The London Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2018 Corporate Icon Award is Jones Packaging. The Corporate Icon Award is presented by the Board of Directors each year to a corporation that has demonstrated particular excellence or achievement in business, making either an immediate impact on, or a substantial long-term contribution to, the economic progress of our community. Past winners have included McCormick Canada, Libro Credit Union, Goodlife Fitness, TD Canada Trust, 3M Canada and London Life to name a few!
Join us at the London BusinessAchievement Awards on March 21st 2018, to hear from this iconic company as they accept their award.
About the Company
From its founding days in 1882 as Lawson & Jones Inc., Jones has been at the forefront of identifying and responding to important market needs and creating opportunities for customers.
The company grew its roots in London as a regional manufacturer of drug boxes and specialty drug labels until 1920, when founder Henry Jones established Jones Box and Label based on Dundas Street East. While the company’s role in the pharmacy industry continued to expand, it also began to support the primary packaging needs of some of the most recognized global pharmaceutical and consumer brands through the middle of the century.
In 1996, under the ownership of fourth generation Jones family members Ron Harris and Chris Jones Harris, the company evolved to Jones Packaging Inc. Shortly thereafter, Jones moved to its current 135,000 square-foot head office, printing and converting facility strategically located on Page Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway.
Jones has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to innovation throughout its history, from introducing the first pre-gummed prescription label for pharmacies in the early 1900s to distributing the first child-safe vial to the Canadian market in the 1970s and co-developing the first compliance card for multi-medication regimes in the 1980s.
Over the past several years, the company has participated in key international alliances, acquired European compliance packaging leader Venalink Ltd., as well as contract packaging leader Ivers-Lee Ltd., adding a new, 76,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art contract packaging facility in Toronto to its locations in 2013.
“Our journey has been based on quality and trust with our customers – both long-standing and new – while adapting our business to respond to their needs,” says Chris Jones Harris, the company’s co-owner and Principal, Corporate Development. “Today, we have grown to become a global leader in delivering leading-edge packaging, medication dispensing solutions and a technology portfolio that continue to drive many market firsts.”
Jones offers integrated printed and contract packaging solutions including intelligent packaging, folding cartons, labels, leaflets, pouching, blistering, vial filling and secondary packaging. The company also offers a range of medication dispensing and delivery products for many of the largest pharmacy groups and independent pharmacies, hospitals and long-term care facilities across Canada and Europe.
Throughout its years, Jones has been strongly committed to supporting the London community with a focus on healthcare, children and education. This includes a generous corporate giving plan and ongoing participation in local capital campaigns for London Health Sciences Centre, the Children’s Hospital and Thames Valley Children’s Centre, to name a few. Over 200 of the company’s 350 employees work and live in London and area, driving several additional fundraising activities such as annual participation in the Heart & Stroke Foundation Big Bike event and multiple food, clothing and gift drives. As part of the Jones giving program, each staff member also donates one day’s pay to both local and national registered charities.
“We’re proud to be recognized by the London Chamber of Commerce as its 2018 Corporate Icon,” notes Jones Harris. “The London community has played an important role in our business for over 135 years, and we wish to extend many thanks to everyone who has helped make us who we are today.”
