MARS Advertising Co. suffered a fire late last week at its building in Southfield, MI, that forced hundreds of employees to relocate to a nearby temporary workspace.

The fire caused severe damage to the agency’s first and second floors. The fire was likely caused by a power surge in the electrical system and that the damage was comprehensive, but the space could be renovated, according to Crain’s Detroit Business, which quoted Southfield Fire Department Capt. Dean Masser.

More than 200 employees had been working at the site.

Both principals were reportedly out of town vacationing with family, sources said.

“We moved locations over the weekend and are now operating in a new facility that is about a mile away allowing our folks to drop off their kids at day care and still come to work,” said CEO Ken Barnett. “We are up and operating in a modified facility and should be up to full speed on Wednesday of this week. People have been remarkable in their ability to focus on our clients’ needs. We have communicated with all our clients and feel that when ‘Project Phoenix’ is complete that we’ll be a stronger and better company.”

The 31-year old advertising agency, made up of 350 employees, specializes in co-marketing, account-specific marketing, creative/media placement, Web marketing and strategic marketing development. MARS ranked 61 in the 2003 PROMO 100. The company’s 2002 net revenue was $23.8 million and its two-year growth was 19%.

MARS Advertising Co. suffered a fire late last week at its building in Southfield, MI, that forced hundreds of employees to relocate to a nearby temporary workspace.

The fire caused severe damage to the agency’s first and second floors. The fire was likely caused by a power surge in the electrical system and that the damage was comprehensive, but the space could be renovated, according to Crain’s Detroit Business, which quoted Southfield Fire Department Capt. Dean Masser.

More than 200 employees had been working at the site.

Both principals were reportedly out of town vacationing with family, sources said.

“We moved locations over the weekend and are now operating in a new facility that is about a mile away allowing our folks to drop off their kids at day care and still come to work,” said CEO Ken Barnett. “We are up and operating in a modified facility and should be up to full speed on Wednesday of this week. People have been remarkable in their ability to focus on our clients’ needs. We have communicated with all our clients and feel that when ‘Project Phoenix’ is complete that we’ll be a stronger and better company.”

The 31-year old advertising agency, made up of 350 employees, specializes in co-marketing, account-specific marketing, creative/media placement, Web marketing and strategic marketing development. MARS ranked 61 in the 2003 PROMO 100. The company’s 2002 net revenue was $23.8 million and its two-year growth was 19%.