History

Determined to deliver exceptional results to clients, Laura Van Eperen founded VE PR, a strategic communications consulting firm, in 2004. Today, the company holds steadfast with its commitment to meeting and exceeding client expectations, while keeping ethics at the forefront of every client endeavor. As a result, Van Eperen & Company (VE & Co.), as it is known today, is truly a standout communications firm in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Van Eperen and the VE & Co. team quickly became sought after experts for communication strategy, serving as a Washington Business Journal communication columnist in 2006 and regularly presenting on public relations and marketing strategy to a variety of audiences, including associations, high-technology business incubators, chambers of commerce, Lorman Education Series attendees, and other professional organizations. With the explosion of social media as a mainstream communication tool, VE & Co. began encouraging incremental integration of Web 2.0 and new media into client communication plans.

In March 2007, VE PR proudly earned a GSA schedule to provide excellent services to federal agencies. Later that year, the company launched a new Web site, as well as “The Word” quarterly e-newsletter, and moved its corporate office from Rockville to Bethesda, Maryland.

In 2008, VE & Co. became Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)-certified as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), one of the most widely recognized and respected certifications in the nation. The company was also recognized for excellence by industry colleagues with a Thoth award from the Public Relations Society of America- National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC), as well as two Silver Inkwell Signature of Excellence awards from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Washington. Later that year, VE & Co. established a healthcare practice area as a result of the company’s extensive experience serving the communication needs of government and corporate leaders in the healthcare field.

As a 100 percent woman-owned and -operated business, VE & Co. became certified by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)/Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) in January 2009. In February, to honor Laura’s friend and colleague, VE PR selected the Lisa J. Flaxman MusiKares Fund for the Celebration of the Arts as its charity of choice, supporting the organization's worthwhile mission to bring performing arts to area youth.

In the fall of 2009, the firm celebrated its five year anniversary. The milestone, occurring in the midst of the online revolution, presented the perfect time to evolve the firm’s brand name to Van Eperen and Company (VE & Co). VE & Co. better articulates the company’s services with both, traditional and new marketing communications.