Our Story
Joseph Benjamin Lawton began his printing journey in the late 1800s at age 10. Years later after being shot for printing the truth in his Louisiana newspaper, he decided on a new venture in Orlando - pineapple farming. The severe freeze of 1899 forced J.B. Lawton to return to what he knew—printing. Lawton Press was formed in 1900, and our family's legacy began.
The Lawton family tradition continued, with each son learning printing from a young age, expanding the business with each generation. J.C. Lawton took over until 1948, followed by J.B. Lawton III, and then Ces Lawton in 1981. In 2002, the 5th generation, Kimberly Lawton Koon, and husband, Ty Koon, took the helm driving growth with advanced technology and expanded equipment.
Kimberly and Ty saw early on the exciting future in digital printing, automation, and diversification. With large investments in equipment, people, and processes, the company has grown to serve clients nationwide providing the highest quality customized printing. The development of our subsidiary companies and online platforms has only strengthened the success and efficiencies.
Today, in our downtown Orlando facility, Lawton Connect remains the nation's longest consecutively family-owned printing company. Our commitment to excellence and client-trust spans five generations.
Lawton Connect is a certified woman-owned business through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Our Committment
While cultural norms and business models evolve and change, there's one thing we have learned throughout our 125+ year history which remains constant: Trust is hard to earn and easily broken. Across the nation and throughout our Central Florida home, it is trust that connects our team to your team, and it is our mission to protect it.
Trust begins with learning about your objectives, audience, budget, and timeline, and then customizing an approach that solves your unique communication challenges. Our ongoing investments in equipment and technology provide flexibility for projects of virtually any quantity and any budget. We connect our experience, technology, team, and immeasurable resources to make the impossible a reality.
Our Core Values
PARTNERSHIP
Fostering trusting relationships with customers, suppliers, our community, and each other to grow the greater good
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COLLABORATION
Integrating our client's goals to create customized communications that make dynamic and lasting impressions
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RESOURCEFULNESS
Finding innovative and creative ways to meet customer requirements and expectations
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ACCOUNTABILITY
Influencing others in positive and proactive ways by taking responsibility for our behaviors and actions
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EFFICIENCY
Finding ways to fully leverage our resources and partnerships to create the most cost efficient solutions possible
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COMMITMENT
Pursuing excellence in behaviors, actions, knowledge, and delivery
