Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ascentium acquires Spokane ad agency

From Staff Reports The Spokesman-Review

Bellevue-based Ascentium Corp. has purchased Spokane advertising agency miller.whiterunkle and appointed longtime area business executive Kim Pearman-Gillman to be the Spokane manager.

Ascentium made the announcement Monday, saying it will move its 12 Spokane branch office employees into miller.whiterunkle’s downtown office.

The acquisition means those workers join miller.whiterunkle’s 36 workers, said Ed Miller, the president of the company.

Miller said he could not disclose terms of the deal.

Pearman-Gillman has worked at Avista and Itron and was director of economic development for former Spokane Mayor John Powers.

Ascentium has become a fast-growing interactive marketing agency, helping companies develop Web-based advertising strategies. Its clients include Microsoft Corp. and Starbucks.

The purchase of the Spokane agency allows Ascentium to add miller.whiterunkle’s experience in media buying and its insight into developing ad campaigns for the Hispanic market, said Ascentium spokeswoman Minou Nguyen.

Miller said he is stepping down as president and will take a consulting role with the company.

For now, he said, the name of the agency will be miller.whiterunkle, an Ascentium company. “But over time the name will change” to Ascentium, he said.

The company has been part of the Spokane business community for 27 years. Miller joined in 1985. After becoming a partner, he bought out the other two company owners in late 2004.

Some of miller.whiterunkle’s better-known clients include Motorola, McDonald’s, AT&T/Cingular and Henry Weinhard’s.