Marketects was founded in 1998 by Kerry O’Malley, a proven marketing communications professional in international, manufacturing companies. Working on the “other side of the desk,” she became frustrated over the lack of attention and level of enthusiasm she was looking for in the marketing agencies she worked with. This began the Marketects story, as Kerry set out to fill a niche where industrial companies would never feel like the last kid chosen for the team.

The company began in the traditional ad agency model, with offices and employees to fill the needs of each creative discipline. However, over several years, Kerry began to realize that there was a shift occurring. Lean manufacturing was the trend – all non-core business functions were being considered for outsourcing. The quest began to develop a virtual, industrial marketing firm that offered all of the essential services that a larger agency did; but without the overhead.

In 2008, Marketects made the final transition to a virtual business model. Through almost 25 years in the Houston industrial marketing community, Kerry had developed many relationships with freelance, creative and technical service providers who became the backbone of the Marketects’ virtual marketing firm. The “open source” business model began developing, with a heavy emphasis on recruiting what is one of the most impressive digital marketing teams in the Houston, TX area. The Marketects’ alliance partners are mainly located in the Houston, TX area so they are available to consult as a team , face to face with local Marketects’ clients.