Here Comes Viget South: Why We’re Expanding, and Why in Durham

We just announced officially what you may have noticed (if you follow our recruiting buzz) we've had in the works for months. We've opened our first remote office in Durham, NC. While our official press release covers a lot, I thought I'd add a bit more perspective here. 4 Reasons We're Expanding Geographically Why open a remote office at all? It's not because we're out of room in our Falls Church office (in fact, we'll be announcing our brand new headquarters soon enough - stay tuned).

1. Fresh talent. Our clients hire us for our people, and we're growing the team. A remote office gives us another community of smart, talented people to connect with. Even if we're not able to hire every great web person we come across, just engaging with new groups of sharp people helps us be better at -- and get more out of -- what we do.
2. Client connections. We work with clients all over the country. We're great at working with clients remotely -- some we've never actually met face-to-face -- but sometimes there's just no substitute for being there. A remote office helps us be closer to some clients and become acquainted with new ones.
3. Options for the team. The Washington, DC area is a great place to live for lots of reasons; but, it's not for everyone. We know this. We've always felt an obligation to the team to provide options for where to live and work.
4. It's smart growth. We've known since Viget started that being able to support multiple offices with a consistent set of services would be critical to our long-term growth. This is really just the first step.

4 Reasons We're Expanding to Durham, NC We weighed a lot of criteria and evaluated several options (Austin, TX and Boulder, CO, among others), but ultimately selected Durham for four key reasons:

1. Quality of life. That region of North Carolina has a low cost of living, great weather, great schools, and just a nice community vibe. Whether you're fresh out of school, raising a growing family, or ready to retire, it's a great place to live.
2. Strength of economy and workforce. The Triangle is booming. The business community is full of talented, highly educated people (having so many top Universities right there doesn't hurt), and growing businesses. Being surrounded by other healthy companies will only help us.
3. Location. Plane trips and time zones would add cost and complexity to what's already challenging enough. We're committed to keeping open communication and efficient collaboration between the offices, and sometimes that means a visit. I wouldn't want to do it every week, but when necessary a four-hour drive or train ride isn't bad.
4. It's just a Viget kind of town. We like it there. When I say "we," I mean Peyton and Ben (who relocated), Emily (who's lived there for years), and Andy and me who will no doubt visit often. The people are friendly, the web community is active, and the region is growing as quickly as we are. We think we'll fit in; but, we hope to shake things up a bit as well.

It's hard to say exactly where our first step in geographic expansion will take us; but, I'm excited about the possibilities. If you know anyone in the Triangle area, ask them to introduce themselves -- we're a friendly bunch. We're excited to join other Research Triangle digital agencies and local startups in growing Durham's tech scene.