WOLF SWALLOWS U.S. AGENCY
By Adnews Staff
The Wolf Group of Toronto expanded its U.S. operations this week by acquiring Meldrum & Fewsmith Communications of Cleveland. With the move, the Wolf Group now has offices in Toronto, Cleveland, Buffalo and Rochester. The agency is projecting its 1997 billings at approximately $200 million. When asked what the dollar figure of the deal was, Wolf chairman Larry Wolf said only that Meldrum & Fewsmith was "a priceless jewel." Wolf added the agency is looking at other growth opportunities that will allow it to continue expanding its North American operations. Meldrum & Fewsmith provides advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, Yellow Pages and new media services to a list of clients that includes: Continental General Tire, Mr. Coffee, Rubbermaid, Libbey, Dirt Devil, Dairy Mart and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum. Meldrum chairman and CEO Chris Perry said one of the chief attractions of the Wolf deal was that it would allow the Cleveland office to continue operating independently. At the same time, it allows Meldrum & Fewsmith to go after larger clients it couldn't have attracted without the resources of the Wolf Group behind it, Perry said. The Wolf Group's clients include Kodak, IBM Canada, Bausch & Lomb, Astro Yogurt, Arrow Shirts, Canandaigua Wine Company, Guardian Mutual Funds, National Trust and the Vancouver Stock Exchange.