Minneapolis-based Padilla Speer Beardsley has moved to acquire Virginia-based CRT/tanaka to create a 200-staffer firm with revenues topping $30M.

The firms, which have collaborated in the past, will be renamed PadillaCRT with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., in addition to their respective home cities. PSB CEO Lynn Casey will lead the agency as chair and CEO while CRT chief Mark Raper takes a president role.

"We know each other well," said Raper, who called the deal the formation of a "great next-generation agency."

Clients include Land O'Lakes, Girls Scouts of the USA, Hass Avocado Board and Merck.

PSB is the slightly larger firm with nearly $17M in revenue last year, compared with CRT's $13M.

CRT/tanaka is the former Carter Ryley Thomas PR, formed in 1996 out of an ad agency and merged in 2005 with Patrice Tanaka & Co., which also broke away from an ad agency in 1990.

The principals said they hope to close the deal in late August.

With the addition of CRT employees to PSB's employee stock ownership program, the firms said the combined entity will be one of the largest employee-owned agencies in the country.