Marketing agency acquires new property

Marketing agency acquires new property
<strong> Rendering courtesy 1 Bold Step </strong>

A West Michigan company recently acquired a new brick and mortar space thanks to several agencies aimed at helping small businesses and revitalizing urban areas.

To accommodate its growth over the past three years, marketing agency 1 Bold Step purchased the former CK & Co. Media Production building at 1255 Front Ave. NW in the Monroe North business district in Grand Rapids.

Founder and CEO Jennifer Jurgens and co-owner Adam Clarke worked with the city of Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority to acquire the new space. The marketing company utilized the Small Business Association’s (SBA) 504 loan program and worked with the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) to navigate the environmental testing and purchase processes for the 3,700-square-foot building.

The company, which was founded in 2019, had been operating fully remotely, Clarke said, but in the past year had added four new employees, an intern and 20 clients. The owners decided it was time to acquire some office space.

“We all love the flexibility of being remote but genuinely miss each other and the in-person interactions,” said Clarke, who said the company had previously occupied a space on Broadway Avenue NW before it, like many companies, went remote.

“The space will provide quiet places, small group places and large meeting places to accommodate the different ways in which a marketing team needs to work. We’re looking forward to welcoming our clients and colleagues into the space.”

A portion of the funding was granted to 1 Bold Step through the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program. This helped cover the costs associated with environmental testing and other aspects of urban development of contaminated properties.

The program is a partnership between the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support from SBAM, the city of Grand Rapids and the SBA — having these organizations to lean on at the city and state level was absolutely critical for this next step in our business,” Jurgens said.

“This entire process has made me incredibly hopeful for small businesses and the support they can receive.”

Grand Rapids Assistant Economic Development Director Jono Klooster said the Environmental Site Assessment Grant program is easy to access and was designed to reduce financial risk in the due diligence phase of property purchase.

“Supporting a small business like 1 Bold Step as they grow in Grand Rapids is exactly what this grant program is meant for,” Klooster said. “We look forward to the company’s continued success in our city.”

1 Bold Step was recognized in March by Michigan Celebrates Small Businesses as one of Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch and is currently renovating the space with help of several other local companies, including Kentwood Office Furniture, CS Erikson, DHE, Bouma Construction, Vos Glass and Architektura.

The agency will move into the building in late fall.