2015 Dynamic Dozen No. 11: Marlin Network Inc.

Serving the branding and food-development needs of a client list that includes Unilever, Nestle and Starbucks, Marlin Network Inc. has realized impressive growth in recent years.

Last year, the company of 140 employees posted gross revenue of $15.2 million, up 35 percent from 2012 when Marlin Network generated $11.3 million.

Since 2012, the company has added 20 employees to the payroll and more than 50 employees during the past six years. In 2014 alone, 15 team members moved from part-time to full-time status to keep pace with customer demand.

Officials with the firm credit their employees’ efforts for increased revenue.

“We have a lot of talented people in our organization, and I think that’s the root of everything,” says Marlin Network founder and CEO Dennis Marlin.

“We really try to stay ahead of what the clients’ needs are.”

Giving employees a stake in the company’s future appears to be paying dividends, too.

Marlin Network, which comprises seven affiliates: Marlin Co., Deep, Food IQ, The Alchemedia Project, Marlin Network University, Star Awards and Marlin Network Consulting Group – is employee owned. Through its 401(k) program and an employee stock ownership plan established over three years ago, the food-and-beverage focused firm has distributed $9 million in employee benefits.

“They all operate with autonomy, but they are all part of a bigger community, and I think that gives them some comfort,” says Doug Austin, vice president of growth and innovation. “Being employee-owned means they’re part of something bigger, and I think that matters to them.”

Through its affiliates, Marlin Network can focus on meeting specific client goals. For example, through Food IQ’s insights and analytics, Marlin develops new food products for restaurants or manufacturers based on emerging trends. The Alchemedia Project melds together brand messages and the appropriate medium.

Dennis Marlin says allowing individual affiliates to pursue their own paths is key.

“Marlin, for example, is very strong in branding,” he says. “The reason (Marlin employees) have had such a long relationship with Starbucks is they understand the Starbucks brand and can help extend it into whatever assignment we’re given. Whereas with Deep, it tends to focus more on the food side, like Food IQ, and offer food solutions, but it has a specialty in (public relations).”

In all, Marlin Network serves about 70 brands across the marketplace from food manufacturers, such as Bush’s beans, to restaurants, such as TGIFriday’s and Chili’s.

Austin says being connected to the industry by working with such organizations as the International Food Service Manufacturers Association also has helped Marlin Network stay in the loop.

By working in close proximity to the marketing department at Missouri State University on the IDEA Commons campus, Marlin Network has appealed to the next generation of workers, Marlin says. The average age of Marlin Network’s employees is 26.5, and that’s a bright spot as the firm’s footprint continues to grow in 2015.

“We’ve always had people in Chicago, but we plan to have a physical space in Chicago this year,” Marlin says.[[In-content Ad]]