GRAND RAPIDS, MI & ST. LOUIS, MO – Sept. 8, 2021 – Lambert & Co. announced today it has acquired The Vandiver Group, Inc. (Vandiver), a St. Louis-based strategic communications and market research firm. The deal marks Lambert’s fourth transaction in the last two years, fueling its integrated service offerings and expanding its talent bench.
Vandiver is a WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) certified PR firm founded by communications veteran Donna Vandiver, president & CEO of The Vandiver Group, who leads a team of communicators, creatives and research strategists. She founded and has led the company for more than 28 years, expanding its services from strategic communications and corporate reputation to market research, digital and integrated marketing, and more. Throughout its history, Vandiver has led communications efforts for a host of Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and consumer brands. She joins Lambert & Co. as managing director and will continue to lead the St. Louis office. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are always looking for great talent and acquisitions is one way we can complement and catapult our strategic goals,” said Jeff Lambert, founder and CEO of Lambert & Co. “I have known Donna for several years and this acquisition is a culmination of a relationship driven by values alignment and strategic fit.”
The transaction is grounded in Lambert’s strategy to be the nation’s leading PR and IR firm for emerging and established market leaders through organic growth, acquisitions and innovation. Acquiring Vandiver deepens Lambert’s roster of communicators, specifically within crisis and reputation management, corporate communications, market research and executive and employee training. Vandiver has been recognized by the Emmy Awards, The Communicator Awards, MarCom Awards, AMA Marketing Excellence Awards and by PRWeek and others for its business and reputation-impacting work. Additionally, the firm has been named “Best PR Firm” by St. Louis SBM for 12 consecutive years.
“Jeff and I have been peers within the communications industry and have developed a strong relationship through our partnership for many years in PROI Worldwide. We’ve watched their growth and how they’ve stayed true to their vision. We’ll now be able to offer additional services and diverse perspectives, while continuing the award-winning work we have always produced,” said Donna Vandiver.
Lambert has taken a proactive approach to achieve its growth objectives, leaning further into service elevated through the pandemic such as crisis and reputation, issues management, diversity consulting and multi-cultural marketing. The firm posted revenue growth of 30% in 2020 despite the tumultuous marketplace, and launched new practices and a retail investor marketing platform and fintech startup, TiiCKER.
About Lambert & Co.
Lambert & Co. invented the PR and IR integrated model nearly 25 years ago and today leads with strategic communications and integrated marketing campaigns that deliver to the bottom line. The national, award-winning firm is a top-40 PR agency and top-10 IR firm with top-5 practices in Automotive and Mobility, Education and M&A/Private Equity nationally, and has talent hubs in Grand Rapids (HQ), Detroit, Houston, New York, Phoenix and St. Louis. Lambert has earned Firm of the Year honors from PR Week and PRNews and founder Jeff Lambert was the inaugural winner of the PR industry’s Diversity Action Alliance “Ally of the Year” in 2021. Lambert & Co. is a founding partner of TiiCKER, a consumer shareholder marketing and perks platform, an equity partner in minority-owned national branding and advertising agency 9thWonder Agency, and a global partner in PROI Worldwide, the largest partnership of independent PR firms in the world spanning 120 cities on five continents.
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Contact
Cierra Mangal, cmangal@lambert.com, 248-506-0325
Bill Raack, braack@vandivergroup.com, 314-602-0696