Plano-based Aardvark Communications and Colleyville-based Miller Public Relations have merged. The two companies, which will operate as Aardvark Communications, had been engaged in merger discussions for several months, said Aardvark Chairman David Alvey. CEO d.

“Over the past 30 years, Aardvark Communications has enjoyed great success in marketing and public relations,” said Alvey. “With advances in technology, the industry continues to change and evolve. We explored the possibilities of adding services for our customers. The timing of this opportunity was perfect for both entities. We are excited about the expanded creative services, digital marketing and social media expertise that our new team members bring to our agency. »

Aardvark’s customers include dealerships Park Place, Sundance Square, Susser Bank, Northwestern Mutual, etc. Miller Public Relations primarily focused on the medical and wellness communities, including the Mann Eye Institute, Carter Eye Center in Dallas, and Collins Vision in Naples-Fort Myers.

Miller Public Relations founder Cyndi Miller will serve as a consultant for Aardvark Communications. Following the merger, Aardvark will welcome 11 employees. For the time being, the companies will continue to operate from their respective headquarters, but Alvey says the two offices will eventually consolidate. The terms of the contract are not disclosed.

“Our agencies were built on very similar principles,” Alvey said. “Our customer base is very diverse and the merger provides us with many new services that will benefit all of our customers. When we met the MPR team, we knew this was going to be a good fit for everyone. They are all extremely talented with rich experience.

California-based TOCA Football has become the largest operator of indoor football facilities in the United States, following the acquisition of four Blue Sky Sports Centers in North Texas. The acquisition follows TOCA’s announcement of plans to bring its competitive and gaming entertainment complex, TOCA Social, to the Dallas Design District in 2023.

The four newly acquired Blue Sky Sports Centers in Allen, Carrollton, Keller and The Colony range in size from 39,000 to 55,000 square feet. TOCA plans to introduce its proprietary coaching technology to every facility and implement a new TOCA Strikers program that introduces young children to football.

The company plans to acquire 20 additional football centers in major US markets by the end of 2022 and open three TOCA Social entertainment sites in 2023, in Dallas; Birmingham, England; and Edinburgh, Scotland.

“Dallas has a strong football and entertainment culture, and we are committed to building lasting relationships in this community,” said Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of TOCA Football. “Becoming the largest indoor soccer facility operator in North America is a big step, but TOCA has a bigger mission to inspire everyone to play the beautiful game and to be an integral and indispensable part of global soccer. .”

Genesis Women’s Shelter will have a new daycare

National advertising services company January Digital donated $100,000 to build the January Daycare Center at Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support in Dallas as part of January’s Good Works program, which combines donations, volunteerism and long-term support for have an impact on the community. To date, the company has donated over $250,000.

The daycare will be part of the Genesis Children’s Trauma Counseling Center, a new facility slated to open in 2023. The daycare will provide children who have experienced abuse with a safe environment, where January Digital employees can also volunteer. The facility will offer childcare specialists and January Digital volunteers a program that includes one-on-one counselling, parent-child attachment therapy, and a portfolio of child-specific therapy options.

“We see this holistic approach as the future of corporate gifting,” said Jan Langbein, CEO of Genesis Women’s Shelter. “Having long-term partners who develop a program that includes building infrastructure to support financial donations and volunteer hours provides a more meaningful impact, not only for our donors but, more importantly, for our customers.”

Michigan Spark Marketing Agency Expands to Texas

Founded in 2017 as Dreaming Out Loud, marketing agency Spark, which changed its name this year, launched operations in North Texas. The agency, which specializes in brand consulting, video production and digital marketing, has a mission to “create prosperity through generosity”.

“DFW is unique for Spark because it is a growing market and with overall family-oriented values. I think the kind of messaging and storytelling my company is developing for brands will be a great fit in this space,” said Founder and CEO Mukwenda Kandole.

The company currently serves 14 clients and has previously worked with brands such as Fox, TBN, Keller Williams and 1DayLA. Under Spark’s leadership, Michigan-based Schoenherr Roofing, a Spark customer, increased annual revenue from $2 million to $6 million and “increased phone calls by 329 in 12 months with a significant increase in agreements made,” Kandole said. CEO d.

In 2022, Kandole says it has more customers in the pipeline and expects to grow revenue “by at least 75-100% over last year.” Texas is the second state in which the company has expanded.

Fort Worth-based Elevate Launches New Online Credit Scoring Platform

After analyzing 12 million TransUnion credit reports, Fort Worth-based Elevate has launched a new online platform that helps consumers learn more about financial well-being and credit scores. The website is designed for those with a credit score below 700.

“This is a website for people who have struggled in the past, and it’s designed to give people a path forward,” said Jonathan Walker, executive director of the Elevate Center for the New Middle Class. “We hope many people will find it a constructive place to give them suggestions on how to grow and learn more about how they work with money and improve their lives.”

The new platform includes three new tools. The Money Mindfulness tool allows users to answer questions to provide a unique report on their values ​​and offers financial suggestions based on the report. The Road to Results tool allows people to see other people’s anonymized credit reports over time, providing examples of how those people have improved their credit scores. Finally, the Score40 tool allows people to answer questions about their credit score to advise them on ways to improve their credit score by 40 points.

“That 40 points is really important because if you can move your credit score 40 points, you immediately move into a better credit bracket,” Walker said.

Some other aspects of the website are the Knowledge Center, which includes resources relevant to users, and Financial Solutions, which includes credit score resources.