Employees relax at the lounge and recreation area at Foundry.
New name, new location.
That’s the theme for Jim Bauserman and his ad agency that he built from the ground up. His agency, formerly known as The Bauserman Group, is now simply called Foundry.
The newly minted brand also comes with a move to a new office in part of the once vacant bottom floor of The Montage Reno condominium complex on the corner of Sierra and Second streets in downtown Reno.
“I’ve been in this business for 20-something years, and I always tried to get the cheapest place I could find to survive in this industry,” Bauserman said. “It was time to spend a little more and figured it would be a good investment for the company.”
The agency, which specializes in advertising, marketing and strategic communications, had previously occupied an office at Damonte Ranch Parkway in South Reno.
Over the years, various retail concepts had been rumored for The Montage location, but all eventually faded away. Bauserman had long coveted downtown Reno as a possible destination for company, and eyed the location for several years.
When the time was right, he purchased the available space along with his good friend Stacie Mathewson, who plans to develop retail concepts in the remaining space.
“It was a very good deal, so I decided to take a shot at it,” Bauserman said.
After the transaction was completed, a full build out was in store for the two-story, 7,000-square-foot office space. H+K Architects was tabbed to handle the architectural design, while M&M Construction served as the general contractor. The renovation project has taken 10 months to complete. Subcontractors were still putting the finishing touches on the project as the agency moved into the space during the first part of October. Foundry’s staff has had to conduct business while the renovation winds down, but they indicated it has been a minor inconvenience.
The project wasn’t without other challenges along the way, such as existing structures in the space needed to comply with building code specifications. H+K and Foundry’s staff worked closely to get the space up to code and in the way Bauserman envisioned for the agency.
“We loved that Jim involved his crew in the process,” said H+K principal, Jeff Klippenstein in a press release. “We may produce different things, but the creative process is the same and that’s what made this project so much fun.”
When Bauserman started pondering rebranding his company and settled on Foundry, he wanted the new office to reflect its brand. Hence, the office’s décor has an industrial-like setting, with laminated floors and steel office doors. Even much of the furniture has a rustic appearance.
Bauserman added a few amenities that make the office inviting for employees and clients alike. It features a large open kitchen area with a flat-screen TV situated on the walls. The staff can even occasionally enjoy a game of shuffleboard that is situated next to the kitchen area.
“This is a very hard job. In our business, it is particularly stressful and very time sensitive, but on top of all that you want your employees to be creative,” Bauserman said. “I wanted to give everybody an environment where they enjoy coming to work everyday, and not just a standard office.”
Bauserman explained the new brand befitted his company’s core values. A foundry is defined as a factory where molten steel is poured and metal cast, symbolizing the value of hard work, honesty, and authenticity, among other ideals that Foundry, the agency, strive to represent.
“I probably thought of 200 different names, and the second I came across (Foundry) I loved it,” Bauserman said. “I knew what it stood for and meant to me: being solid and meant to last.”
He also felt the brand brings recognition to his employees’ hard work and commitment. Bauserman started the agency on his own in the late 1980s, and now employs a staff of 28. It may add more staff in the future as well.
“I just wanted them to feel like they’re a part of something bigger, like they are working for a cause or an organization, not just some guy’s ad agency,” he said.
For more information on Foundry, visit their new website at www.FoundryIdeas.com.
