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Gift-box distributor turns producer.

Article Excerpt
As early as the 1950s, anyone who shopped in the county s famous department stores, such as Howlands or C.O. Miller Co., could get gift boxes with the store names imprinted on them.

The roots of the company that printed the boxes date to 1908 when Richard Wilk's great-grandfather started Hudson Paper Co., which sold paper products and stationery in Stamford.

"Originally, we were a general paper company," Wilk said.

But a hot stamp press purchased in 1948 enabled Hudson Paper to begin printing lettering on gift boxes. In 1966, Wilk's uncle bought a printing press and invited young Wilk to join the family business.

Wilk's first job was to find retailers interested in having their stores' names printed on shopping bags. His college degree in marine biology did not match the challenge, but Wilk persevered nonetheless.

In 1979, the business moved to a 13-acre site in Stratford as Stamford became too expensive for its operations. Partnerships with gift-box manufacturers helped the company become a major distributor of apparel, jewelry and display...