Acquisition marks the latest milestone in evolution and growth of Atlanta PR firm
The Wilbert Group, a leading public relations and content firm based in Atlanta, has purchased SPR Atlanta.
This acquisition marks another milestone in The Wilbert Group’s growth story. Wilbert has posted significant growth every year since its founding in 2009 and, in the past two years, revenue has increased 20 percent. The newly combined firm will top $3 million in revenue in 2017 and employ 21 people full-time, making it one of the largest 10 PR firms in metro Atlanta.
Just as important as its revenue growth, Wilbert has grown its capabilities and talent significantly in the last two years. The acquisition comes a week after Wilbert launched its video unit.
“We have expanded the definition of PR to match today’s environment and growing client needs,” said Caroline Wilbert, president of The Wilbert Group. “Every day we are navigating the media landscape, which is bigger and more complex than ever before, on behalf of our clients. We are creating, curating and securing compelling content, and we are fully exploiting a variety of communications channels. It is not just about pitching traditional media anymore; it is also about email, social media, video, blogs, awards, industry events and speaking opportunities.”
In addition to its local reputation, Wilbert has long been known nationally as a leading PR firm within the real estate industry. The firm has more than 20 clients in real estate, ranging from commercial architecture/design to residential homebuilding to mixed-use development to construction. Wilbert’s real estate clients are based throughout the Southeast, as well as in Chicago and San Francisco.
The acquisition of SPR further cements Wilbert’s position as the leading firm in real estate, as SPR is largely focused on commercial real estate clients. SPR’s clients include an industrial real estate firm, a multifamily development and property management firm, a mixed-use development and a commercial roofing company, among others.
Sarah Weston, formerly a partner at SPR and now a vice president at Wilbert, is heavily involved in the commercial real estate industry in Atlanta. She serves on the board of ULI Atlanta, was a NAIOP Future Leader in 2015 and joined the NAIOP executive committee in 2016.
“I have always admired The Wilbert Group’s work and have enjoyed personally getting to know Caroline and the team through the years,” Weston said. “We have long been friendly competitors. I am excited about the opportunity to have a larger platform and to generate bigger and more consistent results for all our clients.”
Chris Schroder, the founder of SPR, will remain an informal advisor. Schroder plans to focus largely on growing his other venture, The 100 Companies.
“The deal meets numerous strategic goals for both firms,” Schroder said. “The Wilbert Group’s stellar reputation speaks for itself. I am proud of what we built at SPR during the past 15 years and look forward to seeing how this newly combined company continues to grow and do ever-more meaningful work for clients.”
About The Wilbert Group:
The Wilbert Group is a modern public relations and content firm based in Atlanta with a national reach. Wilbert, which launched a video unit in 2017, creates, curates and secures compelling content to tell our clients’ stories. The firm leverages a variety of communications channels – including traditional media outlets, social media and email — to effectively and consistently reach our clients’ key audiences. Wilbert is best known for its real estate practice, which has generated major results for many high-profile companies and projects across the country. Wilbert also has a track record of success with clients in other industries, including banking and professional services. For more information, visit www.thewilbertgroup.com.
