Asher Agency (Asher)

1974 – today

Founded: 1974, Fort Wayne. The company's own 50th-anniversary account states "Tim Borne founded Asher Agency in his hometown of Fort Wayne" and "we're proud to carry on what he started in 1974"; its ownership announcement likewise gives "founded in 1974 by Tim Borne," and the June 2024 50th-anniversary release agrees (founded by Fort Wayne native Tim Borne in 1974). Original form: "Originally established as a government relations agency, Tim grew Asher into a media and creative team working out of a Victorian house on the west side of the city" (company 50th account) — the 2024 release's broader description ("provider of marketing, advertising and public relations services" from 1974) is carried alongside, not merged with, the narrower government-relations origin. Founder-form conflict in the older press, flagged: a Whitley County profile describes the firm as "Founded by brothers Tim and Tom Borne" and its contact block says "Founded By Tim & Tom Borne" — against the company's current accounts, which credit Tim as founder and Tom as the brother who later joined to manage staff and who served as president 1988–2020. Tim Borne is named as founder; Tom's co-founder credit in that profile is not established on the sources in hand.

Founder: Tim Borne (Fort Wayne native; deceased by the company's 2024 account — "We miss Tim" / "his late brother" in the anniversary release, Tom speaking of him). Brother Tom Borne joined subsequently; president 1988–2020 (2024 release).

What it did: A full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency — media planning, design, copywriting, creative production, public relations, social media and website development (2024 release service list), grown out of the government-relations start.

Course: Significant growth over the subsequent decades serving clients nationwide; growth through acquisition of an agency in Charleston, West Virginia, and re-establishment of an Indianapolis office (company 50th account; dates for those two steps are not established on the sources in hand — no years are stated for them). Headquarters building in the record is 535 W. Wayne St., Fort Wayne (Whitley County profile). In 2014 Eastport Holding (the company's own text says "Eastport Holding"; the name also appears as "Eastport Holdings, Memphis") purchased the agency from Tim and Tom Borne (company ownership announcement). Greater Fort Wayne Inc. named Asher its 2023 Small Business of the Year (award criteria in that announcement: Allen County, 50 or fewer full-time employees, under $5 million 2022 revenue, independently owned — printed as eligibility criteria, not as Asher's audited figures).

Fate: Still operating, returned to local independent ownership. On 1 July 2022 President Kara Kelley and CFO Megan Bennett purchased Asher from Eastport, with Ash Crest Corp. as minority equity investor/advisor, making it a woman-owned, completely local, independently operated business (company announcement, 20 July 2022); it became an Indiana Women's Business Enterprise in 2023 (2024 release). At its 50th anniversary in July 2024 Asher described itself as the second-oldest agency in Indiana, with more than 40 employees and 100+ clients throughout the U.S. (the company's later 50th blog account gives a team of 45), headquartered in Fort Wayne with offices in Indianapolis, Charleston, WV and Washington, DC.

Sources:

1. Asher Agency, "Rivers and Roads — Celebrating 50 Years of Asher Agency," 12 June 2024 (Tim Borne founded Asher in Fort Wayne in 1974; originally a government relations agency; Victorian house on the west side; Tom joined later; Charleston acquisition and Indianapolis re-establishment, undated; team of 45; July 2022 return to independent women ownership) — https://asheragency.com/rivers-and-roads/
2. Asher Agency, "Changes Lay Groundwork for Continued Success," 20 July 2022 (purchased 1 July 2022 by Kara Kelley and Megan Bennett; Ash Crest Corp. minority investor; founded 1974 by Tim Borne; Eastport purchased it from Tim and Tom Borne in 2014; Fort Wayne HQ plus Indianapolis, Charleston and Washington, DC offices retained) — https://asheragency.com/a-new-day-for-asher-new-changes-lay-groundwork-for-continued-success/
3. Asher Agency 50th-anniversary release, 3 June 2024, via West Virginia Executive (founded 1974 by Fort Wayne native Tim Borne; second-oldest agency in Indiana; 40+ employees, 100+ clients; Tom Borne president 1988–2020; Indiana Women's Business Enterprise 2023; July 2024 anniversary) — https://wvexecutive.com/asher-agency-celebrates-50th-anniversary/
4. Greater Fort Wayne Inc., 9 June 2023 (Asher Agency named 2023 Small Business of the Year; eligibility criteria as printed) — https://www.greaterfortwayneinc.com/news/asher-agency-blue-jacket-round-out-gfw-inc-annual-award-winners/
5. Whitley County / Post & Mail profile (the conflicting "founded by brothers Tim and Tom Borne" form and the 535 W. Wayne St. address — carried for the conflict and the address only) — https://www.inwhitleycounty.com/area-business-leaders-give-back-to-the-community-tim-tom-borne-consistent-in-charitable-donations/article_1742e608-b28c-5c24-8fae-a559f2867e29.html