Feb 01, 2010 - 04:30 AM

By Melissa Mancini

PICKERING -- He has kept hockey's biggest superstar, an Olympic icon and the tour gear of the world's rock stars safe.

But Ron Hinchliffe is not a bodyguard. He is the owner of Clydesdale Custom Case Co. Ltd., a Pickering-headquartered company that manufactures cases for all kinds of inanimate objects from the mundane to the fantastic, including Lord Stanley's cup and the Olympic torch.

"Some are glamorous, some not so much," Mr. Hinchliffe said of his products.

Mr. Hinchliffe started the company with a partner in 1975. The duo started the venture manufacturing receptacles for musical instruments. From there they expanded. Now Mr. Hinchliffe operates Clydesdale with a different partner and the company custom-makes containers for just about anything that needs protection, he said.

When Clydesdale was a start-up it was based out of Scarborough but they made the move further up the 401 east in the 90s. Mr. Hinchliffe's company has been in the region since.

Clydesdale has produced carrying cases for everything from concert equipment to granite samples for salespeople who do a lot of travelling and computer accessories to equestrian tack supplies.

There are cases for companies carrying valuables to trade shows, containers for motion picture equipment and cases for architectural models.

Clydesdale does complicated custom jobs like the cases the company built for the world curling trophy, which features a giant ball on top held by "so many spindly turrets" the logistics of making the case weren't easy, Mr. Hinchliffe said.

But regardless of what is going into the cases, they are all made from the same materials in basically the same way. The outside is a hard case with metal around the edges of the box and foam inside fitted to cradle the object so it arrives at its destination safe every time, Mr. Hinchliffe said.

The cases come in heavy and medium duty options.

"I'm fairly confident it could fall off the back of a truck and it would be fine."

Perhaps that's why so many trust the company to keep valuables safe. Clydesdale's cases have housed just about every NHL award, entertainment equipment for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and have created holders for Ontario Power Generation's precious cargo, Mr. Hinchliffe said.

And the torch isn't the only item the company has helped get to Vancouver for the Olympics. Clydesdale has also made protective containers for the broadcast-related tools that will be used to show the games to the world.

Because technology is always changing and gadgets are getting smaller and smaller -- think about how rapidly the size of laptops have changed in the past couple years -- Clydesdale also retrofits cases so newer models of the same product will fit inside.

"Sometimes the protective travel cases outlive a lot of the equipment that goes inside them," he said.

Clydesdale also does repairs to the cases it makes, including those they sell to house famous items like the Stanley Cup. The cup goes home with every player on the team that wins it each year, so the Clydesdale case it's in collects a lot of frequent flyer miles. The case for the top prize usually needs some work every couple of years, Mr. Hinchliffe said.

"Travelling the entire world it takes a beating," he said.

But doing work with the prestigious trophy is definitely a source of pride for the company.

"There's no greater holy grail than the Stanley Cup."

About the business:

Website: www.clydesdalecases.ca

Phone: 905-837-6748