A public relations firm whose clients include Ripken Baseball and Cal Ripken, Jr., hopes to hit a home run in its new office in Columbia.
The 10-person firm outgrew its space in Marriottsville and moved this month to a 3,200-square-foot office at the Columbia Corporate Park at 8825 Standford Blvd.
Maroon PR President John Maroon says he liked the location because there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby to grab lunch or a drink after work. These include the Greene Turtle and Nottingham's Tavern.
The location is also more convenient for the staff to reach from Baltimore compared with Marriottsville, Maroon says. The Columbia office is about two-thirds bigger than the former space.
"The work space was getting cramped," Maroon says.
The four-year-old company is spending about $20,000 on the move and about $1,000 more each month on rent, he says.
Though a lot of marketing and PR firms have been struggling during the recession, Maroon PR says it has seen steady growth from existing clients and new nonprofit clients. The latter includes the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic division and Reading is Fundamental, a children's literacy program in Washington, D.C.
Maroon PR is looking to hire a few folks as well this year in the areas of public relations, business development and possibly a graphic designer.
Other Maroon PR clients include Sullivan's Steakhouse, the Babe Ruth Museum, Geier Financial Group and Pathfinders for Autism.
Source: John Maroon, Maroon PR
Writer: Julekha Dash