Grand River to create 48 new jobs from $1.1M investment

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Grand River plans to make a grand investment in the Ann Arbor area and create dozens of new high-tech jobs over the next few years, thanks to a new state tax credit.

The Ann Arbor-based e-commerce start-up announced a deal with the Michigan Economic Development Corp on Tuesday to invest $1.1 million in its expansion over the next five years. That is expected to lead to 48 new jobs over that time period, which should mean about 7-10 new openings each year.

"We're self-funded," says Scott Robertson, managing partner with Grand River. "The growth is coming from reinvesting the profits into developing our client base."

The 2-year-old firm focuses on the development of open-source e-commerce solutions for mid-market retailers, meaning it designs, develops, and maintains the websites for the likes of Gander Mountain, HoMedics, and the La Jolla Group.

Grand River started with two people and has now grown to 12 staffers, two independent contractors, and an intern. It has made seven hires over the last year and continues to grow with the help of a small business administration loan, a new revolving line of credit, and a reputation that pays dividends.

"We did little marketing," Robertson says. "We really have excellent word of mouth from our existing clients."

Grand River looked at expanding in both Ann Arbor and Chicago. It worked with both Ann Arbor SPARK and state officials from the MEDC to land the $361,376 state tax break.

"They both did a very good job of helping us understand the benefits of growing here in Ann Arbor," Robertson says.

Source: Scott Robertson, managing partner with Grand River
Writer: Jon Zemke