Cork Tree Creative Experiences Growth

It was only 18 months ago that my partner Jan and I joined forces to form Cork Tree Creative -  an Edwardsville-based public relations and marketing firm.  With more than 30 years of combined experience, we pooled our talents and launched the company into remarkable growth and new ventures in a very short time.

Early this year, we were pleased to add Cindy Sorgea as a public relations professional with more than 10 years working at PR agencies in St. Louis.  We also enjoy the company, and creative talents of two interns joining us from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Jen Baudendistel and Derek Weikle.  Jen is a senior studying public relations and Derek is a student of SIUE's art program and assist our graphic design department.

While expanding our staff, we have also expanded services to include social networking and website optimization.  While we developed a team that was generating really great looking websites, with all the bells and whistles, we wanted one for Cork Tree that we believe could serve as a true testament to our abilities.  Our new Cork Tree Creative website is a great example of how we are able to meet the needs of a company as diverse in skills and services as ours, but also show off our personalities.  

Somewhere between expanding staff, getting our brand established and building our client base to include companies in the U.S. and Canada, we moved in Oct. 2009 from a small office suite in the upper level of the Bohm Building on Main Street to a 3,000-square-foot historic building at 223 South Buchanan. The new space gives the Cork Tree team room to spread our wings and allowed us to embark on another new venture of launching a party and accessory gift set for a popular card game that will be solely designed and marketed by Cork Tree Creative to an International audience. This project - Bridget - has allowed us to apply both our public relations and marketing skills as well as our talents in design and packaging.  We've managed the Bridget project from concept to completion and today are selling our products through a website designed by our team.  It's a true labor of love.  

Doing our day-to-day business for Cork Tree Creative and Bridget is important work but we are also true believers in giving back to the community, and in particular the environment.  Our team wanted to create a regional program for the recycling of wine corks so we launched Rewind Your Wine, to demonstrate a commitment to improving the environment.  Partnerships with Whole Foods, local wine shops and smaller grocery chains have resulted in the collection of thousands of wine corks that would otherwise end up in landfills.  I personally appreciate the many volunteers who help us pick up corks and those who take the time to collect them while on the job.  Nice work folks!  

It's been a busy 18 months and yet we continue to evolve, create partnerships in the community and do what we love.  Thanks for supporting us as we enter this next phase of our business. 

~Laura