Comment

Designed in 1982 by Burton Kramer, this identity was created for Storwal International, a Canadian manufacturer of steel office furniture based in Pembroke, Ontario. Founded in 1976 as a division of Steel Equipment, the company developed a range of filing and storage systems, office furniture and related equipment, with sales offices and distribution extending across Canada and into the United States.

The symbol is a bold geometric construction, formed from a continuous angular band that folds back on itself through a series of parallel horizontal runs. Its interlocking arrangement and repeated lines suggest the modularity and precision of Storwal’s furniture systems, where sliding panels, storage compartments and configurable components could be combined to meet different requirements. There is also an appealing rotational quality to the design. The abstract S-like form works in either orientation, creating an almost ambigrammatic symbol that retains its character when turned through 180 degrees. The logo lock-up pairs the symbol with a Helvetica wordmark, bringing the two together in a confident, cohesive identity that reflects the clarity and formal discipline of modernist graphic design.

Storwal was an important local employer in Pembroke, but its fortunes were increasingly affected by economic pressures during the 1980s and early 1990s. The company declared bankruptcy in early 1992, putting approximately 250 employees out of work. The factory was subsequently acquired by US office furniture manufacturer Krueger International (KI), which reopened the facility in 1993, employing many former Storwal workers.

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