Company Overview

Keystone's early operations, begun in 1958, made specialty plastics items (tent signs, calculators etc). Its first plastic cards was manufactured for a current competitor, without realizing the potential then. But in 1984, under new ownership, Keystone launched into the card manufacturing business in a major way. Since then, sales and production volumes have increased over 35 times. The company has moved twice to much larger and secure premises and currently Keystone manufactures over 50 million cards a year of all types--credit, debit, smart, I. D., library, loyalty, telephone etc. The company is a charter member of the world association of card manufacturers made up of over 120 companies around the globe, the International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA).

Keystone is currently the only card manufacturer in Canada with National and International sales and service offices. At present, there are dedicated offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and at the head office in Toronto. Internationally, the company utilizes sales agents in Zurich (Switzerland), Stamford Conn.(USA) and Minneapolis(USA) as well as nternational sales from the head office. Exports account for approximately 15% of total sales--to markets including USA, Cuba, Switzerland, India, Middle Ease the and Caribbean.

Keystone has developed a production operation that embodies two enormously important attributes from a customer's point of view:

• Flexibility and adaptability--our raison d'etre is to supply

what our customers need, when they need it. So we jump and find ways to respond to our client's needs. That is how the business has grown and why it is still central to our operation.

• Quality--speed and flexibility are not compromises for

quality. And Keystone has been recognised as the world's best manufacturer of phone cards for THREE YEARS IN A ROW by the ICMA. We are extremely proud of this recognition because it endorses the fine work our people put into our customers' products--on a consistent basis over long periods of time.

Keystone Technologies Division:

This division of the company sells and services equipment and systems that add security and value to manufactured cards. Digital Imaging systems including photo I. D. software and hardware, date management and smart card production and initialization are included in this Division.

'CardWorks' photo I. D. software is proprietary and includes serveral unique and extraordinary features not found elsewhere. As a consequences, this division is growing by leaps and bounds with increasing numbers of installations in Canada and the U. S. for governments, security companies, colleges, unviersities and manufacturers. Installations can stand alone or be networked as the application requires. 'CardWorks' is 32 bit code, ODBC compatible, includes 'ghosting' security among other features and runs on almost any computer. Technologies is also a registered VAR for DataCard's digital imaging printers.

The entire Keystone operation is housed in modern, clean, secure premises with Mastercard level security.

Company Information

Additional Details

Legal Name: Keystone Manufacturing (Plastics) Ltd.

Number of Employees: 60

Contacts

Services

• Card Personalization Service Bureau

  Keystone provides complete and comprehensive processing services for clients - including embossing and encoding, affixing and inserting, sorting and batching for mailing, data management, reconciliation and reporting. Secure warehousing and inventory services are provided for cards and related materials. Data transmission and networking services as they are required for card processing are also provided.

Products

• Access Cards & Photo I. D. Systems

  Cards for access into premises, database and library cards, personalized photo identification cards and complete systems represent this category.

• Cardware Identification Management System

  I. D. SYSTEMS:

  Keystone has added the 'CardWare' Identification Management System to its repertoire of card personalization systems and services. CardWare systems are supplied turnkey or as a debundled software kit to the domestic and international markets.

  BIOMETRIC VERIFICATION:

  'CardWare' Identification Management Systems incorporate state-of-the-art biometric verification technology developed by a world class, local supplier (Mytec). Mytec Technologies, a publicly traded company, has developed the world's first optical computing application which incorporates proprietary encryption technology based on finger pattern capture/conversion/storage.

  RELATED CARD SERVICES

  The company provides complete and comprehensive processing services for clients - including embossing and encoding, affixing and inserting, sorting and batching for mailing, data management, reconciliation and reporting. Secure warehousing and inventory services are provided for cards and related materials. Data transmission and networking services as they are required for card processing are also provided.

• Credit, Debit & Prepaid Calling Cards
• Integrated Circuit Cards

  Keystone added Smart Card production to its capabilities effective July 1996. The current market for Smart Cards in North America is exploding with forecasted exponential growth within 2-3 years. Keystone is ideally poised to exploit the marketplace through its card manufacturing, personalization, chip implanting, card initialization, and application development capabilities.

• Secure Cards

  Credit, debit and electronic purse cards are produced for banks, trust companies, credit unions, cash machines, telephone networks, and provincial driver licences.

NAICS Categories

• 326198 All Other Plastic Product Manufacturing

Additional Information