Creative agency The Work adds staff as it expands workload

There is no shortage of work at The Work, a creative agency based on Detroit's east riverfront.

The 5-year-old boutique firm has so much work that it has hired three people over the last year, expanding its staff to 11 people. The new hires include editorial personnel and producers.

"The last year has been very busy," says Jesse Ford, managing director of The Work. "We have been taking on a diverse set of assignments."

Major clients include Team Detroit, for whom The Work produced a Speed Dating video in a Mustang. The firm has also been contracting with advertising agencies like Commonwealth, Leo Burnett, and Lowe Campbell Ewald. The Work also recently signed a partnership with Native of Los Angeles for creative consulting, commercial video production, and post-production services in LA and New York.

"Our goal is to continue to support the Detroit agencies and support the automotive industry," Ford says. "We're also looking to work with some agencies in LA and New York."

The Work got its start when five people working in local advertising circles banded together. The idea that their expertise in videography, photography, editing, production, and other creative outlets was worth more together as one company than as individual 1099s. All five co-founders are still working with the company on a full-time basis in the Elevator Building.

Source: Jesse Ford, managing director of The Work
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.