By Scott Miller
Staff Writer

MOUNT PLEASANT -- South Carolina’s oldest advertising agency joined one of the state’s largest advertising and public relations firms in a merger effective Tuesday.

Mount Pleasant-based Advertising Service Agency, founded in 1931, said it’s dropping its name and merging with Columbia-based Chernoff Newman in a move that will bring the two companies’ total annual billings to more than $50 million.

The combined agency will have about 70 employees, including 15 from ASA, and will maintain its offices in Columbia, Charleston, Pawleys Island and Orlando, Fla.

“It’s the culmination of about 14 months of planning and due diligence,” said Peter Wertimer, ASA chairman and CEO. “They’ve already gone through the growth at our level, and now they want to take it to the next level.”

Under the deal, Wertimer and ASA President and COO Larry Jones become Chernoff shareholders and will remain in leadership roles with the company. Wertimer will become president of the advertising division and Jones the executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Financial terms were not released.

In his new role, Jones will be focused on developing new business.

"Growth is the opportunity and new business is the fuel. As we grow, it creates more opportunity for our people by providing additional responsibility. Growth also creates the opportunity for us to better serve our current clients by having additional resources to add to the process," he said.

Through the merger, the two former competitors will share expertise, including ASA’s focus on hospitality, tourism, real estate and resorts, and Chernoff’s footprint in agribusiness, technology, health care, finance and insurance.

“We also are now able to offer our current clients expertise in public relations,” Wertimer added. “Our vision is to become the best marketing-communications company for medium-sized businesses in the Southeast. Growth is the opportunity.” 

ASA was founded in 1931 by M. Bishop Alexander and remained a family-owned business until Wertimer and Jones purchased it in 2003. The company’s annual billings are about $10 million.