Sparlin Advertising closing in Springfield

In a cost cutting move, Spar-lin Advertising Associates will close its Springfield office within 30 days.

Sparlin will continue to service local accounts from the agency's Joplin headquarters, owner Mike Sparlin said.

"We had just seen an inability to generate enough of a volume of business there," Sparlin said from his Joplin office, citing a lack of new accounts to sufficiently meet the staff, equipment and building costs here.

"I think the business was there, we just didn't efficiently get out and beat the streets like we should have. The work was good and the clients were perfectly happy ... there just wasn't enough volume of it.

"It was more of an economical decision than anything."

The Springfield office at 2139 E. Primrose St., Suite E, employed nine, seven of which have since "jumped ship," Sparlin said.

"It didn't go down quite like we hoped."

Ideally, the company would have discussed relocation and consolidation op-tions with employees, Sparlin said.

"We were going to try to put together a plan that made as much sense for every person and every client. Didn't get that opportunity," he said.

Springfield-area clients, including Big Cedar Lodge, Lambert's Cafe, French's Ingredients, Central Dodge, Sunrise Communications and Great Southern Travel, make up about 25 percent of the agency's work.

Sparlin is concerned local clients, which the agency is in the process of notifying, may want a firm with closer positioning.

"We respect that," he said. "We're going to do our best to do what's right for them. If in that, they feel like they're better served elsewhere, then certainly we'll make that transition as smooth as possible."

However, the firm has already been handling Springfield clientele out of the Joplin office, the largest advertising firm in the city with 16 employees, Sparlin said.

As much as 80 percent of the agency's work comes from outside Joplin, he said, and the company will continue to make trips to Springfield several times a week.

Sparlin founded the agency in Joplin 10 years ago and acquired Perkin Marketing Services Inc. in August 2000 from Bill Perkin, now Way2Bid's chief executive officer.

"One of the reasons that they were a good match to buy the agency is because they already had some clients in Spring-field," Perkin said of the sale.

"They had been for years servicing Springfield clients out of Joplin. That's not really new to them," he added.

Perkin started the Springfield agency in 1988 and it peaked in 1997 with a staff of 17.

He said some of his original clients are still on board.

"I am sad to see it go because I had it for 12 years," he said.

Perkin, who still keeps an eye on the advertising industry, said local agencies have had a "rough year." And because Sparlin operated two offices, he said, "I'm sure it impacted them even more than some of the others."

The 3,500-square-foot Springfield office will be sub-leased by agent Teresa Schwab of Wilhoit Properties.