Stronco
Stronco is a privately held Canadian general service contractor, founded in 1952, that provides trade show, exhibition, custom exhibit, creative graphics, and logistics services to show organizers, corporate exhibitors, and exhibition facilities across Ontario and Eastern Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersMississauga, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Stronco does
Stronco Designs Inc., operating as Stronco, is a privately held Canadian General Service Contractor headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, with a secondary office in Ottawa. Founded in 1952 by Jack Strachan in the hotel decorating trade, the company has grown over more than 70 years into what it describes as Canada's largest privately owned show services provider. It delivers a five-line service platform spanning Exhibitions (360° show services and event coordination), Events (furniture, labour, and operational support), Exhibits (turnkey rental and custom-built booths, banner stands), Creative Services (graphics, signage, and theming), and Logistics (transportation, customs brokerage, and material handling). Customers include trade show organizers, corporate exhibitors, exhibition facilities, and corporate event planners; named end-customers span major banks, retailers, publishers, insurers, and government bodies such as TD, Michael Kors, Penguin Random House, Shoppers Drug Mart, and CUPE.
The company's technology footprint is centered on a proprietary exhibitor ordering and show management system (stroncoonline.com) layered on top of an in-house operational stack spanning show site operations, custom exhibit design and production, large-format graphics, and cross-border logistics. The underlying business is service- and labor-intensive rather than software-led; the platform digitizes the order and coordination layer but does not constitute a SaaS product sold to third parties. Stronco's go-to-market is primarily direct enterprise field sales with dedicated account managers handling full-cycle client relationships from booking to billing, supplemented by the self-serve online ordering portal for mid-market exhibitors and by exclusive official show services partnerships with major exhibition facilities (notably EY Centre in Ottawa since April 2021). Revenue is generated per project via quote-based pricing on custom exhibit builds, rental exhibits, labour, freight, and ancillary services, with a 70% refund window for rental cancellations and no refunds on signage, graphics, or on-site cancellations.
Stronco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stronco
- Legal name
- Stronco Designs Inc.
- Website
- https://stronco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Stronco is a privately held Canadian general service contractor, founded in 1952, that provides trade show, exhibition, custom exhibit, creative graphics, and logistics services to show organizers, corporate exhibitors, and exhibition facilities across Ontario and Eastern Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stronco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show and Exhibition Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)
Keywords
Where Stronco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mississauga
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Stronco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- General Service Contracting: Full-service trade show and convention services including labour, equipment rental, installation and dismantle services for exhibitions, trade shows, meetings, and events.
- Exhibit Design and Rental: Custom-built exhibits and turnkey rental options including exhibit design, production, installation, and takedown services. Also includes portable displays and banner stands.
- Logistics Services: Transportation, shipping, customs brokerage, material handling, and advance warehousing services for event logistics. Services span local, domestic and international shipments.
- Creative and Graphics Services: Event signage, graphics, large-scale design, and creative services including conference signage, wall graphics, floor graphics, and booth graphics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Exhibit Builds - Project-based pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rental Exhibits - Duration-based pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Service Labour - Hourly/project-based |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Stronco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stronco is Canada's largest privately owned full-service General Service Contractor for trade shows, exhibitions, and events. It provides general service contracting (labour, equipment rental, installation and dismantle), custom-built and rental exhibits, creative and graphics services (signage, booth graphics), and logistics including transportation, shipping, customs brokerage, material handling, and advance warehousing for trade shows, exhibitions, meetings, and events of any size.
Product overview
Stronco is Canada's largest privately owned full-service General Service Contractor offering a unified platform of trade show and event services. The core offering spans five interconnected service lines: Exhibitions (360° show services and event coordination), Events (furniture, labour, and operational support), Exhibits (rental and custom-built trade show booths including banner stands), Creative Services (graphics and signage production), and Logistics (transportation and customs brokerage). Products are delivered as standalone services or bundled under comprehensive show services packages, with rental exhibits and custom builds available as modular components within larger exhibition engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Exhibitions (Trade Show General Service Contracting)
Quantifiable outcome
- Flawless event execution as recognized by customers
Companies that use Stronco
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stronco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Stronco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EY CentrecoreEY Centre, Eastern Ontario's largest exhibition facility, appointed Stronco as official show services provider. This partnership establishes Stronco's local presence in the Ottawa market. The appointment was driven by Stronco's solid roots in the industry, depth of experience, and reputation for service excellence to support post-pandemic recovery.
- CAEM (Canadian Association of Exhibition Management)minorActive involvement in CAEM, Canada's association for exhibition management professionals.
- CanSPEP (Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners)minorActive involvement in CanSPEP, Canadian society for professional event planners.
- CHMSE (Canadian Hotel Meeting Services Association)minorActive involvement in CHMSE for hotel meeting services professionals.
- CSAE (Canadian Society of Association Executives)minorActive involvement in CSAE for association executives.
- ESCA (Exposition and Conference Association)minorActive involvement in ESCA for exposition and conference professionals. ESCA director Julie Kagy has praised Stronco's Internship Program.
- MPI (Meeting Professionals International)minorActive involvement in MPI, the world's largest meeting and event industry association.
- PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association)minorActive involvement in PCMA for professional meeting management.
- Meetings Mean Business CanadaminorActive involvement in the Meetings Mean Business Canada coalition supporting the business events industry.
- Canada's Leading Customs BrokerscoreStronco's logistics division has established partnerships with Canada's leading Customs Brokers for handling cross-border shipments. These partnerships ensure clearances are handled by licensed professionals with years of experience and long-standing relationships with Canada Border Services Agency.
- Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced LearningminorHumber College partners with Stronco through the Stronco Internship Program (SIP), providing students practical industry experience.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stronco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GES (Global Experience Specialists): Major global trade show services provider with a strong Canadian presence. Closely comparable as a general service contractor offering exhibits, logistics, and event services to show organizers and exhibitors.
- Freeman: The largest trade show and event services provider globally, offering general contracting, exhibit design, logistics, and AV. Directly comparable as a full-service general service contractor for trade shows and exhibitions.
- Hargrove: Trade show and event services company offering custom exhibits, logistics, and general contracting. Closely comparable in service breadth and target customer base.
- Shepard Exposition Services: US-based full-service general service contractor for trade shows and events, providing labor, logistics, exhibit rentals, and custom builds — directly comparable to Stronco's core offerings.
- The Expo Group: Multi-service trade show and event services provider covering exhibit design, logistics, and general contracting. Directly comparable to Stronco's one-stop service model.
- Fern Expo: Trade show and event services provider offering exhibit design, installation/dismantle, and logistics. Similar mid-sized general service contractor profile to Stronco.
- Czarnowski Display Services: Exhibit design, fabrication, and event services provider. Comparable to Stronco's custom exhibit and creative services offerings for trade show participation.
Emerging players
- Sparks: Custom event experiences and trade show marketing agency (a Freeman brand) focused on brand storytelling and experiential design. Comparable as a creative-services extension of the general show services stack.
Others
- PRG (Production Resource Group): Integrated production and event technology provider covering AV, lighting, and staging. Adjacent peer offering complementary event production services that increasingly overlap with show services.
Broad incumbents
- George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Larger-scale experience marketing and event agency serving enterprise brands globally. Comparable as a strategic supplier of event/exhibit services to corporate show participants, though broader in scope than a contractor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stronco social profiles
Digital presenceStronco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stronco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Stronco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stronco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stronco
What does Stronco do?
Stronco is Canada's largest privately owned full-service General Service Contractor for trade shows, exhibitions, and events. It provides general service contracting (labour, equipment rental, installation and dismantle), custom-built and rental exhibits, creative and graphics services (signage, booth graphics), and logistics including transportation, shipping, customs brokerage, material handling, and advance warehousing for trade shows, exhibitions, meetings, and events of any size.
Is Stronco a public or private company?
Stronco is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Stronco founded?
Stronco was founded in 1952. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Stronco based?
Stronco is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Stronco make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. General Service Contracting is the primary driver. The others are exhibit Design and Rental, logistics Services and creative and Graphics Services.
Who are Stronco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GES (Global Experience Specialists), Freeman, Hargrove, Shepard Exposition Services, The Expo Group, Fern Expo and Czarnowski Display Services. Sparks is listed as an emerging player. PRG (Production Resource Group) is listed as an others. George P. Johnson Experience Marketing is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Stronco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stronco.
What industry is Stronco in?
Stronco's product category is Trade Show and Exhibition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAAAA, Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers). Its NAICS code is 56192.