Rufus Bartell doesn't just see Detroit as the center of the automotive universe. The University District-area entrepreneur sees it as an emerging entertainment Mecca in the Midwest.
So much so that Bartell is expanding his marketing firm,
R.B.I Group, with a new subsidiary called Media 14. The new arm will handle production and planning work for everything from film and video projects to events.
"That's the next direction we're heading in,"
Bartell says. "We're following what is going on in the city, such as video and film and event planning."
R.B.I Group got its start five years ago as the marketing arm for Bartell's other retail businesses, such as
Simply Casual and B2 Management. Bartell is one of the leading entrepreneurs on the Livernois commercial corridor between 6 and 8 mile roads, commonly known as the Avenue of Fashion.
He started R.B.I Group alone and now overseas a team of seven people. He expects to add a few more people, including an intern, in the next few months as moves forward with his Media 14 plans. "We're going to need more people to execute the vision we have for our new ventures," Bartell says.
Source: Rufus Bartell, brand manager for the R.B.I Group
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at
SEMichiganStartup.com.
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