FRESHWATER TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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BW084
Issue date: 8th June 2006
Freshwater enters health arena with CLEAR advantage
Freshwater
UK, Britain’s fastest-growing PR network, is entering
the health arena with the acquisition of one of the
leading specialists in the sector. The company, which
includes Romsey-based technology PR agency Black &
White Communications, has bought the entire issued share
capital of London-based CLEAR, a provider of PR consultancy
and media training services to a wide range of public
and private sector clients.
“Freshwater now has a presence in every major
region, a strong national training offer and specialist
credentials in a variety of sectors including health,
consumer, retail, housing and technology,” explained
Rachel Owen, managing director of Freshwater Technology
Communications whose clients include Hampshire-based
businesses Mesophotonics, Perpetuum and Compsoft.
CLEAR was founded in 1991 by John Underwood, a former
News at Ten reporter and ITN home affairs correspondent
who also served for a spell as Labour’s director
of communications. His co-director, Lesley Sargeant,
joined CLEAR in 1996 after holding senior communications
posts within the NHS and the World Health Organisation
in Geneva. Both will continue to play an integral part
in the development of CLEAR and Freshwater, with John
Underwood also joining the Freshwater group board.
“We are very excited to be joining such a fast-growing
group with a powerful vision of where it’s going,”
said Underwood, who recently coached Lord Coe and his
team before they presented London’s case for hosting
the 2012 Olympics in Signapore last July.
“We were attracted by the strategy of creating
an integrated network that combines specialist expertise,
regional connections and high quality marketing services.
We believe our clients will gain from the greater capacity
and wider range of skills that a larger group can offer,
while also continuing to benefit from the personal touch
of CLEAR’s team.”
This acquisition, Freshwater’s sixth in less than
two years, creates an enlarged group with 64 staff in
eight offices and a combined turnover of approaching
£6m, including an annualised fee income of around
£4m.
“It is an exciting time,” concludes Owen.
“Having CLEAR as part of our offering opens up
new opportunities for the group in the South.”