The Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Science and Technology Incubator at 含羞草社区 welcomes a new tenant: Grant Company, a creative services company that like the incubator has a strong focus on animal health and agriculture.聽Below is a press release from Grant Company announcing their location in the Incubator:
Creative Services Company Locates in the Kit Bond Science and Technology Incubator
Grant Co. joins Saint Joseph鈥檚 Innovation Stockyard as part of the growing animal health entrepreneurial experience.
Things are moving fast at Grant Company.
Launched this spring, the company now provides creative services 鈥� advertising, communications and public relations 鈥� to a wide array of clients across North America.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been blessed. We already have more work than we could have ever imagined,鈥� says Eric Grant, the company鈥檚 founder and managing director.
The one thing the company didn鈥檛 have was office space.
That is, until Grant reached out one evening to the Kit Bond Science and Technology Incubator on 含羞草社区鈥檚 campus in Saint Joseph. Mo. By the next day, he鈥檇 secured a viable headquarters 鈥� and a better future 鈥� for his growing company.
鈥淲e looked for months for a suitable location,鈥� Grant says. 鈥淏ut most offices in the area required multiple-year leases. It鈥檚 impossible right now for us to know how much space we鈥檇 need in a couple of years, let alone just a few months. The Incubator鈥檚 professional staff provided exactly what we needed to get up and running 鈥� plus the flexibility we required to grow. We could tell immediately that they were committed to our success.鈥�
The Incubator鈥檚 location was also perfect.
鈥淭he Saint Joseph/Kansas City area is home to some of the world鈥檚 leading animal health companies and ag associations,鈥� Grant explains. 鈥淚t just made sense for us to call the Incubator home.鈥�
The company 鈥� like the Incubator鈥� is also committed to contributing to Saint Joseph, a mid-sized city with a rich historical heritage and deep roots in agriculture.
鈥淲e live here. Our kids attend school here. So we wanted to locate here and play a small role in shaping the community鈥檚 economic future,鈥� says Grant.
In fact, that鈥檚 what makes the new company a perfect fit for the Innovation Stockyard, an expanded initiative to welcome more ag-based entrepreneurs into the building. It provides innovative opportunities for individual companies to drive their ideas and services to market.
鈥淭he economic strength of Saint Joseph and ultimately the state of Missouri depends on our ability to attract new businesses and to help them be successful,鈥� says Ronan Molloy, president of Innovation Stockyard. 鈥淎 business like Grant Company not only generates jobs but also helps promote the use of new technologies and services that can help make agriculture more efficient and productive. It鈥檚 very exciting to have yet another new company in our facility.鈥�
Looking ahead, Grant Co. is moving forward with a small but creative team of top-flight professionals.
Grant, who spent the last decade with the American Angus Association as director of its public relations department and then as president of its for-profit media company, is joined by Bart Ashford, who provided creative direction for a wide array of consumer brands like NASCAR, Coca Cola and McDonald鈥檚; Crystal Albers, who most recently oversaw the American Angus Association鈥檚 advertising, marketing and communications programs; Jeff Meyer, who served the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos as a producer/editor; and Jena McRell, who worked as the digital editor for the American Angus Association.
Grant Co. now does work for a small but select group of ag-focused clients across North America, including a large animal health company in the Kansas City area, an ag technology company based in Canada and a leading ag organization based in New England.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting for us that we鈥檝e attracted so many great clients in such a short period of time,鈥� Grant adds. 鈥淏ut as everyone knows the key is not so much in the selling, but in the retaining of business. Without the productive work environment that the Incubator provides us, we would no doubt have great difficulty in retaining, let alone growing, business. It鈥檚 central to our mission and key to our continued success.鈥�
含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .