Big, But Free From Holding Co.’s Clutches

Looking at 2007 earnings reports, Ad Age notes the health of the industry’s top indies—Richards Group, Doner, Wieden + Kennedy, RPA and Cramer-Krasselt in particular.

In terms of U.S. revenue, the hardest-charging independent is Chicago-based Cramer-Krasselt, which grew domestic revenue more than 16% last year to $137.2 million, thanks partly to account wins such as Porsche, Zantac and Bissell.
C-K’s revenue grew 42.3% since 2005, and if the trajectory holds, it would likely catch Richards and Doner within a few years, an oft-stated goal of the agency. Los Angeles-based RPA, the No. 4 U.S. independent, also posted double-digit revenue growth, rising 10% to $116 million.
“(Larger) independents ought to have a leg up in this environment,” said C-K CEO Peter Krivkovich. “We’re all getting to the point where you have enormous resources, so [having success] is really just a question of vision.”