Willow's Evolution

Willow Printing Group, Ltd. has come a long way since it's humble beginnings in 1953.

We have grown from a storefront print shop, to a full service print and mail operation offering pre-press, digital and traditional print, finishing, mail, fulfillment and distribution services.

Milestones

Willow was established by two brothers - Ralph and Ludwig Ekstein. It was then known as Willow Press and had all of three customers and one employee. Ralph's son Lew, after leaving Ryerson's graphic arts management course, joined the business in 1955 and became his father Ralph's partner. Following his graduation from York University, Lew's son Jeff joined the company full-time in 1983. Today, Lew Ekstein is the Chairman of the company and Jeff Ekstein is President & CEO, directing and managing the business on a daily basis.

Continued investments in equipment and subsequent increases in number of employees to meet the demands of the client base also forced three physical moves in the company's history-during 1958, 1966 and 1988.

The company made a strategic decision to continue its growth through acquisition. Eventually, all companies were amalgamated under one roof for greater efficiency, and in 1998 the company name was changed to Willow Printing Group, Ltd. Strategic, planned growth will continue to be an integral part of our commitment to be a "Beyond Print", client-focused, integrated marketing solutions provider.