Tiller Times Vol. I: 10 year edition

In June we celebrated Tiller’s 10 year anniversary, the launch of our rebrand, and the launch of our new website…all on the same day. Sleep is overrated anyways, right? While it was a rather ambitious endeavour, and sleep was certainly sacrificed, we did have a lot of fun with it. Part of the fun was putting together a printed newspaper, titled Tiller Times, to hand out at our 10 year party. We thought we’d keep the fun going and share some of the highlights here. We also have a PDF version further down the page if you’d like to see it all for yourself.

The Tiller 10 year story.

Written in collaboration with Joel Klettke.

It started…well, Little. Our Founder, Chantelle Little, was always wired a bit differently. You know: the type of kid who rallies the neighborhood to put on a production of Cinderella out of her parent’s garage. Or sets up shop uninvited to sell sodas on the 15th hole of the golf course next door. When an opportunity came knocking, Chantelle didn’t wait to ask for permission—she just went with it.

Then came the big idea.

“Why am I not doing this for more companies?” That’s the idea Chantelle was struck with after spending the summer of 2008 teaching herself to make videos while working for a small business. Those videos made complex products easier to understand. She knew other companies needed that, too—so she used scholarship money to launch TAC Marketing and built a little production studio in her parent’s loft. After graduating, she decided to stick with TAC instead of getting a “real job”. (Thank goodness for that!)

Soon, new opportunities…and new challenges.

Those videos needed a place to live, so TAC started building websites, too. First on the side. Then as a focus. Soon, we were creating more websites than videos. The loft didn’t last. Neither did our 100 sq ft office (the only space anyone would rent to a 19 year old at the time). As our team grew, so did the challenges clients needed us to solve. We didn’t always get it perfect—but always made it right. Things kept growing. From 2014 to 2015, we acquired a competitor and rebranded to Tiller. In 2017, we more than doubled our team, and our business.

10 years later, the momentum continues.

Over the past decade, we’ve gone from shooting promos in a stuffy loft to building complex apps and websites for clients around the world. But we didn’t do it alone. It’s clients like you that shaped us into who we are today. Over the past 10 years, a lot has changed: our name, our team, and our space. But our values remain the same.

The future: Big Ideas. Built Right.

Like you, we understand the excitement of a big idea, and the challenges of making it work. We’ve been where you are. We’re excited about where you’re going. So – where to next?

Tiller’s tech hub under construction.

Due to the growth that Tiller has experienced over the past few years, it became clear that more space was required and it was time for expansion. And so the search for a new home was underway. An old church property came on the market in the Marda Loop area. After a grueling 11 month process, we successfully rezoned the property for office use. On Monday, April 16th, 2018, we took possession and hit the ground running. This colossal 9,000 square foot building will become Tiller’s new headquarters in 2019. The plans include a complete overhaul of the space: a welcoming front entrance, spacious offices, chic coffee bar, a gym with cardio equipment and free weights, a basketball court and of course a stunning interior and exterior transformation. We are thrilled to see how Tiller grows, while keeping our roots in the community that we love…Marda Loop.

Tiller by numbers.

1. The number of times we’ve changed our company name.
2. The number of years left in a business degree when Chantelle started TAC.
3. The number of offices we’ve had prior to the future Tiller House.
4. The number of minutes it takes to drive from the TAC Shack to the Tiller House.
5. The number of continents that Tiller has done business in.
6. The number of years that Chantelle and Brandon have worked together.
7. The number of blocks from the new Tiller House to Starbucks.
8. The number of hours Brandon and Chantelle dream of sleeping each night.
9. The number of team members that we added in 2017.
10. The number of years Tiller has been in business.

Download the newspaper.

To see more, download the first and possibly last (don’t worry, we’re here to stay, but our days in the newspaper business are numbered) volume of the Tiller Times (PDF).