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1986
STEVEN TARNOW, C.R.
(248)
626-5603
PREFERRED
BUILDING CO.
Fax 248-932-0950
Residential & Commercial Remodeling
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o p,TE
m
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C .191
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C ) UP
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•
Doner also was the only indepen-
dent, privately held agency among
the four finalists, another factor
which may have affected its selection.
Doner started work on Mazda in
October, although the effective date
was Jan. 1. Their work can be seen in
print and television ads debuting this
month for the launch of Mazda's new
Miata roadster.
Doner's emotional rebound — how
the agency was able to pull together
after the fire — still amazes Kalter.
"Computer memories, only hard dri-
ves, were the only thing salvageable.
There was nothing else salvageable
through the entire building."
Doner had already outgrown their
72,000-square-foot office at the
Lodge Freeway and Civic Center
Drive. They now work from a
54,000-square-foot space in the 300
Galleria Building, with 50 more peo-
ple on staff.
The fire began in a defective com-
puter printer late Sunday afternoon
in Doner's creative department. That
area. was destroyed by flames, and the
rest of the agency fell victim to
smoke and water damage from the
night-long blaze.
Employees began to come to the
office while it still was burning.
Kalter got into the building at 7 a.m.
Monday and surveyed the damage.
Department heads set up meetings
next door at a command post in the
Maccabees Building.
Employees went out on their own
and found work space at the nearby
Southfield Public Library, at clients'
and vendors' offices or at their
homes. Everyone got cellular phones
or pagers.
"Our clients were fabulous," said
Kalter. "We started calling clients
Sunday night and had called every
client by 9 a.m. Monday morning.
They were very supportive and
understanding, but we also recog-
nized that understanding would only
last so long, and that they had busi-
nesses to run. We couldn't use this as
an excuse to fall down on the job."
Remarkably, Doner did not miss
one meeting or deadline, and every
ad made it on time. A video presenta-
tion was supposed to be made that
Friday to BP (British Petroleum) for
their new television commercial, and
all the storyboards were destroyed.
"We recreated the storyboards and
went to Kinko's. We got the boards
done, made the meeting, sold it, and
got it on the air right away. The forti-
tude of the individuals really shined,"
says Kalter.
There were no layoffs. But there
were plenty of rumors about Doner
going out of business. "It would have
been easy for competitors to solicit
our talent and for us to eventually
lose our clients because we couldn't
service them properly," says Kalter.
But neither happened. In fact, 1997
was the best year in the history of the
company. In addition to Mazda,
Doner added FTD and American
Greetings to their client roster.
And there's even an upside to the
fire. Doner is expanding the building
by adding a third floor, giving them
34,000 additional square feet when –
they move back in May.
"It just proves the old adage that
`what doesn't kill me makes me
stronger,'" says Kalter. ❑
29911 Northwestern Highway • APPLEGATE SQUARE
IR-
ASTER
HEATING
& AIR CONDITIONING CO.
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL. SERVICE • SALES • INSTALLATIONS
YOUR INDEPENDENT DEALER FOR
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788-9073
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TRANE
ItS Ha 7b Stop AD-ane:
N. OAKLAND GROSSE POINTE
8824870
682-9090
baby and me
LAYE I FE, INFANT AND CHILDREN'S
NEW SPRING ARRIVALS
ALWAYS 20% OFF
3/6
1998
132
HOURS
Monday - Friday 10:00-5:30 • Saturday 10:00-5:00
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6718-C Orchard Luke Road*West Bloomfield, Nlichigon (1/4 mile south of Maple Rd. in ifie West Bloomfield Plaza)
,. .: :;
;:c .: it . : i
, d Barbara Dale
t Ian Torn Sharp,
(Solomon
Friedman adifOr:
man
.
.: - -De4ii . Fti6
tising), ad guru Michael Shapira and seven.*-.
:...:c re ative directors at area ad agencies.
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