Staff Writer
Will create new company to serve diverse businesses
“I just turned 30 and I was jobless and, pretty much, homeless,” said Jeff Davis, president and CEO of Legal Art Works, a company that produces demonstrative exhibits for the legal community.
“I also proposed to my wife at the same time. You have to have a lot of charisma to pull that off.”
Nearly eight years later, Davis took time to reminisce about his decision to leave the company he was working for in Orlando and start Legal Art Works in Jacksonville, where he was born and raised.
“It’s amazing. I was a skater kid with average grades growing up,” said Davis. “Now I have a building with my company’s name on the side of it.”
In 2003, a year after he turned 30, Davis incorporated Legal Art Works and started the business in a converted garage at his parents’ house in Jacksonville.
The business had its share of growing pains, moving from the friendly confines of the family garage to a 500-square-foot studio apartment and then to an office on Laura Street and then to a bigger office on East Forsyth Street. Before the recent move to the Southbank, the office was a short jog from both the federal and state courthouses.
“Which was nice, because we get a fair amount of calls from clients involving projects that need a quick turnaround,” said Davis. “On many occasions we would run the exhibits down to the courthouse the day of the trial.”
Legal Art Works offers services that include accident animations and 3-D animations; color illustrated X-rays, MRIs and CT scans; and magnetic accident diagrams.
Accident and 3-D animations can recreate a car crash or a fall down a set of stairs to show juries.
Illustrated X-rays, MRIs and CT scans can assist in helping a jury understand the extent of an injury and possibly avoid confusion with medical terminology.
The company can also enlarge documents, such as jury instructions, to poster-size so attorneys can explain the laws involved in the case and what is being asked of the jury.
“Legal Art Works is an absolute necessity for any significant presentation at mediation or trial,” said Howard Coker, former Florida Bar President and president and founding partner of Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay. “They are masters at conveying the breadth of an individual’s injuries in a dramatic manner.”
Now across the St. Johns River from both courthouses, Davis doesn’t see too much of a problem continuing to meet the needs of his clients.
“We will just have be careful of the Main Street Bridge going up,” said Davis. “We might even start using the Skyway.”
The 1455 Prudential Drive location may appear to be the wrong direction to be moving as work continues on the new Duval County Courthouse Downtown, but the local market isn’t the only area Legal Art Works serves.
“We have clients in 28 states right now,” said Davis. “The technology today makes it easier to do business nationwide.”
Meetings can be held with the help of computers and web cams. Exhibits can be downloaded or shipped to locations around the world, so there are no boundaries for the Jacksonville business, except those created by management.
“When I first started out, it was all about growth and being the biggest, most successful company in the market,” said Davis. “Now that I’ve had kids, the idea of success changes. I’m still driven to have a successful company, but I don’t want to miss out on time with my kids or lying on the couch watching a movie with my wife.”
Fun and happiness are two of the factors that contribute to the success of the company, said Davis. He has been known to set up a grill out front and have a cookout with the staff and passersby. The new office is equipped with a deck, patio furniture and new grill Davis bought two weeks before the deck was ready.
“I was so excited about the deck,” said Davis, who can see it through his office’s sliding glass door.
Davis also included an Xbox room and spa room in former offices.
“It’s a weakness. I want to make everyone happy,” said Davis. “As the boss, there’s a tough line between doing or saying something for the best interest of the company and not hurting someone’s feelings.”
He employs six people in the office and four people off-site.
Davis may have stepped back from the frantic pace he set at the start of his business, but he is still driven to do the best for his family and his company.
He has his sales and expense goals mounted behind the bathroom sink at home, so he can see them every time he washes his hands.
“It’s just a reminder of where I need to be,” said Davis.
The office building he just leased isn’t the only business expansion he will experience. Davis plans to launch a sister company to Legal Art Works in 2011. It will focus on the production of exhibits and demonstrative products for markets outside of the legal field. It will have its own name and website and be a separate business.
“We’ve had requests from different companies and markets before, but just didn’t want to pursue it at the time,” said Davis. “Now we are ready.”
Also in development is a website that would help nonprofit organizations sell more tickets to their events. The website will provide organizations with a mechanism to sell the tickets and promote an event without having to hire a programmer. It is www.packedhouseevents.com.
356-2466