Royal Oak's 323 East, Ohm Creative Group create 3 new jobs

Thursday, June 10, 2010 | Source: metromode

One of downtown Royal Oak's top destinations for creatives is also becoming one of the suburb's top employers of them, too.

The 323 East art gallery and Ohm Creative Group, which both occupy the same space at 323 E Fourth St, have hired three people within less than a year. The gallery now has five staffers, and Ohm Creative Group's employee count has hit six full-timers, half a dozen independent contractors, and the occasional intern. Both expect to hire a total of 3-5 more next year.

"We have seen growth," says Jesse Cory, CEO of Ohm Creative Group and partner in 323 East. "In the first quarter of this year our revenue went up 50 percent. We hired a couple of people this year."

A lot of that growth has come from the Ohm Creative Group side. The full-service creative agency specializes in multimedia marketing vehicles utilizing high-end HD video, website design and development, internet marketing campaigns, and web video integration. The company does work with Detroit Public TV (MyVote.org) and has hit a bit of a gold mine helping home improvement firms take advantage of online sales.

It's also branching out beyond Metro Detroit. The company is partnering with some entrepreneurs in New York City to create a few Internet start-ups, one of which helps tenants pay rent digitally. It's part of what Cory describes as his many "irons in the fire."

323 East is an art gallery selling everything from functional art to sculptures to limited edition clothing. The vast majority of the work available is produced by local artists, such as Anastasia Chatzka, Graem Whyte, Faina Lerman, Megan Harriss, Dan Armand, Taurus Burns, and Kill Taupe.

323 East has transformed from a creatively inclined business with a boutique focus to more of a fine art gallery. The owners reorganized to create more exhibition room up front and converted 400 square feet of lunchroom space into a boutique stockroom.

"Every time we turn around there are growth opportunities that present themselves," Cory says.

Source: Jesse Cory, CEO of Ohm Creative Group and partner in 323 East
Writer: Jon Zemke

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