Name of Business: Nishihara/Wilkinson Design Inc.
Type of Business: Full service design firm
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Location: 737 East Main Street
Contact Information: 668-7627
Business Specialty: Branding, packaging, and strategy
History of Business:
Ron Wilkinson and Darice Nishihara spend a lot of time in grocery stores.
As the duo behind Turlock based design firm Nishihara/Wilkinson Design Inc., the pair has spent much of the past 28 years browsing the aisles of stores observing packaging of products and keeping a keen eye on which ones consumers are putting in their baskets.
“We’re looking at packaging everywhere we go. It’s kind of addicting,” laughed Wilkinson.
Nishihara/Wilkinson is a full service design firm that helps companies tell their unique story. Whether an existing brand is looking to invigorate its image or a new business needing help defining their narrative, Nishihara/Wilkinson's expertise is in assisting companies define themselves through brand development, package design, merchandising, and more.
The duo's client list is extensive and includes such companies as the California Milk Advisory Board, Foster Farms, Safeway, Seneca Foods, and most recently TCBY for which Nishihara/Wilkinson designed the packaging for the company’s new frozen yogurt available for purchase in stores.
The company has also performed work for numerous natural health foods companies, a personal passion of the couple who recently attended the 35 annual Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural, organic products tradeshow. Having performed work for companies like Green Valley Organics and Smith Brothers Dairy, Nishihara/Wilkinson’s expertise has found its niche in Turlock’s agriculturally rich region.
“Being in the Valley it was natural for us to pursue food item packaging with our experience,” explained Wilkinson, noting that the company began to have a concerted focus on the natural foods industry in 2004.
Although Nishihara/Wilkinson does focus on natural foods companies, the duo has also performed work for the likes of the City of Turlock, such as creating the town's logo, and the Turlock Unified School District.
“We do so much,” said Wilkinson. “Some clients just want a logo; others don’t know what they want.”
“We never know who we’re going to get coming through the door,” added Nishihara.