Charleston Orwig

What Charleston Orwig does

Charleston Orwig, Inc. is a privately held, 100% employee-owned holding company (ESOP since 2018) headquartered in Hartland, Wisconsin, operating as the Charleston Orwig Collective. It was founded in 1992 as an advertising agency and restructured into an employee-owned collective comprising two full-service marketing communications agencies: C.O.nxt, which serves purpose-driven brands in agriculture and food & beverage (branding, campaigns, crisis communications, DEI, digital media, events, public relations, social media, sustainability, video, and web design), and Jigsaw, which was acquired in March 2023 and serves healthcare, pharma, banking, higher education, service industries, rare and complex disease advocacy, tech, and tourism through strategic planning, creative execution, media innovation, and tech solutions/data cognition.

The company generates revenue through professional-services engagements — typically multi-year, project- and retainer-based agency relationships — with enterprise and mid-market clients in agriculture/food, healthcare/pharma, and financial services. There is no publicly disclosed pricing, and contracts are quote-based and tailored by scope. Distribution is primarily direct via account-based client relationships and referrals from long-tenure accounts such as Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition, supported by regional Midwest and Wisconsin visibility and Titan 100 leadership recognition.

Operationally, the firm employs approximately 50 employee-owners across its Hartland and Milwaukee offices. Technical stack includes full-stack web development, media-buying platforms, digital production, and newly built AI-powered digital tooling under a Senior Developer & AI Engineer (a role created in April 2026). The competitive position rests on vertical specialization, ESOP-driven talent retention, and 30+ years of operating history rather than proprietary technology or platform scale.

Name

Charleston Orwig

Legal name

Charleston Orwig, Inc.

Website

https://charlestonorwig.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Communications Services

NAICS

Management of Companies and Enterprises (551), Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55), Management of Companies and Enterprises (5511), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Marketing communications services
• Branding and creative services
• Public relations agency
• Social media management
• Digital media planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Marketing Communications Services: Full-service agency providing branding, campaigns & strategy, crisis communications, DEI, digital media, events, public relations, social media, sustainability, video and web design services to clients in agriculture, food, healthcare, and other industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Charleston Orwig is a 100% employee-owned holding company operating as The Charleston Orwig Collective, comprised of two full-service marketing communications agencies: C.O.nxt, focused on agriculture and food & beverage brands, and Jigsaw, focused on healthcare, pharma, service industries, and complex markets. The collective delivers branding, campaigns and strategy, crisis communications, DEI consulting, digital media, events, public relations, social media, sustainability, video production, and web design services.

Product overview

Charleston Orwig is a 100% employee-owned holding company and collective of independent marketing communications agencies. The portfolio consists of two sub-brands: C.O.nxt, a full-service agency focused on agriculture and food & beverage clients, and Jigsaw, a full-service agency serving healthcare, pharma, and complex-service industries. Both agencies operate under the Charleston Orwig Collective umbrella, sharing resources and capabilities while maintaining their distinct industry focuses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C.O.nxt: Full-service communications agency serving ambitious brands in the ag and food industries—from the seed in the ground to the steak on the plate. Expertise includes branding, campaigns & strategy, crisis comms, DEI, digital media, events, public relations, social media, sustainability, video and web design.
• Jigsaw

Products and services

• C.O.nxt Full-service marketing communications agency specializing in agriculture and food & beverage industries, serving purpose-driven brands from seed to plate. Capabilities include branding, campaigns & strategy, crisis comms, DEI, digital media, events, public relations, social media, sustainability, video, and web design.
• Jigsaw Full-service marketing communications agency serving healthcare, pharma, banking, higher education, service industries, rare and complex disease advocacy, tech, destinations and tourism, and education. Capabilities include strategic planning, creative ideation and execution, media innovation, and tech solutions and data cognition.

Quantifiable outcome

• President and CEO named to Wisconsin Titan 100 for second consecutive year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• JigsawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023C.O.nxt acquired Milwaukee-based digital-forward agency Jigsaw in March 2023. Jigsaw brings nearly 20 years of expertise in banking, healthcare, higher education, and other service industries. All Jigsaw employees joined the C.O.nxt ESOP. The acquisition diversifies C.O.nxt's business, brings expertise across different industries, and bolsters capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Carmichael Lynch: Minneapolis-based creative agency within a parent (Carmichael Lynch Relate for PR). Comparable Midwest independent creative pedigree but with larger network, broader capabilities, and full-service public relations practice similar to Jigsaw.
• HLK: St. Louis-based full-service agency with broader scale across paid media, content, and experience. Comparable full-service integrated offering but larger and more diversified than Charleston Orwig.

Direct peers

• The Marcus Thomas Company: Cleveland-based independent full-service agency with integrated creative, media, digital, and PR capabilities. Comparable independent ownership, full-service scope, and Midwestern client roster.
• Swanson Russell: Nebraska-based full-service agency specializing in agriculture, rural lifestyle, and animal health brands. Directly comparable to C.O.nxt for ag/food vertical focus, 'seed-to-plate' positioning, and Midwestern rootedness.
• Rhea + Kaiser: Naperville, IL-based independent agency with a long-standing agriculture, farming, and rural-lifestyle practice. Comparable ag-specialized full-service positioning, Midwestern base, and mid-market client mix.
• Martin Williams: Minneapolis-based independent, employee-owned (under a similar model) full-service agency serving brands in healthcare, food, and consumer categories. Closely comparable independent/employee-influenced ownership and multi-vertical Midwest positioning.
• Two by Four: Chicago-based independent creative and brand experience agency. Comparable independent Midwest independent full-service model with strong brand-building focus.
• Bader Rutter: Milwaukee-based, employee-influenced full-service B2B marketing agency with deep agriculture, animal health, and food & beverage specialization. Highly comparable geography, vertical mix, and full-service model to Charleston Orwig's C.O.nxt.
• Barkley: Kansas City-based independent agency group serving consumer, health, and purpose-driven brands. Comparable independent full-service scope and emphasis on purpose-driven brand work.
• Gatesman: Pittsburgh-headquartered independent full-service agency with deep consumer marketing and digital capabilities. Comparable independent full-service model and mid-market enterprise client mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charleston Orwig