The firm known today as Versant was launched as "Miles & Associates."

Jim Hughes Advertising is formed when Jim Hughes joins the proprietorship and Bob Miles retires.

Major clients at the time included Mutual Savings and Loan (now Bank Mutual), and the JCPenney stores in southern Wisconsin.

Will Ruch becomes a partner in the growing agency and the firm becomes Hughes Ruch Advertising.

With an expanding client base, including the Milwaukee County Transit System, Elder Beerman Department Store, GMC Trucks, Mutual Savings Bank and more, Dave Murphy joins as a partner. Hughes, Ruch & Murphy is formed.

Jim Hughes retires December, 1996.

In recognition of the ongoing evolution of the advertising world, CEO and managing partner Will Ruch takes the names off the door and rebrands Hughes, Ruch & Murphy as Versant.

Becoming Versant was a critical step in positioning the agency as a full-service marketing communications firm, offering not only top-notch advertising services, but also the branding, digital media and employee communications solutions that our evolving client base demands.

Versant and its two practice areas, VersantWorks and Versant Digital, serve a broad array of local, national and global clients, including Thomson Reuters, Lincoln Financial Group, Catholic Health Services of Long Island, Quarles & Brady, DeWitt Ross & Stevens, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Milwaukee County Transit System.