Mike Gunter
In addition to the giants like Tesla, Apple and Google that are settling into northern Nevada, the region also is continuing to attract many small- to mid-size businesses.
The Gunter Group, an Oregon-based consulting firm, recently expanded into the Reno market.
The company was founded in 2011. It is headquartered in Portland, Ore. with a second office in Bend, Ore. The company currently has approximately 35 employees and offers a range of management consulting services such as talent management practice, organizational health practice, strategy development, program and project management, testing and quality management, business analysis and process improvement, change of leadership and more.
“We are a company that really values the community we live in,” Tony Schweiss, northern Nevada regional market lead at The Gunter Group, LLC., said in a phone interview with NNBW.
The Gunter Group was recognized as one of the Top 10 companies to work for in the small business category of the Oregon Business 100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon 2017.
“As we thought about how we expand beyond Portland, it has been really important to be part of the community,” Mike Gunter, founding partner of The Gunter Group, said.
Schweiss and Gunter explained that they visited Reno several times when deciding whether or not to expand to the region. During their visits, they met with the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) and a number of other business leaders and owners in the community. They liked the collaborative nature that they saw within the business community.
“People value relationships here and we rely on relationships,” Schweiss said. “We think that, more than anything, is going to be a factor in our success here.
“It was just obvious that this area was a really good cultural fit (for our company),” he added.
Another reason for expanding to northern Nevada was Schweiss’ willingness to relocate to the area.
“On a personal level, there is a lot about northern Nevada that really resonates with me,” Schweiss said.
Schweiss and his wife have two children with another child on the way. He explained that their family would commonly visit the Reno-Tahoe area for vacations and were excited at the opportunity to move to the region. They moved from Oregon to Reno this past April and Schweiss opened the new Reno office at 10775 Double R Blvd. in south Reno on May 1. He has been working to develop connections with people within the community.
“I have probably met with 25 or 30 people over the last three weeks and I don’t think anyone expressed anything but excitement for what we are bringing,” Schweiss said.
The company is not currently hiring in the new location but will start hiring from the local market in the near future.
“It is down the line, but not too far,” Gunter said.
In the meantime, staff from the existing offices will travel down to northern Nevada if needed to aid Schweiss on specific projects.
Schweiss explained that the company has always taken a pretty non-traditional approach to hiring and 20 percent of the company’s employees are veterans.
“We find a ton of our great employees through that avenue,” Schweiss said.
Schweiss is a former naval officer. He plans to get involved with the veteran professional networks in the area.
“I am interested in whatever veteran professional network that is here and if that is not robust, I am interested in building it,” Schweiss said.
For more information about The Gunter Group, visit http://guntergroupconsulting.com.
