Specialist marketing and PR agency Lesniak Swann has moved to new, larger offices at the historic former Spode site in Stoke-on-Trent – now a burgeoning hub for creative businesses.
With headcount growing rapidly following a series of major international client wins, the agency, which was based on Festival Park, needed to find larger premises.
The company says the refurbished heritage building at Spode has proved a perfect fit, locating them within a group of established and startup creative businesses which has been dubbed the “createch” community.
Createch businesses specialise in selling creative services, underpinned by a focus on how new and emerging technology can be used to do their work most effectively.
Together they provide over 150 well-paid jobs and bring more than £10 million to the city in terms of direct revenue and business for their local suppliers.
Lesniak Swann brings with it a workforce of 19 people – with plans to recruit more before the end of the year.
The new office is a former workshop for the famous Spode brand that would have housed pottery industry creatives such as throwers, designers and painters.
It was recently renovated as part of a project led by Stoke-on-Trent City Council that is creating modern, digitally enhanced enterprise spaces for growing local businesses and start-ups.
Alex Swann, managing director of Lesniak Swann, said: “We’ve been located in Stoke for over twenty years; our first offices were in an old tyre garage next to a pub just up the road from Spode. We’re excited to be based in a cluster of like-minded but complementary businesses that has a real sense of momentum behind it.
“The move will support our continued growth in a number of ways. Being based close to our peers means easier collaboration to share best practice.
It’s also hugely important to attracting and keeping the great talent coming out of both Staffordshire and Keele universities as graduates can see there is a clear route to finding a well-paid creative job locally within a support network of businesses.
“Crucially, all of the createch businesses work with big brands here in the UK and further afield, so talented people don’t have to look outside of the area to build an impressive CV right out of university.”
Lesniak Swann has a track record of working with high-profile B2B clients including Michelin, Finning UK and Ireland, Polypipe and Etex. The agency specialises in complex sectors such as construction and engineering, meaning that clients receive experienced support from staff who understand their sector and how to get the best marketing results.
