The Cygnet Story
The roots of Cygnet Stamping and Fabricating were planted in 1974 by Ernest (Ernie) Swan – a man who saw change as an opportunity to improve. With $ 5,000 in life’s savings, Swan left a manufacturer’s rep agency to start his own rep firm, Secana, in 1967. His new firm had rep contracts to sell miniature sandblasters and the services of short-run metal stampings and plastic injection moldings. Soon after, Mike and Jawn, two of Swan’s three sons, joined the growing company and the micro sandblasting shop activity was spun off into a sister company – Crystal Mark, Incorporated. (Another sister company exists- CrystalMark Dental Systems, Inc.- a dental air abrasion company.)
Crystal Mark became the exclusive distributor for the miniature sandblaster products and also began designing and manufacturing capital equipment.
In 1974 the Swans’ growing companies were relocated from Burbank to Glendale, California, and Marko, Ernie’s youngest son, joined the family venture. A third sister company – Cygnet Metal Stamping – was started with two employees and three punch presses in the back of the Swan companies’ headquarters office.
In 1980, all three corporations were humming along. The three brothers were each presidents of a company, while Ernie was Chairman of the Board of all three. Then on December 19, 1980, Ernie Swan had a heart attack and died suddenly at the age of 62. A big, robust, fun-loving man, it was a shock to the Swans that Ernie would no longer physically be with them. They knew, however, that he had accomplished many of his goals, and his influence and spirit would always be present in their lives.