Eastport Holdings: On The Hunt To Buy Marketing Communications & PR Firms
Eastport Holdings, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is a holding company for public relations, marketing, media, and advertising companies. They have been in expansion mode recently, looking for highly successful as well as relevant specialty and boutique shops that need more connections and capabilities to expand and so want to become part of the larger entity with its other related entities. In turn that gives clients the opportunity to get more done without having to look for other specialists than found in just one company.
For agencies acquired by Eastport Holdings, they maintain their independence, decision making, daily operations, and service they are best at. While still having access to what they don’t have in their company such as specialists in digital strategy, experience, media, search, design, programmatic, social, merchandising, experiential brand activation, research and insights, analytics, and brand strategy. Companies work in the US, South America, and Canada.
Eastport Holding’s Leadership
Bubba Patton is the co-founder, CEO, and Director of Eastport Holdings, and brings 30+ years of experience in media and advertising in addition to being an active investor and acquiring companies while building organic growth for 25 years. He’s the mastermind behind the company strategy and works with other senior leadership members in the holding company as well as affiliated agencies. He also is CEO of AdStaff Media LLC where he previously was the president.
Jeff Presley is the other co-founder, CFO and Director of Eastport Holdings. He and Bubba Patton have been partners in various businesses for many years. His specific skills and experience are in the finance and investment area along with c-level operational work, barter companies, and media placement. He works with all the agencies’ CFOs and investment and banking partners.
Matt Wilson is the President and COO. He spent 10 years working at J. Walter Thompson, the advertising giant and also has 20 years of experience of ownership and senior level.
Agencies Under the Eastport Holdings Umbrella
They are in negotiation for the acquisition of at least one company currently and they usually take up to a year to complete that process. But, here is a current list of the agencies held by Eastport Holdings.
Adstaff Media (six locations) – media buying firm, Asher Agency (nine locations) – ad agency, BFG (three locations) – creative agency, BLR / Further (two locations) – ad agency, Digital Addix (San Diego) – media analytics and business intelligence, Fivehundred Degrees Studio (two locations) – branding for retail and restaurants, Marc USA (four locations) — marketing, Marca Miami (Miami) – Hispanic and Latin America, Mindstream Interactive (seven locations) – digital marketing, Omni (nine locations) – retail ad agency, SBC Advertising (three locations) – ad agency, Southwest Media Group (Dallas) — 360˚ media solutions, Ten35 (two locations) – culture and multicultural, and Yellow 7 (Texas) — digital. One known agency in negotiation with them is Fahlgren Mortine.
Miscellaneous
Some of the services offered by companies held by Eastport Holdings include brand strategy, PR, multicultural marketing, TV, radio, visual merchandising, website and mobile app design and development, franchise development, and event marketing. They work in industries including retail, healthcare, CPG, travel/tourism, restaurant, hospitality, finance, government, insurance, education, and telecommunications.
Eastport Holdings claim to have the smallest overhead of any holding company within their peer groups.
