With a construction and computer background, serendipity came to Canadian Ed Bryant in 1971 that pointed him toward establishing the first permanent concrete paver manufacturing factory in North America.
With a construction and computer background, serendipity came to Canadian Ed Bryant in 1971 that pointed him toward establishing the first permanent concrete paver manufacturing factory in North America. The story begins with Mr. Bryant building a home near Barrie, Ontario. He had a Swiss stone mason assisting with his project. During their conversation the stone mason introduced Mr. Bryant to a concrete ‘paving stone’ (translation of German pflasterstein aus beton). Mr. Bryant was captivated by the benefits of what the stone mason described as a superior paving method to asphalt or cast-in-place concrete. The mason complaining about the absence of concrete pavers in North America was viewed by Mr. Bryant as a significant business opportunity. At the time, Mr. Bryant owned a successful computer travel business, in retrospect he saw more opportunity in paving stones than in computers. For the immediate project, the Swiss stone mason convinced Mr. Bryant that paving stones were the answer for his sloped driveway. If Mr. Bryant wanted them, however, he had to manufacture them himself.
Mr. Bryant traveled to Switzerland to meet with a paving stone manufacturer who in turn introduced him to Fritz von Langsdorff, German owner and licensor of patented Uni concrete paver designs throughout Europe and other countries. By the fall of 1972, Mr. Bryant incorporated his first manufacturing company, North American Stone Company, and established a plant in Barrie, Ontario.
Before making his first concrete paver, Mr. Bryant purchased a license from Mr. von Langsdorff to produce Uni-Stone, as well as an old concrete batch plant, and a used Schlosser paver machine that made only twelve pavers at a time. It was a rudimentary operation, but the fledgling company proved the market potential for this new paving product.
With the help of Mr. Von Langsdorff, Mr. Bryant found German investors to purchase shares in his fledgling company, which provided capital to purchase a new Hess multi-layer machine. The company initially produced Uni-Stone in one color, natural gray, i.e., without iron oxide pigments. German immigrants in southern Ontario took an interest in becoming paver installation contractors and Mr. Bryant’s company helped train them, as well as promoting the German guidelines for interlocking concrete pavement construction to help ensure quality installations.
In 1977, Mr. Bryant purchased two other merged, nascent paver companies in Ontario and renamed the enlarged company Unilock. Sales were strong until 1982, when an economic recession reduced commercial sales in the Toronto region. Mr. Bryant raised demand within the residential market via mass media. He was the first to place ads on television and radio, using infomercials. He promoted the DIY market, conducting hands-on training seminars while using instructional videos. As a result, Unilock from 1980s to the early 1990s succeeded in turning a profit during that recession and the company transitioned from a manufacturing company to a marketing company. This emphasis expanded the manufacturing side with paver plants today in New York, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Mr. Bryant received honorary membership in ICPI in 2006 for his pioneering contribution to the industry. Unilock has made generous donations to the ICPI Foundation for Education and Research. His son Andrew is on the Foundation’s Program Committee and the Board of Trustees. Click here for an obituary and celebration of life service.
