Web, interactive media developer survives and prospers in competitive business “jungle”

OAK PARK, Illiniois (December 2004) The last 10 years have seen many Web and interactive media developers come and go. Many did not survive the “dotcom” recession of a few years ago, and others were absorbed into larger companies.

Not only has Purple Monkey Studios survived this competitive “jungle,” it has thrived by evolving along with the ever-changing industry. The privately owned company projects record-setting revenues for 2004.

“We started Purple Monkey because we truly enjoy developing interactive media and software, not because we had some ‘get-rich-quick’ scheme,” said CEO Russ Klitchman, who co-founded the company with Purple Monkey president Steven Saraceno. This dedication has enabled the company to thrive during periods of major fallout. Today, the 40-person shop headquartered in Oak Park, Ill. has its ever-present long list of projects in progress with clients such as McGraw-Hill Companies, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Discovery Education, American Academy of Pediatrics, City of Chattanooga, Marriott International and University of Miami.

Over the past 10 years, the company has grown from serving a handful of clients at its conception to completing assignments for more than 100 clients in industries including educational publishing, professional training, health care, financial services, telecommunications, entertainment, media and government. “We owe our success to each of our clients. They provide us with the opportunities to excel,” said Saraceno. For these clients, the company provides a full range of design, development and production services with a variety of application types, delivery platforms and development tools.

Klitchman also credits the company’s employees, many of whom have been with the company during all or most of its 10-year history. Kim Thompson became Purple Monkey’s first employee when she was hired as an intern and is now a full-time senior programmer. Senior programmer Mike Rollberg, product manager Cathy McGraw and business development manager Gabe Dorosz have all been with the company for more than eight years.

About Purple Monkey Studios
Headquartered in Oak Park, IL, Purple Monkey Studios creates imaginative and technically superior Web sites, software, CD-ROMs and marketing communications materials for some of the biggest – and smallest – companies and organizations in Chicago and around the world. Founded in 1994, Purple Monkey’s clients include The McGraw-Hill Companies, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Discovery Education, American Academy of Pediatrics, City of Chattanooga, Marriott International and University of Miami. For more information, call 708-386-3086.