Adams Outdoor has been active in the out of home M&A market.  Recent transactions have included Parkway Outdoor, Cameron Outdoor, Bullfrog Outdoor, a structure from McWhorter Media and some displays from Encore Outdoor  Billboard Insider interviewed Adams Outdoor CEO Kevin Jones to learn more.

You came to out of home after a career in many other industries. How has this background been helpful for you?

My view is that most businesses are more alike than they are different, regardless of industry. The things you have to get right are strategy, sales, client relationships, and culture. Over 35 years working across different industries, I’ve iterated on those four things again and again. What came out of it is a playbook I can customize to whatever situation I’m walking into.

That said, I did not expect to be so enamored with Out of Home Advertising when I joined Adams. It’s a great industry, and it makes a real difference to our clients’ growth. There is no other medium that can paint a town “red” in 24 hours the way we can. My predecessor, Kevin Gleason, built an incredible company at Adams, and I am fortunate to be part of this team.

Adams has been active in the M&A market. Can we expect this to continue in 2026 and in what markets?

We would like it to continue because it is an important growth lever for the company in 2026 and beyond. That said, any deal requires alignment on both sides. We are a willing buyer for the right opportunity, but we also need a willing seller. Not everything is for sale or at the right price.  There is not a particular market we are focused on right now. We continue to have conversations with potential sellers in and around all of our markets, and sometimes we close on deals that have been years in the making. It is about finding the right opportunity, at the right time, and at the right price for both us and the seller.

What are the keys to successfully integrating an acquired out-of-home business?

We focus on “tuck-in” acquisitions, where we acquire assets in or near existing markets to expand our footprint. The synergies are twofold: we already know the market and the advertisers, and we typically do not need to increase costs through additional employees or infrastructure.

We absorb the new assets into the existing market framework, giving our sales teams expanded inventory to bring to clients. There is significant upfront work by operations to bring assets up to Adams’ standards, along with backend work to integrate inventory, clients, and leases into our systems.

But even more than that, we believe in preserving the legacy of the business we acquire. Often, especially with smaller operators, they have built a tremendous family business, cultivated over decades, that has supported generational growth and prosperity for family members who have invested countless hours and sleepless nights to get where they are today.

Some of the owners’ advertisers and lessors are like their family. We partner with the owners of the business we acquire to effectuate seamless and friendly handoffs of those relationships, preserving the legacy of service and commitment the advertisers and lessors are used to.

Because we treat our acquisition partners fairly and do what we say we are going to do, both before and after closing, they are both happy to assist us with post-closing matters, and proud that Adams is now the steward of their family business. Having not only the former owner’s blessing, but also his/her support, is the secret sauce to a successful integration.

How is AI changing the way Adams does business?

We use AI to help our teams do more and think bigger, whether that is understanding our advertisers’ businesses more deeply, resolving issues faster, or improving campaign performance.   One of the most impactful areas has been with our creative team. They use it to expedite the tedious parts of graphic design like resizing and reformatting, so they can spend more time on the creative work that moves the needle for advertisers. We are constantly evaluating where AI can make us more efficient and where it can change how we operate. That mindset helps us stay ahead for our clients.