Pierpont Communications is an independent integrated marketing and PR firm founded in 1987 by Philip (Phil) Morabito after he left a Madison Avenue PR firm in New York to launch the agency in Houston, Texas. Pierpont operates from six offices: Houston (headquarters), Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, and Phoenix. The firm serves clients in energy, healthcare, finance, technology, retail, real estate, consumer, and nonprofit categories, including Walmart, NRG, CITGO, CyrusOne, Shell, Baylor College of Medicine, Port Houston, Group 1 Automotive, Schumacher Electric, and Wan Bridge Group. Phil Morabito serves as CEO, with Clint Woods as COO and Brian Banks as CFO. The firm has been listed in the Inc. 500 (2001) and Inc. 5000 (2007, 2008, 2009), and Phil Morabito was named "Most Admired CEO" by the Houston Business Journal in 2018.
| Founded | 1987 by Philip Morabito in Houston, TX |
| Headquarters | Houston, TX |
| Offices | Houston (HQ), Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix (6 offices) |
| CEO | Philip (Phil) Morabito |
| COO | Clint Woods |
| CFO | Brian Banks |
| SVP, Digital Strategy | Chris Ferris, PhD (also teaches at Rice Business) |
| VP, Denver General Manager | Dan Mahoney |
| Ownership | Independent |
| Position | One of the largest independent integrated marketing and PR firms operating in the southwest US |
| Specialties | Energy, healthcare, finance, technology, retail, real estate, consumer, nonprofit, public affairs |
| Services | Integrated communications: PR, strategic marketing, content, digital strategy, media training, crisis communications, brand management, public affairs, corporate citizenship, online advertising, SEO, social media, AIO/GEO, influencer marketing, creative |
| Notable Clients | Walmart, NRG, CITGO, CyrusOne, Shell, Baylor College of Medicine, Port Houston, Daikin, Group 1 Automotive, Acclaim Energy, Schumacher Electric, Tech Titans, Wan Bridge Group, Zinus |
| Recent Recognition | Phil Morabito "Most Admired CEO" Houston Business Journal (2018); Inc. 500 (2001); Inc. 5000 (2007, 2008, 2009); 9x "Best Place to Work" nominee (Houston Business Journal); Houston 100 (5x) |
Overview: What Pierpont Communications Does
Pierpont Communications is an independent integrated marketing and PR firm built on a six-office regional footprint across Texas, the Mountain West, and the Southwest. Founded in 1987 by Philip Morabito in Houston, the firm serves regional, national, and global clients across energy, healthcare, finance, technology, retail, real estate, consumer, and nonprofit categories. Pierpont's positioning emphasizes integrated services delivered together — earned media, strategic marketing, content, digital strategy, and public affairs under a single team — rather than as separate disciplines.
Why It Matters
Pierpont Communications matters because of its geographic positioning. The firm has built a six-office network anchored in Texas — the second most populous state in the country, home to 55+ Fortune 500 headquarters, the world's largest energy industry concentration, the nation's largest medical center (Texas Medical Center in Houston), and the fastest-growing major metro economies. Most national PR holding companies serve Texas clients from coastal headquarters; Pierpont serves them from inside the market. The agency has remained independent and founder-led for nearly four decades, and its expansion beyond Texas into Denver and Phoenix extends the same in-market model into the Mountain West and Southwest.
The Texas Advantage
Pierpont's deepest competitive advantage is geographic. Texas operates as one of the most consequential corporate markets in the United States, and Pierpont's in-market presence — Houston headquarters plus Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio offices — gives the firm direct proximity to the categories that define the state's economy.
Energy. Houston is the corporate capital of the global energy industry. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Halliburton, Schlumberger, BP America, Shell USA, NRG, CITGO, and dozens of other majors and independents are headquartered in or have major operations in Houston. Pierpont has built energy practice depth across upstream, midstream, downstream, renewables, and energy transition communications — with longstanding relationships with the Houston-based energy trade press (Hart Energy, Oil & Gas Investor, Reuters Energy, Bloomberg Energy).
Healthcare and life sciences. Houston's Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world by employment and acreage. Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist, and Texas Children's Hospital are all headquartered there. Pierpont has built healthcare and life-sciences communications capability from the same in-market vantage point.
Corporate headquarters. Texas hosts more than 55 Fortune 500 headquarters across Dallas-Fort Worth (ExxonMobil, AT&T, American Airlines, Energy Transfer, Texas Instruments, Charles Schwab, McKesson, Comerica), Houston (ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Sysco, Waste Management), and Austin (Tesla, Oracle, Dell). Pierpont's regional network provides corporate communications and public affairs counsel to companies operating across multiple Texas metros simultaneously.
Infrastructure, real estate, and consumer growth. Texas leads the country in population growth, residential construction, and infrastructure investment. Port Houston, Group 1 Automotive, Wan Bridge Group, Zinus, and other consumer and real estate clients reflect the demographic and economic expansion driving the firm's broader practice. Pierpont's expansion into Denver and Phoenix follows the same in-market logic into the broader Mountain West and Southwest growth corridor.
History and Ownership
Philip Morabito founded Pierpont Communications in 1987 in Houston, Texas, after leaving Robert Marston & Associates — a Madison Avenue PR firm in New York. He hired his first employee in 1992. Over the following three and a half decades, Morabito built Pierpont from a single-office Houston operation into a six-office regional firm with a national client base.
Pierpont has remained independent throughout its history. The firm has not been acquired and has not taken outside PE investment. Phil Morabito continues as CEO, with Clint Woods as COO and Brian Banks as CFO.
Key Milestones
1987: Philip Morabito founded Pierpont Communications in Houston after leaving Robert Marston & Associates in New York.
1992: Hired first employee.
1999: Greater Houston Partnership Roundtable named Morabito Entrepreneur of the Year for small businesses.
2001: Inc. 500 listed Pierpont.
2006: Ernst & Young named Morabito Entrepreneur of the Year in the services category.
2007-2009: Inc. 5000 listed Pierpont three consecutive years.
2018: Phil Morabito named "Most Admired CEO" by the Houston Business Journal.
2022-2024: Expanded regional footprint with Denver and Phoenix offices.
2024-2025: Launched Pierpont Presents webinar series; expanded integrated communications capability across digital strategy and content.
Services
Pierpont Communications delivers integrated services across public relations, strategic marketing, content development, digital strategy, media training, crisis communications, brand management, public affairs, corporate citizenship, online advertising, SEO, social media, AIO/GEO (AI-driven search and discovery), influencer marketing, and creative development. The firm's core positioning emphasizes integrated services delivered together — earned media, marketing, and digital strategy under a single team — rather than separate disciplines.
Practice Areas
Pierpont's practice areas span energy (a Houston-anchored specialty), healthcare, finance, technology, retail, real estate, consumer, industrial, professional services, education, nonprofit, and public affairs. The firm has historically ranked highly in O'Dwyer's national category tables for nonprofits, energy, home furnishings, industrials, professional services, financial PR / investor relations, technology, and healthcare.
Clients and Accounts
Pierpont's client roster includes Walmart, NRG, CITGO, CyrusOne, Shell, Baylor College of Medicine, Port Houston, Daikin, Group 1 Automotive, Acclaim Energy, Schumacher Electric, Tech Titans, Wan Bridge Group, Zinus, Pioneer, Big Commerce, Integra, Kisco, and G&A Partners. Historic clients have included Uber, Capital One, Verizon, Sabre, Sara Lee, Imperial Sugar, Encore Live, BP, Halliburton, Sempra Energy, Battelle, NASA, and Aramark.
Leadership Team and Executives
Philip (Phil) Morabito is Founder and CEO. He has 37+ years of experience in public relations and marketing. Clint Woods serves as COO. Brian Banks serves as CFO. Chris Ferris, PhD is Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy (and also teaches at Rice Business — Jones Graduate School of Business). Dave Stump is Senior Vice President of Revenue Operations and Business Development. Dan Mahoney is Vice President and General Manager of the Denver office. Terry Hemeyer is on the firm's senior team and teaches at The University of Texas at Austin and Rice Business.
Phil Morabito is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston's Bauer School of Business, teaching integrated marketing communications to second-year MBA and other graduate students. He established the Advisory Board for the Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston and serves on the Board of Directors for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
Awards and Recognition
Most notable: Phil Morabito named "Most Admired CEO" by the Houston Business Journal (2018); Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, services category (2006); Greater Houston Partnership Roundtable Entrepreneur of the Year (1999). The firm has been Inc. 500-listed (2001), Inc. 5000-listed three consecutive years (2007, 2008, 2009), and named to the Houston 100 five times by the Houston Business Journal. Pierpont has been nominated nine times for the Houston Business Journal's "Best Place to Work" award, and was a PRWeek MidSize Agency of the Year finalist in 2002 and 2013.
EPR Coverage
For the full archive of Pierpont Communications coverage, see everything-pr.com/tag/pierpont-communications.
FAQ
Is Pierpont Communications independent?
Yes. Pierpont Communications has remained independent throughout its history since founding in 1987. The firm has not been acquired and has not taken outside PE investment.
Who owns Pierpont Communications?
Pierpont Communications is independently owned and led by founder Phil Morabito, who continues as CEO. Clint Woods serves as COO; Brian Banks serves as CFO.
What industries does Pierpont Communications specialize in?
Energy, healthcare, finance, technology, retail, real estate, consumer, industrial, professional services, education, nonprofit, and public affairs — with particular depth in energy (Houston-anchored) and healthcare (Texas Medical Center-anchored).
Who is the CEO of Pierpont Communications?
Philip (Phil) Morabito is Founder and CEO. He launched Pierpont in 1987 in Houston after leaving Robert Marston & Associates in New York. He has 37+ years of experience and was named Most Admired CEO by the Houston Business Journal in 2018. He also teaches integrated marketing communications at the University of Houston's Bauer School of Business.
How large is Pierpont Communications?
Pierpont operates from six offices: Houston (headquarters), Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, and Phoenix. The firm has historically ranked among the top US PR firms in O'Dwyer's national tables.
How much revenue does Pierpont Communications generate?
Pierpont Communications is privately held and does not publicly disclose annual revenue figures. The firm has been Inc. 500-listed (2001) and Inc. 5000-listed three consecutive years (2007, 2008, 2009).
What notable acquisitions or mergers has Pierpont Communications completed?
Pierpont Communications has grown organically throughout its history. The firm has not been acquired and has not made acquisitions. Growth has come through organic regional expansion — adding Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, and Phoenix offices beyond Houston headquarters — and through capability expansion into digital strategy and integrated marketing.
Is Pierpont the largest independent PR firm in Texas?
Pierpont positions itself as one of the largest independent integrated marketing and PR firms operating in the southwest United States, with a four-office Texas footprint (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio) plus regional offices in Denver and Phoenix. Different industry rankings use different methodologies — O'Dwyer's national tables have historically placed Pierpont near the top of Texas-based firms by total fees. Pierpont's own positioning emphasizes its integrated service model and 37+ years of continuous independent ownership rather than a specific single-state ranking, and Texas hosts other notable independent agencies (Edible Inc., Spaeth Communications, the Crosswind / Allyn family of firms, regional offices of national firms) that compete in adjacent categories.
What makes Pierpont Communications different from competitors?
Pierpont combines four decades of independent ownership under founder Phil Morabito with a six-office regional network across Texas and the Mountain West (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix). The firm's geographic positioning — in-market presence in Texas's energy, healthcare, and corporate-headquarters concentration — distinguishes it from national PR holding companies that serve Texas clients from coastal headquarters. The firm's integrated service model brings PR, strategic marketing, content, digital strategy, and public affairs together rather than as separate offerings.
Pierpont Communications sits inside an EPR cluster of independent integrated agencies operating outside the major holding companies. Related profiles:
- MikeWorldWide (MWW) — Independent integrated agency founded 1986 by Michael Kempner. Similar positioning: four-decade-old independent integrated firm that has never been acquired by a holding company. Different geographic anchor (NYC/NJ vs. Texas).
- Coyne PR — Independent integrated agency founded 1991 by Tom Coyne in Parsippany, NJ. Another long-running founder-led independent in the EPR network with global Worldcom Public Relations Group reach.
- The Berman Group — Independent communications firm specialized in commercial real estate, construction, and design — adjacent category coverage to Pierpont's real estate and infrastructure work (Wan Bridge Group, Port Houston).
- Real Chemistry — Healthcare and life sciences integrated communications firm. Adjacent category for Pierpont's healthcare practice (Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Medical Center-anchored work).
Key Takeaways
- Pierpont Communications was founded in 1987 by Philip Morabito in Houston, Texas — independent and founder-led for nearly four decades.
- Six offices: Houston (HQ), Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, and Phoenix.
- Phil Morabito is Founder and CEO; Clint Woods is COO; Brian Banks is CFO.
- One of the largest independent integrated marketing and PR firms operating in the southwest United States.
- Geographic advantage: in-market presence in Texas's energy industry (Houston), healthcare (Texas Medical Center), and 55+ Fortune 500 corporate headquarters across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin.
- Notable clients: Walmart, NRG, CITGO, CyrusOne, Shell, Baylor College of Medicine, Port Houston, Daikin, Group 1 Automotive, Schumacher Electric.
- Phil Morabito named "Most Admired CEO" by Houston Business Journal (2018); Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2006); firm Inc. 500-listed (2001) and Inc. 5000-listed three consecutive years (2007-2009).
