Meyer & Wallis acquires Freight Train; Assisted Living Concepts to buy 9 senior homes
Meyer & Wallis acquires Freight Train
The integrated marketing firm Meyer & Wallis is acquiring the Freight Train agency of Milwaukee.
Meyer & Wallis chief executive officer and president Chris Mortenson has made significant changes at the agency this year, including promoting women to partners, landing major new business and boosting the agency’s digital capabilities.
With offices in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, Meyer & Wallis has swiftly transitioned itself from a traditional advertising agency to a “progressive communications champion.”
The company has added Shannon Safar as chief operations officer and Susan Spaight as chief strategy officer.
Founded in 2006 by partners and Meyer & Wallis alums Brett and Lisa Liljegren,
Freight Train consistently gained regional and national exposure for its clients by using unique events and social media.
“While we’re focused on organic growth, the opportunity to welcome back former Meyer & Wallis alums Brett and Lisa Liljegren and add their creative force to ours is something that we couldn’t pass up. Freight Train’s non-traditional approach to marketing represents the future of our industry,” Mortenson said.
Brett Liljegren said, “Prior to Freight Train, my best agency experience by far was with Meyer & Wallis. They demonstrate respect, attention and due-diligence with everyone who comes into contact with the agency – whether it’s employees, clients or vendors. When Lisa and I imagined Freight Train, we made sure to instill the same values and
practices.”
All Freight Train employees have been invited to join the Meyer & Wallis team in Milwaukee, starting today. The merged agency will operate at 731 N. Jackson St.
Assisted Living Concepts to buy 9 senior homes
Menomonee Falls-based Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire nine senior living residences from HCP Inc.
The purchase price is $27.5 million, plus certain transaction costs. The nine residences, two of which are located in New Jersey and seven in Texas, contain a total of 365 units.
The nine residences are currently leased and operated by ALC under leases expiring between 2010 and 2012. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close on or around Oct. 31.
Occupancy of the nine residences is currently 60 percent.
"We are pleased to have reached agreement with HCP to purchase these properties," said Laurie Bebo, president and chief executive officer of Assisted Living Concepts. "In addition to upside opportunities in the existing portfolio, the better performing properties have excess land that may provide good expansion opportunities in the future. After this transaction is completed, we will own 161 of our properties or 76 percent of our total residences."
