Imprezzio Inc., a 12-year-old business software company based in Spokane, seems like the type of employer that economic development leaders here would love to use as a model in their business recruitment efforts.

Not only is it growing rapidly, as has been the case virtually since it was founded, but it also has demonstrated a strong commitment to keeping its headquarters here as it grows its revenues globally, which ultimately creates more economy-boosting inbound cash flow.

Furthermore, its desire to be downtown, and to expand and become a prominent, locally engaged high-tech player in the city’s core, no doubt will be positive for the community. 

As the Journal reported last month, Imprezzio—named after the Italian word for enterprise—expects to crest $30 million in annual revenue this year. It’s the flagship operation of DaRK Capital, a two-year-old holding company based here that also includes a number of other subsidiaries.

As of early October, Imprezzio and its DaRK Capital affiliates employed 218 people, including 75 people here and 15 in the Seattle area, and were hiring more, with plans to get to 226 employees when current openings are filled.

To accommodate recent and additional anticipated growth, Imprezzio has begun moving into the pyramid-shaped former Global Credit Union headquarters building at 1520 W. Third, on the west end of downtown. 

DaRK Capital bought the 31,000-square-foot structure and the entire surrounding block on which it sits, comprising nearly two acres of land, for $3.4 million, and is remodeling the structure at a cost of about $750,000, with plans to be fully moved in by the end of March. 

Imprezzio provides proprietary, specialized software designed for use in areas such as contact management, sales and marketing automation, and optimized workforce distribution. It caters largely to the insurance and financial services industries, where it says its clients include some of the nation’s top property and casualty companies. 

It believes the sophistication of its software is unmatched by its competitors, and its confidence in its future clearly reflects that belief. Russell Page, CEO of Imprezzio and DaRK Capital, told the Journal, “The outlook is very positive. All of our major contracts have renewed within the last 12 months, and we’re aggressively going after new markets.” 

Interesting from an entrepreneurial perspective, the company was founded here in 2004 by two guys, Dave Talarico and Kelly Birr, who first crossed paths in 1998, when they were involved, respectively, in website development and marketing and custom software development.

Their success with Imprezzio, achieved by adeptly blending their respective skills, provides inspiration for other collaborating entrepreneurs. Likewise, their company’s focus on remaining rooted here serves as an example that other maturing startups hopefully will want to emulate.