About
Challenging the norm since 1996.
The typical client-agency relationship lasts three years—at 11 years on average, our relationships are not typical. Complex challenges excite us. Technical topics? Yes, please. When you don’t know where to start, start with Akhia.
Our origin story
Every epic story has a hero. Our first hero was Jan Gusich. Jan left the big agency world on a mission to build something better for clients. In 1996, she had a dining room table, one employee, a few clients and a core belief: Take care of the client, and the rest will take care of itself.
Akhia did things differently. People mattered. Details mattered. Integrity mattered. And that small client roster kept growing.
By 2000, the supply closet was filled with client letterhead, mailers and media kits from B2B manufacturers and makers of consumer goods. Akhia had eight employees, including PR experts, writers, designers and a bright and enthusiastic newcomer named Ben Brugler. The fax machine was hot with news releases, and we had our first tagline: Run fast but don’t miss a step.
The years went by, and we went by a few names as we evolved from PR agency to full-service agency. Akhia Public Relations became Akhia Marketing and Communications, and then Akhia Communications. The number of employees doubled, tripled and quadrupled.
Ben Brugler grew in his career too. He helped build a team with talent, firepower and a curiosity for all things manufacturing. He would keep us ahead of communications and business trends. And he would go on to become majority owner and CEO after Jan’s retirement in 2018.
Nowadays, the fax machine is quieter. Ben stopped highlighting his hair. Our home offices are anywhere and everywhere. And we simply go by Akhia—the agency that builds stronger brands from the Insight Out.
We dig deeper than most agencies, and we still run fast without missing a step. And that client-first approach? It never went out of style. It’s what makes our client relationships stick.
Say again?
Our name is pronounced “Ah-Key-Ah.” It is loosely named for a town in Greece known for creating the first ionic pillars. Since communications are the pillar of every great organization, Jan thought it would be a meaningful and memorable name. Not to mention it would show up close to the top in the phone book. Hey, it was 1996.
