Godtfred Kirk Christiansen signed an agreement with King David Shwayder, the son of the founder, and the then-current president of the company . The result was a 9-year license for exclusive North American distribution rights. Shwayder Brothers began marketing sets under the name LEGO by Samsonite in the US in 1961 and Canada in 1962. Initially, Samsonite manufactured the basic bricks in their existing Stratford, Ontario factory and imported the specialty pieces, such as the trees and HO 1:87 Vehicles, from Billund.