Ellis Print

Ilona and Don Smith were working 12-16 hour days, including weekend shifts, for a large financial printer in Toronto. They lived in a house where their neighbours were just a few feet away. It was time for a change.

Having vacationed in Yarmouth County, visiting Don’s family, they set their sights on that area of Nova Scotia. They worked for Ellis Print Ltd. in Yarmouth and, in 2005, became the owners and sole employees of the medium-sized commercial printer. The business is growing, yet they still find time to be active volunteers in their community and to enjoy their Port Maitland home which sits on five acres and has a view of the ocean.

“It’s home now, for sure. I wouldn’t want to go back to Toronto,” Don says.

And that suits their clients. Danny Webber is chief financial officer of Comeau’s Sea Foods Limited – a Saulnierville-based seafood harvester, processor and distribution business with an international clientele. The organization has called upon Ellis Print to provide a wide variety of stationery and forms.

“They’re very honest people and they do quality work,” Webber says. “They do the job right the first time, and they know and are interested in our business.”

Jeff Little, general manager for Murray GM – Yarmouth & Barrington, also praises Ellis Print which meets their print needs including letterhead, business cards, bills of sale and thank you cards for customers.

“One, they provide a good quality product, but two, it’s the personal service,” Little says. “Don and Ilona are very friendly people and any time we need anything right away or quickly they’re always ready to help us out.”

Dependability is critical in the printing business. Take, for example, Ellis Print’s federal election printing for West Nova. “They give you a calendar of when materials are needed. If you fail to meet that you lose the contract…If you have to work 24-hours-a-day, so be it. That’s the way it is,” Don says.

But long days are not the norm for the business which prints everything from lobster crate tags to brochures, envelopes to invoices. Graphic design services are also offered and in the next six months to a year, Ellis Print plans to offer web design to its clients.

Ellis Print, which received the 2008 Business Marketing Award from the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, has clients throughout Nova Scotia, in Toronto and even Florida. “Daily I get new customers,” Ilona says. “They may be small and they’re still new, but as their business grows, so will mine.”

The Smiths’ dedication to customer service is supported by their effort to keep on top of changes in print technology and graphic design programs. “We have two high-end digital printers now so we’re able to offer quicker turnaround time, which makes the customer even happier, especially if they’re in a real hurry,” Ilona says. “We’re able to turn around a full-colour business card in a day now, whereas at one time it would take a couple of weeks.”

Outside of work, the Smiths provide service of another kind – volunteer. Don is an RCMP auxiliary member, president of the Yarmouth Development Corporation and president of Seafest, Lobster Festival, and Parade of Lights, an 11-day summer festival described as a “celebration of life by the sea.” Both Don and Ilona are members of the Yarmouth Town & County Crime Prevention Association, for which Ilona serves as treasurer.

“When we lived in Toronto I found that we just didn’t have the time to be involved in any volunteer work,” Ilona says. “When we moved here, everything that goes on is done by volunteers. And because it is such a small community and everybody knows you, it’s just easier to get involved.”

And there’s another reason they’ve chosen to become involved. “To be part of our community because we love living here,” Ilona says.

The warmth of the community has also been experienced by friends visiting the Smiths. “I have a friend who tries to come down two or three times a year to Yarmouth because it’s relaxing – he’s in a high-stress job in Montreal,” Don says. “The people here recognize him, too. ‘Oh, you’re back, nice to see you again.’”

After visiting last summer, Ilona’s best friend talked about Nova Scotia so much that her family booked a trip for her to return to the province this fall. “This is a girl born and raised in Mississauga, and she can’t wait to get down here!” says Ilona.