Once in a while, you’ll stumble across the company name by mooching through classifieds in the Okotoks Western Wheel. (Wanted, stable hand to work weekends . . . )

In downtown Calgary, you’ll find the same brand — Black Diamond Land & Cattle Co. — in tasteful gilt lettering, on the door of one of the most stylin’, retro offices in town, a storefront on 3rd Street S.W.

It’s all fine woods and deep leather, reminiscent of a speculator’s den on Stephen Avenue, circa 1974 oil boom.

Walk by the window, and the tanned proprietor will thrust a palm skyward from behind a desktop as broad as Lake Minnewanka.

Larry Macdougal, Business Edge
Rob Peters takes pride in his company's mile-long list of corporate successes.

Why not? Smilin’ Rob Peters knows everyone in town.

Peters remains under contract to the full-service investment dealer he founded 30 years ago last July. But the born salesman, who’s been called Calgary’s most successful stockbroker, has been steadily gearing down his duties with Peters & Co.

He’s returning to the source: backing privately owned teams of oil and gas pros. He knows them well, and he believes in them.

Once in a while, an outfit will appeal to his Harrison Fordish alter ego . . . to the leather-jacketed roughneck in his soul.

Exhibit A: Airborne Energy Solutions, a Whitecourt-based company Peters invested in about two years ago. It runs 55 helicopters, and flies to remote wellhead and gas plant locations for seismic and service work, or inspections for clients such as TransCanada.

“This company’s going gangbusters,” he cackled, warming to the piece de resistance: a remote coil tubing unit, developed specifically for use with the choppers.

Then there’s Odorchem Manufacturing Inc., of Surrey, B.C. The product: an environmentally sensitive deodorizing process with applications ranging from the agricultural industry to those cramped, odoriferous, 737 restrooms.

“This isn’t a masking agent . . . it really works. Kinda fun, isn’t it?” Peters crooned.

The thing about Smilin’ Rob is this: he hasn’t been wrong all that often. And the Millarville rancher, who’s not yet 60, is still schmoozin’, still ridin’, ropin’, playin’ polo, makin’ a few bucks here and there . . . in short, draining the cup of life’s bounty to the lees.

Peters remains a partner in the posh Elbow Valley residential development west of town, outselling the competition after a gestation period of more than 10 years.

But he still takes gleeful pride in discussing the evolution of THE Canadian oil and gas investment house throughout the past three decades.

“The most important thing is staying power,” mused the master. “Keeping the bank happy when there’s nothing goin’ on. It gets very lonely from time to time.”

While other tykes were collecting baseball cards, little Robbie Peters gathered dimes and quarters. He could barely reach the handlebars of his two-wheeler before he was hustling prescription deliveries for a Mount Royal drugstore, and he put himself through university selling Jags for Cooke Motors.

“I don’t know why . . . I was always interested in making money,” he shrugged. But there wasn’t much cash around in the early ’70s, not for Peters Hugo and Co. — the firm’s original name, founded with a modest $40,000 bankroll.

Professional oil analyst Ray Hugo was his first partner. But when the federal Liberals imposed double taxation on oil royalties, the entire industry seized and stalled. Hugo promptly bailed, saying: “Let’s close up. The industry will never be the same.”

Groaned Peters: “That’s fine for you . . . you’ve got a real job.”

But he hung through the dust-bowl days which ensued, and credits a supportive — and prescient — TD banker for keeping his doors open until things turned around. One summer, Peters fended off the wolves by selling convertible bonds for a north Calgary cable TV company.

Ultimately, he brought on new partners, including future ski impresario Charlie Locke. As the energy industry began to rev under Peter Lougheed’s stewardship, Peters & Co. became the only guys in town to provide institutional coverage of the Canadian oil and gas industry.

Through the years, Peters recruited a team of budding stalwarts, many from under the noses of their Toronto bosses. One such, crack analyst Wilf Gobert, has since risen to managing director and head of research.

On the mile-long list of corporate successes backed by Peters & Co. you’ll find Canadian Roxy, Poco Petroleum, Sceptre Resources, etc., etc.

Oilpatch rock star types such as Allan Markin and Murray Edwards benefited from their association with Peters, who smiled ingenuously and said: “Surrounding yourself with people smarter than yourself is the key.”

Nice theory. Trouble is, if you’re Rob Peters, there aren’t many of those out there.