A brick building at 115 W. Michigan in Marshall originally built in 1855 to house a clothier and then a successful hardware store until 1914 is the new home of
BluFish Consulting, LLC.
It’s been a business known as Western Auto, a book store and a bus stop. A dry cleaner, discount store, household market, gift shop and art gallery all have done business in the building.
Now, the new location, one block west of the firm’s previous address, has been lovingly restored. Nearly 100 years of layer after layer of paint was removed from the front and back of the building. A local company also is working to restore old wooden windows on the second floor overlooking Michigan Avenue.
Inside, there is new hardwood flooring, natural brick has been re-exposed and the interior redesigned.
The company that serves companies locally and across the nation has five employees, about 25 team members who are not on staff, and is currently seeking a designer to add to its employee roster.
"The new space just makes more sense for us right now," says Ryan Traver, owner of BluFish Consulting, a full-service branding and communications agency. "The office provides a more collaborative work environment, it has more life and is more representative of what we do. We’re creative people and our space reflects that."
Bill Traver, the building’s owner, says, "I love Marshall and the historic value it brings to our community and hope to retain this and encourage other building owners in Marshall to do the same. We have a unique treasure here not to be taken for granted."
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source: Valerie Kares, BluFish Consulting
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