SMS acquires Rickard division

Specialist Marketing Services (SMS) has acquired the fundraising list services group of Rickard List Marketing.

Rickard is shedding its fundraising list brokerages so it can focus resources on “core competencies”, according to Mark Rickard, CEO and president of Rickard. “At this point in Rickard's evolution we are making a strategic decision to disengage from the business of fundraising list brokerage,” he said in a written statement.

Donna Tarantino Murray, VP and director of fundraising list brokerage for Rickard, and her staff will now operate the same division at SMS. The new group will operate out of SMS's Happauge, NY, facility.

Lon Mandel, CEO and president of SMS, said that with this transaction SMS is “looking to augment our profile in the fundraising direct marketing community.” 

Last month, DMNews reported that SMS had acquired the list management division of Response Media.