Todd Rapp, president of Minneapolis-based agency Himle Rapp & Company, Inc., has bought CEO John Himle’s ownership stake in the public affairs, corporate communications and crisis shop.
The transaction effectively makes Rapp sole owner and CEO of the firm, which will henceforth be rebranded as Rapp Strategies, Inc.
|
|
Todd Rapp (top) and John Himle.Himle in a statement said that he ended his tenure with the firm in order “to pursue some business and professional opportunities” that he’s been mulling over for some time. He has since formed a new company, Himle LLC.
Himle, former executive director of the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, founded Himle & Associates in 1982. That firm was rebranded as Himle Horner Inc. seven years later with the arrival of veteran Republican consultant and public affairs pro Tom Horner.
Rapp, who was previously executive director to former Minnesota House Speaker and Majority Leader Phil Carruthers and director of Minnesota Government Affairs for Xcel Energy (formerly Northern States Power Company), joined the company in 2001. He was named partner in 2008 and became a minority shareholder the same year after Horner sold him part of his ownership stake.
Horner sold his remaining shares to Rapp two years later and left the firm to mount an Independence Party ticket run for Minnesota governor, and the firm was subsequently re-branded as Himle Rapp & Company, Inc. The company provides counsel and strategy focused on corporate reputation/risk, crisis management, corporate social responsibility and public affairs services to Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, non-profits and government agencies.
Himle in today's statement said he plans to assist Rapp with the transition.
DJE Holdings, parent of Edelman and Zeno, launches RUTH as an independent shop named after Ruth Edelman, mental health advocate, wife and longtime business partner of Dan Edelman.
New York City PR firms make up the largest slice of O'Dwyer's 147 firm overall ranking with 33 of 40 in the New York/New Jersey area either calling Manhattan their home or having a presence there.
Subject Matter+Kivvit, which joined forces in May, has rebranded as Avoq, an integrated shop with more than 200 professionals in Washington, New York, Asbury Park (NJ), Miami and Chicago.
While PR pros stationed at in-house comms. teams and those working for agencies share many of the same objectives, they also have markedly different top priorities, according to a recent report.
Edelman is cutting 240 employees or about four percent of its workforce to cope with the cooling down of the PR sector, according to a memo from CEO Richard Edelman.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.