Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher is advising medical device maker Hill-Rom in its $2B merger of rival Welch Allyn.

hill-romHill-Rom, which is publicly traded and based in Batesville, Ind., is taking over Skaneateles Falls, N.Y.-based, privately held Welch Allyn in the cash ($1.6B) and stock deal and plans to relocate its headquarters to Chicago.

The companies expect to close the deal by the end of September with the combined entity recording revenues around $2.6B with 10,000 employees globally.

Larry Baumann is executive director of corporate comms. for Hill-Rom. Joele Frank partner Matt Sherman and director Alyssa Cass are supporting Hill-Rom on the PR front.

Jamie Arnold manages PR for Welch Allyn.

H-R CEO John Greisch called his acquisition target a "well-respected company with a powerful brand, a broad suite of products and an outstanding team of employees." He committed to maintaining a "major presence" in WA's upstate New York home city and retaining the Welch Allyn name.