FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2007
Contact: K.E. Schwab  
724-738-2199
karl.schwab@sru.edu

MarketSphere executive touts Pennsylvania as place to do business

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Enzo Santilli, managing director of MarketSphere Consulting’s Pittsburgh office, will bring the message that western Pennsylvania is a great place to do business when he presents as part of Slippery Rock University School of Business’ ‘Success Starts Here” series Tuesday.

The free lecture is in the Advanced Technology and Science Hall auditorium at 12:30 p.m.

The four-part “Success Starts Here” series is designed to show students and the regional community, particularly those considering opening businesses, the opportunities and benefits of western Pennsylvania.

Santilli said his firm’s success depends in large measure on having a local presence that gives it a competitive edge over bigger, national firms.

“A lot of major business consulting firms don’t have a dedicated presence in cities like Pittsburgh anymore. But companies around here are looking to hire a firm with a national pedigree and people who live and work here. Our clients come to us because we can offer the expertise of a national firm and a local responsiveness to their needs,” he said.

MarketSphere Consulting opened its Pittsburgh office in 2002, without any clients, Santilli said. The company’s first client was Alcoa. By starting with a Fortune 500 company, he said, his firm had a big boost – all part of its plan.

Santilli will discuss his company’s strategy of starting with a top firm and building to its current 25-30 client list. The firm’s clients include such Pittsburgh companies as H.J. Heinz, American Eagle Outfitters, Carnegie Mellon University and PNC Financial Services Group. He says all joined MarketSphere because of its local operation.

As for future growth, Santilli says despite Pittsburgh’s loss of some high-profile businesses, he believes “Pittsburgh still has plenty of potential.”

“The lectures are designed to pass information on about the success of local companies,” said Bruce Russell, dean of SRU’s College of Business, Information and Social Sciences. “We hope to inspire others to follow the models and to incorporate their own business ideas. We hope budding entrepreneurs, particularly those who are native to the region, will see the wealth of opportunities in western Pennsylvania and open businesses in the region, including Slippery Rock and Butler County.”

SRU’s School of Business is using the BusinessTimes’ “Top 100 Growth Firms” success story program as the basis of its ongoing series. Companies on the list represent a diverse group. The Business Times reports the combined revenues of this year’s Pittsburgh 100 is almost $3 billion with an employee count near 12,000. 

Santilli’s lecture is part of “School of Business Week.”

Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.

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