Global Reach Internet Productions Celebrates 25 Years!
Posted on 09/21/2020 at 11:39 AM
A Successful Event Recognizing 25 Years of Innovation
On September 17th, 2020, Global Reach partnered with the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the ISU Research Park to host a safe event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the web development company, Global Reach.
“We’ve got our first open event for a while, and I can’t think of a better opportunity to bring our group together than to celebrate a company that has had a positive impact on our community for 25 years!”
-Brenda Dryer, Ames Chamber of Commerce
Among the attendees were Chamber members, honored clients, and Global Reach employees, who enjoyed fantastic food and refreshments provided by Provisions and live music from local artist Miles Morgan and both the Ames Chamber and Global Reach broadcast special moments of the event via live streams on their Facebook pages.
Global Reach President and CEO, Iacovos Zachariades, was excited to celebrate the event with many of the people that have helped drive the success of Global Reach. Throughout the evening he was observed spending one-on-one time with members of his staff, clients, and community leaders.
“This is a big event for us. Honestly, 25 years ago I was thinking ‘I’ll do this for about 10 years then sell the business and retire.’ Obviously,” Zachariades joked, “I am doing something wrong because I’m still here!”
Zachariades credited his team for success over the years as he expressed gratitude for the many client relationships established, partnerships, and the hard work of his staff.
“Thank you for supporting us with your business over the years, it’s nice to see so many of our clients and even former employees here to help us celebrate. We started in the ISU Research Park 25 years ago and never left. We moved from suite to suite, but we have always been in the research park. We have been very happy to support this community with our business.”
-Iacovos Zachariades, President and CEO, Global Reach Internet Productions
He then honored his team when he said, “I want to thank all my staff for all of their hard work, especially over the last six months with everyone working from home, they’ve really stepped it up. They’ve been very efficient and very productive, and this is going to be our best year ever!”
Several former employees who wanted to express their congratulations could be found in attendance. Among such guests was a former intern from 2001, graphic designers, and team members who have grown into new career paths within the company.
Taylor Wolf, the Product Owner of National Outages and Mutual Aid, has been with Global Reach since 2012. Wolf said, “Congratulations! A lot of blood, sweat, and tears have been shed over the years. I know it has been hard and awesome at the same time so congratulations, you’ve done an awesome job!” His sentiments echoed many other employees' thoughts and well wishes as they reflected on the journey of the past 25 years.
Among the Global Reach Clients who attended the event was GutterWorks Manufacturing Owner, Randy Simmons. GutterWorks, originally Front Street Manufacturing, partnered with Global Reach over 20 years ago to build an e-commerce platform for their unique gutter accessories. Simmons spoke fondly of working with the team at Global Reach.
“The amazing thing about working with Global Reach is that they get us. You guys feel like part of our team and when we need something done, we give you a call and know you’ll deliver! The kind of relationship we’ve built isn’t something you find every day and it is nice to know that our goals are aligned, and you’ll have our backs when we need you!"
– Randy Simmons, Owner, GutterWorks, Mfg, Inc.
Also seen at the event was MedCara CEO, Tom Swegle who once said. "I worked with the digital marketing team to take my rebrand to the next level! They helped me transition my RhusTox audience to Outdoor Joe's pretty seamlessly. They did this by setting up and optimizing multiple social media platforms from the ground up, providing killer post ideas for various platforms, crafting hyper-targeted Google and Facebook Ads, and did so much for the website's SEO that we list first or second every time if you Google 'RhusTox'!"
The bottom line is this: My sales are through the roof, profits are soaring, and I still rely on, and trust Global Reach with almost all my digital marketing needs. The team has become an irreplaceable part of our marketing strategy!"
-Tom Swegle, CEO, MedCara
When asked if he'd like to say anything to the Global Reach team about the milestone, Swegle noted that he was excited to see where Global Reach goes from here and that he was happy to be a part of whatever comes next.
The outdoor social event gave the Global Reach team a chance to connect with others and personally thank clients as they observed social distancing and face-covering recommendations. The event also provided an opportunity for leaders of various organizations to meet, exchange ideas, and relax while learning about mutual interests.
All signs point to a likely similar event (hopefully without the social distancing requirements) in another 25 years. When asked if he plans to throw another party in 25 years, Zachariades had this to say:
“I’m not going to say here’s to another 25 because I don’t really want to spend another 25 years working, but you guys are welcome to continue this long after I’m retired. Let’s plan to do it again in 5 years.”
If you’d like to learn how the award-winning team at Global Reach can help you meet your digital goals, we encourage you to explore our various services!
Categories: GRIP News
