About BigTuna Interactive

While working for the Cleveland Indians, Adam had an interest to learn more about the art of building websites.  While on the road playing the Toronto Blue Jays, their Clubhouse staff, who was very technical and up to speed with technology, suggested Lynda.com as a good resource to learn how to build websites. He had some previous knowledge with HTML and using Geocities but was eager to learn more about the internet and the creation of websites.

Our official web development story began with a move to San Diego, where Adam joined CommUSA as a Marketing Coordinator, a partnership that would grow and endure for over 20 years and counting. During this time, we also became an active member of Ad2 San Diego, a young professionals network within the San Diego Ad Club and an affiliate with the American Advertising Federation (AAAF) further deepening our ties to the local advertising community.

A deepening involvement with the WordPress content management system and learning web development and SEO. The first websites were for Ad2 San Diego and the first paid gig was to help the iconic dive bar, the AC Lounge in San Diego with its website.  After accumulating a few more clients on the side, CommUSA transitioned from employer to client.

The first full year in business brought a strong roster of clients, primarily Major League Baseball players, sports associations, and golf course superintendent associations throughout California. WordPress remained at the core of everything, leading to deeper involvement in the broader community.  Adam served as a Wordpress conference organizer and attended events at the Automattic office in San Francisco. This was held at their original pier offices before the space was later condemned. It was an exciting time to be close to the platform that was shaping the business. 

This year marked the beginning of long-term partnerships with other Agencies, supplementing their teams and capabilities as needed. A shared office with Treeline Interactive in Mission Beach became the hub for a wide range of collaborative projects, including an introduction to Drupal. Our first-ever Drupal development project involved building an online billing system for the Village of North Star, and it did not take long for us to realize Drupal's capabilities and clean API structure. At this time, our team expanded and we started building our best-in-class Drupal development agency.

A strong year marked by high-profile work and a growing Drupal practice backed by a talented team. A standout milestone was forming a web development partnership with R&R Partners, the agency behind the iconic "What Happens Here, Stays Here" Las Vegas campaign, one of the most recognized advertising campaigns in history. We worked on lobbying websites and a fun Lady Gaga, MGM Grand, concert series project. We’ve always had nonprofit partners and the “Its All about the Kids” foundation named us Agency of the Year.

This year saw the start of a very successful long-term relationship with Business Online, an association which has been in the making for many years. The founders of this firm were essential in starting up the company back in 2006. We worked on SEO projects and would later become their official web development partner.

Just like many companies gravitating to Austin, Texas, we decided to make the shift and move directly in the heart of the downtown area. We were integrated into the vibrant digital vibe environment of the city including the SXSW circuit. A new chapter in a city that was rapidly becoming one of the most exciting places in the country to do business.

During this period, the company expanded its capabilities by integrating Salesforce, Single Sign-On, and other advanced systems. This era also marked the beginning of a long-term partnership with Masco Brands, with meaningful work completed across several of their divisions, including Watkins Manufacturing, the Delta Faucet team, and the window division now known as MITER Brands. Alongside these partnerships, the company continued to grow its Drupal expertise, delivering sophisticated, large-scale solutions for industrial and enterprise manufacturing websites.

The downtown era proved to be short-lived!  Man, the city changed dramatically during such a short period.  As the tech scene of Austin began expanding quickly and transforming the city itself, it became apparent that a change was required. The move to new offices in South Austin took place, an office which would eventually be demolished and rebuilt, looking exactly the same as before. Crazy! After finding a new home for the company, this era would see the birth of what would be accomplished outside of work as well. The company started giving back to the community that had shaped its values from the beginning, specifically in baseball, by becoming a sponsor of youth and collegiate programs.

With the world experiencing sudden change due to the pandemic, we were prepared. The transition to a fully remote business was seamless due to the flexible culture fostered at BigTuna Interactive. During this time, the organization found itself in a new niche by serving our Agency clients from the Pharmaceutical sector. This period, which could have been uncertain for the organization, turned out to be decisive, highlighting that the organization is built to withstand any circumstances.

Education had always been a space the company wanted to grow in, and in 2023, that vision finally began to take shape. Building on early experience with UCLA, the company started working with Green Hill School, a private school in the Dallas area, as well as Central Michigan University, a relationship that would eventually evolve into work with Saint Andrews in Austin. These partnerships gave the opportunity to build some of the most creative work the company had produced, designing interactive websites that played a meaningful role in supporting their fundraising campaigns.  We won numerous awards for our educational clients. Keep in mind, BigTuna Interactive has won a ton of awards but we’ve never paid a dime for award submission.  All awards were submitted by our clients or recognized by our peers.

Longevity is something BigTuna Interactive has always been proud of. We keep our clients and are very proud of our long term relationships.  Our clients know that we take absolute ownership of their web properties and are relentless in our desire for continuous improvement.  We have maintained our partnerships with enterprise manufacturers and blue-chip customers by emphasizing these values.