Launching a national creative agency in a rural market may seem a bit unusual, but for the founders of this Sandpoint-based firm it holds key strategic advantages. Opening just over a year ago, Chairseven is a full service creative agency specializing in web and mobile application development, as well as high-end print design and marketing.
The company's management team brings not only impressive resumes in technology and design to the area, but an all-star client roster with names like Amgen Pharmaceuticals and FOX Television. Co-founder and creative director Gary Stover, who previously worked in Hollywood as a visual effects producer, says the company has an informal and relaxed development process that customers feel comfortable with. "Our vision is to be a people friendly technology company," says Stover, "Clients often come to us having had bad experiences with other firms who either didn't deliver on their promises, or who only speak geek. The real difference for us is that we consider our clients to be partners, and we focus a great deal of time and attention on understanding their business and designing products that we ourselves would want to use."
Recently coordinating development for an ESPN health awareness platform, the company has begun expanding it's services into the management of national health campaigns. They believe the lifestyle aspects of North Idaho and their commitment to a healthy workplace is what makes them an attractive firm to those in the health industry. "Our unusual location is always a topic of discussion with new clients." says Stover, "But when people hear us explain the health benefits of being based here, it always creates a connection. Particularly for those developing health related projects."
The group is also working on several of their own products, focused around social applications for mobile users. Jordan Hamad, also a co-founder and the company's CEO, says the team's focus on building their own products gives them a major advantage over competitors. "We don't just build websites," says Hamad, "We are a product team that understands both the creative and business components required to make a product successful. Involving a team of product experts at every level of a project is a very different approach to the typical agency." He adds that this foundation in product design and development has been a very appealing value add for their customers.
The group says choosing rural North Idaho to base the company came after long competitive analysis, and was decided for reasons more than quality of life. "Building a technology company in such a remote location certainly has some challenges," says Hamad, "However, we see the opportunity to minimize the distractions and competition of a major market to be a very clear advantage. While the talent pool may not be as large as Seattle or the Bay Area, maintaining that talent is easier, especially when you factor in the appeal of the area recreationally." He also points out that for technology companies, the insulated geography of the region helps reduce the intellectual property leaks that often occur in densely populated tech hubs.
With the latest Bonner County initiative to bring fiber to the area, the company is a profile candidate to benefit from such a significant boost in connectivity. Because of that local effort, Hamad, who also serves on the county's infrastructure committee, sees Sandpoint becoming a perfect host city for technology start-ups. "The area has a heavy reliance on tourism, which is unpredictable," says Hamad, "The best way to quietly secure the local economy is through an industry that can create high-paying jobs, recruit a lifestyle-driven workforce, and remain transparent to our greatest asset – our environment. No other industry can do that as well as tech."
The group says they have been impressed by the amount of community support and encouragement they have received, and according to Stover, are committed to keeping the company locally based. "We sometimes call it off-the-grid innovation," says Stover, "Revitalizing rural America is an effort that is essential to the future of the country, and we want to do our part. Business leaders and politicians have to get creative in their approach to small town economics. It won't happen by accepting the status quo. So as a company, we hope to build a model that can both scale for global customers and be sustained in fly-over country."
When asked about outside reactions to being based in Sandpoint, they say it's often mixed. "Our friends in the Bay Area sometimes laugh at us and think we're crazy," says Stover, "We just remind them of our five minute commute."
