Patrick McInnis isn't gun-shy about hiring someone at Fathead. The poster-decal firm has two open positions for sales professionals and the company would be ready to take a shot on good candidates even if those jobs weren't on the table.
"If we come across a good candidate we will pull the trigger," says Patrick McInnis, CEO of
Fathead. "That is a revenue opportunity for us."
The downtown Detroit-based firm, it calls the Compuware Building home, has taken a lot of shots over the last year, hiring 25 people. Those jobs include sales, operations, marketing and customer service. It now has a staff of 100 employees and half a dozen interns. The number of interns expands to 20 over the summer.
Those hires go with Fathead's increasing growth. Its revenue is up 35 percent last year, making 2013 its best year so far.
"We are expecting to grow another 30-35 percent this year," McInnis says. "We're definitely a company on the rise."
The 8-year-old company got its start making poster-size decals of famous athletes that adhere to walls. It was acquired by Dan Gilbert and is now a member of the Quicken Loans family of companies.
Fathead has grown its product portfolio over that time. It now offers jumbo-sized wall art for commercial buyers, such as ceiling to floor decals for major universities, like the University of Michigan and
Miami (of Ohio) University, to name a few. One of its new products is
Fashion Fat Dots, which are small stickers that go on the navigation buttons of iPhones and other mobile devices.
Fathead also is moving into the
home decor arena. It now offers products that are similar to customizable wallpaper. For instance, renters who can't paint walls can order a piece of vinyl in any color they want. That way the renter's room is customized to their wants and they don't have to worry about losing any of their damage deposit when they take the piece of vinyl down.
"We're going to continue to expand that product line," McInnis says.
Fathead is also planning to expand its traditional product portfolio in 2014. The company wants to add more licenses for non-sports celebrities for their original-style wall decals. Last year Fathead nailed down the image rights for
One Direction and it wants to bring in more celebrities that resonate with teens and tweens.
"The up-and-coming kid bands are a big focus for us this year," McInnis says.
Source: Patrick McInnis, CEO of Fathead
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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