Metro Detroit made quite the impression on Lawrence James when he worked in the region more than a few years ago. The United Kingdom expatriate referenced that experience when he convinced his current company, The Frameworks, to set up shop in Metro Detroit.
"I found Michigan to be a really great place," says James, senior partner with
The Frameworks. "The people are amazing. The economy goes up and down but there is a solid infrastructure in place."
Of course there were some good business reasons for making the decision, too. James' partner wanted to set up the global branding firm's North American headquarters in either Chicago, San Francisco or New York City. James made the argument about why expanding in Metro Detroit made better business sense.
"There are great people here. That's talent," James says. "The cost of entry is affordable and the people here are warm and welcoming."
That decision was made in 2010 and the London-based firm set up shop in Troy. It now employs a dozen full-time employees, three part-timers and an intern after making six hires over the last year.
That staff now services some big client names, such as IBM, Bloomberg and Toshiba Americas. IBM has expanded its business with The Frameworks, which now works with the multi-national corporation's safety and technology groups.
Source: Lawrence James, senior partner with The Frameworks
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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