Miranda Pederson/Daily News

Over the past six years, Heather Garcia’s marketing firm has grown, doubling its revenue and serving clients, such as McDonald’s and the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

And she’s done it without professional workers. Imagewest is operated by students at Western Kentucky University.

“It has grown quite a bit,” said Garcia, the agency manager. “Despite the economy, we have stayed really busy.”

The agency Thursday celebrated its sixth anniversary – it’s the only full-service, student-run marketing agency in the country, Garcia said. In fact, other universities have contacted the Imagewest staff to try to mirror its business model.

A total of 180 students have worked for the agency through paid internships. Different students come into the agency each semester and receive class credit for their work. Garcia’s salary, and other expenses, are supported by revenue the agency generates. In its first year, Imagewest made about $30,000. Now it’s bringing in about $60,000, Garcia said.

When Garcia graduated from WKU’s advertising program in 1998, the agency was just an idea.

“So it’s nice to see they made it into a reality,” she said.

After graduation, Garcia worked at an agency in Nashville for a few years. After Garcia moved back to Bowling Green, she took the Imagewest management job in 2003 and the business took off in 2004.

“I think I probably have one of the most unique jobs in the United States,” she said. “I try to bring as much of the real world as I can to it.”

Each student works on a project for one of the agency’s clients. They design Web sites and logos, develop marketing plans, re-create product brands, write newsletters and perform company research. Students currently are renaming a local company, Garcia said.

The agency also is working on a project for Yahoo, developing a plan to promote the search engine and make it appeal to certain age groups. Yahoo officials chose three other universities to take part in the project – the group with the best presentation will be chosen to solely work with Yahoo.

Yahoo officials found Imagewest and contacted the local agency through its Web site.

“Our name has been on Yahoo marketing officials’ desks,” Garcia said. “That’s just an honor right there.”

The agency has worked with a little less than 200 clients, and is currently working with about 15 customers. Students also travel abroad for projects. In 2008, students traveled to Malaysia to work with IIUM. The school wanted Imagewest to develop a marketing plan to help it better recruit students.

WKU students worked on the university’s Web site, made a video and performed some graphic work.

“The client was the university, which was interesting,” Garcia said.

Last summer, a handful of students traveled to Spain, where they worked on a marketing plan for a city outside Madrid. City officials wanted assistance with advertising their area. Students created a new city Web site and developed posters.

Hanna Goetz, a senior from Louisville, has been working for the past six weeks on a Web site for an organization.

“It’s like getting to the real world before you actually get to the real world,” she said.

This semester, Imagewest workers have designed logos and made brochures and video promotions.

“I’ve learned more in one semester than I learned in three years of college, I feel like,” said Alex Tarrant, a senior from Chicago.

Former students who worked at Imagewest have landed jobs at large agencies in London, New York City, Philadelphia and other cities. Even though the job market is more competitive now due to the economy, students who work at Imagewest have an advantage because of their additional experience, Garcia said.

And, despite the economy, Imagewest has not experienced a shortage in clients.

“I think they love working with the students and giving them the opportunity to grow,” Garcia said. “They’re always satisfied. The students have really built a reputation.”