A new owner has taken over a leading Shropshire marketing agency allowing the founder to ‘retire’.
Digital marketing and web design agency, Ascendancy - based in Newport - has been sold to husband and wife team Chris and Christina Morledge.
Helen Culshaw, who launched her award-winning business in 2004 after moving to Shropshire from the South East, currently remains with the team as part of the transition period and is already enjoying seeing her team take the lead.
Helen hopes to enjoy a slower pace of life with her husband Paul but won’t be far away as the Ascendancy office and team will remain where it is - next to her own house in Newport!
Chris and Christina, who live in Nottingham, acquired Ascendancy following the successful acquisition of another agency, Copper Bay Digital based in Swansea in 2020.
Helen, who has been a familiar face at networking events across the region and has designed and developed websites for businesses all over the UK, said: “Anyone who knows me will know this has been a huge decision for me but the time was right, and most importantly, the right person wanted to buy the agency.
“Chris was very clear from the outset that the business would remain in Newport and the team would remain and it would be business as usual - all of these elements were so important for me - especially as my family members are employed!
“Chris is eager to empower the team to grow as people and to grow the business. His team at Copper Bay means there will be a shared pool of talents too so everything fitted perfectly. I wanted to find someone like me and I am sure Chris is the perfect fit.
“I have spent the last 12 months planning for this, where the A-team have been enjoying more face to face meetings and learning about the business from the first proposal stage. It has been very strange taking a back seat and I’m sure it will take a while to adjust to ‘retired’ life.
“For our clients it is very much business and the same excellent level of service will continue as usual. People will still see me running my training courses at the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.”
However, Helen and her husband Paul didn’t sit still for long and have already purchased a “semi-retirement” business which was formerly owned by a client. The duo now own an online blanket business
Chris, who is already working closely with his team, said he was looking forward to empowering the staff to grow and develop.
“I am so pleased to have acquired Ascendancy and look forward to working with the team. Helen has done a brilliant job to grow the agency to where it is today and now Christina and I look forward to focusing on the growth and elevation of the team including the front-facing role which Helen has held throughout.
“I have plans for promotion for team members and they will develop by having more say on the business. I am looking to empower the team - for me it is all about growing the team and growing the individuals within that team so they can achieve their career ambitions.
“Our other agency, Copper Bay Digital, is of a similar size as Ascendancy with 10 members of staff and has additional expertise in development, whereas Ascendancy has a stronger digital marketing team so there will be many shared opportunities between the two agencies.”
Chris said aspects of the business which particularly attracted him to acquire it after meeting Helen at a digital conference was the “fantastic apprenticeship route” which Helen established; the permanent four-day working week so the team could enjoy a better work/life balance and the career and development opportunities which had been created for the team.
Chris has already created a “Continuous Improvement Team” whereby any member of the team can volunteer to join that team which will see team members come up with ideas for the business, for their colleagues and to empower each other.
Pictured: Chris Morledge and Helen Culshaw
