Rebuild
Rebuild was a Detroit-based independent creative-strategy and digital agency serving middle-market brands across healthcare, travel & tourism, food & beverage, and economic development verticals, acquired by Hart in January 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersDetroit, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rebuild does
Rebuild was a Detroit-based independent advertising and creative-strategy agency founded in 2012 by Steve DeAngelis and Josh Gershonowicz. The firm operated from Detroit's Milwaukee Junction neighborhood and was built around a stated thesis that middle-market brands were underserved by both boutique shops and large holding-company-owned agencies. Its core offering centered on creative strategy, brand transformation, and digital expertise delivered as omnichannel brand experiences across multiple touchpoints, with no proprietary software product, platform, or technology IP disclosed.
The client base spanned four named verticals — healthcare, travel & tourism, food & beverage, and economic development — served via a professional-services, project-based engagement model with custom scopes. No public pricing, customer logos, revenue figures, funding history, or institutional ownership structure were disclosed; the firm operated as a privately held, founder-led independent agency for its entire pre-acquisition life.
On January 14, 2025, Hart — a 60-year-old, Toledo-headquartered independent brand transformation agency — acquired Rebuild, integrating its team and Detroit office into Hart's footprint. The combination brought Hart to four locations (Toledo, Columbus, Washington D.C., and Detroit) and nearly 100 professionals, with Rebuild's creative-strategy and digital capabilities positioned as additive to Hart's full-service independent communications offering. Post-acquisition, Rebuild operates as part of Hart and is no longer an independent entity.
Rebuild firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rebuild
- Legal name
- Rebuild
- Website
- https://rebuild.group
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rebuild was a Detroit-based independent creative-strategy and digital agency serving middle-market brands across healthcare, travel & tourism, food & beverage, and economic development verticals, acquired by Hart in January 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rebuild industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising & Marketing Services
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rebrand & Brand Refresh Programs (MPAAAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Rebuild is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Detroit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rebuild business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Agency Services Revenue: Rebuild generates revenue through professional agency services including creative strategy, digital marketing, and brand transformation services for mid-market clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Rebuild product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rebuild was a Detroit-based independent creative strategy agency that provided brand transformation, digital strategy, and omnichannel brand experience services to middle-market clients. The agency specialized in developing connective brand campaigns across healthcare, travel and tourism, food and beverage, and economic development verticals, operating as a full-service creative partner rather than a software or product vendor.
Product overview
Rebuild was a Detroit-based independent advertising and creative strategy agency, founded in 2012 by Steve DeAngelis and Josh Gershonowicz. The company operated as a full-service creative agency specializing in digital strategy and omnichannel brand experiences. Key industry verticals included healthcare, travel and tourism, food and beverage, and economic development. Rebuild was acquired by Hart in January 2025. Rebuild's core offerings centered on creative strategy, brand transformation, and digital expertise to deliver omnichannel experiences. No standalone product portfolio was identified; Rebuild operated as a services-based agency rather than a software product company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Strategy and Brand Transformation Services
- Digital Strategy and Omnichannel Brand Experience Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Hart expanded to four locations with nearly 100 professionals following the acquisition
Companies that use Rebuild
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rebuild technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Rebuild partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rebuild competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Publicis Groupe: Global advertising holding company whose Detroit-area agencies (including Leo Burnett Detroit) compete directly with Rebuild for mid-market brand transformation engagements. Sets the structural alternative to Rebuild's independent model.
- WPP: Global advertising holding company with significant Detroit presence (formerly Team Detroit, now VML). Competes with Rebuild for mid-market and enterprise brand transformation work, and defines the larger-scale incumbent alternative to Rebuild's independent offering.
- Omnicom Group: Global holding company with multiple agency networks (DDB, BBDO, TBWA, Goodby Silverstein) operating in Detroit and the Midwest. Represents the holding-company scale and full-service breadth that Rebuild's independent model is positioned against.
- Leo Burnett: Global creative agency network under Publicis Groupe with a Detroit office. Competes with Rebuild in the same Detroit market for similar mid-market brand work, but as part of a much larger holding-company portfolio.
Direct peers
- Anomaly: Independent creative agency with a brand-strategy and brand-transformation core, working with mid-market and challenger brands. Highly comparable on independent model and emphasis on connective, omnichannel campaign work.
- Droga5: Independent (now Accenture Song-affiliated) creative agency renowned for brand strategy and transformation work. Comparable to Rebuild on the centrality of creative strategy and omnichannel brand experience, though larger in scale.
- Wieden+Kennedy: Portland-headquartered independent creative agency known for brand strategy and campaign-led work for major brands. Comparable to Rebuild in its independent full-service positioning and emphasis on creative strategy as the core offering.
- Mother: London- and New York-based independent creative agency built around brand strategy and connective campaigns. Shares Rebuild's independent-only positioning and creative-strategy-first value proposition.
- 72andSunny: Independent creative agency with deep omnichannel and brand-experience capabilities for mid-market and large brands. Directly comparable to Rebuild on independent model, omnichannel emphasis, and brand-transformation remit.
- Doner: Detroit-based independent agency with a long-standing reputation for full-service brand work across consumer and mid-market clients. The closest geographic and structural peer to Rebuild, operating from the same city with a similar independent full-service model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Rebuild social profiles
Digital presenceRebuild compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Rebuild financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rebuild leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Rebuild funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rebuild M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rebuild
What does Rebuild do?
Rebuild was a Detroit-based independent creative strategy agency that provided brand transformation, digital strategy, and omnichannel brand experience services to middle-market clients. The agency specialized in developing connective brand campaigns across healthcare, travel and tourism, food and beverage, and economic development verticals, operating as a full-service creative partner rather than a software or product vendor.
Is Rebuild a public or private company?
Rebuild is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Rebuild founded?
Rebuild was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rebuild based?
Rebuild is headquartered in Detroit, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rebuild make money?
One revenue line is on record: agency Services Revenue.
Who are Rebuild's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Publicis Groupe, WPP, Omnicom Group and Leo Burnett. Direct peers are Anomaly, Droga5, Wieden+Kennedy, Mother, 72andSunny and Doner.
Does Rebuild have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rebuild.
What industry is Rebuild in?
Rebuild's product category is Advertising & Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAEAJ, Rebrand & Brand Refresh Programs. Its SIC code is 7311.