Seattle-based company bringing tech jobs to Austin Landing

A Seattle-based company is expanding to Austin Landing and bringing more high tech jobs to the region.

SMITH, which refers to itself as an “experiential commerce agency,” plans to open an office with about 20 employees at the Miami Twp. development.

CEO Tony Steel said the way companies market themselves and interact with customers is changing in the digital age, which is where his firm comes in.

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SMITH helps companies break into new digital channels by both helping them form a strategy and building them the specific tools they need to carry that strategy out, whether that means augmented reality, artificial intelligence or emotion sensing technology.

“It’s fundamentally changing how the brands can drive experiences … We do everything from helping them understand what to do and how can that help their customers, to building the commerce technologies.”

Some of the companies it has worked with include AT&T, Microsoft, Top Golf and Xerox.

RELATED: Midmark Corp. moving headquarters from Dayton

Steel said the company is hiring and the office should be open late December or early January. SMITH was represented by Aaron Savino, of Miller-Valentine Group, in the deal to lease 4,500 square feet at the 3601 Rigby Road office building.

SMITH plans to expand around the country with more locations, including into the Dayton market, to serve its growing number of clients and growing demand from existing clients, Steel said.

“The key thing is we’re rapidly growing,” he said.

Steel said the new office at Austin Landing is a great fit for the company and is a good location for attracting talent.

“I think it’s great for SMITH. I think it’s great for the people who want to join SMITH in the area and I think it’s great for Dayton and Austin Landing,” he said. “I think it’s a win-win across the board.”

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Austin Landing has been filling up with new office tenants. Midmark Corp., a medical equipment company, announced Tuesday it is moving its headquarters to Austin Landing from Dayton. Health Carousel, a medical staffing firm, applied in September to renovate a suite in one of the office towers.

Viscap Development, which took over for Austin Landing’s original developer RG Properties, is now preparing for a $380 million expansion.

The first phase of Austin Landing is nearly fully developed as a mix of office, retail and housing. The next phase of the development, to be called Austin South, will be a continuation of the development south into Springboro and is anticipated to have amenities like more housing, a hotel and more retail.

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