Toronto-based Sydney Stone, formerly known as Sydney R. Stone & Co. Ltd., is celebrating its 60th anniversary in November of this year. The company will mark the 60-year milestone at the upcoming Graphics Canada trade show with a Saturday 1:00 pm cake cutting.
Established in 1951 by Sydney R. Stone, the company was purchased in 2008 (from previous owner David Marsh) by Dylan Westgate and Michael Steele, who continue to drive their technology and service focus on small-format bindery equipment, including lamination, paper cutting and folding machines.
“We find it very interesting; the printing industry is always evolving,” said Westgate. “As a company with 60 years of roots, we are proud of the accomplishments of our predecessors and look forward to being a part of the future of Sydney Stone. “
Below is a historical description, provided by the company, of Sydney Stone’s evolution over the past 60 years of Canadian printing:
Sydney R Stone founded the company in 1951. He started his career at the age of 14 at a Toronto Stationary printer. Sydney Stone operated one of the first Canadian Heidelberg presses, which later landed him a job as a demonstrator and installer. After serving six years in the military during World War II, he moved to selling binders, cutters and even small format presses and established what was then known as Sydney R. Stone & Co. Limited.
Stone made large contributions and worked closely with Challenge Machinery, providing the original concept and construction of the well-known Paddy Wagon. He retired in 1980 and passed away one year later, dedicating over 50 years of his life to the print finishing industry.
After Sydney Stone’s death, employees Shirley MacKay and Harry Day purchased the company from Sydney Stone’s widow in 1983. In 1989 the decision to sell was clear when David Marsh (former international marketing manager of Computerized Cutters) showed signs in purchasing Sydney Stone. According to Day, “I’m very happy about Dave being the new person because he seems to be the type of person to carry on in the Stone tradition.”
David Marsh led Sydney Stone into a new technological era focusing on programmable technology and digital print. Securing major brands such as Duplo, Morgana, Triumph MBM and EBA, Marsh was well known for his ability to see the future. He received numerous awards for securing Sydney Stone as one of the leading print finishing distributors in Canada from Challenge, EBA and Triumph MBM.
In 2008, Marsh sold the company to two of his employees Dylan Westgate and Michael Steele after serving 40 years in the industry. The current co-owners made expansive changes in re-branding, revamping the Website to support 24/hour sales, re-building a new service team (with technical skill and fast response time) and relocation to a larger head office.
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