Rawle Murdy acquired by Washington, D.C.-based firm

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Charleston communications firm Rawle Murdy has been acquired by Buffalo Groupe LLC, a marketing company in Washington, D.C., for an undisclosed amount of money.

Buffalo Groupe LLC was formed in February when Buffalo Agency was spun off from Billy Casper Golf, a golf course management company. Buffalo Agency, formed in 2001, was Buffalo Groupe’s only division until the company’s acquisition of Rawle Murdy.

“As we began to evaluate our growth strategy for Buffalo Groupe and then Buffalo Agency, we just found Rawle Murdy to be a top target in terms of complementary skill sets, the categories that they serve, the audience that they market to,” said Kyle Ragsdale, CEO of Buffalo Groupe.

Bruce Murdy, president of Rawle Murdy, said this is a big step forward for the company.

“What was interesting about Buffalo is that they had a very clear vision for growth, and how they’re doing truly appealed to me,” he said. “Rawle Murdy … will continue to be a division of this organization called Buffalo, so having that autonomy to make sure that we retain our identity, not only the name Rawle Murdy but how we approach our work and the kinds of clients we work with.”

Murdy said operations and personnel at Rawle Murdy are expected to stay the same, and clients shouldn’t notice a difference. Murdy will continue to lead Rawle Murdy as managing director based in Charleston.

“Keeping that identity and keeping our strengths were really important to us,” he said. “And this, the acquisition by Buffalo Groupe, allows us to do that and allows us to do what we do best and allows us to continue to grow.”

Ragsdale said he began talking to Murdy several months ago about a potential strategic relationship of some kind.

“They had a similar commitment to a really high quality of work,” Ragsdale said. “I come from a publisher’s background. … When we approach marketing, it is through the truth, through this philosophy that the best way to engage audiences is through compelling content and content-oriented marketing. And Rawle Murdy has the exact same approach.”

Murdy and Ragsdale declined to disclose the financial terms of the acquisition, but Murdy said the acquisition wasn’t about money.

“It’s about the fit, the culture,” he said. “We’ve learned that through the years. It’s critically important that the people get along and share values, whether it’s within our organization here at Rawle Murdy or now with our partner in Buffalo Groupe. Culture is everything.”