SEATTLE — Allison+Partners is acquiring the Seattle-based Frause to ramp up its presence in the Pacific Northwest.

Allison opened its Seattle office in 2009 with Tom Biro at the helm. Since then, it has expanded in that market to four people to service a handful of clients, including Umpqua Bank and Toyota Northwest. In January, Allison moved its San Diego GM Richard Kendall — who worked in the Seattle PR market for 25 years — to run that office. Biro, a VP, remains and reports into Kendall.

The move to buy Frause brings Kendall back to the firm that he helped build. He was a shareholder and EVP at Frause until 2012 and was the second employee hired after the agency was founded in 1998. He launched the firm’s real estate practice that now makes up a large segment of its portfolio.

The acquisition expands Allison’s headcount in the Pacific Northwest by 16 people and brings in clients like Duraflame Pacific Continental Bank, McKinstry and Metzler Real Estate. Frause, which has offices in both Seattle and Portland, takes in between $2 million to $3 million in revenues. The transaction is effective August 1.

Founder Bob Frause will move into a consultative role, continuing to work on key clients and drawing upon his experience as global chairman of PROI Worldwide to advise Allison on overseas opportunities for acquisition, partnerships and new business. Among the Frause team that will join Allison include SVP Natalie Price, SVP of creative services Laura Figueroa Ware and SVP of Research Sue Gillespie.