Nelson PR Firm Acquires Thomas Wilck Associates : Merger: Officials say the deal will allow the Irvine company to expand its list of corporate clients.

Nelson Communications Group, one of the largest independent public relations agencies in the nation, has acquired Thomas Wilck Associates, which boasts such clients as the Irvine Co. and the Disney Development Co.

Wilck, 62, the owner and founder, will join Nelson Communications next month as an executive vice president and a member of the company’s board of directors. Terms of the deal between the Irvine companies were not disclosed.

Nelson officials said Wilck’s addition will allow their firm, which has traditionally specialized in public affairs and political consulting, to expand its list of corporate clients.

Wilck also represents Ford Motor Land Development Corp. and the Lusk Co. He served as chairman of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce in 1993 and deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1972.

“His presence will broaden the breadth of work we do,” said Larry Tenney, Nelson Communication’s executive vice president. Wilck “is an extremely well-respected, established figure in the local industry. . . . It’ll make us a well-rounded firm.”

Wilck said closing his business was a difficult decision. In the end, though, the 35-year veteran of the industry said he wanted to spend less time dealing with management chores and devote his labors to working with clients.

“Having my name on the door is not as important to me as it once was,” Wilck said. “I don’t want to worry about running a company. There was a time in my life when that was satisfying, but not now.”

Wilck’s agency, founded in 1985, once boasted 14 employees and annually collected $1 million in fees, but the firm experienced leaner times in the 1990s. The company’s revenue dropped by 50% and the staff was reduced when the client list, which included many real estate-related businesses, shrank along with the region’s land values. Instead of rebuilding, Wilck opted to join Nelson Communications, a 76-employee agency with operations in three states.

Nelson Communications, founded in 1977, represents such clients as the California Teachers Assn., Anheuser-Busch and Southern Pacific Transportation Co.

Wilck said he expects his clients to sign on with Nelson. The company said offers to Wilck’s seven employees are pending.