From a press release issued by Russell & Herder:

ADVERTISING AGENCY RUSSELL & HERDER BUCKS ECONOMY, EXPANDS MARINE & RECREATION GROUP

Agency Opens Sarasota, Fla., Office, Wins New Clients and Adds Staff, Including Senior Executive from Harley-Davidson

Employing a new business model, advertising and public relations agency Russell & Herder has expanded its Marine & Recreation Group. The agency has added several new clients and hired a senior executive from Harley-Davidson Motor Company to manage the growing group. In addition, Russell & Herder is opening a new office in Sarasota, Fla., that will play a key role in the continued growth of the Marine & Recreation Group.

“With a business model aimed at maximizing return on investment, we’ve been able to accomplish extraordinary things for our marine and recreation clients,” said Brian Herder, principal and executive creative director at Russell & Herder. “Clients are praising our work and ability to influence their bottom line. For example, we recently saved a client more than $250,000 on a catalog production project. It’s that kind of measurable success that has fueled the growth of the group and our agency.”

Recent Hires to Marine & Recreation Group

To keep up with the continued growth of the Marine & Recreation Group-and to expand the expertise and capabilities within the group-Russell & Herder recently hired industry veteran and senior executive Joe Hice, APR.

Responsible for managing the agency’s growing Marine & Recreation Group, Hice comes to Russell & Herder from Harley-Davidson Motor Company, where he served as director of corporate communications.

Hice has more than 20 years of executive management experience in the marine and recreational products industries. Prior to joining Harley-Davidson, he served as director of communications for the Marine Group of Bombardier, Inc., and as director of communications for Wellcraft Marine and Donzi Marine. He was also a vice president for Hill & Knowlton and a partner in the Tampa-based communications agency, Roberts & Hice, Inc. (currently Roberts Communications). In addition, Hice was business editor of the Tampa Times newspaper and a staff writer for Florida Trend Magazine and Tampa Bay Business Journal.

“We’re thrilled to bring in a proven industry veteran to manage our Marine & Recreation Group,” said Herder. “Hice’s wealth of experience and credentials are well-known and our clients are going to benefit tremendously from his skills and talents.”

As vice president of Russell & Herder’s Marine & Recreation Group, Hice will provide clients with strategic planning, market development and advertising and public relations services.