As we watch the grip of the coronavirus begin to ease up with fewer restrictions, the resulting rebound in business has left St. Joseph-based JohnsonRauhoff — JR — with a strong opportunity to capitalize on what they see as “enduring trends,” putting them into the position of hiring new talent and allowing them to expand into the Chicago market.
JR President Mike Huie points to the drop in COVID-19 cases and easing restrictions across Michigan as key opportunities for his strategic content agency to leverage those trends likely to endure from the pandemic to fuel his team’s response to the growth they are experiencing across their line of skill sets.
Huie says, “Like other companies in many parts of the world, we are seeing a rebound in business and are fortunately in a position to be hiring,” and adds, “In marketing, the pandemic had a profound impact on the workforce, and we believe it created enduring trends that will last beyond the recovery period.”
One such area the agency is doubling down on is remote-employee locations. Historically, JR has been proactive in that space via their satellite location in the Boston market. Now the company is growing into Chicago by hiring Marcos Cuellar, an experienced account and business development manager who will remotely work on various accounts while also leading business development strategy. Prior to JR, Cuellar served as a longstanding board member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts — AIGA — and previously worked with SGK, Creative Circle, and 24 Seven Talent, a global consulting and talent recruitment business.
JR’s Human Resources Director Amy Hemphill, says, “For JR, it is about talent and cultural fit,” and further explains, “Marcos is a contagiously optimistic innovator and front line leader—all about going the extra mile to help clients succeed. We are thrilled to bring him on to the JR team by helping us open a Chicago office. Other team members moved to Michigan from Chicago and now we are excited to secure a presence across the lake.”
In addition to Cuellar, JR has added several new members to the team. Recent Michigan-based hires include Assistant Account Executive John Hogeboom, Studio Assistant Ian Murrin, Associate Producer Lilli Kacynski and 9 summer interns working in creative, social and producer arenas.
Looking at the cause behind the recent growth, Huie says, “Aside from the world opening back up and businesses rebooting, increases in digital usage and the need to produce high quality content quickly and efficiently is a major need for marketers,” and adds, “Fortunately, we are up for the challenge. We are creating an unstoppable team fully dedicated to client success.”
Founded in 1969, JR is an independent strategic content agency that partners with the world’s most admired brands. Company success is attributed to disrupting the status quo with creative work that gets results strategically, creatively and efficiently. You can learn more at http://johnsonrauhoff.com.
