When our co-founders and Directors, Chris and Keith, set their sights on expanding Bloc Digital into North America, it wasn’t a decision made overnight. Following multiple trade missions across the United States, one destination stood out: Wichita, Kansas, globally recognised as the Air Capital of the World.

After handing over the keys to our new home at the Epic Center, Clare stepped into the challenge of establishing Bloc Digital Inc. in a new market. Twelve months later, that challenge has evolved into something much bigger: new partnerships, new opportunities, and a growing network of organisations that Bloc Digital is proud to support across North America.

As we mark one year since opening our Wichita office, Clare reflects on the journey so far…

Words from Clare Hague, Business Manager at Bloc Digital Inc

“When Bloc took up residence at the Epic Center, a landmark development sitting in the heart of downtown Wichita, the location felt right from the start, embedding ourselves within the ever-growing development of infrastructure and opportunity. But the real work began outside the building, opening conversations across the community.”

“Making myself, as a new Business Manager and Bloc, known and understood, needed time to develop. This process, however, taught me something early on: what we were doing here was translation, not replication.”

What Bloc Brings

“You might assume that arriving in the US with an immersive technology offer means turning up with a product or service and finding somewhere to put it. That is not what this year looked like. The technologies themselves: industrial-grade visualisation, immersive environments, data-driven communication, all exist in various forms across the sector. What Bloc brings is the way they are applied, and that is a genuinely different proposition.”

“There are three things that, when combined, set us apart. The first is industrial storytelling that does not stop at the marketing suite. Most organisations I have spoken to are accustomed to treating creative work and technical work as separate problems with separate suppliers. One team for promotion, another for training, and another for media and so on...”

“At Bloc, marketing and operational solutions work together, helping businesses communicate more clearly, improve processes, and get more value from the same assets. Rather than creating content for content’s sake, the focus is on delivering connected solutions that support the full lifecycle of a product or project, helping clients work smarter, be more connected and have greater impact on their customers.”

“The second is the repositioning of immersive and data-driven technology as a practical, everyday tool rather than a set-piece investment. Complex, innovative and groundbreaking projects require clear communication, and clarity that needs to be accessible and repeatable, not just reserved for flagship moments. When I’ve been able to demo what that looks like in practice, the response has been consistently positive.”

“The third differentiator is the partnership-led model itself, which is the hardest thing to explain in a proposal and the most visible thing once work begins. The process starts with listening to what our client needs to achieve, where their communication breaks down, and the gap between what their internal teams understand and what their customers and stakeholders need to see. Our solutions are shaped through that conversation, not before it.”

Why Wichita?

“For Bloc, choosing Wichita was an easy decision. After meeting representatives from the region at global business events and seeing first-hand the reputation Wichita has built for innovation, it quickly stood out as the right place at the right time.”

“Having lived here and raised a family here, I know this is a community shaped by determination, resilience, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. It’s a place driven by world-class talent and a shared commitment to innovation.”

“What’s exciting is that these are the same qualities that have shaped Bloc Digital’s success.”

“Wichita is a globally connected hub for aerospace and advanced manufacturing, with an engineering community that produces both the technical expertise and the decision-making culture that our work is built on. The clients here value clarity and speed, which is what Bloc brings to the table.”

365 Days and Counting

“There is no single technology that defines what Bloc Digital Inc. is bringing to this market. The offer is better understood as a model which is partnership-led, grounded in industrial understanding, bringing creative and technical capability into a single workflow, and sustaining that across the full scope of a project.”

“After twelve months on the ground in Wichita, I can honestly say that that model has now found its footing. The relationships are real, and the ecosystems are forming and evolving every day. And personally, I feel like I've made real headway in that work of translation, helping people understand what Bloc does, and what it can do here. The Midwest is a very good place to build something that lasts, and I'm only just getting started.”