Rebirth of the Loop

True Media transforms the old Commerce Bank building on Business Loop into a unique office environment set to meet the company’s continuing growth and success.

WHEN JACK MILLER, president of True Media, decided to relocate his Columbia office to the old Commerce Bank building on Business Loop, he knew it would be a bit of a challenge. Just leaving his old location in The District would be tough, but transforming a bank into an advertising business would require major renovations. Yet, Miller discovered that when all was said and done, the 13,000-square-foot space and unique work environment were well worth the effort. Today, Miller not only enjoys doing business at True Media’s new location, but he also looks forward to taking an active part in the rebirth of the Business Loop.

Originally from Moberly, Mo., Miller got his media start in high school when he did voiceovers and sold advertising for a local radio station. But it was during college, as a business major at the University of Missouri, that he began thinking more seriously about a future in the industry, particularly after landing a job managing sales with Premier Marketing, where he stayed for eight years and eventually became a minority partner. One year after Cumulus Broadcasting bought out Premier, Miller decided to step out on his own. On March 1, 2005, with just one employee, he launched True Media, a media strategy and communications business, in the Paramount Building on Ninth Street.

Making a name

True Media hit the ground running and made a name for itself in record time. As a result the company also experienced rapid growth, which prompted Miller to expand operations beyond Columbia. Within just a few years, he opened two additional offices, one in St. Louis and the other in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. By 2010, True Media’s continuous growth earned it a spot on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies, a distinction it received again in 2011 and 2012.

In 2011, Miller realized his Columbia office had outgrown its 6,000 square feet above Kaldi’s Coffeehouse, and with the lease running out in 2012, he began property shopping downtown. “I love downtown Columbia,” he says. “I’m a big proponent of everything they are doing in The District.” He knew his employees appreciated downtown’s vitality and wide diversity of restaurants, but unfortunately he found nothing to meet his company’s needs. Miller reluctantly broadened his search and discovered the two-story brick bank building on Business Loop. Impressed with the square footage space and attached parking lot, Miller began negotiating with Commerce. In January 2012, he took possession of the property.

Spurring revitalization

Although Miller wanted to bring the 1970s building into the 21st century, he also wanted to keep some of its charm, such as the curved mezzanine and the picturesque windows that faced the street. He was also determined to provide a welcoming work environment for his employees. “We were concerned about the additional things our employees had come to appreciate at our downtown location,” Miller says. He hired Simon Oswald Architecture, a local architectural firm, to develop a floor plan that would fit the bill, and before long construction began.

Initially, the building was gutted, though they saved the curved mezzanine. They also kept the large windows that flanked the Business Loop and added another where the old bank entryway used to be to bring in additional light. To modernize the main office area, originally the bank lobby, Miller installed cubicles that provide more flexibility for future growth. “We believe the future is bright with the growth pattern that we’re on, so we are making sure we have the proper environment to be able to meet this growth over the next several years,” he says. They also kept the vault, which they turned into a conference room.

Because there are fewer dining options on the Loop, Miller opted for an oversized break room, complete with a full kitchen. The break room leads outside to a patio area, where the drive-up banking station once stood. The remainder of the ground floor hosts various offices as well as a social media room. “Twitter, Facebook and social media did not exist when I first started,” Miller says. “Now we have a full social media department.”

According to Miller, with advertising more complicated today, embracing all types of media is essential to serving their client’s needs. “As a media firm our objective is to help customers understand their customers and also help them determine how to most efficiently communicate with them,” he says.

On the mezzanine level, they continued with the forward-thinking design. For instance, a theater-style area serves as a training room, where every Wednesday, Miller provides free food for all employees while he conducts a Lunch and Learn. Utilizing large-screen monitors and Skype, all three offices can connect. Also, because True Media serves as a watchdog for its customers’ ads, the mezzanine has an audit area to analyze and make sure all ads are effective. “Part of our job is to make sure our clients are getting the appropriate delivery that was expected in the campaigns,” Miller says.

Finding a niche

Miller says he believes finding a niche in the growing media strategy market is responsible for much of his company’s success. According to Miller, six national media agencies control about 80 percent of how all national advertising is placed. But these agencies traditionally target companies with $20 million-plus advertising budgets, which leaves new companies or those with smaller advertising resources to fend for themselves. “I felt many medium-sized companies were making their advertising decisions based upon their gut or relationships…not based upon actual data,” Miller says, so True Media concentrates on smaller firms.

Miller also knows his employees, and particularly his management, contribute to True Media’s success. For instance, media buyer Jim Hall has been with Miller since day one. Miller also relies on Carolle Sutter, media director in Canada, and Columbia-based employees Chris Evans, media director, who oversees all True Media client teams; Sean Cotton, interactive director; and Jim Mills, controller. With additional individuals in charge of new business sales in Calgary and St. Louis as well as Bozeman, Mont., and Minneapolis, Miller currently has close to 60 employees. And the team continues to prove itself successful; the company recently earned the 2012 Missouri Fast Track Award from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce.

Although moving True Media’s Columbia office cost a little more than $2 million, Miller says he is extremely pleased with the results and with his new location. “I believe the Business Loop has a lot of opportunity,” he says, adding he has seen considerable business expansion in the area. He also notes that positive improvements along the Loop, such as buried power lines and new sidewalks, make it ripe for new business. “Over the next five to 10 years, I think you’ll see a rebirth of the Business Loop.”

For now, Miller is concentrating on continuing to build True Media. He also hopes people will stop by 500 Business Loop 70 W. and have a look around their new digs. “At the end of the day, with the exception of the vault, I think people will come in here and say: ‘They’ve done a great job. It looks like an advertising business, not a bank,’” he says.