Graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in Communications, Kent opened a small advertising agency in Northern Utah to get a little experience before going to work for some big Madison Avenue Ad Agency. Madison Avenue has had to wait. His agency Merrell Remington & Associates has grown to become one of the premier direct marketing agencies in the world.
In 1985 after years of operating as a general advertising agency, Kent produced a campaign that pulled 28% and earned a Gold Echo Award from the Direct Marketing Association. Twenty four years 25 more Echos, The Golden Mailbox, The Henry Hoke Award and a Platinum Echo and many wonderful clients later, Kent and his highly creative team keep producing successful direct marketing programs for regional and national companies.
These awards only have relevance because they demonstrate Merrell Remington’s commitment to solving their client's marketing challenges first. These awards are only given to campaigns that demonstrate financial productivity first, creativity later.
Kent has been featured in several national Direct Marketing Magazines as one of the top creative trendsetters in the direct marketing industry.
He's been a featured speaker at several national and regional DMA conferences, and has been selected to be the creative speaker at several local and national Postal Conferences and to sit on the postal executive round table. Kent has also been a professor at a local college teaching the advanced direct marketing courses.
His current team of direct marketers are pioneering the variable digital print industry, having developed state-of-the-art variable print tools.
John Benson Vice-Chairman
John T. Benson, J.D. (66) Director.
John received his Bachelor’s degree, Brigham Young University, 1968; Law degree, Duke University, 1971. He is a member of the Utah State Bar. His professional experience includes: Private law practice; General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of a Utah-based national 190 retail unit, publicly traded retail firm; Co-founded and operated Institute of Business Management, Co., a Utah based business management and consulting firm, consulting clients in the agri-business, mining, franchising and food industries; Consulted full-time with a British based foundation, for which he launched and supervised the Foundation’s North American business ventures; Consulted with a variety of business and educational entities regarding strategic planning, execution and operations; directed the transfer, spin-out and commercialization of patented bio-technologies from a Utah university; launched and operated a chain of retail clothing stores and an outerwear manufacturing company; appointed to the Research Committee of the State of Utah Partnership For Business And Economic Development Inc., He is currently involved in real estate business in Southern Utah, and serves on several boards of directors, including two non-profit charitable foundations. John is an active member of the LDS Church, having served as a young full-time missionary to England, twice a bishop, stake president, and other voluntary positions.
Steve Olson Secretary
Steve Olson has an extensive background in sales and marketing of telecommunications and business equipment. In 1969 he founded Intermountain Telephone Corporation (ITC). Over the next 19 years the company flourished and in 1988 it was purchased by its major supplier. With several others, he then formed a marketing and customer relations firm called SDS Communications (SDS).
After several years, Steve sold his controlling interest in SDS and joined his family business, Les Olson Company (LOC) where he served as a branch and marketing manager. In 2005, Steve took early retirement to accept a volunteer assignment with his wife Sue as public relations representatives for their church in Australia. In that capacity they built relationships of trust with political, business, educational, religious and media opinion leaders. In June of 2007 he established Olson Marketing Services (OMS) to work as a consultant to LOC and other businesses to help them gain and retain customers. Steve’s greatest inspiration in his business career has been his father, Les Olson. Steve truly believes in a statement that his father loved and practiced: “People are important—treat them that way!”
Tom Isaacson Director
Thomas M. Isaacson served as in-house counsel to AT&T Corp and in the Washington D.C. Office of Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, LLP (Now Pillsbury Withrop, LLP). He practices strategic patent prosecution and represents clients on patent prosecution, trademark, licensing, and litigation matters. His areas of expertise include CDMA and MPEG standards-based patent analysis, DVD technologies, High Performance Computing (Cloud Computing), wireless technologies and devices and the mechanical arts.
Tom managed the prosecution of the patent portfolio for AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. Much of his experience has centered on wireless devices including GPS and location-based technologies. He has negotiated and asserted IP rights in Finland, France, Germany, Taiwan, and South Korea and he has managed the development of patents protecting features of Apple's AppStore, iTunes, iPhone, and Fairplay DRM technology. He served as the chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and now sits on the Board of Directors of International J. Reuben Clark Law Society.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Utah where he received his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering. Tom received his law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He is currently an equity partner at Novak Druce & Quigg LLP.
Matthew Packer Director
Matthew Packer has recently retired as an Operational Internal Auditor in the NYC offices of American Express Company. His current responsibilities include risk identification and analysis, testing controls for effectiveness, creating process enhancements and communicating enhancements to Senior Management. He is responsible for numerous process enhancements and control strengthening initiatives.
Prior to working for American Express Company, Matthew was involved in internships at Novell Inc. as a Credit Analyst and at Merrell Remington as an Operations Analyst.
Beginning in 2003, Matthew spent one and a half years teaching Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this capacity, his responsibilities included teaching Mandarin, goal setting, planning, leadership and other important characteristics. After one and a half years as a teacher, Matthew was promoted to Supervisor. His supervisory responsibilities included hiring new teachers, monitoring teacher and student performance, training new and existing teachers on a regular basis and reporting results to management.
Matthew holds an Undergraduate degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Corporate Finance from Brigham Young University. He served a two year mission in Taiwan, Taipei from 2000 – 2002. He currently left the hectic pressures of New York City to pursue entrepreneurial projects in Dallas, Texas with his wife and young daughter.
