San Diego public affairs agency Southwest Strategies announced Thursday it will acquire Katz & Associates, creating what officials described as the largest firm of its type in California.
The combined company, with nearly 100 staff, will be the largest public outreach firm in the state focused on infrastructure communications, specifically in the areas of energy, transportation and water.
Clients of the two firms include SANDAG, Pacific Gas & Electric, Pure Water San Diego, BART, the Port of Long Beach and the City of Carlsbad.
“We have long admired the people, skillsets and services offered by K&A,” said Southwest Strategies CEO Chris Wahl. “This partnership provides an even larger platform to deliver exceptional service to our clients, and it creates the opportunity to tackle the largest infrastructure projects in California and beyond.”
The Katz team will continue to serve its existing clients as Katz & Associates, a Southwest Strategies Company.
“The opportunity to collaborate with Southwest Strategies is incredibly exciting for our team and positions us collectively for future growth,” said founder Sara M. Katz. “Being acquired by SWS helps us to provide our clients with an even broader array of award-winning services, and our team members with more opportunities for professional growth and development.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Officials said it will take several months to integrate operations, after which Wahl will serve as CEO of the company and Katz will be the firm’s principal-in-charge of the water practice, and strategic advisor for select accounts and business development.
