In 2016, we had a team planning meeting about where we were as a company and where we wanted to be in the year 2020. Call it pipe dreams, but we had our team come up with a headlines “wishlist” which were the titles that we hoped the 2020 digital papers and local articles would write about us.

Some of those headlines were “Sparq Opens Nashville Office,” “Pittsburgh Agency Lands National Account,” “Sparq Designs Wins Best Places to Work,” “Sparq Designs is One of Pittsburgh’s Fastest-Growing Companies.”

I remember the looks of hope on the then team of seven’s faces as we took in the titles. I knew then that this team was not only dreaming of these recognitions but committed to making them happen. We spent the rest of the day discussing the team we wanted to build and the reputation we wanted to create with our customers.  We wanted to be seen as approachable and structured, passionate and authentic. We hoped our customers would see us as innovators and genuine, who weren’t afraid to take risks.

In 2017, we were able to land nine national accounts, including North American Dental Group, Uncle Charley’s Sausage, Vitac, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

If you’ve been following along with us this year, you’d know that we moved our office to the historic Clark Building in Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Additionally, we hired a managing partner and opened our Nashville office in April 2019.

We’ve been a Pittsburgh Business Times Best Place to Work three years in a row.

Most recently, we collected another headline, “Sparq Designs Named Top 10 Fastest-Growing Companies in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

This list highlights the fastest-growing, privately-held companies in western Pennsylvania. To qualify for this award, companies were required to have significant growth in revenue between 2016 and 2018. This year, we join the list with other regional leaders, including 84 Lumber, Schell Games, and Accion Labs. We made it 9th on the list with 145% revenue growth.

We are so grateful for this honor because it is something we have worked hard for. Our Partnership Development team has continuously worked to establish relationships with our ideal client profile, while our teams in online marketing (including SEO and social media), design, web, and video production have been diligently delivering the best end-product.

I recently had a partner mention to me that, “Any agency can make a logo. The people at Sparq are the ones who really make it special. You guys are not only talented, but you’re exciting and you make even the most unconventional brands seem fun.”

Another said, “[Sparq’s] talent as brand builders is fueled by a passion and commitment that everyone on the team shares. They bring it into every meeting, every project, no matter how small. They treat the brand like it’s their own.”

Today our team is made up of movers and shakers. I couldn’t have a more genuine, talented, and passionate team.

When I first started Sparq, I had no idea that we’d be where we are now only seven years later. I am so proud of this team and what we have been able to accomplish together. Their eagerness to continue growing, their willingness to learn from their mistakes, their integrity, and their grind to be better than yesterday can be reflected in this accomplishment.

Thank you to the team for never giving up through multiple learning curves and believing in the vision we’ve all created together. Thank you to my business partner, Jim, for investing in our mission and our team. And thank you, the incredible people we are able to call our partners, for seeing what we’re building here, and for taking a chance on our growing group of hungry, passionate creatives. We wouldn’t be here with you.

Cheers,

Nick Brucker, CEO

 

Notes from our 2016 planning meeting

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share