Origo Branding Co. has an office space that many would dream of. A wonderful location downtown. Part of a beautiful old building. An entrance right off High Street. Soaring ceilings. Tall windows. Built-in storage space everywhere. It’s a fun atmosphere that is part of the rebirth of downtown Columbus.
Six years ago, Tommaso Ciaffoncini (at the right with his son, Alessandro) moved the company into the ground floor of the Brunson Building on High Street. The space was nearly 2,000 square feet of open possibilities. It was an exciting time.
“We really wanted to be downtown,” says Ciaffoncini. “To be in the middle of downtown, it’s a great place to be. Lots of new businesses. It’s re-energizing.”
When Ciaffoncini started the company in 1985, it was under the name Tommaso Design Group. He was one of the early people to set up an office in the Short North, at the same time Kent Rigsby opened Rigsby’s Kitchen. While Ciaffoncini did enjoy his space there, the company eventually outgrew it, moving to a space in downtown’s Warehouse District for awhile and then to a beautiful stately home in Clintonville.
Along the way, his wife, Diana, became his business partner and vice president of operations. She had been working outside the company and helping him during her off hours, but eventually it made sense for her to officially join the company. When they had their children, they grew up spending time at the office.
Their son Alessandro went on to study telecommunications at Ohio University before switching to business marketing. After that, he decided he wanted to be a part of the company.
“When his son expressed an interest in joining the company, Ciaffoncini says he was “surprised, but very glad he did.”
With the move downtown, the company rebranded as Tommaso Inc. to indicate it was more than just a design firm. It had become a “strategic creative services firm, specializing in visual communications including design, advertising and web.” A promotional campaign with attention-getting calls to action, such as “Launch Your Brand,” “Refresh Your Image” and “Capture Your Audience,” ran in the company’s new space.
Alessandro joined Tommaso Inc. as an account executive, then became vice president/accounts director.
In October 2009, the company rebranded again as Origo Branding Co. to introduce itself as “Columbus, Ohio’s freshest authentic branding company.” The name drew from the Latin translation of the word “origin” and was intended to showcase the strength of the company’s roots and creative evolution.
It’s working, as the company is experiencing a great amount of growth. Last fall, they completed an expansion that doubled the size of their office space. They also brought on a few more employees and are in the process of hiring more.
“If you want to grow, you have to surround yourself with people more talented then you,” Ciaffoncini says.
To learn more about Origo Branding Company, visit OrigoBranding.com.
Do you know of, have, or work in, a creative workspace and would like to be featured in this series? If so, please contact Anne Evans.