Greeting our 25th year with nostalgia, optimism and some well-earned wisdom

Turnpost got its start in 1993 as the brainchild of founders and current Principals/Creative Directors, Jeff Reiner and Stuart Lundgren. The agency’s beginnings were humble but ambitious, with a small roster of local clients and a vision for making creative waves in the Omaha community and beyond.

“I was working in a spare bedroom of my house. Stu was a former colleague of mine who was freelancing and working part-time for a small design firm. One day, we ran into each other at McKenna’s Barbecue, and a month later, we moved into a shared space in the Old Market,” said Reiner. “What started out as primarily a graphic design firm evolved pretty quickly into full-service brand development. We’ve always put thoughtful creative first, before everything else. We want Turnpost to be a turning point for a client’s brand.”

Since then, Turnpost has grown bigger, but not too big, maintaining an intentionally lean and tightknit team of account managers and creative professionals, willing and able to adapt and evolve with changing industry trends and client needs.

“Our core services have never changed,” said Reiner. “We still design great stuff for our clients. We still put a ‘measure twice cut once’ strategy before everything else. We’re still focused on balancing artistry with end result, making sure the work we produce has meaning and purpose. But we also know how vital it is that we evolve and adapt in order to help our clients reach their goals.”

Over the years, Turnpost has sustained a strong, singular emphasis on the value of brand – the narrative current that runs throughout every aspect of a company or product. Today, as they serve clients in dozens of industries, both locally and across the U.S., Reiner and Lundgren examine every project through the lens of a client’s story, whether they’re building a brand from the ground up, refreshing a stale image or executing a new creative campaign.

“Our goal is and always has been to help our clients create brands so solid that they’re able to have a foundation for all of their marketing initiatives, internal communications, public relations efforts, etcetera, that lasts for decades and beyond. That’s the value of good branding,” said Lundgren. “Do it once, be consistent, and you’ll have a successful, lasting brand.”

The key to helping a brand last? Staying open to new opportunities.

“Now, we’re able to combine those core, traditional elements we’ve always utilized with new digital marketing strategies to spread a single message across many, many platforms – ensuring that a brand’s presence is extensive and its audiences all feel spoken to on a personal level,” said Lundgren.

Turnpost’s 25th anniversary has brought about not only a chance for reflection, but also an opportunity to make some important changes. In 2017, the agency moved to its own building at 412 N. 85th Street. The purchase of the building – a window-lined, single-story mid-century modern at the confluence of Dodge and Cass Streets – was inspired by a desire to stake a claim in the center of the community the agency holds dear, as well as some well-earned self-awareness.

“After 25 years, you really grow into who you are. You know where you stand in the industry, what you expect from a team and what you want from an office space,” said Reiner. “This building is very ‘us.’ It accommodates our people, it’s a welcoming place for clients, and it’s a great source of creative inspiration. We’re proud of who we are, and we’re really happy to be here.”

Other recent changes include a new Turnpost website, built around the agency’s new “Brand Crafted” tagline – a short motto that speaks to a long history of creating thoughtful brands and effective strategies.

“We like change. We value the opportunity to evolve, to learn new things and push our abilities in order to keeping giving our clients the absolute best work possible. We plan to keep heading in that direction,” said Lundgren. “But the understanding that success always begins with a well-crafted brand – that will always define us.”