Ray Wert named his new custom publication business Tiny Toy Car because he wants its readers to see the stories about automobiles the same way a child sees a car.
"The name comes from how a child looks a tiny toy car and all they see is a story," says Wert, founder of
Tiny Toy Car. "That's what we create for automakers, a story."
Wert is an executive with
Gawker Media and was previously editor in chief of the company's automotive website,
Jalopnik. He is launching Tiny Toy Car in downtown Detroit this month as a vehicle for creating custom media content for advertisers in the automotive industry. It's working with a number of brand-name firms, including Gawker Media, major automakers and Detroit Labs.
Tiny Toy Car currently employs Wert, but he expects to expand the staff in the coming weeks as the firm's operations are fleshed out. Wert expects to open offices in New York City and Los Angeles later this year.
"I'd like to be in all three of those centers of automotive and media power," Wert says. "I'd also like to be at double-digit employees."
Source: Ray Wert, founder of Tiny Toy Car
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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