ACR's co-owner branching out

As of April 30, Rosa Archibald will be in two places at once.

That's the day Archibald, one of the owners of Archibald Cowan Ringer Communications Inc. in Springfield, starts work in Kansas City with the Dodson Group. However, she will continue to be a co-owner of ACR Communications with her partners Diana Cowan and Paula Ringer.

Archibald, who is recently divorced, said she is moving to Kansas City to be the corporate communications manager for the Dodson Group, a 101-year old, family-owned insurance business.

"I had an opportunity, and I wanted to move on and make some changes in my life," Archibald said.

ACR Communications' day-to-day operations will be handled by Cowan and Ringer. "It's not going to change our company really in any way," Ringer said.

Archibald added that although she won't be working in ACR Communications' office, "in today's virtual world, the fact that I'm physically three hours up the road really doesn't matter in terms of being an owner of this company."

Archibald said ACR Communications has been her life for 16 years, and the company still is very important to her.

Ringer said Archibald's focus with ACR Communications was primarily generating new business, while the other two partners handled the accounts.

"Certainly we wish Rosa well, and we're in full support of the change that she wants to make in her life ... She feels like (making) those changes, and we want her to do what makes her happy," Ringer said.

ACR Communications was founded by Archibald and Cowan in 1986, as Archibald-Cowan Communications.

After Ringer became a part owner in the firm in 1991, her name was added to the company name.

The firm handles marketing and communications needs for local and regional clients.

SBJ Managing Editor Clarissa French contributed to this story.