Blog Post

Celebrating 60 Years in Business

Catherine Dove • Mar 02, 2016

We recently looked at how we got to this point in the business & how we can gear up for the next 60 years.

We recently celebrated our 60th year in business, making us one of the longest serving events & exhibition specialists in the UK today. Whilst some of our product offering may have changed over this time, our commitment to innovation and customer service is as strong as it’s ever been. When engaging the team, it is easy to see the passionate eye for detail which has transcended down through each generation of ownership and with it an unwillingness to settle for anything other than the best we can deliver.

Leading the helm today are brothers David and Simon Cooper, serving their virtual apprenticeships from their early years under their father John who ran the company for over 25 years, having started himself at the age of fifteen as a young apprentice. Simon, who has worked for SD for the past fifteen years, keeps a watchful and hands-on role in ensuring clients are set-up and ready to impress at every event and location they can. David, who has taken the mantle as the driving force of SD, spends much of his week engaging with both existing and new clients, creating bespoke stands and helping clients take advantage of their modular systems and display boards for hire.

David reflects back to his early memories growing up with a father who was a genuine craftsman and innovator in the sector. “I remember growing up playing with the exhibition stands and parts from of our innovative display boards whilst my jigsaws & Lego gathered dust. As I grew older I was amazed at how the big names from the TV were all around me as my father worked on new ways to help brands like Black & Decker, ICI Paints, Bandai and Kellogg’s showcase their products. He taught me the importance of being 100% customer focused and how to truly help our customers make the most of their own opportunities. Today we’re looking at technology opportunities to add in to the mix but that’s just a modern day interpretation of what we’ve always done here – looking ahead”.

Today we continue to work with clients new and old with products ranging from Pull-Up Roller Banners to large bespoke exhibition stands and anything in-between. Some clients have been long standing and loyal to our company, ranging from ten to twenty years.


We are proud to say that our 60th anniversary has also been published in Business Voice, the magazine of Thames Valley Commerce group, and Buckingham Business First, which has a distribution of over 8,000 members.

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