The Web development firm is in the process of more than doubling its space at its Bloomington headquarters as it plans to significantly increase sales and add 100 employees in 2011.
The Nerdery is in the midst of a major expansion at its Bloomington headquarters as it executes plans to nearly double its revenue and hire 100 new employees in 2011.
Earlier this year, the Web development firm formerly known as Sierra Bravo Corporation renegotiated its lease with the building’s property manager, Minneapolis-based Belgrade Enterprises. Under the new lease, the company’s space will more than double from 21,401 square feet to 44,625 square feet.
The new space that the company will occupy has been vacant for several years and will house the 100 employees that the company plans to add this year to its current work force of about 200.
The additional headcount is needed to keep up with an increase in demand for the company’s services—which has the company on track to nearly double its 2010 revenue of $16.8 million to about $30 million in 2011, according to Mark Malmberg, communications manager and co-president at The Nerdery. Malmberg said that the company started the year with 701 clients and has since added about 65. In terms of agency parters, the company has added 19 since the beginning of the year.
According Malmberg, about 70 percent of the new hires will be Web developers and the rest will be account executive, administrative, human resource, accounting, marketing, and solutions engineering positions.
Improvements are underway for the new space and will be completed in two phases. Phase I was completed earlier this month and includes a 220-seat theater that the company is using for its weekly “Bottlecap Talk” sessions, which Malmberg calls “show-and-tell for nerds.” It provides an opportunity for employees to convene to socialize and share information about recent projects.
Belgrade started working on the phase I improvements even before The Nerdery signed the renegotiated lease at the beginning of this year. Malmberg said that the company has been in talks with Belgrade for a while about occupying the vacant space.
Harry Yaffe, commercial property manager at Belgrade, wouldn’t disclose the price tag of the improvements but said that they are “substantial.” The Nerdery is investing about $100,000 in the improvements, Malmberg said.
Construction of phase II has already begun and will wrap up by the end of the year. The area being renovated under phase II will eventually house the company’s main reception area and will also include office space, conference rooms, and a kitchen.
The Nerdery is among Minnesota’s eight-largest Web development and design firms based on its 2010 Web revenue. The company also has a second office in Chicago.
—Melissa Loth
(mloth@tcbmag.com)