Eric Mower + Associates combines with New York City PR firm

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Eric Mower + Associates (EMA), the largest advertising agency in Central New York, on Wednesday announced plans to combine with a New York City–based public-relations firm.

Middleton & Gendron (M&G) formally joins EMA on Nov.1, the local agency said in a news release.

EMA declined to disclose terms of the transaction resulting in the firms’ combination.

M&G will continue operations as M&G/Eric Mower + Associates until the end of 2015 and then adopt the EMA name.

Yvonne Middleton, who serves as M&G’s chairman, and Mary Gendron, the firm’s president, will lead the New York City office and join EMA as partners, according to EMA.

Besides Middleton and Gendron, EMA will also retain the firm’s eight full-time employees.

The company has been working to establish a public-relations presence in New York City, says Eric Mower, chairman and CEO of EMA.

“[M&G was] right for us. Culturally, they were right,” says Mower.

Mower spoke with the Business Journal News Network on Oct. 22.

The combination will help EMA grow its public-relations business with an additional roster of clients, he says.

Mower also notes that about one-third of his agency’s work focuses on public relations.

Secondly, M&G was only offering its clients public-relations services, but the combination with EMA means the New York City firm can offer additional services, says Mower.

“They don’t offer advertising. They don’t offer digital services, like website [work],” he adds.

M&G has clients in the luxury hospitality and travel and lifestyle categories, and has expanded to real estate, business to business, retail, and fitness.

Over the years, M&G clients have looked to the agency for marketing-communications services, Middleton said in the EMA news release.

“With EMA, we will be better equipped than ever to meet all of their needs and to offer new services. We are also very pleased to provide exceptional growth opportunities for our staff. They have been vital to our success to date and deserve the new challenges and support that will come with joining EMA,” Middleton said.

EMA, which is based in Syracuse’s Armory Square in the Jefferson Clinton Commons, operates additional Upstate offices in Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany, along with offices in Cincinnati, Atlanta, and Charlotte, N.C.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com