Porta Communications : Newgate Communications deepens its integrated service offer by completing the merger of PPS Group

Newgate Communications today announced that it had completed the integration of PPS Group into the agency, with all PPS offices and teams in future operating under the Newgate brand.

The PPS Group team, led by Andy Martin and Rebecca Eatwell including founder Stephen Byfield, has moved seamlessly into the Newgate structure. The former PPS offices in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh will continue to deliver all of the services they have been famous for over the last 27 years, including local stakeholder engagement, media relations and public affairs - and these will now be integrated fully with Newgate's financial and investor communications, corporate reputation, brand communications and public affairs to help clients engage with all of their audiences.

Newgate has also announced plans to invest in bolstering its regional presence, in particular in being able to deliver corporate campaigns. At the same time it is continuing to deliver on local stakeholder engagement for the property, planning and infrastructure sectors, under the Newgate Engage brand. Announcements about new additions to the team are expected in the next few weeks and months.

Andy Martin, formerly Managing Partner of PPS Group and now Managing Partner of Newgate Engage and head of the regional offices, said: "I am delighted that we have completed the integration of PPS, all of its people and its long and successful track record and heritage, under the Newgate brand. Being able to offer the full range of communications services alongside our traditional strengths is an exciting new chapter."

Stephen Byfield, who founded PPS back in 1990 remains a partner at Newgate said "As Newgate, all the good things our clients value will continue. The name may have changed but we remain the same people offering the same services. We just have more resources and greater clout and that is good for our clients and good for our staff."

Gavin Devine, Newgate's Chief Executive, said: "Bringing PPS fully within the Newgate fold means that we can offer a unique service to the market. Clients have made it clear that they want support not only with their relationships with the City, with the national media and in Westminster and Whitehall, but also in the regions where their projects are located, their people are based, and their customers live. Our promise as a fully integrated agency is to meet that demand, and to help clients engage with audiences from the grassroots to the boardroom."Agency promise is to help clients engage with audiences from the grassroots to the boardroom.