Extends firm’s food and beverage experience with addition of award-winning food and nutrition strategists and consultants
MINNEAPOLIS (June 1, 2016) – PadillaCRT and FoodMinds, LLC, an award-winning food and nutrition communications and consulting company, announced today that FoodMinds has been acquired by PadillaCRT. Collectively, PadillaCRT and FoodMinds create the third-largest food and beverage group in the country among independent agencies.
FoodMinds, headquartered in Chicago with offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., was founded in 2006 with the goal of helping food, nutrition and health clients engage in public dialogue and navigate the science, public affairs and communications landscape. The company’s clients include Nestlé, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, and Hass Avocado Board (HAB), the latter being served by both FoodMinds and PadillaCRT. FoodMinds has received numerous awards including Boutique Agency of the Year in 2013 from The Holmes Report and was a finalist for the Small Agency of the Year award from PRWeek in 2015.
“We’ve identified food and beverage as one of our agency’s major growth opportunities, and FoodMinds brings talent and expertise that is a perfect complement to our existing team,” said Lynn Casey, PadillaCRT CEO. “We’re thrilled that the FoodMinds team will be joining our 200 employee owners as we help clients build their brands and reputations.”
FoodMinds, which has 35 employees (including 14 registered dietitians), will operate as a division of PadillaCRT and will leverage the agency’s expertise and resources in creative, digital, research, branding and crisis/critical issues communications. In addition, FoodMinds will collaborate on joint assignments with PadillaCRT’s nationally recognized Food and Beverage Practice, which includes such clients as the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and Wines from Rioja (Spain). FoodMinds founders Laura Cubillos, RD, Bill Layden and Sue Pitman, MA, RD will join PadillaCRT’s leadership team as they continue to build the FoodMinds brand and presence in the marketplace.
Cubillos, Layden and Pitman said they are thrilled to have found a partner committed to helping FoodMinds embark on an important new chapter in the agency’s evolution. The two firms share similar approaches and cultures and together will bring exciting new opportunities to both clients and employees.
About PadillaCRT
PadillaCRT is a top 10 independent public relations and communications company. Its 200 employee owners use insightful strategies to help clients develop deep connections with the people who are important to their success. Its 360-degree approach uses research, branding, advertising, design, digital, social, mobile, media relations and crisis management expertise to build corporate and product brands with customers, investors, employees and communities. Clients include 3M, Barnes & Noble Education, BASF, Bayer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, GE, Hass Avocado Board, Land O’Lakes, Mayo Clinic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, the Virginia Lottery, Xcel Energy and Wines from Rioja (Spain). Brand consultancy Joe Smith and market research firm SMS Research Advisors are part of PadillaCRT. PadillaCRT is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of 111 independently owned partner offices in 140 cities on six continents. Make a connection at padillacrt.com.
About FoodMinds
Founded in 2006, Chicago-based FoodMinds, LLC (foodminds.com) is a food and nutrition communications and consulting company that is boldly transforming the way the world thinks about food, nutrition and health. FoodMinds expertly navigates science, public affairs and communications to create breakthrough strategies and help clients tell a better story. The firm has 35 employees, including 14 registered dietitians, and a global network of 40 nutrition affairs experts. Over the past year, it expanded its capabilities in Issues & Crisis Navigation, opened an office in San Francisco and continued to grow its global footprint.
The winner of the 2013 Holmes Report Boutique Agency of the Year and the 2012 Gold SABRE award in the public affairs category, FoodMinds is ranked in the top 5 U.S. independent food and beverage public relations firms by O’Dwyer’s. It was named a finalist for PRWeek’s 2015 Small Agency of the Year award and was cited by the 2014 Holmes World PR Report as one of the 10 fastest-growing U.S. PR companies.
###