New owners at the helm of the Newport marketing agency

Newport-based digital marketing and web design agency Ascendancy has been sold to husband and wife team Chris and Christina Morledge.

Helen Culshaw, who launched her award-winning business in 2004 after moving to South East Shropshire, is currently staying with the team as part of the transition period.

She hopes to enjoy a slower pace of life with her husband Paul, but it won’t be far away as the Ascendancy office and team will remain where they are – near her own home in Newport.

Chris and Christina, who live in Nottingham, acquired Ascendancy following the successful acquisition of another agency, Swansea-based Copper Bay Digital in 2020.

Helen, who has been a familiar face at networking events across the region and has designed and developed websites for businesses across the UK, said: “Anyone who knows me will know that this was a huge decision for me, but the timing was right, and most importantly, the right person wanted to buy the agency.

“Chris was very clear from the start that the business would stay in Newport and the team would stay and it would be business as usual – all these elements were so important to me – especially as my family members are employed!

“Chris is eager to empower the team to grow as people and grow the business. His team at Copper Bay means there will also be a shared pool of talent so everything fits together perfectly. I wanted to find someone like me and I’m sure Chris is the perfect fit.

“I have spent the last 12 months planning this, where the A team enjoyed several face-to-face meetings and learned about the business from the very first stage of the proposal. It was very strange to take a back seat and I’m sure it will take some time to adjust to the “retired” life.

“It’s a very big deal for our customers and the same excellent level of service will continue as usual. People will still see me delivering my training courses at Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.”

Chris, who already works closely with his team, said he is looking forward to empowering staff to grow and develop.

“I am so excited to have acquired Ascendancy and look forward to working with the team,” he said.

“Helen has done a brilliant job growing the agency to where it is today, and now Christina and I look forward to focusing on growing and elevating the team, including the front-line role Helen has filled over time.

“I have promotion plans for team members and they will grow by having more of a say in the business. I am looking to empower the team.

“For me it’s all about growing the team and growing the individuals within that team so they can achieve their career ambitions.

“Our other agency, Copper Bay Digital, is a similar size to Ascendancy with 10 staff and has additional experience in development, while Ascendancy has a stronger digital marketing team, so there will be many joint opportunities between the two agencies.”