Thomas comes through for Perkins.

• Author: GRAHAM, SANDY
• Position: The story behind the founding of ad agency Thomas & Perkins Inc. - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included - Company Profile

The sign on the door reads "Thomas & Perkins Inc.," but don't expect to find anyone named Perkins holding strategy sessions in the bustling Denver advertising agency.

In fact, no Perkins ever masterminded a campaign or even penned advertising copy here. Manilla Perkins, the great-aunt of founder Bryan Thomas' wife, wrote a blank check so Thomas could go into business in 1984. When Perkins, a retired schoolteacher, died four months later, Thomas decided that putting her name on the door would be a fitting tribute to her "total faith in me," says the soft-spoken advertising executive.

Manilla Perkins' confidence was well-placed: Her $3,500 stake allowed Thomas to buy a second-hand desk and rent a cubbyhole office in Larimer Square. Today, Thomas & Perkins has grown to the state's largest locally owned advertising agency.

In March, the firm's 120 employees moved into LoDo's 94-year-old Sugar Building, which the agency bought and renovated for $14 million. Thomas & Perkins' capitalized billings will reach $83 million this year, and Thomas expects billings to roughly double in the next three.

"What's made the difference for this agency is the type of people we brought in," says Thomas, who owns the firm with partners Herb Allison and David Schiedt. He follows the advice of advertising pioneer David Ogilvie (of Ogilvie & Mather) to "always hire people better than yourself."

The growth of the firm hasn't been without setbacks.

In 1998, Thomas & Perkins lost two of its anchor accounts, Public Service Company of Colorado -- the agency's first "big fish," landed in 1988 -- and The Denver Post. Some employees were laid off; others left. Thomas refers to that time as the agency's "character-building phase."

It regrouped and refocused. It targeted more national accounts so that its current client list is split about 50-50 between local and national names. In the past year, it has added Cellular One, Wild Oats Markets and Telluride ski resort.

Like other agencies, Thomas & Perkins has expanded client services in recent years to include direct marketing, interactive technologies, and sales promotion. It recently re-dedicated itself to public relations by bringing aboard Mark Severts, a former Public Service PR executive, as a vice president.

Through it all, Thomas & Perkins has maintained a "can do" attitude. "If you tell us we can't do...