A familiar face from Dallas’ media community is delving into public relations with the acquisition of Sunwest Communications.

Crayton Webb, who worked as a reporter with CBS 11 between 1998 and 2001, purchased the 35-year-old firm from founder and CEO Andy Stern. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Stern launched Sunwest in 1982, and during its more than three decades of business, has grown the company to roughly 25 clients, including big names like ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), Borden Dairy Co., CBRE Group and Dallas mixed-use development Victory Park. It employs 16 workers at its offices in One Galleria Tower.

The fact that Stern has been at the helm of his firm since its founding made Sunwest an attractive acquisition for Webb. Stern will stay with Sunwest post-acquisition as senior counsel, aiding the process of Webb taking over as CEO.

“The integrity with which (Andy) has built (Sunwest) and run it is extremely attractive,” Webb added. “All six of the managing directors have been there from four to 18 years, and that’s a long run for a PR firm. That said a lot to me about how it had been run, the culture of the company, and that it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Webb isn’t new to public relations. Though his resume includes working as a TV reporter in Oregon, Idaho, Austin and Dallas, he also served as chief of staff for former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller between 2002 and 2005. In that capacity, he served as an adviser and aide to the mayor, and handled the  communications for the office.

In 2005, he was hired as a lobbyist for Mary Kay Inc., and until Sept . 13, served as the cosmetic company’s vice president of corporate communications.

Webb told the Dallas Business Journal more about his acquisition of Sunwest and his growth plans for the firm.

Why did you purchase a public relations firm instead of founding your own?

I have always wanted to own my own business. It was a lot more attractive to be able to purchase a company like Sunwest, which has been open since 1982 and had the founder at the helm for  the past 35 years, as opposed to starting from ground zero. I like to say with acquiring Andy’s company, I’m standing on the shoulder’s of giants.

What is your first order of business at Sunwest?

The first thing I started to do, even before my first day, was to get to know the team and understand their strengths and passions, and where they saw us growing. It was also to assure them that things will continue to operate as they have. We’re not changing our name or location. Our clients will have the same directors to work with as is.

What will you bring to the CEO role that’s different from how Sunwest has been lead?

I think there are a few things that are in my sweet spot. Corporate social responsibility has been a big part of my last decade of work, so one thing I hope we can do is help clients develop their corporate responsibility platforms. Sunwest is great at telling brands’ stories, but for consumers, it’s not enough to buy a great product at a great price. They want to make sure they’re working with a company that’s ethical and operating in an efficient manner .

I’ve also built relationships in the cosmetics and direct selling industries, so my hope is Sunwest has opportunities to work with companies in both of those fields.

What are your expansion plans for the firm?

Right now my job is to show our clients that we’re steady as she goes and we’ll continue to get results. My hope is to grow my services in corporate responsibility and then grow our crisis and issues management arm. We have a very strong real estate and consumer products division, and I see a lot of opportunity there, along with technology. And then, of course, we’re hoping to bring on clients in the cosmetic and direct selling businesses.

Korri Kezar, digital editor
Dallas Business Journal