Display Group adds 4 people to prop biz in Corktown

Rick Portwood, owner of Display Group, was recent interviewed by Model D Media in the article Display Group adds 4 people to prop biz in Corktown

Portwood now owns Display Group, a set design and prop business he runs from a century-old industrial building turned chic loft office space overlooking Fort Street in Corktown. The 21-year-old company employs 18 people full-time, another dozen or so part-time and is looking at adding interns. It hired four people for sales and production work over the last year.

“I always liked downtown and like the city,” Portwood says. “When I was 18 I always thought I would buy a building downtown and do business from it.”

Rick goes on to explain about one of the new tenants at Display Group and his outlook about Detroit and the economy.

Display Group also recently leased out some of the space in its building to Birmingham-based creative agency, Pluto. The 5,000-square-foot office is classic loft-style office space with sweeping views of the Detroit River. Portwood would like to lease out some more of his building’s space to other firms.

“I’m pretty optimistic,” Portwood says. “There are certainly challenges in this region but I see opportunities. I feel more optimistic now than I have in the last 20 years.”