The USA was gearing up for a Scottish invasion ahead of Independence Day as Fifth Ring and Shake open offices in Houston and New York respectively.

Ian Ord, MD of Fifth Ring, finalised the deal with Pennebaker at the end of last week after several years of searching for “the perfect fit”.

The merger will bring clients such as computer manufacturer, Compaq, Southwest Bank and geophysical services company WesternGeco.

Ord would not name who was to head up the office, as they have yet to sign a contract, but did say that the individual was “a big hitter in the States.”

Meanwhile, emerging technology company, Shake has tasked co-founder Anna Russell to officially open its office in New York.

As client services director, Russell has spent the last nine months setting up the office and winning new clients, ready for launch.

Ben Cook, operations director for the Shake Group, commented on the new office, saying: “We are pleased to have launched in New York, it is our third city in 20 months and Anna has been fabulous and typically, as a New Yorker, has never taken no for an answer.

“She has developed a great agency as a partner at Shake and we have been shortlisted for three accounts since the start of June.”

Shake also has an office in South Africa.