With its recent acquisition of a u.s. agency, Envoy Communications says its plan to take its made-in-Canada brand of integrated marketing communications global is on track.

Envoy, the publicly traded parent of The Communiqué Group of Toronto, has purchased New York-based Hampel Stefanides, which also has an office in San Francisco.

The deal is expected to increase Envoy’s total annual billings by $150 million and to bring annual revenues to an estimated $37 million.

Geoff Genovese, president and ceo of Envoy and Communiqué, says the long-term plan is to build the company’s presence in the u.s. through 1999 and then in 2000, acquire an agency in the u.k.

He says there will be no name change for the u.s. agency but Hampel Stefanides and Communiqué will be connected through the branding line, ‘An Envoy Group Company.’

Genovese says although Hampel Stefanides has a strong creative reputation and lists a number of e-commerce companies on its client roster, it is a traditional advertising agency, one that needs to become more integrated if it’s to go after more of its clients’ business.

For example, he says Hampel Stefanides client basf spends about us$10-12 million on traditional advertising but it spends about us$100 million on other services – such as design and interactive media – that an integrated agency could provide.

Hampel Stefanides clients include Castrol Motor Oil, National Discount Brokers, Aer Lingus, BASF, Cyber Shop and NEC Computer Systems.

On the Communiqué roster are A&W Food Service Canada, Adidas, Benjamin Moore Paints, Bridgestone/Firestone Canada, Canada Life, Canadian Olympic Association, Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Microsoft Canada, Toshiba of Canada, Toronto Transit Commission and United Distillers.

The acquisition of Hampel Stefanides is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close Oct. 31.