Dieringer Buys Probe Research Services

In Wisconsin, US, full service agency The Dieringer Research Group (The DRG) has acquired Milwaukee-based Probe Research Services from owners Eric Olsen and Liz Germanotta, as they prepare for retirement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Before setting up the company in 1985, Olsen worked at Dun & Bradstreet, ABC Outdoor Advertising and WPS Health Insurance; while Germanotta was Director of Marketing at Continental Savings Bank (now Westbury Bank). Probe uses a number of qual and quant techniques, as well as data analysis technology, for a wide range of applications such as ad copy concept testing, brand and brand equity studies, competitive analysis, and new product testing and development.

The firm works with clients across an array of sectors, including financial services and healthcare, and The DRG says the buy will help it broaden its client base in these industries. Says Olsen: 'As we near retirement, we wanted to find a company we could trust with our clients. We have known and respected The DRG for a long time and are confident they will provide the same level of service and consulting we have been providing our clients for over 30 years'.

The DRG President and CEO Lanie Johnson adds: 'We are excited about this acquisition and the growth it brings to our company as well as the depth to our core industries. We look forward to continuing the relationships Probe Research has cultivated and building on them with the additional services we offer'.

Web sites: www.thedrg.com and www.proberesearchservices.com .