Schoolpictures.com hires 7 in Ypsilanti, plans to add 7-10

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Schoolpictures.com has a lot of room to grow in its new home near Eastern Michigan University, and the Ypsilanti-based firm is already starting to fill out the space.

The 5-year-old company hired seven people in 2009, rounding out its staff to 41 employees, along with 30 more interns and independent contractors. It expects to hire 7-10 people this year, and all of that is organic growth.

"We've increased the size of our business by growing our mission," says Skip Cerier, CEO of Schoolpictures.com. "Our goal is to continue to raise money for schools. As cuts came down from the state, schools are in such dire straits that they are looking for other revenues. Schoolpictures.com provides a unique business model that allows us to sustain and grow our business while we raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for schools."

That includes $540,000 for 180 schools in 2009. Cerier believes that number would have been much higher in a healthier economy. He has big aspirations for beating that number this year, partly because of an improving economy and partly because of the company's new home.

Schoolpictures.com took over the Ave Maria University campus, turning the old mid-20th Century elementary school and other even older structures into a silver LEED campus. It’s first pre-1950 building to reach LEED silver status in Michigan. Now the 21,000 square feet of space that was prime fodder to become building rubble stands as a shinning example of sustainability and economic opportunity.

The old Victorian house is being remodeled into a child portrait studio. The idea is the architecture provides a comforting feeling for both kids and families. The school's old gym is now a 2,400-square-foot photography studio that gives the firm's photographers and creatives a lot of freedom.

"There has been a monumental change in the attitude of my employees," Cerier says. "They are much happier when they have space of their own."

Source: Skip Cerier, CEO of Schoolpictures.com
Writer: Jon Zemke

Related Company

Schoolpictures.com
PO Box 2649
Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Website

Expanding from seven employees to 41 is the definition of growth in any business dictionary. This soon-to-be Ypsilanti based company specializes in, surprise-surprise, school pictures and will be taking over the former campus for Ave Maria ...