Crossmark
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sales and marketing services |
| Predecessor | Johnson and Hunt Merchandise Brokers, Willis Johnson & Company, W.L. Gordon Company, Phillips Brokerage Company, SalesMark, Alpha One |
| Founded | January 1, 1905 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States |
| Founder | Willis Johnson, E. Leslie Hunt |
| Headquarters | Plano, Texas , United States |
Area served | North America, Australia |
Key people | Chris Moye (CEO), Rudy Gonzalez (CFO) |
| Products | Headquarters sales support, retail merchandising, in-store data collection, event marketing initiatives, retail technology solutions, retail analytics |
| Owner | Acosta Group (since 2024) |
Number of employees | 40,000 |
| Parent | Acosta Group |
Crossmark, Inc., presented as CROSSMARK, is a company specializing in sales and marketing services within the consumer goods sector. Established in 1905 by Willis Johnson and E. Leslie Hunt in Fort Smith, Arkansas, its origins trace back to functioning as a supply hub for travelers heading to the Oklahoma Territory. The organization operates throughout North America and Australia, catering to grocery, mass merchandise, club, drugstore, convenience retail, and home improvement markets.
Crossmark provides research insights and data contributions to the Food Marketing Institute and has reported revenues reaching $1 billion with a staff of approximately 40,000. The executive team includes CEO Chris Moye and CFO Rudy Gonzalez. Since 2024, ownership of Crossmark has been under the Acosta Group.
History
Founded in 1906 under the name Johnson and Hunt Merchandise Brokers in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the company was renamed Willis Johnson & Company in 1914 and moved its headquarters to Little Rock, Arkansas.
In 1943, President Roosevelt appointed Willis Johnson Sr. to serve for two years at the National Office of Price and Administration.
The W.L. Gordon Company was created in Dallas, Texas in 1944, followed by the Phillips Brokerage Company in Birmingham, Alabama in 1953.
Willis Johnson Company began collaborating with Sam Walton in 1977 and adopted the SalesMark name in 1981.
By 1995, these entities combined along with Alpha One.
By 1997, Crossmark ranked among three companies dominating 75% of the sales and marketing services market. In 2012, based in Plano, Texas, it employed around 34,000 individuals with estimated annual revenues hitting $1 billion. In December of that year, Warburg Pincus acquired a majority ownership stake.
Mike Graen was appointed Vice President/Managing Director for Crossmark’s Center for Collaboration in Bentonville, Arkansas in October 2013; this center officially opened in July 2014.
In May 2024, Acosta Group reached an agreement to purchase Crossmark from WIS International, finalizing the deal two months later.
Sales and acquisitions
Crossmark’s service offerings include headquarters sales support, retail merchandising, collection of in-store data, event marketing initiatives, retail technology solutions, and retail analytics.
On August 6, 2013, Crossmark expanded by acquiring Marketing Werks, a Chicago-based experiential marketing agency serving diverse consumer sectors. This acquisition helped propel annual revenues close to $1 billion. Later that year in November, Crossmark purchased assets from PromoWorks, a company focused on shopper engagement.
Recognition
InformationWeek identified Crossmark as one of the most innovative users of business technology during both 2010 and 2011.