As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we take a look back at some of our favorite accomplishments – from scholarships to awards and everything in between.

Union Celebrates 20 Years in Business

Celebrating 20 years of Union – and some of our favorite accomplishments

This month, we celebrate 20 whole years of Union’s existence as a marketing and advertising agency in Charlotte. What our president Banks Wilson created at age 21 was an agency focused on web design. Since then, the agency has pivoted to a digital marketing agency and then evolved again into a creative and performance marketing agency. 
Today, Union takes on client engagements across an array of integrated services from marketing campaigns, to video production, to web design and development, to digital strategy. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve heavily invested in data and creativity to integrate those services into our digital marketing foundation,” Banks said.
But that’s not all our team has been up to over the years. Over the past 20 years of business, Union has:

Union started as a team of one entrepreneur with a design background – and has since grown into a full team of marketing experts across tactics.

Grown the team to more than 65 employees

While our focus first began on websites, we’ve expanded to take on integrated campaigns, brand videos – from animation to broadcast – and beyond across industries. We’ve worked with countless brands to elevate marketing, including a major beverage brand, NRG, Duke Energy, Volvo Trucks and Hendrick Motorsports.

Produced thousands of amazing projects and campaigns for our client partners

Working with a food &amp; beverage partner and a food delivery platform, we created ads for a variety of channels to reach consumers with the opportunity to earn gift card dollars, while supporting Florida-based restaurants.

Launched a Super Bowl sweepstakes campaign

We’re always proud to submit our client work to the American Advertising Awards hosted by AAF Charlotte. Over the years, we’ve earned at least 50 silver awards and more than a dozen gold awards. Plus, we earned the coveted Best of Show award in 2006.

Received Addy Awards regularly

In 2014, Studiobanks <a href="https://union.co/articles/we-are-union">took on</a> a new digital agency brand name, Union. It made perfect sense: as a digital agency, we work hard to unify our clients’ brands with customers, combine strategy with technology and match business goals with results.

Undergone one major rebrand

In 2018, we <a href="https://union.co/articles/press-release-leading-digital-agencies-union-and-myjive-merge">joined</a> forces with another Charlotte-based digital agency to create a new digital marketing powerhouse under the Union name.

Merged with MyJive

That same year, we opened our fourth office: a new, 16,500-square-foot office a few miles away from uptown Charlotte. The space was once the home of Biltmore Dairy’s bottling operation.

Built a new office in FreeMoreWest

For us, team bonding isn’t just about craft beers and book clubs (though we love that, too). It’s about helping out our neighbors. Some of our community service highlights include cleaning up and beautifying parks like Alexander Street Park and McGill Rose Garden, sorting food donations at Second Harvest Food Bank, and volunteering at Classroom Central and Goodwill.

Contributed to an array of community service projects

We make a point to donate to causes that matter to our teammates. Over the years, we’ve been proud to give back to nonprofits including the McColl Center, Make-A-Wish Central &amp; Western North Carolina, The Olympic High School Foundation, the American Lung Association and the Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society.

Donated to local nonprofits

Banks <a href="https://union.co/articles/banks-wilson-silver-medal-award">received</a> this award in 2021 – it was created to recognize people who have made outstanding contributions to advertising while furthering the industry's standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern.

Won AAF Charlotte’s Silver Medal Award

In 2021, Union was <a href="https://union.co/articles/best-places-to-work-in-charlotte-nc-2021">named</a> in the small company category as one of the best places to work in Charlotte, NC, for the third time.

Been named a Charlotte Observer Top Workplace for 3 consecutive years

Union <a href="https://union.co/articles/advantages-of-working-with-a-google-premier-partner">gained</a> Google Premier Partner status in 2017, meaning we’re one of the most trusted sources for PPC marketing that Google recommends to businesses.

Been recognized as a Google Premier Partner

Our agency culture is built on core values that run through our work and our time spent together: creativity, innovation, collaboration, kindness, passion and hard work. You see it at the office, and you see it out of the office (like, say, when we’re winning <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRhlxUOjfb0/">dodgeball</a> trophies).

Cultivated a strong team culture

This annual $1,000 scholarship goes to a college-bound student who is interested in pursuing a digital marketing career and has a deep passion for creativity.

Given out 7 Kelly Somey Digital Marketing Scholarships

Union continues to be <a href="https://union.co/articles/largest-agencies-2019">listed</a> among the Charlotte Business Journal’s largest advertising and marketing agencies, based on revenue and employee size.

Been named one of the largest ad agencies in Charlotte for over 10 years

Union was included in multiple Inc. 5000 lists in the past 20 years. The lists recognize the fastest-growing, privately-held companies.

Ranked among the 5,000 most successful companies in America

Union takes on select pro bono and discounted projects to support local businesses with website development and design, and more. We’ve enjoyed working with organizations like Talking Walls, Do Greater Charlotte, the JDRF, Discovery Place, Opera Carolina and McColl Center.

Taken on a range of pro bono projects

This new scholarship, launched in 2021, <a href="https://union.co/articles/unc-charlotte-graphic-design-scholarship">supports</a> current graphic design students at UNC Charlotte.

Created the E. Hudson Graphic Design Student Award

We’re still hiring! Have a friend who could be a good fit? Check out our openings <a href="https://union.co/about/careers">here</a>.

As we reflect on 20 years, we couldn’t be more excited to see what the next 20 bring.

Continued to grow

Valtech + Union is a creative &amp; performance marketing agency that creates omni-channel campaigns, unleashing creativity on a data-driven world, helping brands produce memorable, measurable and repeatable results. Obsessed with data-driven performance, we believe every marketing dollar should be viewed as an investment. Our clients expect a meaningful return and we prove the ROI of our work with quantifiable data.