June 20, 2008
Blue Clover Ventures in Vineyards and Beyond
Branding firm now agency of record for Illinois-based restaurant, wine & entertainment business
On and Off-Line Branding™ firm Blue Clover has successfully branded banks, physicians, real estate developments, non-profit agencies, condominiums, governmental agencies, and many other industries in Texas and the southeast.
Now, the versatile, award-winning firm based in San Antonio, Texas, is branding a business that specializes in fine wines and spirits, a restaurant of outstanding foods, and a unique lounge/entertainment destination farther north in the Land of Lincoln: the state of Illinois.
Platinum Hospitality Group, LLC of Rock Island, Illinois, has named Blue Clover as its Agency of Record for “On College Hill”—its newest project in Rock Island which includes:
“Purchasing Gendler’s business and returning it to Rock Island has been a passion of ours since it left in 1999,” said Lynda C. Requet, CEO and partner of Platinum Hospitality Group, LLC. “Not only do we live in Rock Island, but Dave graduated from Augustana College in 1975. We were loyal customers of Gendler’s, and our family operated a restaurant (Italian Village) in the 70s, 80s and the 90s on the very site where our new entertainment experience will be built.”
Platinum Hospitality Group was formed by Requet and her husband, Dave A. Requet to develop and operate restaurants, hotels and entertainment facilities. With Richard Requet, another partner, and Scott F. Hopkins, chief operations consultant, the team has 75 years of cumulative experience in customer service and the hospitality business. Individually they have been involved with more than ten restaurants, two hotel properties, and more than 50 retail gas and oil facilities including some that contained quick serve restaurants.
“We sought a company that would understand our goals and vision about this project, and translate them into dynamic, energetic messages and images, and we found that in Blue Clover,” added Lynda Requet. “They will take these passionate ideas that Dave and I have for this complex—with its unique wine cellar and VAULT, a wine club hosting events for the wine enthusiast, first-rate cuisine and exceptional entertainment—and convey these visions in a multi-media campaign.”
According to Requet, the group also chose Blue Clover to leverage the firm’s international ties in future endeavors, such as wine tasting events as the project’s reach grows. Blue Clover’s client list includes Hotels & Preference, a Paris-based network of privately owned hotel properties with more than 120 four- and five-star hotels and resorts throughout the world.
“Blue Clover is excited to be part of this project that has a strong history, as well as a strong future,” said José B. Sena, president and CEO of Blue Clover. “We will incorporate Gendler’s 90-year history, as well as the promising future of College Hill, into designs that will appeal to the community’s diverse residents.”
BLUE CLOVER: San Antonio-based Blue Clover was established in 2003 by marketing experts and partners Sena, Juan Barrera and Chris Gilbert. The growing staff now includes an additional partner, Jody Tidwell, and 17 full-time creative, technology and management professionals with extensive traditional and multicultural marketing, public relations and web-based communication experience from throughout the world. In July 2007, the firm opened new offices in Atlanta and Mississippi to serve its southeast customers.
Blue Clover’s past and present client list boasts more than 120 active local and national clients, including Arquitectonica (Miami-based international architecture, interior design and planning firm); a website design project for Clear Channel Radio (owns and operates more than 1,200 radio stations in the US); a website design for San Antonio Spurs (four-time National Basketball Association champions); Hotels & Preference (a Paris-based network of privately owned hotel properties with more than 100 four- and five-star hotels and resorts throughout the world); Oberthur Gaming Technologies (one of the world’s leading providers of lottery scratch off games; now known as MDI); print pieces for Time Warner Cable (provides phone, cable and Internet services to 33 states); Waggoner Engineering, Inc. (serves public agencies and private corporations across the southeastern United States); Pirouline Cookies (rolled toasted dessert wafers with cream filling sold internationally) TBG Partners (largest landscape architects and planning firm in Texas); Galo Properties (one of the largest single-family lot developers in south central Texas with offices in San Antonio and Austin); Jefferson Bank (the third largest San Antonio-based bank with $610 million in assets and 11 retail offices across north and central San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels); Cross & Company (San Antonio-based commercial real estate company with more than 45 properties totaling approximately 4.2 million sq. ft.); Falcon International Bank ($665 million institution; named 2006 Top Earner by Independent Community Bankers of America); San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; Yantis Company ($100 million construction company; listed as one of the “Top 50 Private Companies” in San Antonio); and USAA (largest private insurance and banking company in the nation).
More information on Blue Clover is available at (210) 223-5409, www.blueclover.com or info@blueclover.com.
On and Off-Line Branding™ firm Blue Clover has successfully branded banks, physicians, real estate developments, non-profit agencies, condominiums, governmental agencies, and many other industries in Texas and the southeast.
Now, the versatile, award-winning firm based in San Antonio, Texas, is branding a business that specializes in fine wines and spirits, a restaurant of outstanding foods, and a unique lounge/entertainment destination farther north in the Land of Lincoln: the state of Illinois.
Platinum Hospitality Group, LLC of Rock Island, Illinois, has named Blue Clover as its Agency of Record for “On College Hill”—its newest project in Rock Island which includes:
• a new restaurant called Black Ram on College Hill. Opening next year, Black Ram will provide a fine dining experience.All three businesses will be located together in one complex at the intersection of 30th Street and 14th Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois, near Augustana College. As Agency of Record, Blue Clover will develop a branding campaign that includes public relations, creation of logos, website design and programming, and a marketing campaign for the venues.
• a new bar called The Grotto on College Hill. The Grotto will have a casual dining atmosphere with a bar and entertainment including Wi-Fi and Xbox 360 gaming.
• the relocation of the beloved Gendler’s Wine & Spirits. Gendler’s Wine & Spirits has a 90-year history with the Quad Cities community and is returning to Rock Island after seven years in Moline, Illinois. Re-opening soon, Gendler’s Wine & Spirits will offer retail and online sales. It will also feature wine club memberships, wine seminars, tastings, wine dinners and visits to domestic and international wineries. Gendler’s will launch a new, comprehensive website this summer at www.gendlers.com
“Purchasing Gendler’s business and returning it to Rock Island has been a passion of ours since it left in 1999,” said Lynda C. Requet, CEO and partner of Platinum Hospitality Group, LLC. “Not only do we live in Rock Island, but Dave graduated from Augustana College in 1975. We were loyal customers of Gendler’s, and our family operated a restaurant (Italian Village) in the 70s, 80s and the 90s on the very site where our new entertainment experience will be built.”
Platinum Hospitality Group was formed by Requet and her husband, Dave A. Requet to develop and operate restaurants, hotels and entertainment facilities. With Richard Requet, another partner, and Scott F. Hopkins, chief operations consultant, the team has 75 years of cumulative experience in customer service and the hospitality business. Individually they have been involved with more than ten restaurants, two hotel properties, and more than 50 retail gas and oil facilities including some that contained quick serve restaurants.
“We sought a company that would understand our goals and vision about this project, and translate them into dynamic, energetic messages and images, and we found that in Blue Clover,” added Lynda Requet. “They will take these passionate ideas that Dave and I have for this complex—with its unique wine cellar and VAULT, a wine club hosting events for the wine enthusiast, first-rate cuisine and exceptional entertainment—and convey these visions in a multi-media campaign.”
According to Requet, the group also chose Blue Clover to leverage the firm’s international ties in future endeavors, such as wine tasting events as the project’s reach grows. Blue Clover’s client list includes Hotels & Preference, a Paris-based network of privately owned hotel properties with more than 120 four- and five-star hotels and resorts throughout the world.
“Blue Clover is excited to be part of this project that has a strong history, as well as a strong future,” said José B. Sena, president and CEO of Blue Clover. “We will incorporate Gendler’s 90-year history, as well as the promising future of College Hill, into designs that will appeal to the community’s diverse residents.”
BLUE CLOVER: San Antonio-based Blue Clover was established in 2003 by marketing experts and partners Sena, Juan Barrera and Chris Gilbert. The growing staff now includes an additional partner, Jody Tidwell, and 17 full-time creative, technology and management professionals with extensive traditional and multicultural marketing, public relations and web-based communication experience from throughout the world. In July 2007, the firm opened new offices in Atlanta and Mississippi to serve its southeast customers.
Blue Clover’s past and present client list boasts more than 120 active local and national clients, including Arquitectonica (Miami-based international architecture, interior design and planning firm); a website design project for Clear Channel Radio (owns and operates more than 1,200 radio stations in the US); a website design for San Antonio Spurs (four-time National Basketball Association champions); Hotels & Preference (a Paris-based network of privately owned hotel properties with more than 100 four- and five-star hotels and resorts throughout the world); Oberthur Gaming Technologies (one of the world’s leading providers of lottery scratch off games; now known as MDI); print pieces for Time Warner Cable (provides phone, cable and Internet services to 33 states); Waggoner Engineering, Inc. (serves public agencies and private corporations across the southeastern United States); Pirouline Cookies (rolled toasted dessert wafers with cream filling sold internationally) TBG Partners (largest landscape architects and planning firm in Texas); Galo Properties (one of the largest single-family lot developers in south central Texas with offices in San Antonio and Austin); Jefferson Bank (the third largest San Antonio-based bank with $610 million in assets and 11 retail offices across north and central San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels); Cross & Company (San Antonio-based commercial real estate company with more than 45 properties totaling approximately 4.2 million sq. ft.); Falcon International Bank ($665 million institution; named 2006 Top Earner by Independent Community Bankers of America); San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; Yantis Company ($100 million construction company; listed as one of the “Top 50 Private Companies” in San Antonio); and USAA (largest private insurance and banking company in the nation).
More information on Blue Clover is available at (210) 223-5409, www.blueclover.com or info@blueclover.com.
