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PR firm expands into new downtown office

Veronica Brezina

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Otter PR co-founders Scott Bartnick (left), CEO, and CMO Jay Feldman. Image: Otter PR.

Public relations company Otter PR has closed on a new office in downtown St. Petersburg, which will be company’s new headquarters. 

The group, which was operating out of the Thrive co-working hub St. Pete for over a year, purchased the 8,000-square-foot building at 324 1st Ave. N. for $3 million. The deal closed Tuesday, representing the firm’s largest expansion. 

The firm was founded by CMO Jay Feldman and CEO Scott Bartnick. Feldman, who was a medical doctor, and Bartnick, an engineer, took a leap of faith to follow their passion of helping companies get exposure and branding when they established Otter PR in 2019. 

“We were founded in Orlando but had friends in St. Pete, and we would find ourselves visiting them every week,” Feldman said about when the duo started to get acquainted with the city. 

“I’ve lived all over Florida, and I’ve never fallen in love with the culture of a city as I have with St. Pete. Everyone here has been so friendly,” he said. 

Since setting up operations in St. Pete, the team has tripled its revenue and bumped its headcount. With the growth, the company founders knew they had to acquire a larger space. 

Feldman said they spent six months scouting sites and nearly secured a different building until a higher offer was on the table; however, he said it was a blessing in disguise as it led them to find their new building, which is across from Thrive and housed Interstate Transport, a third-party logistics business. 

“It’s a great spot that’s centrally located with these high-end apartment complexes going up around us. It’s exciting to see what’s happening,” he said. 

Otter PR is gradually moving its staff inside the building, with plans to paint, install signage and potentially add a third floor in 2023. The company will continue to operate its second office in Orlando. 

The company has 48 full-time employees with 30 based in St. Petersburg, and is currently hiring for additional positions. Otter PR specializes in media relations, crisis management, reputation management and media training. Feldman said traditional PR operations for big brands and corporations represent 95% of its business activity. 

One of Otter PR’s local clients is Stephen Schrutt, founder of the St. Petersburg-based Hunger Thirst Group, known as HTG, and the mastermind behind the Park and Rec, No Vacancy, Dirty Laundry, The Avenue concepts and the Asian fusion restaurant Good Fortune. 

The purchase of the office space comes during an era of businesses shifting to a hybrid work-from-home workforce model or completely pivoting to an all-remote workforce. 

“You can’t replicate culture being fully remote,” Feldman said, explaining that the PR firm promotes a positive work atmosphere and encourages employees to take their dogs to work.

 

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