Butler/Till Acquires Digital Hyve, Fueling Employee Ownership Movement

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Butler/Till, a women-owned, employee-owned, results-driven marketing agency, today announced that it has acquired Digital Hyve, a digital marketing agency ranked among Adweek's 100 Fastest Growing Agencies and one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The acquisition makes the collective entity one of the largest independent marketing and media agencies in the country, diversifies Butler/Till's capabilities, and expands its reach within the small and mid-size business market and into new verticals, including retail, automotive, food and beverage, government, education, travel, tourism, and hospitality. It also strengthens the agency's commitment to 100% employee ownership, a model proven to boost productivity, retention rates, and workplace culture.

Under the terms of the agreement, Digital Hyve will retain its brand and become a wholly owned subsidiary of Butler/Till. Kimberly Jones, appointed President & CEO of Butler/Till in 2020, will serve as President & CEO of the combined agency. Also, Digital Hyve employees will join Butler/Till's Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

"Digital Hyve is a natural fit with our culture. They, too, share a passion for their people and are committed to creating a caring, compassionate workplace. Like our employees, they embrace innovation, cutting edge technology and provide top-notch client service," said Jones. "Butler/Till has been committed to continually making strategic investments to expand service offerings for our clients and strengthen a culture of agility and adaptiveness. The acquisition of Digital Hyve is an exciting opportunity for employees and clients of both organizations as we continue to usher in a new era of growth, innovation, and transformation."

Butler/Till is a certified B Corporation, one of 3,500 for-profit companies certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It remains committed to those standards and in creating a collaborative, caring corporate culture which has enabled it to grow despite numerous industry challenges.

"Digital Hyve has experienced tremendous growth because of its amazing employees. Partnering with Butler/Till and joining their ESOP rewards our crew's efforts and empowers us to work together to meet our clients' most pressing challenges and deliver game-changing results," said Jeff Knauss, Co-founder and CEO, Digital Hyve. "Butler/Till's purpose-driven approach, reflected in its engaged, award-winning culture, aligns perfectly with our core tenets of integrity and client satisfaction. Together we can deliver the specialized expertise and dedication businesses of all sizes demand."

Continued Commitment to Innovation and Growth. As Butler/Till and Digital Hyve work to integrate their businesses, they are committed to providing digitally focused and business-transforming marketing solutions to clients of all sizes and industries, developing opportunities for employees, and investing back where their headquarters are located in upstate New York communities. They will continue to operate in Rochester, Syracuse, and New York City.

In the past year, Butler/Till broke ground on its new headquarters in downtown Rochester and achieved double-digit growth. Other accomplishments and milestones include hiring 60 new employees; growing its analytics and media capabilities; impressive account wins from Greenwich Biosciences, Takeda, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Global Blood Therapeutics; and significant organic growth with existing clients, including Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Ferring, Bausch Health Companies, and Rigel. The company also won numerous awards and earned record-high employee satisfaction, reflected in its annual Employee Engagement Survey.