ME&V and 23rd Century Productions Merge Specialized Services to Better Integrate Communications and Marketing for Clients
CEDAR FALLS (December 23, 2004) - Hollywood and Madison Avenue are merging in the Midwest. 23rd Century Productions with its Hollywood-styled animation, film and video capabilities, and Mathis, Earnest & Vandeventer (ME&V), an advertising agency and fundraising consultancy, are combining resources to better integrate client communications and marketing.
"This announcement means we are no longer two separate companies collaborating on projects," said Dee Vandeventer, ME&V partner/president. "Today we are a fully integrated company-legally and spiritually-offering a one-stop shop for highly-skilled advertising and consulting needs."
The three founding partner' names will be removed from the company name and the acronym ME&V (pronounced Me and V) will be used for the new company.
23rd Century Productions is best known for its work with fundraising videos, high-end commercial film and sophisticated digital production and character animation. In 1986, Jim Infelt started 23rd Century Productions in Waverly with just one employee. Today, 23rd Century Productions has five employees and more than a half million-dollar studio with film, video and animation capabilities. Infelt will be made a full partner in ME&V.
"This is such a natural progression for our companies," said Jim Infelt, president of 23rd Century Productions. Infelt will be Creative Director for electronic media. "There are many practical advantages for my employees and me for joining with a larger organization, but the real benefit will be for our clients' work."
"Bringing Jim into ME&V figuratively completes the logo square of ME&V," said Mark Mathis, Partner/Creative Director. "Our logo consists of four equal sides and now we have four equal partners."
ME&V has been in business since the fall of 1996. Today more than 45 people work at ME&V. It offers a wide spectrum of creative marketing, design and interactive services from corporate
Identity and Web-site development to brochures and print advertising. Additionally, ME&V provides fundraising counsel for nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. The agency has enjoyed local and national recognition and awards: national awards for healthcare and college campaigns as well as a record number of local Addy awards and honors such as Entrepreneur of the Year and a listing for two years in Inc Magazine's 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America.
"All four of us have shared a vision for business growth and marketing sophistication for our clients," said Bryan Earnest, Partner/New Business Development. "Bringing the two companies together just solidifies our vision into a more clear plan and direction."
The official date for the integration of 23rd Century Productions into ME&V is October 1. That is also the anniversary date for ME&V, now in its ninth year.
