Shanghai 16 February 2011 – Ruder Finn, one of the world’s largest independent public relations firm has acquired the PR agency, Thunder Communications in China, allowing Ruder Finn to broaden its offering, deal with increasing numbers of conflicts of interest, and continue its unabated growth.

For the last decade, Ruder Finn China has grown at an average of 45% year on year, surpassing the USD10million mark a couple years ago. It has become one of the biggest international players in China with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong,

Founded in 2001, Thunder Communications has established itself as a reputable event, management, brand and marketing consultancy,  servicing clients such as Volvo, Mercedes Benz, Bosch, Delphi, Intel, Siemens, Bayer MaterialScience, Villeroy & Boch and MTS and foreign governments and organizations such as Italian Chamber of Commerce, Swedish Chamber of Commerce, European Food Association and Tourism Ireland. Thunder Communications is known for its solid client servicing and reliable support. Headquartered in Shanghai, it has established a network of affiliate offices nationwide allowing for seamless servicing around the country. At the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Thunder Communications supported 3 provincial pavilions and in 2007, was the Event Management Partner for the Special Olympic International Torch Run.

“We are extremely pleased with the acquisition of Thunder Communications,” says Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman, Ruder Finn Asia. “Ruder Finn increasingly needed a reputable sister agency to support our strong growth. Tracy’s solid reputation as one of the longest-standing PR practitioners in the Shanghai market makes it a perfect choice!”

“We are very proud that Ruder Finn selected Thunder Communications and that we will be part of one of the largest agencies in China.’; say Tracy Tong, Founder and CEO of Thunder Communications.” We have always enjoyed working with Ruder Finn and have established strong mutual respect among our teams.” Tong has over 19 years experience in the PR industry. Prior to founding Thunder, Tong worked with Edelman for 8 years and then with Coca cola.