Company address: 4118 W. Minnesota Ct., Franklin, WI 53132
Company Web site: www.savage-solutions.com
Industry: Advertising, marketing, interactive
Education: Bachelor of science degree in business, minor in marketing from Illinois State University; HTML 4.0 Web Programming Associates.
Family: Wife, Kelly; and son, Landen.
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
“Taking the ‘right’ projects rather than every project that is thrown at us was the smartest thing we did in the last year. Start-up businesses run the risk of taking on too many new projects or the wrong type of projects to generate revenues right out of the gate, and our focus all along has been to partner with people that want to partner with us. We don’t want to be the low-cost provider or partner with people that have unrealistic expectations of what a good ad campaign or online strategy can do for their organization. We concentrate on working on projects that will lend to new business and better projects for SS LLC. The days of hearing, ‘This will be a great portfolio project for you guys’ are over for us, and that makes it an exciting time.”
What’s new at your company?
“We were just hired by Don Beebe’s House of Speed. We are now officially the marketing, interactive, consulting firm to House of Speed. Founded by retired NFL star and former Packer Don Beebe in 1998, House of Speed has trained individuals of all ages and skill to perform better by enhancing their speed and character. With new franchises opening up in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Appleton, we are excited about the opportunity to create a new brand and develop some strong campaigns for all of the House of Speed franchises. It will be our first time working with a franchise business.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
“Yes, we are expanding as we speak. We are a looking to hire two to three graphic artists, two to three programmers and one to two creative directors for all the new growth we have seen in the recent months. We want to make sure we hire the right people and not just anyone. We are looking for people that can handle many tasks and aren’t afraid of pitching in.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
“Developing more partnerships, growing at the right pace and determining who we are in the marketplace will be our main challenges. What are we? Are we an interactive firm, an ad agency or a design firm? Right now we are all of these things but as we expand, we need to develop each department the right way.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
“Some of the hottest trends in our industry are the continued growth of places like MySpace and U-Tube. The internet has become a mainstream for young adults and youth to interact and share, and we are trying to implement these strategies with all of our clients.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
“This was a no-brainer for me. There is one particular business owner/friend that I really look up to. That’s Jaime Maliszewski. Jaime and I met while serving on a foundation board together, and we have become really good friends. The way that he gives back to his community is a measure that everyone should live by. He is involved in more community groups, charitable organizations and economic development groups than I can think of. Jaime runs two businesses (Reliable Plating Works and Elite Finishing LLC) on the south side with his brothers, and his motto has always been family first. He has the bottom-line that I wish more people would have, and that is being able to do what you love and spend quality time with your family. How much time you can spend with your family is the best measure of a bottom-line. I also look up to my business partner, Jim Higgins. He might just be the most creative person I have ever met and he has helped mold me in to who I am today. He has never steered from telling me what he thinks and continues to come up with creative ways for us to expand. I wouldn’t be in the position that I am in right now if it weren’t for him and all the things he has done for me and for that I say thanks Jim.”
