MDC makes another acquisition

MDC Partners Inc. has gone shopping yet again. The Toronto-based agency network acquired a majority interest in Allison & Partners, a San Francisco-based public relations firm with an impressive list of blue-chip clients. Terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed. Allison & Partners, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, […]

MDC Partners Inc. has gone shopping yet again. The Toronto-based agency network acquired a majority interest in Allison & Partners, a San Francisco-based public relations firm with an impressive list of blue-chip clients.

Terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed.

Allison & Partners, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta and San Diego, specializes in consumer marketing, corporate communications, technology, public affairs and health care.

Founded in 2001 and ranked by O’Dwyers as one of the top 10 largest independent PR firms by fee revenue, the firm is deeply immersed in technology and social media.

Their client roster includes Best Western International, Aramark, Hard Rock Hotels Las Vegas, Progressive Insurance, Samsung, Hasbro, Healthways, Boost Mobile and Sony.

The acquisition of Allison & Partners is just the latest in a spate of recent MDC acquisitions starting last year and including New York-based PR shop Sloane & Company early last month.

Miles Nadal, MDC chairman, has said he’s willing to spend up to $100 million on agency and personnel acquisitions.

“This newest partnership is yet another example of MDC’s deep commitment to increasing the expertise and capabilities of the network in the rapidly growing areas of corporate and marketing communications,” MDC said in a news release.

MDC also owns an interest in Toronto public relations firm Veritas Communications. Other Canadian holdings include Zig, Bruce Mau Design and Henderson Bas.

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