When the team behind Sidekick needed the perfect location to open a new business, they sought out a place that offered a strong talent pool and a wide variety of resources. The founders explored St. Marys, Kansas, as an option. With its skilled workforce, friendly vibe and supportive community, the Sidekick team knew it was the right home base for them.
Sidekick opened its first and (so far) only location in St. Marys in 2020. The company helps businesses with customer acquisition, including lead nurturing, web chat support and sales scheduling capabilities. They work with organizations across different industries to provide scalable support for sales and marketing.
“We offer a blend of great people, amazing technology and proven processes to help our clients focus on their business while we help them grow it,” Pete Reilly, general manager, said.
For a company dedicated to helping other businesses grow — already creating an estimated $30M in client revenue — Sidekick has also been expanding. Their team has grown to over 70 employees, and they have the capacity for more.
With clients in places like Houston, Chicago and up and down the East Coast, Reilly said being centrally located, with easy and convenient access to travel and other amenities, made St. Marys an ideal choice for Sidekick.
But that wasn’t the only reason they selected Pottawatomie County. Another factor that attracted the team to St. Marys was the people.
“When some of our clients come to meet us at our office, they are totally blown away by how friendly and welcoming the local residents are,” Reilly said. “On top of that, with nationwide staffing and turnover challenges, we are fortunate in our area to be able to grow a strong, talented team with employees who genuinely care about their colleagues.”
Being near Manhattan and Topeka has provided additional benefits for Sidekick, like recruiting opportunities at Kansas State University and access to great shopping, dining and outdoor activities.
“There is so much flexibility and a wide variety of resources here, basically at our fingertips, due to our geographic location,” Reilly said. “We have everything we need from both a business and personal perspective. In the short amount of time that I’ve been connected with the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, I’ve gotten a lot of great information about things for us to learn more about and get involved in.”
Jack Allston, executive director of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, has been very impressed with the company’s progression in such a short amount of time.
“It’s been great collaborating with Sidekick and watching their continued success,” Allston said. “With a rapidly expanding and dynamic workforce, they are a tremendous growth accelerator locally and beyond.”
To get in touch with Sidekick, fill out the contact form on their website. If you’re considering a relocation to the Greater Manhattan region and want to learn more, please contact Jack Allston at jack@ecodevo.com or Daryn Soldan at daryn@manhattan.org.
