19960902
LANGDON SELLS STAKE TO KETCHUM
September 2, 1996
Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. [OMC], last month acquired a stake in its Canadian affiliate, Langdon Starr, Toronto.
One of Canada's largest independent firms, Langdon Starr was founded in 1987 and currently has a staff of 16. The move gives Ketchum its first owned presence in Canada, although it will not add its name to the Langdon operation at this time.
James Donnelly, manager-international development at Ketchum, said there currently are no plans to purchase the firm outright, although "that is the pattern." He acknowledged that Ketchum, like many other large firms, first acquires a minority stake in firms before buying the complete business. (Ketchum, 212/878-4616; Langdon, 416/480-0533)