OUR HISTORY
"We provide spaces with creative elements".
The SH Group was established in 1975 as Système Huntingdon Inc. (SH[i]). Initially, SH specialized in designing, fabricating and installing showrooms and their components.
With time and experience, SH developed a mission to enhance branded environments with its innovative graphic solutions.
Adding to their portfolio of award-winning kitchen & bath showrooms, SH is also a leading provider of innovative graphic solutions for museums, parks and entertainment destinations.
ALTO™ Aluminum and FOLIA™ Laminates can be found in parks, museums, theme parks, cities, transit stations and institutions across the globe.
Today, we bring our catalog of graphic and architectural solutions together under the SH brand name. Our team of 50 employees serves clients across Canada, the United States and internationally. As always, we are committed to research and development in sustainable materials and processes.
TIMELINE
1992
Changing the HPL game
SH begins R&D on high-pressure laminates, looking to develop products that could be customized to fill a gap in the market.
SH invests in digital printing machines and develops Top Inlay and FOLIA™ HPL, which launched at IDEX in 1993. The product caught the eye of Wilsonart and Arborite who would both become involved with the product. Soon after its launch, FOLIA™ was involved in projects with Parks Canada, the National Capital Commission and Alaska State Parks.
1975
Beginnings
Company founder Moritz Gruber comes to Montreal in 1967 looking for new opportunities. After working for a trade-show design-build firm, he opened his own company, Système Huntingdon, in a barn in Huntingdon, Quebec. A small town on the New York State border with strong ties to the textile industry, Huntingdon offered affordable buildings and a good employee pool, which was needed as the company grew.
2005
A New Facility
SH moves to a new 85,000 square-foot manufacturing facility to support the company’s continued growth.
The facility has a:
-
Millwork Shop
-
Metalwork Shop
-
Paint Shop
-
Print Shop
-
Offices
-
Warehouse Space
2006
ALTO™ Arrives
SH begins working with aluminum and investing in research on how to bring an innovative product to the signage and architectural markets. The company began researching several techniques for customizing architectural materials with graphics.
The result was a dye-sublimation process using an aluminum substrate, known as ALTO™. The first ALTO sign was installed at a school in Pennsylvania, a project was ordered by ABC Signs.
2013
SH Immersive Environments
The company went through a rebranding, choosing on the name SH Immersive Environments to reflect the company’s mission to create fully-branded environments for its clients.
2017
SEGD Arrow Award
for Innovation
SH receives the prestigious SEGD Arrow award for its innovative design solutions and commitment to developing technologies and manufacturing techniques that support the experiential graphic design field.
Both ALTO™ and FOLIA™ were recognized for providing the highest quality products and services to the industry.
2018
The SH Group Creation
SH opens a new sales and marketing office to support a complete rebranding.
After several name changes, the company settles on The SH Group, a name which pays tribute to the company’s original name, Systeme Huntingdon.
SH Design-Build and ALTO™ & FOLIA™ by SH continue to run as two distinct divisions of The SH Group.
1975
First Showroom
SH gets its start designing and installing trade-show exhibits for American Standard Canada and was the beginning of the company’s specialization in millwork for the kitchen and bathroom industry. This led to a showroom-in-a-showroom for Torrington Supply in Stanford, CT.
For many years, SH designed trade-show exhibits for a diverse collection of clients.
1978
Partnership with Michelin
The first Michelin project was a trade-show booth, but eventually the company saw SH’s strength in combining millwork with branded elements, and asked SH to start manufacturing dealer counters for their franchisees.
Over time, more and more components were added to the Michelin showroom program, which still runs today. NAPA started a similar program with SH in 2014.
1980's
Building
Immersive Experiences
SH starts expanding into showroom fabrication, taking their trade-show booth experience and translating that into commercial-grade retail furniture.
In this decade, SH also developed different signage products for exhibits and showrooms looking to add branding and storytelling elements. SH was producing silkscreens, lightboxes and exhibit systems.
1990's
Expansion & Growth
SH expands by adding an extension to their facility, effectively doubling the company’s size.
2020
SH 2.0
The company moves into a new era with investments in cutting-edge machinery and automation technology.
With this new capacity, The SH Group has expanded their offer and is continuously developing new solutions for all their clients’ needs.
1975
Beginnings
Company founder Moritz Gruber comes to Montreal in 1967 looking for new opportunities. After working for a trade-show design-build firm, he opened his own company, Système Huntingdon, in a barn in Huntingdon, Quebec. A small town on the New York State border with strong ties to the textile industry, Huntingdon offered affordable buildings and a good employee pool, which was needed as the company grew.
1975
First Showroom
SH gets its start designing and installing trade-show exhibits for American Standard Canada and was the beginning of the company’s specialization in millwork for the kitchen and bathroom industry. This led to a showroom-in-a-showroom for Torrington Supply in Stanford, CT.
For many years, SH designed trade-show exhibits for a diverse collection of clients.
1978
Partnership with Michelin
The first Michelin project was a trade-show booth, but eventually the company saw SH’s strength in combining millwork with branded elements, and asked SH to start manufacturing dealer counters for their franchisees.
Over time, more and more components were added to the Michelin showroom program, which still runs today. NAPA started a similar program with SH in 2014.
1980's
Building
Immersive Experiences
SH starts expanding into showroom fabrication, taking their trade-show booth experience and translating that into commercial-grade retail furniture.
In this decade, SH also developed different signage products for exhibits and showrooms looking to add branding and storytelling elements. SH was producing silkscreens, lightboxes and exhibit systems.
1992
Changing the HPL game
SH begins R&D on high-pressure laminates, looking to develop products that could be customized to fill a gap in the market.
SH invests in digital printing machines and develops Top Inlay and FOLIA™ HPL, which launched at IDEX in 1993. The product caught the eye of Wilsonart and Arborite who would both become involved with the product. Soon after its launch, FOLIA™ was involved in projects with Parks Canada, the National Capital Commission and Alaska State Parks.
1990's
Expansion & Growth
SH expands by adding an extension to their facility, effectively doubling the company size.
2005
A New Facility
SH moves to a new 85,000 square-foot manufacturing facility to support the company’s continued growth.
The facility has a:
-
Millwork Shop
-
Metalwork Shop
-
Paint Shop
-
Print Shop
-
Offices
-
Warehouse Space
2006
ALTO™ Arrives
SH begins working with aluminum and investing in research on how to bring an innovative product to the signage and architectural markets. The company began researching several techniques for customizing architectural materials with graphics.
The result was a dye-sublimation process using an aluminum substrate, known as ALTO™. The first ALTO sign was installed at a school in Pennsylvania, a project was ordered by ABC Signs.
2013
SH Immersive Environments
The company went through a rebranding, choosing on the name SH Immersive Environments to reflect the company’s mission to create fully-branded environments for its clients.
2017
SEGD Arrow Award for Innovation
SH receives the prestigious SEGD Arrow award for its innovative design solutions and commitment to developing technologies and manufacturing techniques that support the experiential graphic design field.
Both ALTO™ and FOLIA™ were recognized for providing the highest quality products and services to the industry.
2018
The SH Group Creation
SH opens a new sales and marketing office to support a complete rebranding.
After several name changes, the company settles on The SH Group, a name which pays tribute to the company’s original name, Systeme Huntingdon.
SH Design-Build and ALTO™ & FOLIA™ by SH continue to run as two distinct divisions of The SH Group.
2020
SH 2.0
The company moves into a new era with investments in cutting-edge machinery and automation technology.
With this new capacity, The SH Group has expanded their offer and is continuously developing new solutions for all their clients’ needs.
2021
The New Era
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To the Future
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