our story.

Humble Beginnings

Now partners, Keith and Mark, were enrolled in the same drafting program at Mohawk College in Hamilton. Mark lived in St. Catharines and Keith in Niagara Falls. So, to save on gas, the two car pooled ~ who would have thought the daily commutes by a couple of starving students would turn into a lifelong business partnership?

And Then There Were Three

At the same time, now partner Bryan Bruce, studies architecture at the University of Waterloo. Fast forward a few years to the early 1990s, the three grads end up working together heading up in a drafting & design department. And so begins the steady, long-term working relationship of the eventual future managing partners of Orchard.

But Marketing Was Key

But Keith, Bryan and Mark have a vision to create a “one-stop-shop”, a drafting design and architectural studio complete with full service marketing, communications & advertising services. In March 1998, they roll up their sleeves, register the business early in 1998, and take a flying leap from their steady paying day jobs. Orchard Design Studios is born.

And Small Seeds

So, in the beginning, it was truly just the three draftskateers. But the work keeps growing and the team keeps building and the apples start falling from the trees and there are just not enough baskets to catch them all ~ Orchard was busting at the seams with project work.

Grow into Big Trees

Within five years, the marketing team keeps growing too and the quarters at the new Bishop street location are already cramped. So, the landlord builds an addition on the top of the building. We creatively convert a concrete roof into a polished concrete floor and move our team into a new contemporary studio space, built from the roof up.

And Mature Trees Bare Fruit

In the first quarter of 2008, management at Orchard recognizes the need to further expand its marketing technology and web services and merges with a marketing technology and consulting agency. With core strengths in online communications, database marketing, web services, content management system development, and internet solutions, the merger was a perfect fit.

Orchard Studios

After a decade of growth, our marketing and communications studio is all grown up and it’s a very big tree. Working both independently and alongside the architectural studio, we provide strategic planning, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, web and technology services to a wide range of clients in both private and public sector enterprises. While we are very proud to be a part Canada’s Technology Triangle and ride the wave of the technology crazed Waterloo region, we have grown to also include a new studio space in London, Ontario, just up the 401.

So, take a walk with us through the Orchard, and you will learn the common thread of both our studios, is our creativity and our passion for our craft.

And we keep planting more seeds,

and growing more trees,

and we’ll see where it takes us.