Overview
Bloc Digital, a global leader in digital visualization and interactive experiences, expanded from its United Kingdom headquarters to Mentor, Ohio in 2024—the company’s first-ever international expansion. With approximately 70 employees worldwide, including a rapidly growing team of seven U.S. employees, including five in the Mentor office, the company sought to deepen its North American presence and grow its client base.
The Northeast Ohio Advantage
Through conversations with existing clients, Bloc Digital recognized a clear opportunity: establishing a physical U.S. location would allow the company to better serve current North American partners—and reach new ones. As the team evaluated its customer base and the types of organizations it aimed to support, Northeast Ohio emerged as the ideal region.
The area offered proximity to Bloc Digital’s ideal client: high-profile manufacturers in dynamic industries like aerospace and transportation, as well as existing Bloc Digital customers like Rolls-Royce. Bloc Digital’s leadership also noted that operating in Northeast Ohio is significantly more cost-effective than other major U.S.-metropolitan areas, as well as Canadian cities like Toronto, making the region an attractive long-term investment.
Choosing Mentor, Ohio: A Partnership-Driven Decision
Team NEO, JobsOhio, and the City of Mentor played a pivotal role in bringing Bloc Digital to Northeast Ohio and guiding the company through the complexities of U.S. expansion.
A delegation from the City of Mentor met Bloc Digital co-founder Keith Cox at a 2021 event organized for the city by the East Midlands Chamber, which represents over 4,100 business members in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire, where Bloc Digital is headquartered.After several months of correspondence with Bloc Digital,the City of Mentor and Team NEO worked to tailor a custom agenda for a visit that wouldhighlight municipal and regional assets, as well as introduce the company to potential customers.
“Bloc Digital’s interest in the U.S. market directly fit into the City of Mentor’s concierge-based efforts to assist SMEs with a soft landing in Northeast Ohio,” said Malecek, Director of Economic Development and International Trade for the City of Mentor. “It could not have been a better marriage of attraction and investment.”
Bloc Digital says it knew from the first visit to the region that it would establish roots in Northeast Ohio. Its confidence in the region—and, specifically, Mentor—continued to grow as local partners helped the company:
- Identify and secure office space
- Navigate payroll and tax structures
- Understand administrative and regulatory requirements
Because of this support, Bloc Digital was up and running with an office and its first U.S. employees within just nine months of its initial visit to Northeast Ohio.
“Without the support we received from Team NEO, JobsOhio, and the City of Mentor, I don’t know when or how we would’ve expanded to America,” said Cox.
Building Sustainable Relationships in Northeast Ohio
Once established, Bloc Digital quickly integrated into the region’s talent and business ecosystem. The company has partnered with Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University to recruit interns and micro-interns in graphic design and related fields, building a sustainable local talent pipeline.
At the same time, Team NEO facilitated introductions to a wide range of Northeast Ohio businesses, from Fortune 500 corporations to local manufacturers. These connections enabled Bloc Digital to rapidly establish a client base and deliver digital visualization tools that help companies promote their work and products in innovative, engaging ways.
This company’s first-year growth in Northeast Ohio exceeded expectations, both in terms of the number of clients served and the volume of projects completed, further validating its decision to expand to Northeast Ohio.
Scaling U.S. and Global Growth
Following its successful launch in Mentor, Bloc Digital expanded its U.S. footprint with a second location in Wichita, Kansas, and is looking to grow internationally in the coming years. According to Cox, the company’s experience in Northeast Ohio set the tone for these and all other future expansions.
“Everywhere we look to expand, I look for the level of support we received from Team NEO, JobsOhio and the City of Mentor,” said Cox. “The process was seamless, and we’ve built a trusted partnership we can rely on whenever we need guidance.”
