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Fahlgren Mortine, No. 19 in O’Dwyer’s rankings of PR Firms with 2023 fee income of $39.2M, is being acquired by its Columbus, OH neighbor, The Shipyard, a fast-growing ad agency.
The shop has worked for Smucker’s, Bob Evans Restaurants, Kroger, Ohio Lottery, Avery Dennison, Visit Myrtle Beach, Cardinal Health, University of Buffalo, Travel Nevada and DHL.
“Fahlgren Mortine is recognized as a leader in the industry,” Rick Milenthal, Shipyard founder/CEO, said in announcing the deal. “We are aligned with shared values, combined resources and a galvanizing mission of ‘Engineering Brand Love’ wherever audiences consume media.”
Milenthal believes brand success stems from orchestrating creative across all paid, owned, earned and emerging media
The Shipyard will maintain the FM brand with CEO Neil Mortine and president Marty McDonald in charge. Christine Turner will continue as president of TURNER, the travel, tourism and lifestyle shop that FM acquired in 2014,
The combined company will have nearly 400 staffers with expertise in tourism and economic development, financial services, consumer products, energy, retail, building products, logistics, technology and healthcare.
The Shipyard, which was cited by Adweek as one of the fastest growing agencies in 2023, has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Diego.
Eastport Holdings acquired FM in 2018.
Motion, a Chicago-based brand growth agency, acquires video-forward marketing and communications firm AKA Media Partners, which has been in business since 1998.
Declan Kelly's Consello has acquired Morpheus Risk, a UK-based risk and threat assessment firm.
Ruder Finn has acquired Missouri Creative, a 30-member visual storytelling, design and experience-led brand activation firm based in London.
Highwire acquires The Bliss Group, creating a combined firm, operating under the Highwire brand, that has more than 250 professionals across North America.
Miami’s Newlink Group has acquired Italy’s EJ to strengthen its position in southern Europe, where it has offices in Madrid and Barcelona.
