Andy Stern says there’s a “family atmosphere” at Sunwest Communications Inc., the Dallas public relations firm he founded 35 years ago. Not just because Stern’s brother and son also work for Sunwest, but because the average tenure of the firm’s 16 employees is 10 years.
Retaining that family-business atmosphere was a big consideration for Stern, he says, when he decided to sell 100 percent of his company recently to Crayton Webb, a former vice president at Mary Kay Inc., for an undisclosed sum.
“Selling to some out-of-town firm would destroy that family atmosphere,” says Stern, who’s 68. “It’s a pretty close team, so I was looking for continuity—not just to ‘keep it going.’ This [sale] feels right to me.”
Stern, a former staff assistant to President Gerald R. Ford at the White House, founded Sunwest in 1982. Over the years he built a diverse client roster by leveraging his membership in groups like the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, the Dallas Assembly, and the North Dallas Chamber. He currently chairs the American Hospital Association’s Committee on Governance.
According to a spokeswoman, Sunwest generates about $3.5 million in annual revenue.
Webb, who’s 45, says, “For me, the question was, what’s next? I always wanted my own thing. Standing on the shoulders of a giant like Andy was a lot more appealing than starting something on my own.”
Sunwest’s new owner and CEO, whose background includes stints as a broadcast journalist and as chief of staff for Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, says he assured the Sunwest team, and their clients, that there wouldn’t be any changes to the firm’s name, location, or account teams. Stern will remain with Sunwest as senior counsel for at least three years.
The PR firm’s current clients include CBRE, The Catholic Foundation, Exxon Mobil, KDC, Rosewood Property Co., Velocis, and Victory Park. Among its strategic services are brand and marketing communications, community relations, corporate communications, crisis communications, media relations, and spokesperson training.
Webb, who most recently was vice president of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility at Dallas-based Mary Kay, is chairman of the men’s auxiliary for Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas, called HeROs (He Respects Others). He’s also on the boards of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.
Webb says he sees corporate social responsibility as an area of potential growth for Sunwest. “We live in a reputation economy. Consumers want to know that you’re a good corporate citizen,” he says. “A lot of companies don’t tell that story when times are good, though. And we are storytellers.”
