Company: FKQ. The past year was a milestone one for the Clearwater-based advertising, marketing and branding firm: it celebrated 60 years in business. Robert Faller co-founded the firm in 1961 in Buffalo, New York. It added some offices across the country in the 1970s, and in 1987 Faller bought out his business partners Al Klenk and Lawlor Quinlan and moved the firm to Clearwater.
Lisa Faller, Bob’s daughter, was named CEO in 2003. FKQ now provides a range of services for clients, from data analytics and digital marketing to creative content and public relations. The company has some 100 employees, and clients include Hertz, McDonald’s, Tampa General Hospital and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. “We live by the mantra that we do whatever it takes,” Faller says. “We run like mad everyday to deliver on our client’s goals, and frankly, exceed those goals.”