This reporter got a
tour of HookLogic's Ann Arbor office in downtown a little more than a year ago. At the time the software firm had taken over the old home of Leopold Bros Brewery and was filling it out with techies of all stripes. The front half was full and bustling while employees were just starting to take desks in the back half.
That has changed since then.
"It's pretty full now," says John Behrman, chief product officer of
HookLogic.
HookLogic creates software for paid product listings on commerce sites that help influence online shoppers. Its three verticals include retailers (Target), online travel agencies (Expedia), and automotive dealerships. The firm is based in New York City, but its leadership team has deep roots with Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, prompting it to set up shop here.
HookLogic took over the old microbrewery/distillery at 523 S Main St a few years ago. It turned the 11,000 square foot former industrial space into a startup hotbed, preserving the historic aesthetic of the circa-1927 building while modernizing its infrastructure for the new economy of the 21st Century.
Today 62 of HookLogic's 140 employees work from there. The company has hired 15 people in project management and software development at the Ann Arbor office over the last year and it's looking to hire another 16 now. It also plans to welcome 10 new summer interns later this year.
"The space can hold 100 people," Behrman says. "This summer it will definitely get cozy. It will open up later this year. We will have to start to get creative with our space in 2017."
A significant growth spurt has powered this expansion in Ann Arbor. HookLogic had a goal of hitting the $100 million revenue milestone in 2015. It hit $115 million.
"We're shooting to double up our revenue with $200 million this year," Behrman says.
Source: John Behrman, chief product officer of HookLogic
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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