Inside Adams’ Largest Expansion in 40+ Years

An Interview with Adams Outdoor’s Rich Zecchino and Theresa Mitchell

Businesses targeting drivers between Columbus and Pittsburgh DMAs have a new advertising partner. On July 31, Adams Outdoor Advertising closed dual acquisitions of Barnes Advertising Corp. and Oliver Outdoor, bringing the billboard advertising company into the Ohio Valley region. The two acquisitions add billboard inventory throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania to the Adams Outdoor footprint, folding 1,000+ billboard structures into a single operation under the Adams Outdoor umbrella. It’s the largest expansion in Adams’ 43-year history.

But the acquisitions alone aren’t the entire story for Ohio and Pennsylvania billboard advertisers. We sat down with Adams Outdoor staff, Rich Zecchino and Theresa Mitchell, who played key roles in advancing this new Adams Outdoor billboard advertising market. 

Rich Zecchino is Adams Outdoor’s Chief Legal Officer and VP of Real Estate & Operations. He led both transactions from term sheet to close and knows these deals inside and out.



Theresa Mitchell is the General Manager of the new Adams Outdoor Ohio Valley market. She’s the one now running day-to-day operations out of Zanesville, Ohio and working directly with customers and the regional teams. Theresa moves into this position after five years as Sales Manager for Adams Outdoor’s Ann Arbor – Detroit billboard market. Theresa holds 20+ years of advertising experience in the Midwest, following six years in the United States Air Force where she earned the Meritorious Service During Wartime Medal for her service.



Here’s what they had to say about the acquisitions, the market, and what local customers and businesses can expect.



Rich, let’s start with the scope. How big is this expansion for Adams Outdoor?



Rich: It’s the largest single expansion we’ve ever done. Two acquisitions closing on the same day, Barnes and Oliver’s Ohio and Pennsylvania inventory. Together, they add 1,040 structures to the Adams footprint. That’s 72 digital displays, 968 static bulletins and posters, all rolled into one regional market.



To put that in context, Adams was already the nation’s fourth-largest out-of-home company. This deal brings us to more than 12,000 billboard faces across 14 states. We have a strong Midwest footprint and strong mid-Atlantic operations, and this inventory nestled across the Ohio Valley River Basin creates a bridge allowing us to offer even more comprehensive coverage for our customers.



What was the process like working through this with Barnes and Oliver?



Rich: Collaborative, more than anything. Each company was represented by a broker in this process—Barnes was represented by Marty Williamson and Amber Williamson Galunas from Williamson & Associates, and Oliver was represented by Max Drachman from Drachman M&A, Co—I can’t thank them enough for their persistence, patience, partnership throughout this process. And I want to personally thank the owners of Barnes, MaryJane and John, and the owners of Oliver, Jerry and Jaymie, for the trust they placed in us. All of this doesn’t happen without good-faith partners on the other side of the table.





When you’re going through an acquisition — or two, you’re really acquiring decades of relationships and hard work that someone else built. Both Barnes and Oliver had spent years earning the trust of their respective customers and communities, so this was never about coming in and flipping a switch. It was about understanding what they’d built and making sure we protected it as we built the new Adams market. The goal was to get to the close with everyone feeling good about where this was headed, not just the paperwork signed. In my opinion, we did that.



A deal this size takes a village. How did the Adams Outdoor team take on this project?



Rich: Honestly? It’s the part I’m proudest of. You don’t close two companies in two states on the same day without a lot of people doing careful, diligent work for months on end. Legal, real estate, operations, finance, the market teams. The team went the extra mile here and earned this one, plain and simple. 



Let’s talk to businesses directly. What’s the appeal of Ohio Valley billboards for a business looking to advertise?



Theresa:
 These are really great markets – fast growth, exciting industrial and economic development on the horizon, major traffic-heavy corridors connecting all of it. Looking into these counties, you’ve got a lot of new people with fresh spending power, forming their buying habits right now.

Everything funnels through a few unavoidable interstate pathways, like the I-70/I-77 interchange near Cambridge – I believe the count is over 90,000 vehicles passing through there daily. There’s no way around it, so the same commuters, tourists, and freight drivers pass the same billboards day after day. That repetition is what builds loyal customers.

Then, Western PA rounds it out. That inventory reaches across the wider Pittsburgh DMA, anchored north and east of the city in towns like Butler, Kittanning, and New Castle, right where a lot of the growth is landing. Put it together and a brand can run digital and static billboards across the whole Columbus-to-Pittsburgh corridor.



How are you approaching your leadership in this market?




Theresa: My first priority is the people. We’re gaining new team members from the local staff, people who know these roads, these markets, and I’m excited to dive further into the work with these exceptional teams. The passion the staff has for the area and the business is awe-inspiring. Look at Barnes Advertising who has been a family-owned business since 1916. It’s an honor to carry on the next chapter of that legacy.



My job is to back both our new employees and clients with Adams’ full team, technology, and scale to get them integrated and welcomed into the company. 



Last one for you, Theresa. For a current Barnes or Oliver customer, what does the transition actually look like?



Theresa: Probably quieter than most people expect – that’s our plan. Working with Barnes and with Oliver, we found an excellent synergy in our shared company philosophies. Both outdoor operators put a great deal of emphasis on building trusting client relationships. That’s something we greatly prioritize and will continue to push at Adams. 



Our team has been working hard to bring everything together behind the scenes, and we’re excited to talk with each existing relationship to manage that going forward. There will be familiar faces. You’ll see people you already know while we’ll be welcoming in some new staff.



If you’ve been advertising with either company, the simplest next step is to ask your rep what’s now available across the full network. We’re excited to support our clients with a bigger bench and the services and support we’re proud of here at Adams. We can connect you with our in-house team of billboard designers, our programmatic digital out-of-home strategy team, and long-tenured staff for your billboard advertising strategy.

Adams Outdoor CEO, Kevin Jones put it this way when the deals closed:

“This is a transformational milestone for Adams Outdoor Advertising. These acquisitions mark the largest expansion in our company’s history and an exciting new chapter for Adams. Together, they strengthen our presence across one of the Midwest’s most important growth regions while creating a seamless connection between our established Midwest markets and our operations throughout Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. Most importantly, we’re honored to welcome the talented employees, valued customer relationships, and communities served by both organizations into the Adams family. We look forward to building on their success while delivering the exceptional service, innovation, and investment our customers have come to expect from Adams.”



The Takeaways for Ohio and Pennsylvania Billboard Advertisers:



• You can now buy the whole Ohio Valley corridor through one partner. Columbus to Zanesville to Pittsburgh DMA and into Western PA are now one network, one partner, connected to the full scope of Adams Outdoor billboard advertising markets.
  
• The Ohio Valley to Western PA market is growing and primed for outdoor advertising. Billions in new tech, tourism, and energy investment are reshaping the Ohio Valley, while the Pittsburgh DMA just posted its strongest year for business investment in over a decade, all of it moving along the interstate corridors where Adams Outdoor now has inventory standing.
  
• Welcome to Adams Outdoor! If you’re an existing Ohio Valley billboard advertiser, you’re now part of the nation’s fourth largest out-of-home company, with an expanded local team and national billboard support. Adams will run the market out of the former Barnes Advertising Corp. headquarters at 1580 Fairview Road in Zanesville, so the local presence stays genuinely local.



Want to find available billboard inventory between Ohio and Pennsylvania?