Celebrating the Lasting Legacy of Ernest and Charles Wilson
June 27, 2018
If you’re lucky, you’ll come across a few people in your life who make a lasting impact on you. Maybe it’s their sense of humor. Their fighting spirit. Their endless energy. Maybe it’s even their extra-human ability to do push-ups and play a mean game of golf when they’re over the age of 90. Whatever it is, there are some people you can’t help but admire. Here at Ernest we’ve had the privilege of knowing not just one, but two of these people: Our founders, brothers Ernest and Charles Wilson.
You’ve probably heard that Ernie and Chuck started The Ernest Paper Company out of their friend’s Los Angeles garage back in 1946. But did you know the boys got their first taste for success running a paper route together as kids? Ernest and Charles’s lifelong dedication to thinking ahead, solving problems, and building relationships helped them turn their backyard business into the nationwide company it is today. And it’s this depth of character and the company culture that shapes the way we work.
Corporations love to talk about values, but true values don’t come from a bunch of suits sitting around a table making a list. True values come from the people that work hard to build a business from the ground up. Here, it’s always been about helping our customers succeed. As we’ve grown, the dedication of these to incredible men still inspires us every day. Ernest Wilson is with us in name and spirit, and Charles (94 years young) is here in the office greeting everyone by name, doing his daily push-ups, and setting an example for us all with his kind behavior and words of wisdom: “Give more to others than to yourself. Be humble and you will get back tenfold.” It makes each and every one of us want to make the world a better place and spread a bit of the Charles and Ernie mojo to everyone we meet.
This is their story. This is our story. And we couldn’t love it more. Please take a moment to see for yourself the lasting legacy of the Wilson brothers. And thank you for being part of our family.
