When Greg DesRoches, president of Cornerstone Advertising, set out to launch his own shop in 1981, Baltimore?s advertising landscape was much different than it is today.
Doner was the crown jewel of Baltimore?s advertising elite, and names such as Trahan, Burden & Charles and Eisner Communications ? two of the area?s best-known agencies ? were beginning to gain recognition in the business community. Enter Cornerstone.
DesRoches? original intent was to start an advertising recruitment agency. “It didn?t work out that way,” he said.
Instead, DesRoches, who started the agency as the sole proprietor and only employee, said he took on some local marketing projects and didn?t look back.
But he isn?t complaining. Since DesRoches founded the agency almost 25 years ago, it has grown to employ 19 people and reports billings of more than $34 million annually.
“I think what enabled us to survive ? is a strong blend of solid strategic thinking and creative tactics and applications that are strongly rooted in that strategy,” DesRoches said.
But despite the agency?s growth over the years, it has also faced its pitfalls. At its heyday during the dot-com boom, Cornerstone employed more 30 people. When the bottom fell out of the tech sector, the firm suffered.
DesRoches said he plans to continue growing the company, and over the next few years he hopes to bring the employee base back 30 to 35 people.
“We?re comfortable where we are, but we don?t want to be comfortable. It?s the kind of industry where you need to be growing all the time,” he said.
