Reitter Stucco Celebrates 100 Years of “Putting it on to Stay”

Reitter Stucco, Inc., a fourth-generation, family-run central Ohio subcontractor, turned to GREENCREST, a Columbus, Ohio full service marketing and PR firm, to create a plan to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary and share the successes and family heritage of the company, which specializes in stucco, manufactured stone, thin brick veneer and exterior insulation finish systems.

the solution

First, GREENCREST developed a historic timeline-beginning with the arrival in the United States of company founder, Austrian masonry artisan Gabriel Reitter Sr., in 1915. The timeline highlighted four generations of family leadership, awards, innovation and successes all the way through 2015. GREENCREST then created a public relations campaign and worked with several local media outlets and trade publications to revel in this rare occasion for a family business. Finally, GREENCREST pinpointed opportunities with Reitter Stucco’s associations to raise the company’s profile through trade publications and awards.

the results

Within the first couple months of the campaign, GREENCREST generated significant media coverage for Reitter Stucco, Inc. The campaign generated more than 338,000 print impressions, and 11,000 social media impressions. Coverage included:

• A cover story in Walls & Ceilings, the industry’s premier publication, prime real estate considering a full-color two-page ad in the publication costs more than $13,000
• A front-page story in Tri-Village News, a ThisWeek Community News publication
• A featured profile in Columbus Business First, including a “teaser” on the front page index
• A business feature in The Columbus Dispatch on a Sunday when the print edition circulation is at about 257,000 readers
• A feature story in Family Business magazine, a national publication, on successful transitions in multi-generational, family-owned businesses

Coverage continued throughout the year, as GREENCREST successfully nominated the company for a milestone award at the Conway Center’s Family Business Awards, which were publicized in a Business First supplement.