Ervin & Smith is celebrating its 35th anniversary and Founder’s Day on October 10, 2018. What started as a direct marketing firm for the financial services industry with two local clients has grown into a full-service digital agency with a broad client roster that includes top national brands and recognition as one of the best places to work in the United States.
As a privately held and funded company, the leadership team at Ervin & Smith has worked to intentionally develop a company where employees want to work and that clients want to work with—a vision Doug Smith, the company’s founder and executive chairman, still supports.
“The two aspects of our agency life that are most satisfying to me are watching our young people grow into very smart business people and figuring out how to help our clients make a lot of money,” says Smith. One of those young people is Heidi Mausbach, who joined the agency as an executive assistant in 2000 and now leads the business as president and CEO. Mausbach says, “We’ve always operated with the philosophy that if we take care of our people, our clients will benefit as a result. Our commitment is paying off as we celebrate 35 years of business and national recognition from Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Company Culture.”
Entrepreneur’s program strives to recognize U.S. businesses exhibiting high-performance cultures. A total of 150 companies categorized as small, midsize and large were recognized this year, and Ervin & Smith earned the #25 spot on the small companies list.
Katie Kemerling, chief marketing officer, joined the agency in 2006 as a copywriter. She says, “I’m grateful that Doug had the vision and courage to start this agency in 1983. While there have been a lot of changes to the advertising industry over the past 35 years, I love that our commitment to do the right thing for our clients and each other has stayed constant. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and I am excited for what the future holds!”
In addition to being awarded as a top workplace by both Entrepreneur Magazine and Ad Age, the agency’s creative work has also been recognized by Communication Arts, Graphis, Davey Awards and Awwwards.
Smith adds, “Over 35 years, you realize a company is really the collaborative creation of thousands of people—clients, vendors, employees, family and friends. We owe our sincere thanks to so many, many people for our success.”