By Caitlyn Finnegan
The Innovation Square is welcoming another new tenant to its lineup of technology-driven businesses. CurtCo Robb Media LLC, an international publishing company catering to the ultra-luxury market, has announced its move to the community.
CurtCo has launched or acquired 45 magazines in the past two decades, and its products can be found from Russia to China to Brazil. CurtCo’s lifestyle publications include Robb Report, Home & Style, and Collection. The company is currently located in Malibu, Calif.
“We’re a publishing company, but CurtCo made the decision two years ago to become a digital brand,” said John Anderson, senior vice president of the digital group at CurtCo. “The development of the office in Gainesville allows us to attract software engineers and other employees working in the tech field. By relocating our Gainesville office to Innovation Square, we foresee that we’ll be able to recruit top UF graduates as well as partner with other companies that have made the move to this unique facility, supporting our digital future.”
Although CurtCo Robb Media is a publishing company, it plans to hire employees with skills in the technology sector in order to stay competitive and adapt to the changing needs of its audience. Like MindTree and Mobiquity, it cites UF’s top programs and skilled graduates as its top reason for moving to the area.
Trae Walker, publisher and vice president of sales for the Gainesville branch of CurtCo, explained that Robb Report’s focus is on creating multiple digital platforms designed to allow affluent customers explore luxury products and services on their favorite formats — tablets, websites, e-newsletters, smart phones and social media.
“The brand is known for being one of the most interactive and innovative in the luxury market, and to stay on the cutting edge, we need innovative and cutting-edge developers and technology specialists that are available in Gainesville,” Walker said.
Representatives for the company said that as programmers in Los Angeles, the Silicon Valley and Malibu, Calif., became scarce, the organization sawInnovation Square as an advantageous location to grow their business. Walker said the company plans to double its Gainesville team from five to 10 employees after moving to Innovation Square.
A formal event celebrating the announcement of CurtCo Robb Media’s move will be held at Ayers Innovation Plaza on June 17 at 5:15 p.m.
