AGENCY NEWS.

Three members of the Biggs/Gilmore Communications management team -- Mike Gerfen, Gerard Miron and Jane Tamraz -- have purchased the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based integrated communications agency. Former agency principals CEO Ron Davis and president Phil Long will remain as consultants for the 27-year-old firm. The agency name will not change.

Merial, Iselin, N.J., has named Bader Rutter & Associates, Brookfield, Wis., as its agency of record for marketing and sales communications services for beef, dairy and sheep products in the United States and Canada. Irene Hindman at Bader Rutter is the contact on these Merial accounts ... Merial selects Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications, Naperville, Ill., as its agency of record for promoting its portfolio of equine animal health products. Diane Martin is the agency's account manager for the new business.

Tom Waldinger, former 50-50 owner of agency Waldinger/Birch, takes his respective half of the business and forms Waldinger Creative, 1025 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21202, phone [phone]. Wcreative hires Amy Casbon as production manager Casbon, previously production coordinator at Siquis Ltd. and Natoli Design, joins a team that includes the following core group: vice president/ client services Ed Repasky; vice president / creative director Jose Carreon; vice president/ art director Scott Stuber; vice president/ interactive solutions Steven Kuppers; director, interactive solutions Lisa Muscara; senior copywriter Michael Gaucher; and graphic designer Jee Rhee.

FarmSaver.com, Seattle, an online seller of generic agricultural inputs, has selected Freebairn & Co., Atlanta, as its advertising, marketing and public relations agency.

Web-based seed corn company icorn.com, Cicero, Ind., names 5MetaCom, Indianapolis, as its agency of record. Swine genetics biotech firm PIC International Group, Berkeley, Calif., names 5MetaCom as its public relations agency of record for investor relations.