Welcome to The Echo, the one-stop recap shop for Kansas City ad community newsworthy nuggets and industry happenings from the past week. If it's KC agency news and it's happened this past week, you can rehear it here.

This week on The Echo:

Gragg Advertising Named one of Inc.’s Fastest Growing Companies

Gragg Advertising, a full-service, strategic advertising agency in Kansas City, has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America. This is the first time that Gragg Advertising has been recognized on this list. Gragg ranks #1247 nationally on the list, and #121 within the industry ranking for Advertising & Marketing companies.

“Gragg Advertising has always made it a priority to constantly serve all our clients’ needs, while at the same time keeping an eye on the future. We are always expanding and looking for new avenues to branch into. We are all very excited that Inc. magazine has recognized these efforts and we plan on continuing this growth moving forward,” Darryl Mattox, president of Gragg Advertising, said.

Over the past three years Gragg Advertising has seen a record increase in revenue. From 2008 to 2011 Gragg Advertising’s revenue grew 248%. In addition to this rapid expansion, Gragg has spun off four additional businesses ranging from outsourced benefit management to brand compliance monitoring.

“Part of Gragg Advertising’s mission is to constantly be looking for new business and revenue streams to pursue. Being able to team with like-minded entrepreneurs and grow their businesses helps keep us active in the business world, as well as gives us the time to still focus on our company’s core goals,” Greg Gragg, CEO & chairman of Gragg Advertising, said.

Inc. will celebrate the honorees at the 31st Annual Inc. 500/5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony, held October 3-5 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge & Resort Spa in Phoenix. For the complete list of Inc.’s fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., visit www.inc.com/500.