EDELMAN ACQUIRES A&R PARTNERS, EMERGES AS A NATIONAL LEADER IN TECH PUBLIC RELATIONS
Deal combines largest independent global PR firm with leading independent technology agency in San Francisco Bay Area
May 26, 2006, New York -- Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, announced today that it has acquired A&R Partners, Silicon Valley’s largest independent technology PR firm. The move significantly expands Edelman’s global tech practice and makes it the leading agency in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of the largest technology practices in the state.
Edelman’s Mountain View office will merge into A&R’s San Mateo headquarters, creating a nexus of technology PR expertise to serve clients throughout the world. The combined Silicon Valley operations will be called A&R Edelman.
The acquisition of 115-person A&R includes its offices in San Mateo, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Denver, Portland and Louisville.
“Edelman has excellent technology clients; we have done strong work in technology for decades. Our goal is to play a global leadership role in this market. With this acquisition, technology will become our third largest practice after consumer and healthcare. A&R Edelman catalyzes our global technology team, creating instant global technology communications leadership,” said Richard Edelman, Edelman’s CEO.
The integration of A&R will push Edelman’s annual revenues to more than $300 million globally and $200 million in the U.S. The combination of the two agencies will create one of California’s largest technology practices. Edelman currently has California offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and Mountain View.
Bob Angus and Zelda Rudin founded A&R Partners in 1986. The agency has ranked #1 in revenue in Silicon Valley for the past four years and has received several prominent industry awards, including PR Week’s Mid-sized Agency of the Year and the Holmes Report Tech Agency of the Year, both in 2004. The company also has consistently ranked among the top PR agencies to work for in the U.S. by The Holmes Report.
Bob Angus, A&R’s president, said, “Our decision to join with Edelman is all about extending our global reach, adding new services and practices for our clients and giving our people more opportunities for growth. At the same time we will help move Edelman’s tech practice into a leadership position in the U.S. Edelman is an outstanding fit for us, both strategically and culturally. We share the same vision, interest in our people and passion for results.”
“The technology sector is unique among industries in that its innovations change the nature of business for every other industry. That, combined with the increasing role technology is playing in the transformation of our industry, dictated that we move aggressively to build a world-class technology practice. A&R fits us perfectly, with a reputation for strategic savvy and quality of service. They think like we think. We have known A&R and Bob Angus for years; we share a common approach to our business,” said Pam Talbot, Edelman’s U.S. CEO.
Talbot will oversee A&R’s acquisition by Edelman, and A&R’s president Angus will report to her as president, A&R Edelman. He will also become director of Edelman’s U.S. technology practice, working closely with Pam Pollace, president of Edelman’s global technology practice.
Pollace said, “This acquisition will expand our strong tech practice, strengthen our global credentials and extend our experience across the board – in mobile computing, digital entertainment, social networks, enterprise software, semiconductors, security and beyond. This will create new growth opportunities for Edelman in a revitalized technology PR sector.”
About Edelman
Edelman is the world’s largest independent public relations firm, with 2,000 employees in 45 offices worldwide. AdvertisingAge recently named Edelman as the best PR firm in its 2005 “Best Agencies” issue while PR Week awarded the firm its “Editor’s Choice” distinction at the start of 2006 and named it best large agency of the year. Edelman’s network includes four specialty firms - Blue (advertising), First&42nd (management consulting), StrategyOne (research) and BioScience Communications (medical education and publishing) - making it possible to provide clients with a comprehensive spectrum of communications services. Visit www.edelman.com for more information.
| Revenue 2005 | $14.1 million | $261 million |
| % Revenue growth over 2004 | 17.6% | 13.6% |
| Founded | 1986 | 1952 |
| Management | President and Managing Partner - Bob Angus
Sr. Partner - Zelda Rudin Sr. Partner - Maria Amundson Partner - Lisa Auslen Partner - John Derryberry Partner - Todd Irwin Partner - Mark Rawlins |
Founder and Chairman - Daniel J. Edelman
Global CEO - Richard Edelman US CEO - Pam Talbot Vice Chairman - Leslie Dach President, Global Technology Practice - Pam Pollace |
| Staff | 115 | 2000 (21 Silicon Valley) |
| Offices | San Mateo(HQ), New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Portland and Louisville | Co-headquartered in the U.S. in New York and Chicago, with offices in other major U.S. cities -- 45 offices Globally |
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Paul Cordasco paul.cordasco@edelman.com |