The event featured S-One founders Ron Simkins and Art Lambert, pictured above, who started their first company, LexJet, in Sarasota in 1994. In 2012, the duo officially combined several other companies, Utopia Digital Technologies, Brand Management Group and ABAQA to form S-One Holdings Corporation. Last year, the S-One team launched its newest company, S-One Labels & Packaging.

S-One kicked off its 25th anniversary year by publishing its 2019 Culture Book, which features customer and employee stories, a look back at how S-One companies have impacted the printing industry, and how S-One has touched its local communities.

In Sarasota, S-One ramped up its fundraising efforts to benefit Sticks for Soldiers and Alex’s Lemonade Stand. The company and its employees have raised $7,500 so far in 2019, with more special events planned throughout the year.

The company was thrilled this year to win two Stevie Awards from the American Business Awards. The winners were determined by the average scores of more than 200 professionals worldwide in the two-month judging process. S-One was honored in two categories:

• Company Book: Silver Stevie Award for the S-One 2019 Culture Book
• Innovation of the Year: Bronze Stevie Award for the launch of HP Recycled Satin Canvas

“To think we’ve made it to 25 years is just astounding,” says Lambert. “It’s been quite a ride, and we couldn’t have done it without all of our dedicated employees who show up every day and give it their all. They’ve not only created a excellent company, but an extended family, as well. Ron and I couldn’t be more proud.”

About S-One: S-One Holdings Corporation is a global holding company headquartered in Sarasota, Fla., that oversees a number of subsidiary companies: ABAQA, Avatrex, Brand Management Group, LexJet, Utopia Digital Technologies and S-One Labels & Packaging. Through its subsidiary companies, S-One has strategic alliances with Michelman, Toray America, Protect-all, Marabu Coatings, Vescom America, Fredrix Canvas, HP and KODAK.

Media Contact: Shellie Terry, shellie.terry@sone.com, 941-256-7915

Over the years, competitive S-One canstruction builds included printers, Wrigley Field, a Thanksgiving Day parade, and even working replicas of video games, skee ball and board games. Last year the theme was movies, and the “Wizard of Oz” and “Toy Story” canstructions generated nearly 2,200 pounds of food — for the first time, the 1 ton mark had been reached.

Let’s Take a Trip

This year, S-One’s global offices created an “Around the World” experience for All Faiths. Starting on the fifth floor of S-One’s corporate offices on Main Street, the “journey” starts over the Skyway Bridge, complete with a toll booth, cargo ship and a shark in the water. The trip continues through our stairwell, which represents the airport, along with a board of arrivals and departures.

Next, you see the S-One Barcelona team in their airplane seats aboard “S-One Airlines.” Finally, the trip ends in London where visitors rendezvous with the Meghan and Harry and the Queen at Big Ben and Tower Bridge.

When the trip was over, Art Lambert presented the team from All Faiths a check for $1,000 and more than 1.26 tons of food had been collected.

“Your gift of $1,000 along with 2,522 pounds of food will be used to provide fresh produce, meats and groceries to children, families and seniors in our community who, without your help, might otherwise go hungry,” wrote Denise Cotler, Chief Development officer at All Faiths Food Bank. “Thanks to individuals like you, in 2017, we served 66,000 people 8.5 million meals.”

To see all the action throughout S-One’s offices during the 2018 Food Drive Canstruction project, click through the gallery below.

About S-One: S-One Holdings Corporation is a global holding company headquartered in Sarasota, Fla., that oversees a number of subsidiary companies: ABAQA, Avatrex, Brand Management Group, LexJet, Utopia Digital Technologies and S-One Labels & Packaging. Through its subsidiary companies, S-One has strategic alliances with Michelman, Toray America, Protect-all, Marabu Coatings, Vescom America, Fredrix Canvas, HP and KODAK.

Media Contact: Shellie Terry, shellie.terry@sone.com, 941-256-7915

The group formed when Kerkering Barberio & Co recruiter Camille Norman approached the Gulf Coast CEO Forum for ideas to keep bright, young intern talent in the area, rather than losing them to full-time jobs in bigger cities. The team at the CEO Forum embraced the idea as an extension of BIG: Bright Ideas on the Gulf Coast.

“With BIG, our mission is to interact with students on Gulf Coast and connect them with companies here, and vice versa,” says Mary Darby Guidroz, administrative director of the CEO Forum. “With BIG, we thought this would fit nicely with our mission and Gulf Coast Millennials in Motion.”

The Millennials in Motion group includes several companies headquartered in the Sarasota-Manatee area, such as Boar’s Head, Bealls, Tervis, IMG, Florida State Theatre, Asolo, Kerkering Barberio & Co and S-One.

“The idea with the rooftop tailgate was not necessarily professional development, but a chance for the interns to get together for an event that was supported by their organization,” Guidroz says. “We were really pleased to have as many people as we had — it was nice to see exactly what we hoped for come to fruition.”

About 55 interns from those eight companies attended the event, which featured barbecue from Choo Choo’s Catering and entertainment by Bradenton-native singer-songwriter Matt Walden.

“It was really cool to meet so many young people and learn how they got to Sarasota,” says S-One intern Matt Block, an accounting major from the University of Texas. “It was different than how you would think of Sarasota — but young people definitely have a presence here. It changed my opinion of it — there was a mix of young people like myself, who are just starting college, and people just starting their careers and settling in here permanently.”

The next intern mixer is scheduled for July 12 at IMG for a lunch and learn, tour and a bit of athletic competition. Companies interested in Gulf Coast Millennials in Motion can email BIG@gulfcoastceoforum.com.

“In efforts to highlight our region as a hot spot for young, educated talent, we’re hosting the first of three summer intern mixers,” says Angie Gruss-Lane, S-One’s Chief Cultural Officer. “Our companies all share a similar issue in losing bright, young talent to more exciting cities, so we want to show them what our region has to offer.”

The event takes place Wednesday, June 21, 3:30 to 6 p.m. on S-One’s fourth floor rooftop patio. Interns from companies such as Boar’s Head, Bealls, Tervis, IMG, FST, Asolo, Kerkering Barberio & Co and S-One have been invited to learn about these companies and meet other local interns.

“We are excited to bring these interns together, allowing them to network and see different companies in our area with real career opportunities,” Gruss-Lane says.