InfoSearch opens offices, readies national expansion

InfoSearch International, a Reno-based market research company, has opened two new offices on the West Coast a first step toward a nationwide expansion.

The new offices, one in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, will help InfoSearch expand into the strong Indian gaming market in Southern California and the Northwest, Chief Executive Officer David Line says. In Washington, Oregon and Northern California alone there are more than 40 Indian casinos.

"We saw interest, and I wanted to make sure we had the proper local coverage to serve clients," he said.

Line also sees strong potential in the public sector and tourism markets on the West Coast.

InfoSearch now serves clients nationwide, but these are the first offices the company has established outside of Reno. The new offices will be staffed by sales representatives to build client relationships. The Reno headquarters will continue to handle the market research, analysis and information delivery.

The West Coast expansion is only the beginning. The company plans to add 20 offices throughout the country in the next three to four years, Line said.

InfoSearch will continue to focus on its core markets, which include the public sector, independent telecommunications companies and gaming, health care and tourism industries. The company also sees potential in retail, distribution and service areas "anywhere where companies need better information to become more competitive," Line said. "Our role is not to go in and tell companies what to do. We go find answers to questions they have."

The expansion will not translate into a huge increase in the number of InfoSearch employees, at least in the near future. The company plans to leverage its technology to accommodate growth, adding about 10 people to the 21-person staff at the Reno headquarters in the next four years, Line says. Each of the new offices will include one sales representative to start.

Established 10 years ago by Line and partner Roger Rhaming in Reno, InfoSearch provides customized market research options for clients wanting customer or employee feedback. The company serves start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.