On Oct 22, 2013 E.B Lane, one of the Valley’s premiere advertising and public relation firms, announced a merge with full-service digital marketing firm Terralever to form LaneTerralever. The union of LaneTerralever has allowed the agency to offer a massive range of services including advertising, digital strategy, public relations, social media, media buying and planning, and multicultural strategy.

The merger came after months of talks along with a shared vision between E.B. Lane CEO Beau Lane and Terralever founder, Chris Johnson. Beau Lane, who was named as 2013 Ad Person of the Year, maintains his role as CEO at LaneTerralever. Chris Johnson, one of AZ Business Magazine’s Forty under Forty, serves as President.

Both award-winning organizations have previously been named as one of the Best Places to Work in 2013. LaneTerralever currently continues to provide success for clients like Arizona Lottery, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Cable ONE, Time Warner Cable, Arizona Superbowl Host Committee, First Solar, National Bank of Arizona, Boots, Arizona Cardinals, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Honeywell, Meritage Homes, and more.

Arizona Foothills was able to sit down with the powerhouse leadership duo of Lane and Johnson to gain an inside perspective on the union.

AZF: How did the LaneTerralever merge come to be?

LT: Both companies were successful operations, but each of us was examining ways to strengthen our service offerings and grow more rapidly. By chance we happened to employ the same investing banking firm, Lena Dalbey at JDB Capital. Lena recognized the strong potential in a merger and played matchmaker.

AZF: How would you describe the working relationship between the leadership (i.e. Beau Lane and Chris Johnson)?

LT: The two of us met for breakfast every two weeks for six months before making the final decision to move forward with intense due diligence and ultimately, the merger transaction. During that process we found a strong personal connection, and a complete alignment in our values and business philosophies. We have different styles and skill sets that complement each other well. From the beginning we were also clearly in agreement on roles and responsibilities.

AZF: How did the leadership ensure a smooth transition for employees from both companies during the merge?

LT: Once we decided to move forward with the merger we spent several nights and weekends in joint planning sessions with our management teams. With the assistance of business strategy and human resource consultants, together we defined our values, and crafted the structure, processes and positioning of the new LaneTerralever. By the time the merger was announced we were able to hit the ground running.

AZF: What sets LaneTerralever apart from your competition now that the merge has taken place? What is different that you can offer clients?

LT: We have created an unmatched depth and breadth of marketing offerings delivered by talented professionals who enable us to compete and win on a national level. We are providing clients with a full spectrum of strategic and creative marketing services with a keen focus on ROI. The merger is a testament of two strong companies coming together with the exponential result of providing the best solutions for our clients.

AZF: How do you feel the merge has transformed the local marketplace?

LT: LaneTerralever is providing an environment for the best and brightest marketing minds to keep their skills and talents here in Arizona, and also attracting national talent to our state.

AZF: What has been the biggest success for LaneTerralever since the merge?

LT: Since the announcement of the merger last October, we have retained three Fortune 500 companies as new clients and have experienced 25% revenue growth since the merger.

AZF: What has been the largest obstacle since the merge and how has/is the company overcoming it?

LT: The biggest obstacle was operating in separate facilities for the first several months while our McDowell Road buildings were being remodeled. At the same time we were also relocating locations at our Denver office. Our Denver team is now settling into a scenic downtown high-rise, and all Arizona employees are now working from the McDowell location. Total redesign of the Phoenix offices will be completed this fall.

AZF: What is LaneTerralever doing to ensure that it retains its “Best Places to Work” title?

LT: We are staying focused on providing a supportive and positive work environment that fosters outstanding work for our clients and challenging opportunities for employees.

AZF: Describe the company culture and how it breeds success for both employees and clients.

LT: We are committed to demonstrating our Values – Unity, Boldness, Humble Confidence, Craftsmanship, Integrity, Speed with Purpose – with all of our interactions.   These values are ingrained in our culture and we believe they are the key to our success.

AZF: Where do you see LaneTerralever in the next year, 5 years, and 10 years?

LT: Our objective is to continue to grow at a steady rate and double our revenues by 2020. The ten-year plan is a work in progress but we’re confident the upward trajectory will continue into the next decade.

For more information on LaneTerralever visit www.laneterralever.com