Lots of companies like to throw around the phrase "commitment to vibrant communities," but not all of them actually walk that talk. Giffels-Webster took a couple of big steps toward that commitment by moving its headquarters to downtown Detroit and opening another office near downtown Birmingham.
"This is one of those great win-win scenarios where we are getting better space and a better economic situation," says Scott Clein, executive vice president and head of the Detroit office for
Giffels-Webster.
The civil engineering and surveying firm will have about 20-25 people at its Detroit office, and about a dozen each in its Macomb County and Birmingham offices. The company employs 55 people after adding a handful of jobs over the last year. It expects to continue its current rate of expansion, partly due to its move to more dynamic urban centers.
"There is just that intrinsic sense of place," Clein says. "It's not something you can put your finger on, but it's something that cities have."
Source: Scott Clein, executive vice president and head of the Detroit office for Giffels-Webster
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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