Noble Studios moves closer to pool of talent for growth

Noble Studios, which has doubled the size of its staff in the past year, is completing a move intended to land it in the middle of the talent pool from which it recruits.

The company, which provides Web design, social media and mobile development and brand strategy services, is moving to 8,600 square feet on the eighth floor of the Bank of America Plaza at 50 W. Liberty St.

Noble Studios previously was headquartered in Carson City, where it was founded by the husband-and-wife team of Jarrod and Season Lopiccolo in a spare bedroom of their home.

Most recently, the company's 22 employees have been crammed into office space in downtown Carson City that was about a third of the size of the new offices.

"Everyone is going to have more elbow room," says Jarrod Lopiccolo, the company's chief executive officer.

The company's employment has doubled in the past year, and its managers expect employment to grow to about 30 in coming months.

Most of the new employees live in Reno, Jarrod Lopiccolo says, and the company recruits heavily at the University of Nevada, Reno, for new staff as well as interns.

A move to Reno from Carson City also makes sense, Season Lopiccolo says, because the company has targeted business in 10 Western cities that are within a one-hour flight of Reno.

About 60 percent of Noble Studios' revenues now are generated from out-of-state clients, and Season Lopiccolo says margins on out-of-state business generally are stronger than in-state contracts.

"We've really narrowed our focus on where the profitability lies," says Season Lopiccolo, its chief operating officer.

The company's growth has been spurred by a focused business development effort led by Jarrod Lopiccolo and veteran northern Nevada marketing executive Michael Thomas, who joined Noble Studios as vice president of business development in 2010.

Jarrod Lopiccolo says the company's revenues are growing at a 50 percent annual clip, and it expects to maintain that pace for at least four or five years.

While the Lopiccolos say the move from Carson City carries mixed emotions, they say they also welcome a better separation of their work and personal lives Reno for work, Carson City for family life.

Brian Armon of Trinity Commercial Real Estate represented Noble Studios in its negotiations with Basin Street Properties, the owner of Bank of America Plaza.