Our Story in the making...
Falk Harrison has helped craft hundreds of stories for our corporate clients in the form of the annual report. Mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, restructurings are melded with hours spent collaborating with great people in boardrooms, photography studios, and on press room floors. You can think of this as two “c-level” conversations at play – corporate AND creative. Uniting a seemingly formulaic report of operations is much more than paragraphs, charts, and graphs – true accomplishments are duly noted, a strategy is unveiled, and financial performance is reported with context. There is an art that binds the annual report into a document that delights shareholders, analysts, and employees alike. We love the process – and the product.
Our passion for developing Annual Reports spans many years. Challenging? Sometimes. Rewarding? Always. Looking back, we’ve worked with some great companies ... and we’ve made some great friends. Collectively, we’ve partnered to create wonderful reports – and the stories behind our journey together are delightful reminders of the fun we have along the way.
Happy Holidays The holidays were always something to work around since they were right in the middle of producing year-end books. While the break was nice, it was made even better by getting a “thank-you” holiday gift from the client. Industry-related gifts are forever treasured – unless it was from Brown-Forman – those were treasured just a wee bit faster.
Not so fast A quick flight to Kansas City, and an even quicker drive to the Sprint corporate campus, sometimes took longer than expected. “Is 78 in a 55 a problem, Officer?” At least we could use the latest in telecommunication technology – the Sprint flip phone – and tell them that we were running a little late.
Ol’ Lonely Countless trips were made to Newton, Iowa, for Maytag. Here, Ol’ Lonely and “his apprentice” were doing a new product introduction. Time was always scheduled to stop by the Maytag Dairy Farm and pick up a big bag of their blue cheese on the way back to the airport. Before the TSA existed, it was a sure-fire ticket to an empty seat next to ours on the plane.
Food for Thought Always a welcome sight—a friendly face when we are on the road—our neighborhood hangout between client appointments and the next flight. A great place to meet, experience the brand and discuss themes, concepts and photography for their next annual report. And eat. Riblets. Lots of riblets.
J&A’s anyone? Just around the corner from the office was an oasis of “fine” food and lunchtime respite. Arriving early was required to score an outdoor picnic table next to the horseshoe pit. Their chicken sandwich was exceptionally grilled, everything else was deliciously fried. Multi-tasking skills were honed while eating with one hand, and pitching shoes with the other. If you’re in the neighborhood, they’re a must-try.
Wieners The unexpected is always the expected in the creative world. A visit from an American icon on wheels — the Wienermobile — was a treat. We wonder where this thing is today – or how many accidents it has caused on the highways. That’s some of our 1990’s staff, their mustaches, and our offices in the background.
Let’s create the next great story together. After 45 years, you’d think that we’ve “been there, done that” applies to the next project. But, in reality, each client and each year brings a new story to be told. Always better than the last.
45 Years of Annual Reports
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. 2004
FBL Financial Group, Inc. 2001
Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated 2012
Argosy Gaming Company 2003
Maytag Corporation 2004
Monsanto Company 1995
Covanta Holding Corporation 2015
Dollar General 2009
Energizer Holdings, Inc. 2007
UniGroup, Inc. 2011
Post Holdings, Inc. 2012
FBL Financial Group, Inc. 2003
Arch Coal, Inc. 2008
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation 2012
Edgewell Personal Care 2015
Belden, Inc. 2011
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. 2003
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. 2013
Inergy L.P. and Inergy Midstream, L.P. 2012
Bi-State Development 2016
Graybar Electric Company, Inc. 2011
Brown-Forman 2010
Crestwood Equity Partners, L.P. and Crestwood Midstream Partners L.P. 2013
Sprint Corporation 2000
Energizer Holdings, Inc. 2007
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. 2005
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. 2013
Falcon Products, Inc. 2003
Post Holdings, Inc. 2015
Applebee’s International, Inc. 2002
FBL Financial Group, Inc. 2001
Commerce Bancshares, Inc. 2005
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation 2013
Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. 2010
Arch Coal, Inc. 2010
Maytag Corporation 1998
Energizer Holdings, Inc. 2015
Bi-State Development Agency 2013
Argosy Gaming Company 2002
Brown-Forman 2005
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. 2006
Great Plains Energy Incorporated 2015
Arch Coal, Inc. 2012
UniGroup, Inc. 2010
Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. 2005
Webster University 2013
Sprint Corporation 1999
Maytag Corporation 1999
FalkHarrison
In a world of constant change, our team of passionate strategists, designers and developers bring unparalleled depth of experience to the table to help our clients create award-winning branding, design and digital experiences. For 45 years, we have helped leading businesses and organizations connect with audiences by crafting their strategic story.
What’s your great story?
falkharrison.com (314) 531-1410