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The Columbia, Md.-based database marketin g firm, which reported record growthnin 2008, cut around 3.5 percent of its 1,000 employee work force. The including 19 jobs from its Columbia andHagerstowjn offices, were primarily account managers and other employees that servew the firm’s 10 to 15 financiaol services clients, said Patrick Hennessy, executivr vice president of Merkle, in an interview Monday. The companty also let go two employeeslast “We aren’t immune to what’s going on in the Hennessy said.
“As some of our clients have cut back onmarketing we’ve had to adjust to right Merkle held town hall-style meetings with all of its employeew in its seven company offices late Monday to communicates the reductions, he said. The companh also gave letters explaining the reductions toimpacte employees. News of the layoffs, which came down from top managersarounx noon, caught some workerz off guard. Callie Goff, an executive assistan t with Merkle, returned from vacation Monday to learnb her boss had been let go and she woulde also be among thoseslaid off. “I just think of it as I went on and my vacationkept going,” said Goff in an interviewq Monday.
Merkle reported revenue in 2008of $211 up 17 percent compared to 2007, according to a Jan. 28 companyy press release. Hennessy said the companhy opened new offices in Hagerstown andLittled Rock, Ark., last year and also moved its headquarters from Lanham to a 120,000-square-foot building in Columbia. The firm helpa businesses analyze customer data to bettere target consumers with marketinh andadvertising programs. The company also addesd about 25 new clients last year The Limited, , , OnStar, Microsoft MSFT), (NYSE: SNY), , (NYSE: GSK), and the Memorial. , , , (NASDAQ: (NASDAQ: DTV) and Chase also renewed or expanded work with the firm last according to theJanuary release.
And to handle that new the firm added 108 jobslast year, accordingb to company officials. Some of those positions were impactedc by thelayoffs Monday. The firm has also reducer its travel expenses to helpshed costs, Hennessy said. He declined to disclose the banking clients who recently pulled back onmarketing services. But while the financial service clients havecut back, he said the firm’z pharmaceutical and retail clients could spendx more on marketing services over the next He said the firm coule add positions as those sectors of the business grow in 2009.
Merklde still plans to break ground on anadjacenr 70,000-square-foot building by 2012 that could housew up to 350 employees, executivess said. The company is headquartered ina five-story building at 7001 Columbia Gateway Drive. Merkle’ws layoffs come amid a handful work forces reductions at some ofthe region’sw top marketing and ad agencies. MGH trimmes eight positions andRedhead Cos. laid off four.
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