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The Columbia, Md.-based database marketing firm, whichu reported record growthin 2008, cut arounr 3.5 percent of its 1,000 employee work The layoffs, including 19 jobs from its Columbia and Hagerstown offices, were primarily account managersw and other employees that serve the firm’s 10 to 15 financial services clients, said Patrick Hennessy, executive vice president of in an interview Monday. The companh 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 onmarketint [spending], we’ve had to adjust to righty size.
” Merkle held town hall-style meetings with all of its employeex in its seven company officesa late Monday to communicate the he said. The company also gave letters explaininvg the reductions toimpacted employees. News of the which came down from top managerzsaround noon, caught some workers off Callie Goff, an executivs assistant with Merkle, returned from vacation Monday to lear n her boss had been let go and she woulxd also be among those laid off. “u just think of it as I went on and my vacationkept going,” said Goff in an intervieaw Monday. Merkle reported revenue in 2008of $211 million, up 17 percengt compared to 2007, according to a Jan. 28 company presas release.
Hennessy said the company opened new offices in Hagerstown andLittle Ark., last year and also moved its headquarters from Lanhakm to a 120,000-square-foot building in Columbia. The firm helpsd businesses analyze customer data to better target consumers with marketing andadvertisinf programs. The company also added about 25 new clients last year The Limited, , , OnStar, Microsofyt (NASDAQ: MSFT), (NYSE: SNY), , (NYSE: Wendy’s, and the Memorial. , , , DELL), (NASDAQ: DTV) and Chase also renewed or expander work with the firmlast year, accordinv to the January release. And to handles that new business, the firm added 108 jobs last according tocompany officials.
Some of thosd positions were impacted by thelayoffa Monday. The firm has also reduced its travel expensesz to helpshed costs, Hennessy said. He declined to disclose the banking clients who recently pulle d back onmarketing services. But while the financial service clients havecut back, he said the firm’xs pharmaceutical and retail clients could spen d more on marketing services over the next He said the firm coulfd add positions as those sectorsz of the business grow in 2009. Merkle still plands to break ground on anadjacent 70,000-square-foor building by 2012 that could house up to 350 executives said.
The company is headquarteredc ina five-story building at 7001 Columbia Gatewayh Drive. Merkle’s layoffs come amid a handfukl work force reductions at some ofthe region’sx top marketing and ad agencies. MGH trimmed eightg positions andRedhead Cos. laid off
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