ERM acquires communications agency Shelton Group
As ERM looks to strengthen its marketing and communications offering, the UK firm has acquired Shelton Group, a Knoxville-based comms firm. The deal aims to boost ERM’s ability to provide clients with integrated solutions across the spectrum of their sustainability needs.
Commenting on the news, Gerard Spans, chief innovation officer at ERM said, “Shelton Group has been a pioneer of sustainability marketing and communications, and we’re delighted that ERM and our clients around the world will now benefit from their wealth of expertise in brand storytelling.”
ERM is a multifaceted professional services firm, helping clients to boost their sustainability across multiple fronts. The London-headquartered environmental, health, and safety (EHS) consultancy delivers services across EHS management and compliance, capital project delivery, corporate sustainability and climate change, and low-carbon economy transition, among other areas.
Over the past decade, ERM has been expanding at pace, accelerated by a buy-and-build strategy that saw over 20 acquisitions join its ranks since 2010. The firm now boasts a global team of more than 7,000 experts in over 170 offices across 39 countries, making it one of the largest independent sustainability consultancies.
The latest deal in the firm’s sustained acquisition campaign responds to mounting demand from clients, looking to more effectively communicate their sustainability commitments and progress to all their key stakeholders, from customers to employees.
Shelton Group is a marketing and communications agency focused on sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). They deliver data and research, results-oriented marketing campaigns, compelling stories, and user-friendly designs to help companies gain a market advantage as they work to build a more sustainable future.
Shelton Group has more than 50 employees, according to LinkedIn. They will join ERM’s change & transformation team, where they will provide brand positioning, marketing strategy, communications planning, ESG reporting, and campaign delivery services.
“I am excited about joining ERM as a Partner and leading the next phase of Shelton Group’s evolution,” said Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of Shelton Group. “By combining Shelton Group’s sustainability marketing and communication capabilities with ERM’s deep technical subject matter expertise, we will offer a greater depth of service that supports clients with the challenge of communicating their sustainability stories in a clear and compelling way.”