Much like the City of Dublin, design and production company Roto doesn’t limit itself.
Roto was founded in 2000, and Dublin was the natural choice for its headquarters, says Joseph Wisne, founder, president and CEO. Not only was it close to home – Wisne has lived in Dublin since the 1990s, and all of his children graduated from Dublin Jerome High School – but the City provided the perfect spot to work with museums, science centers, zoos and more all across the world.
“(Dublin) offers a positive environment and proximity to our homes,” Wisne says. “But Roto’s clientele are national and international customers that spend millions of dollars on their projects. What Dublin provides is a pedigree and a sense of quality, success and accessibility that I think our clients recognize.”
Roto’s office is located on Discovery Boulevard, and is close to other impressive businesses that call Dublin home.
“We’re in what you might consider a high-end market,” Wisne says. “(Dublin) really does help with the environment.”
Most of Roto’s clients are located outside of Ohio. Wisne says it helps that Dublin is only about 25 minutes away from Port Columbus International Airport and an hour’s plane ride away from half of the U.S. population.
Though Roto started out with the intention of taking on national and international clients, it took time. Now, Wisne says, Roto takes on more and more projects every year. The company even had to move from its Tuller Road facility four years ago to accommodate its growth. Now, at any given time, Roto could be working on anywhere between 15-20 projects. Some last a few months, others a few years.
Its 60,000-square-foot facility allows Roto to do all production in-house. About 75 employees – from architects and interior designers to writers and educations – work for Roto.
“Designing for the modern museum involves lots of different people,” Wisne says.
Roto works with institutions from an array of countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Jordan, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Turkey. Some are closer to home, too.
“We opened a couple galleries at the Smithsonian museum,” Wisne says. “It’s great to have our work present in one of the most prestigious history museums.”
In 2015, some of the projects Roto tackled include a 20,000-square-foot immersive gallery for Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, a new visitors’ center for Museo Del Niño de Carolina in Puerto Rico, private children’s play areas for various locations in New York City and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Heart of Africa exhibit.
This year, Roto is working on projects for a new children’s museum based in Cheyenne, Wyo.. Roto was selected to tackle the project after a national search. The company was also chosen during Canada Science and Technology Museum’s international search for someone to design two of its major exhibitions.
Choosing a favorite project is hard, Wisne says.
“It would be like picking your favorite kid. There are lots of moments we’re really proud of,” he says, noting a mobile education project Roto worked on.
The interactive exhibit, called “The Race for Planet X,” traveled throughout Arkansas to various schools.
“In the end, (the students) learn that Earth is Planet X and they are the alien,” Wisne says.
Another favorite? Designing six galleries – or “science studios” – for the Buffalo Museum of Science in Buffalo, N.Y., over the course of the last six years.
Sometimes, Roto doesn’t even have to submit a proposal for consideration. Plenty of its clients hear about the company through word of mouth.
“We have people who will contact us again and again,” Wisne says.
Roto also pays visits to Dublin City Schools to educate students on what the company does, and also supports the schools’ science, technology, engineering and math curriculum.
“Roto is a microcosm of all these different careers,” Wisne says. “That’s unusual for a commercial firm in our business. (The students) learn a bit more about what they want to do.”
Hannah Bealer is an editor. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
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