If blogging is part of your daily or weekly routine, you’ve probably heard of Tumblr. But if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, be aware that the blog-hosting hub is home to the musings, mutterings and media links posted by millions of users worldwide.
Even if you have taken the opportunity to check out what Tumblr’s hosting services offer bloggers, you still might not know that the company’s outpost office is right here in Richmond.
While Tumblr’s head office is located in New York City, the second location opened on Jan. 10, 2011, at the Corrugated Box Building in Richmond’s Old Manchester District. The company celebrated its opening a few days later on Jan. 13.
Marc LaFountain is vice president of support for Tumblr’s Richmond office. LaFountain was one of the company’s first employees, so he’s seen the service grow since its modest beginnings.
"I was one of the earliest employees, and I was living in Richmond at the time," LaFountain said. "I started using Tumblr in 2007 and became a consultant, but since I was doing tech support from my home, it became a Richmond operation."
In fact, the company’s Richmond outfit started with just four employees. And as of Feb. 2012, the operation boasts 30 employees, and LaFountain credits the central Virginia region for providing the business with the best employees for the job.
"The fact that we’ve gone up (in size) is a testament to how well it works," LaFountain said. "Richmond gives us an economy of scale, and there are so many people with a variety of experiences to do support here."
"Almost all of us have been Richmond locals. So, we’ve hired most of our people locally and few from other parts of Virginia and other states."
Primarily, the Richmond office handles community support for Tumblr users. One of its main responsibilities is that it handles the platform’s foreign language needs.
"We’re also supporting 10 different languages here in Richmond so they can provide support to Tumblr users, and seven (employees) are native speakers," LaFountain said.
But how will the world’s fastest-growing blog-hosting hub celebrate its first anniversary in central Virginia? Even though the Web service celebrated publicly after it first set up digs near downtown Richmond, this year’s fanfare will manifest itself in the form of a move.
LaFountain said that Tumblr signed a lease earlier this month to shift its operations into a 4,400-square-foot space on the first floor of the Corrugated Box Building. The area, which was formerly occupied by Crittenden Studios, was chosen because it will better accommodate its most recent hires.
At the end of the day, there won’t be any formal celebrations except for the move. But because LaFountain said that Tumblr boasts a relaxed workplace atmosphere, it’s a fitting choice for the company.
"I would say that it is very laid-back, collegial and fun," LaFountain said. "Where we are right now literally has no walls and encourages a lot of interaction, and we have a dartboard."
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