Every entrepreneur seeks to create something that makes a difference, to do it better and, hopefully, to find value in what they do. That was certainly my intention when I started Vehr Communications nearly 20 years ago while setting up a desk in the corner of my bedroom.

I am proud and excited to share that Vehr Communications has been acquired by The Motion Agency, Chicago’s largest certified woman-owned marketing communications agency. It is a regional and national powerhouse with an impressive list of clients and now 90 employees.

Every Vehr client-facing team member will continue with the Motion team. The same goes for our current clients. Growth is the business objective and that starts with doing great work for the clients we already have.

It’s also personal. While I have been approached multiple times in recent years by other potential buyers, this one just felt right. Motion’s owner, Kim Eberl, is a big reason why. She started Motion two decades ago. And she’s a Cincinnati native. Gertz family members going back generations have helped to shape the business and political heritage of Reading. Other relatives now run the Gertz & Gertz Law Firm, Gertz Pony Keg and multiple area Kirkwood Sweeper Shops.

As I reflect on the last two decades, there are too many professional and personal highlights to list. I will, though, share a few:

• First Client: The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), as it was just starting, engaged me to develop a job description for their first marketing professional and to help them source candidates.
• Longest Client Tenure: We have been supporting Metro for 18 of our 20 years. This one client has been remarkably fulfilling because of the bus system’s impact on our regional economy.
• Biggest Community Impact: I served as Managing Director of the 2012 World Choir Games and our team members supported the event with 6,000 participants from 64 countries, 4,600 volunteers, and 208,600 attendees. Cincinnatians fully embraced what is now considered this region’s largest and most successful global event in history.
• Client Successes: We have helped clients through brand redesigns, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, product launches, global campaigns, litigation, community leadership transitions, other work disruptions and much more.
• Colleague “Firsts”: I never imagined how proud I would feel every time a team member experienced a “first.” Whether a first apartment, first car, first home, first child or any other important professional or personal life event. I was always deeply satisfied and joyful for them, realizing that they were rock stars and we were lucky they decided to work for the Vehr team.
• Industry Leadership: We have been a member of IPREX, a global network of independent communications agencies, for 18 years. I served on its global Board and as President of the Americas region. It included travel to Europe, Asia and throughout the U.S. Most important, it included developing personal and professional relationships with peers from agencies all over the world. Others on our team have served in leadership positions as well and developed meaningful relationships.

I believe we are positioned to win with our impressive clients, incredible team and talented employees. Kim and I believe being in America’s heartland is a competitive advantage. The Midwest is built on grit, strong relationships and an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit. We also believe that our region offers unmatched opportunities for growth, creativity and talent. We want to leverage what it means to live in the Midwest … America’s Growth Belt.

This is my final blog post as CEO and founder of Vehr Communications. I am proud of the work we have done, the professionals we have hired or with whom we worked and the impact they have had. We have helped hundreds of Cincinnati-area private businesses, public entities, for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations and historic events grow, thrive and leave a lasting impact on this place we all call home.

I am as proud of our past as I am excited to continue making a difference, doing it better, and finding value for Motion, our community and my colleagues.