LST Marketing Continues Growth with Acquisition of IMSA Partner GRand Solutions

Subtitle:New subsidiary expands communications, PR and social media services

LST Marketing, LLC has purchased a stake in GRand Solutions LLC (GRand), a longtime public relations and marketing partner of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).

LST Marketing is forming a public relations and communications business subsidiary, led by GRand Solutions founders and partners Ruthie Forbes and Gene Cottingham from LST Marketing’s Indianapolis office. They also will join LST Communications as partners alongside CEO John Lopes, President Starke Taylor, longtime utility industry executive John Herron and senior advertising executive and Chief Creative Officer Greg Smith, who leads LST Creative Services.

Indianapolis-based GRand Solutions has led public relations and marketing efforts for the IMSA-sanctioned Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin since 2012, and for the IMSA-sanctioned Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America since 2014.

“LST Marketing and GRand share similar philosophies and work cultures, and our combined skill sets form a potent force to generate results,” Cottingham said. “We look forward to continuing to work with clients such as IMSA, and teams and drivers in the IMSA paddock can expect to see even more exciting promotional and marketing programs due to the impressive assets LST Marketing offers.”

This expansion will enhance LST’s capability to provide communications services, public relations and social media strategy for its clients, as well as provide experiential marketing, event production and creative services on behalf of the existing clients of GRand.

“The timing was right for us to join forces,” Forbes said. “While there are obvious benefits for both companies, we’re most excited about the added horsepower LST Marketing will bring to our clients, such as IMSA. Everyone will benefit from the combination of our creative communications and public relations skills and LST Marketing’s strengths in marketing, creative services and events.”

This expansion will enhance LST Marketing’s capability to provide communications services, public relations and social media strategy for its clients, as well as provide experiential marketing, event production and creative services on behalf of the existing clients of GRand.

Veteran sports executives Gene Cottingham and Ruthie Forbes formed GRand Solutions in late 2010 in Indianapolis. The company has enjoyed tremendous growth through work in top-level professional motorsports with sanctioning bodies, manufacturers, event promoters, teams and drivers and also in other professional sports and entertainment properties.

“We’re ecstatic to bring the talented communications professionals of GRand Solutions to LST,” Lopes said. “We have worked with Gene and Ruthie and their staff on many complex projects, and we know first-hand how their creative, cost-effective solutions work so well for a wide array of clients. We’re proud to add those skills to the growing LST portfolio.”

Said Taylor: “The services offered by LST and GRand compliment each other so well that we quickly realized joining forces would create impactful results for existing and future clients. GRand is a perfect fit for LST since we share similar values of creative, nimble thinking to create effective, world-class programs for our clients.”

LST Marketing creates events, consumer activations and communications that help brands make connections by defining their authentic purpose, to become proactive, to innovate and live culturally relevant and commercially successful lives. LST Marketing provides custom solutions for clients participating in experiential marketing, event production, sports and entertainment. LST Marketing’s team of professionals excels at urban event operations, sponsorship activations, creative services, business-to-business sponsorship strategy, automotive retail advertising, corporate hospitality, communications, marketing research and analytics. Follow LST Marketing on Twitter at @LSTMarketing or visit www.LSTMarketing.com.