Lyons Consulting Group to Invest $1.1 million to Expand Ecommerce Business in Ann Arbor, Receives Incentives to Support Growth

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ann Arbor SPARK helped Lyons Consulting Group secure incentives valued at more that $300,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corp and the City of Ann Arbor to support its expansion in the region. As part of its expansion, Lyons, an e-commerce strategy, design, development, hosting and support firm based in Chicago, Ill., will invest $1.1 million and create 30 new jobs in the Ann Arbor area. 

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Lyons chose to expand in Ann Arbor over other locations in the Midwest and Southwest.  In choosing Ann Arbor over competing locations, Lyons cited access to Ann Arbor's rich e-commerce talent base as key considerations.

"Originally, we were seeking to set up a remote development office and expand our footprint outside of Chicago," said Rich Lyons, president and CEO of Lyons Consulting Group.  "Given Ann Arbor's depth of talent, experience and e-commerce know-how, it was a logical destination for providing fuller service offerings to leading online retailers now and into the future. We are truly excited to add an Ann Arbor office to the Lyons portfolio."

Lyons' expanded Ann Arbor office will now be a full service, customer focused e-commerce consulting firm that will enable the company's continued growth in the highly competitive e-commerce industry.  This newly-formed unit will provide Lyons' clients with a full range of e-commerce services, including sales and account management, project management, application development, post-launch application support, engineering, creative design, user experience, quality assurance testing, training, and retail strategy on both the Magento and Demandware e-commerce platforms.

"Lyons is the perfect example of how Ann Arbor SPARK works with organizations to identify and support their needs as they grow," said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK.  "Not only did Ann Arbor SPARK work to attract Lyons to the region, it helped the company find its initial space as well as potential new locations for its expansion.  Additionally, Ann Arbor SPARK made meaningful connections that support Lyons' talent development and recruitment."

"Ann Arbor SPARK helped Lyons identify and connect with the right niche tech groups, job boards, and thought leaders in the region," added Tony LaRusso, general manager of Lyons Consulting Group in Ann Arbor.  "We have had great success so far connecting with the local universities to discuss our talent needs and request specific assistance in finding graduates who will fill those needs now and into the future. Beyond just making connections, going forward, Ann Arbor SPARK will also provide us with hands-on assistance attracting and hiring the right professionals for the positions that will be created through the expansion."

Lyons is currently scouting sites in Ann Arbor for its expansion.  The company expects to move from its current facility to a new, larger facility mid-2013.

About Lyons Consulting Group           
Lyons Consulting Group is the premier ecommerce strategy, design, development, hosting and support firm dedicated to help clients continually grow and succeed in their online business.  With a proven track record to deliver creative, robust and most importantly, increasingly profitable eCommerce sites, our diverse group of experts are committed to customer satisfaction and project excellence.

As a leading Demandware partner in the US, lyonscg has years of experience in ecommerce creative design, platform customization, technical development, backend integration, quality assurance, and support. lyonscg understands each client's sites and needs are unique, yet are able to deliver each and every time. Bottom Line: Lyons Consulting Group will help online businesses know more, do more, and sell more. Guaranteed. For more information about lyonscg or to see their extensive list of clients, visit lyonscg.com or call 312.564.3142.

About Ann Arbor SPARK
Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners including the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County, Livingston County, Washtenaw County etcs/Michigan Works!, the City of Ann Arbor, Bank of Ann Arbor and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org. 

SOURCE Ann Arbor SPARK