Stormfront Productions: November Small Business of the Month
Greater Lafayette Commerce (November 4th, 2008) - If you’ve noticed a bolt of lightning flashing from the upper floor of the MacDonald/Hunter’s Pub building at Third and Ferry Streets, it’s creativity sizzling at Stormfront Productions. The full-service online media consulting firm founded in 2002 is taking the business world by storm as it redefines marketing and communications for the 21st century.
In recognition of its success, Stormfront has been named Small Business of the Month for November by Greater Lafayette Commerce.
Online Media Consulting Business
Stormfront’s six-member staff, led by founder and chief executive officer Robert “Rob” Theodorow, includes web developers, graphic designers, software architects and marketing professionals.
They deliver a full spectrum of custom-created services: website design, hosting and maintenance; video production; logo and identity branding; flash and multimedia production; event posters and banners; e-commerce shopping; graphic design and print materials; database development; and search engine marketing strategy, among others.
Key to all the offerings is the service Stormfront provides, Theodorow says. “We can hand-hold through the entire process. You don’t need to be technical at all. We’re personable and approachable. We’ll work with you at your comfort level.”
‘Amazing Results’
Elizabeth Steurer, director of donor relations at the Purdue Cancer Center , appreciates the company’s style. “Stormfront Productions is truly the best business I have worked with,” she says.
“No project or problem is too big or small for their realm of understanding and creative ability,” she says. “They have wonderful talents and abilities. And they always come up with amazing results.”
Community-Minded
While the business could be anywhere, Lafayette is the right spot, says Theodorow. “Purdue is here. It has internship programs. We can make lots of contacts. There are new companies in the Research Park . And it’s a clean, affordable, friendly community.
Community service is part of Stormfront’s mission, too. Theodorow is serving his second year as a judge in Purdue’s Burton Morgan entrepreneurial competition.
He’s also a member of the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra’s marketing committee, where he brought Stormfront’s talents to its new website, www.lafayettesymphony.org.
“We’re working with Rob, and he’s delightful, he’s bright,” says Ken Bootsma, symphony executive director. “He’s brought things to the table we didn’t know anything about. We’re excited to be working with him. He’s energetic, thoughtful, all the right stuff. I think this is critical for our success.”
Entrepreneur Loves Music, Outdoors, Sports
While Theodorow enjoys some outside interests, he says, “Being an entrepreneur is a full-time hobby itself.”
He has been known to play some tenor sax and bass guitar. In earlier years he played tennis and ran track; now he likes fishing, camping and hiking trails. He also enjoys traveling, wine tasting, Cardinals baseball and Purdue football and basketball.
A newlywed, Theodorow’s priority today is spending time with his wife Summer, cat Rajah and three-pound Yorkshire terrier Diesel.
Skilled, Experienced Staff
Besides Theodorow, chief executive officer, Stormfront’s staff includes Brandon Beatty, chief technology officer; Michael Frick, web application developer; Thomas Miller, director of marketing and communications; Aaron Vanschyndel, multimedia specialist; and Stephan Rohde, strategic partner. They are all Purdue graduates or students, and they bring previous experience at companies such as Disney, ABC, NASA and GlaxoSmithCline.
Stormfront’s clients range from governments, including Her Majesty the Queen, to healthcare, industry, restaurants, education, agriculture, retail, software, nonprofits and more. A few of the names: Cardinal Health Systems, Purdue Cancer Center, Pizza Hut, Arni’s Pizza, Simon Property Group, Motorola, State Farm Insurance, ChaCha, IBM and many more.
Growing to its current size was critical, says Theodorow, now 29. “I couldn’t do it all myself and give clients the support they deserve.”
What’s ahead? “The sky’s the limit for any business,” he says. “We don’t want to put a ceiling on it ever. We may stay the size we are. We may grow to 500.”
