.

strong economy but also a reflection of our ability to consistently 

platforms have never been stronger. Our long term goal is to grow 

take market share. 

Robust Acquisition Activity

our revenues at an average rate of at least 10% per year with 

incremental growth at the EBITDA line. We have accomplished this 

for many years and we believe we will continue for the foreseeable 

We followed up our record 2016 acquisition year with another very 

future driven by the following factors:

strong year of acquisition activity. We closed nine transactions in 

total; five in our FirstService Residential division and four within 

•  We have leadership positions but modest shares in huge,  

FirstService Brands; investing $40 million for over $80 million in 

  fragmented markets. There is significant running room for growth  

annualized revenue. Our disciplined acquisition program enabled  

  both organically and through acquisition. In terms of organic growth,  

us to more than double our organic revenue growth for a total 15% 

  we need to continue to differentiate our service offering and win  

increase for the year.

Continued Margin Improvement

  on a day-to-day basis. This is the principal focus of our operators.  

  We add to organic growth through selected tuck-under acquisitions  

  that expand our geographic reach, broaden our service offering or  

Our consolidated EBITDA margin expanded again this year, improving 

increase our market share. There is a multitude of small tuck-  

by 70 basis points driven by operating efficiencies at FirstService 

  under prospects in our markets.

Residential and several of our other brands. While our consolidated 

margin will be influenced year to year as we add acquired operations 

•  We maintain a conservative, flexible balance sheet to ensure that  

to our results, our operational focus is to enhance margins annually 

  we have ample capital to invest in aggressively driving towards our  

at existing operations within each service line. 

  business plan targets and to opportunistically pursue acquisitions  

  as they arise.

Conservative Capital Structure

Our business model drives very strong free cash flow which we use 

•  Our people are aligned with our vision and aspirations and driven  

first, to invest aggressively in organic growth initiatives and acquisitions, 

  to make a difference for our customers every day. We have a unique  

and secondly, to reward our shareholders through dividends and a 

  culture at FirstService that I am very proud of.

judicious share repurchase program; all while maintaining a very 

conservative capital structure. Our net debt to EBITDA ratio at 2017 

Our strong results in 2017 are a direct result of the efforts of the 

year-end was 1.3X, modestly down from a level of 1.5X at the two 

33,000 employees that work for FirstService companies and  

prior year-ends. Subsequent to year-end, we enhanced our financial 

franchises. We want to thank our operating partners and employees 

flexibility by amending our credit facility with an increased capacity 

for all they do to drive our success. We also thank our shareholders 

Social Purpose

At FirstService, we define service excellence daily. Outside of 

work, this service ethic is manifested through our contributions 

to social good. Across FirstService, our teams create and 

participate in hundreds of causes and events that benefit the 

communities where we live and work. 

In 2017, we worked to establish the FirstService Social 

Purpose platform. Launched in January 2018, it recognizes  

these local efforts to  highlight the dedication and humanity of 

our people, while inspiring us all to further enrich the fabric of 

our communities.

As part of our Social Purpose, we established the FirstService 

Relief Fund to financially assist  our people in times of 

economic hardship. The Relief Fund will be available for 

natural disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which 

displaced many of our employees from their homes. It is also 

available for unfortunate situations such as the death of a 

family member or unforeseen and uninsured medical 

expenses.

Together with our franchisees, we are 33,000 strong. Collectively, 

we exert a powerful and positive impact on the communities 

where we work and live. As a company, we are committed to 

supporting and nurturing our extraordinary culture which 

drives an authentic desire to #FirstServeOthers.

See our website for more about the FirstService Social 

Purpose and Relief Fund.

From left: D. Scott Patterson Chief Executive Officer,  

Jeremy Rakusin Chief Financial Officer

to $250 million and extension for another five years. And lastly, in 

for their continued support.

early February of this year, we increased our dividend by 10% for the 

third time in less than three years since our June 1, 2015 spin-off 

into a new public company.   

D. Scott Patterson

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService 

at a Glance

Annual 

revenues: 

$1.7 billion 

Annual

EBITDA: 

$162 million 

Geographical  

revenue:

94% US / 6% Canada

Annual

dividend:

US$0.54

       Revenues

$1,174M

      EBITDA

$100M

FirstService Residential is the largest residential property 

manager in North America, with 8,000 communities and 

1.6+ million residential units under management. Its 

mission is to deliver exceptional client service and 

solutions that enhance the value of every property and the 

lifestyle of every resident in the communities it manages. 

In achieving these objectives, FirstService Residential 

leverages its scale, expertise and local knowledge to add 

value to its clients and differentiate itself from its 

competitors. The business invests extensively in a team of 

people who are committed to customer service excellence 

and living its values on a daily basis: Being genuinely  

helpful, aiming high, owning it, doing what’s right, 

improving it and building great relationships.

2017 Highlights

•  Recorded 11th consecutive quarter of operating margin  

improvement since our mid-2015 spin-off

•  Exceeded 8% annual EBITDA margin one year earlier  

  than initial target

•  Immediate response and seamless service delivery by  

  our teams and resources to hundreds of our communities  

in hurricane-affected areas

•  Closed five tuck-under acquisitions:

  •  Key acquisition in important Washington, D.C. high  

  rise market (Zalco Realty)

  •  Strengthened property management presence in  

  Minneapolis, Minnesota (Paradise & Associates)

  •  Broadened ancillary services by expanding pool  

  maintenance and lifestyle/amenities capabilities

EST. 1983

FITNESS SYSTEMS

R

“The Fitness & Wellness Experts!”

Planned Companies

Janitorial    Maintenance    Security    Concierge

FirstService
Brands

       Revenues

$531M

      EBITDA

$74 M

Chuck M. Fallon

Chief Executive Officer

FirstService Residential

Charlie E. Chase
Chief Executive Officer
FirstService Brands

FirstService Brands is a leading North American operator 
and provider of essential property services to residential 
and commercial customers, with extensive franchise 
networks comprising over 1,900 franchises and over 
20 company-owned locations in all 50 U.S. states and 
ten Canadian provinces. 

In 2017, FirstService Brands’ 16,000 employees within 
franchised and company-owned operations generated 
aggregate system-wide revenues of more than 
US$2 billion. Services are delivered through eight 
well-known, market-leading brands, each of which aspire 
to define service excellence in their respective markets 
through a strong focus on customer experience.

2017 Highlights
•  10%+ organic growth in every quarter in 2017; strong  
  contribution from company-owned and franchised  
  operations

•  Opened California Closets Eastern Manufacturing  
  Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan

•  Significant progress within Paul Davis Restoration  
  company-owned platform in adding management team  
  strength and building out shared services infrastructure 

•  Closed four tuck-under acquisitions in key markets:

  •  Two Paul Davis company-owned – Washington, D.C.;  

  Omaha, NE

  •  Two California Closets company-owned – Orange  

  County, CA; Atlanta, GA

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial Highlights

Investment Highlights

1,705

162

1,483

1,264

1,132

1,038

130

103

79

84*

75

Leadership Positions In Very

Strong Financial Profile

Large, Fragmented Markets

•  Strong free cash flow  

•  Leading market positions with 

generation with low capital 

well-recognized brands in all 

expenditures

service lines

•  Modest market shares in large, 

fragmented markets provide 

significant organic and tuck-

under acquisition growth  

opportunities 

•  Scale advantage, proprietary 

products/services and national 

coverage are competitive  

differentiators which are  

difficult to replicate

Proven Business Model

•  Conservative balance sheet

•  Ample capital and liquidity  

to fund future growth

•  Consistent, growing common 

share dividends 

Compelling Growth Prospects

•  Long and consistent track 

record of delivering growth

•  10%+ average annual  

revenue growth target

•  Strong organic growth through 

•  Essential outsourced property 

competitive advantages in 

services with highly predictable 

attractive markets

and recurring revenue streams

•  Margin enhancement  

•  Focus on customer service  

potential through operating 

excellence through high  

employee engagement

efficiencies

•  Disciplined tuck-under  

•  Leverage our differentiators to 

acquisition strategy

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

2013 2014

2015

2016

2017

Revenues 

(US$ millions)

Adjusted EBITDA 

(US$ millions)

*Normalized for $9 million of 

   non-recurring expenses.

extend our leadership positions 

and win new business

•  Partnership philosophy  

aligns business leaders with 

shareholders

Operational  

excellence and 

strong client focus 

translated into  

of financial  

performance at  

FirstService in 2017

another record year 

platforms:

About FirstService 

Corporation

FirstService Corporation is a 

branded franchise systems 

North American leader in the 

and company-owned  

essential property services 

operations.

sector serving its customers 

through two industry-leading 

FirstService Residential and 

FirstService Residential 

– North America’s largest 

manager of residential 

communities; and

FirstService Brands both rely 

on the same operational 

foundations for success – a 

core competency in managing 

and growing market-leading, 

value-added outsourced 

property services businesses; 

FirstService Brands – one  

significant scale advantages 

of North America’s largest 

that are leveraged to create 

providers of essential property 

more value for clients; a 

services to residential and 

culture focused around 

commercial customers 

customer service excellence; 

delivered through individually 

and strong brand recognition.

Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting

The annual meeting of the shareholders will be 
held on Wednesday April 11, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. 
(ET) at The Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, 
Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto, Ontario

FirstService

2017

Annual

Report

Over Two Decades  

of Consistent Growth

5-YEAR REVENUE

CAGR

13%

$1,705MM

Corporate Information

Registrar and Transfer Agent

Canada – TSX Trust Company
Phone: 1.866.600.5869
E-mail: tmxeinvestorservices@tmx.com

U.S. co-transfer agent – Computershare
Phone: 1.800.368.5948
E-mail: webqueries@computershare.com

Stock Exchange Listings

NASDAQ Global Select Market – FSV
Toronto Stock Exchange – FSV

FirstService common shares are included 
in the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

www.FirstService.com

Creating

Value

One Step

FirstService

at a Time

Report

Annual

COMPOUNDED 

23 YEARS REVENUE 

ANNUAL GROWTH 19%

$37MM

Results From Operations

Revenues 

Adjusted EBITDA1 

Operating earnings 

Net earnings 

Financial Position

Total assets 

Long-term debt 

Shareholders’ equity 

Earnings Per Share Data

Adjusted EPS2 

Diluted net earnings per common share 

Diluted weighted average  

  common shares outstanding (thousands) 

Cash dividends per common share 

Notes

and stock-based compensation expense.

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

(US$ thousands, except per share amounts) 

               Year ended December 31

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

2013

$  1,705,456 

$ 1,482,889 

$  1,264,077 

$  1,132,002 

$ 1,038,087

161,977 

107,627 

76,673 

130,324 

90,550 

54,243 

103,038 

70,747 

38,198 

74,997 

45,621 

26,192 

78,913

37,083

18,452

$  837,733 

$  770,964 

$  600,483 

$  615,544 

$  610,297

269,625 

203,233 

250,909 

181,028 

201,199 

167,026 

239,357 

158,749 

225,425

168,660

$ 

2.03 

1.45 

$ 

1.62 

0.92 

$ 

1.20 

0.59 

$ 

0.84 

0.36 

$ 

0.96

0.09

36,559 

36,366 

36,425 

36,363 

$ 

0.49 

$ 

0.44 

$ 

0.40 

$ 

- 

$ 

36,306

-

1.  Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings before income tax, interest, depreciation, amortization, goodwill impairment charges, other (income) expense, acquisition-related items,  

2.  Adjusted earnings per share is defined as diluted net earnings per common share, adjusted for the effect, after income tax, of the non-controlling interest redemption increment,  

amortization, goodwill impairment charges, acquisition-related items, stock-based compensation expense, a stock-based compensation tax adjustment related to a US GAAP change, 

and an income tax recovery on the enactment of US Tax Reform.