The 2024 elections are just six months away. In the May 2024 Quarterly Outlook, BGR’s policy experts examine the state of the political and policy landscape ahead of the national conventions later this summer. The Quarterly Outlook also includes procedural primers on the Congressional Review Act and Budget Reconciliation, as well as commentary from each of BGR’s practice groups on what’s to come in the next few months.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 21, 2024) – Eight of the nation’s top government and public affairs companies have joined together to form Advocus Partners, a comprehensive advocacy company with a nationwide footprint. Advocus provides a full suite of advocacy disciplines from lobbying and strategic communications to polling and grassroots mobilization. Advocus is well-positioned to develop and execute large-scale public policy initiatives and advocacy campaigns at the federal, state, local, and international levels.
Advocus member companies include BGR Group, California-based Capitol Advocacy, Florida-based Capital City Consulting, The Herald Group, Ohio-based Hicks Partners, Hilltop Public Solutions, Stateside Associates, and The Tarrance Group. They operate independently and collaborate to serve clients.
Advocus was formed to bring together top lobbying and public affairs firms from across the country to provide comprehensive and customized solutions to clients’ advocacy needs. Organized as a holding company, Advocus Partners is bipartisan and geographically diverse and offers every tool of government advocacy.
“Advocus Partners represents the best of the best in consulting and advocacy from across the country,” Capitol Advocacy Managing Partner John Latimer said. “With 19 offices covering the most important markets in the country, the companies of Advocus are uniquely positioned to offer integrated and comprehensive advocacy solutions for our clients. Our collective history of successful advocacy efforts and campaign operations give clients the confidence that we can address any challenge they face.”
“Our firm is proud to be part of Advocus Partners,” BGR Group Chairman and CEO Bob Wood said. “Advocus’ bipartisan team excels at providing public affairs support, policy analysis, and strategies designed to achieve results. We’ve already seen how our Advocus team members and clients have benefited from this expanded collaboration and offering.”
“Advocus Partners is designed to provide clients with every component of advocacy campaigns regardless of scale or location,” said Craig Pattee, Managing Director of Advocus Partners. “We have the team, the tools, and the experience to execute both broad and targeted advocacy. Our partners are already working together to serve clients’ needs and achieve success.”
Advocus offerings include Corporate Advisory Services, Federal Government Services, State & Local Government Services, Strategic Communications, Coalition Development, Grasstops & Grassroots Mobilization, Polling & Research, Government Markets & Procurement, International Relations, Crisis & Litigation Support, Public Affairs Campaigns, and Digital Advocacy & Paid Media.
For more information on Advocus please visit advocuspartners.com.
CONTACT: Doug McGinn, The Herald Group (dmcginn@theheraldgroup.com)
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 6, 2024 – BGR Analytics — the data practice of BGR Group, Washington’s leading government affairs and public relations firm — has launched the 2024 BGR Best States for Asian Investment Index, which ranks all 50 states based on their desirability for Asia-outbound investment in the U.S.
Utah is the best state for Asian investment, followed in order by North Carolina, Colorado, Texas and Wisconsin, according to the new Index, which draws data from 136 categories, organized into 10 Data Category Groups.
The BGR Best States for Asian Investment Index is the most recent product created by BGR Analytics. It joins the BGR Impact Index, the BGR Energy Security Index and the BGR Investment Security Index.
Asian investment in the U.S., which has been on the rise over the past decade, has accelerated in the wake of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act.
Combined with the 50-state advocacy and policy analysis firepower of BGR Group, the BGR Best States for Asian Investment Index will be an indispensable tool for Asian governments and companies that wish to establish and expand their U.S. manufacturing and operations footprint.
“When governments and corporations are poised to make billion-dollar investments in the U.S., they need the best, most comprehensive data, combined with on-the-ground support and relationships,” said BGR Group CEO Bob Wood. “This new Index, coupled with the best-in-class state advocacy practices of BGR Group, will further differentiate us from our competitors.”
Utah: Best State for Asian Investment
Utah achieved the top spot among all 50 states by ranking in the Top 15 in eight of the 10 Data Category Groups: Economic Profile (Roman numeral I in the chart below), Business Climate (II), Demographics & Asian Assimilation (III), Manufacturing Advantage (IV), Connectivity & Infrastructure (V), Innovation & Knowledge Management (VI), Strength of Workforce (VII), Competitive Pay (VIII) and Public Health and Safety (X). Cost of Living (IX) is the remaining Data Category Group.
Utah has strong demographics in terms of population growth, labor force participation and high level of educational attainment. It also enjoys one of the lowest income inequality and unemployment rates and has high quality-of-life appeal.
Its inflation of economic input was modest, meaning the input cost for state economy remained low. Combined with Utah’s diverse industries, the state had one of highest COVID-rebound (2019-2022) economies.
In recent years the state also demonstrated solid growth in the manufacturing sector in particular. For example, between 2018 and 2022, manufacturing GDP growth averaged an annual 9.3%, compared to manufacturing stalwart states such as North Carolina’s 3.1% and Indiana’s 4.8%.
Utah also boasts a good public health and safety record and has the best aggregate household financial health (lowest mortgage, student loan, auto and credit card delinquency rates), all of which contributes to an optimistic outlook.
Utah is already the home of more than 20 Japanese businesses, and the state government has led trade delegations to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
The only Index Data Category Group where Utah performs below the middle of the pack percentile is Cost of Living. Utah ranks 35 among all 50 states in cost of living. The strong economy and rapid population growth have driven up housing demand, raising prices. That, combined with high interest rates and the overall desirability of quality-of-life, have contributed to Utah’s relatively high cost of living.
North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin
Each of the other Top 5 states has seen significant investment from Asia, thanks to their overall desirability, as seen in the Index rankings. Vietnamese automaker VinFast broke ground in North Carolina last year for an electric-vehicle manufacturing plant. Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. is investing in a carbon-capture venture in Colorado. South Korean chip giant Samsung is building a new semiconductor fabrication plant in Texas. Japan is a large investor in Wisconsin, with manufacturing facilities for construction equipment, medical technology and food firms.
Methodology and Sourcing:
The BGR Best States for Asian Investment Index serves as an aggregate, one-stop roadmap for U.S. stateside inbound investment interest. A total index score was calculated for each state. The total score was the summation of scores from the 10 Data Category Groups which, in turn, comprise the 136 individual indicators. Each indicator was normalized and scored from 0 to 100.
Data for the Index was collected from open sources and created by BGR Group using proprietary methodology. Data sources include: U.S. Census, Bureau of Economic Analysis, County Business Pattern, the State Business Incentives national database, George Mason University, the Equable Institute, National Right To Work, the Tax Foundation, the New York Federal Reserve, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Department of the Interior, the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Zillow, ADP, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, PitchBook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the International Trade Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, the Kaiser Family Foundation and BGR proprietary research.
CONTACT
Frank Ahrens
BGR PR Principal, Head of BGR Analytics
202.661.6313
###
About BGR Group (www.bgrdc.com)
Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., London, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia. BGR specializes in four key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, business advisory services and analytics. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.
Washington, D.C. (February 14, 2024) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, and BHA Strategy, the leading public affairs advisory firm in Nashville, Tennessee, have announced the establishment of a strategic partnership to provide federal, state, and local advocacy services in Tennessee, a top state in the U.S. for advanced industry job growth.
Building off the growth of BGR’s offices in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, BHA, led by Blake Harris, Governor Bill Lee’s first Chief of Staff, will support BGR’s clients in Tennessee through legislative and executive branch lobbying while maintaining the firm’s own roster of clients involved commercial real estate development, healthcare, infrastructure, and higher education issues. BHA will work with BGR to offer its lobbying capabilities to the leading growth sectors in Nashville including health, finance, hospitality and entertainment, and advanced manufacturing.
Bob Wood, Chairman and CEO of BGR Group, commented, “The synergies between our two firms on international, federal and state advocacy, public affairs, and economic development will allow us to provide elite client servicing by sharing resources and working together. We are excited about this partnership.”
Formed in 2021, BHA has quickly become one of the leading public affairs firms in Tennessee with a reputation for achieving client results. In addition to Blake Harris, BHA’s unmatched policy and political experience in Tennessee includes Brent Easley, President; Laine Arnold, Co-founder and Senior Vice President; David Topping, Vice President of Research, and Douglas Sellers, Senior Advisor.
BHA CEO Blake Harris commented, “We are thrilled to partner with D.C.’s most effective lobbying firm to continue growing our client services through expanded expertise in governmental affairs, public relations, and due diligence research. Tennessee is experiencing unprecedented economic growth led by low taxes, a robust workforce and a steady political climate. This growth has established a firm foundation for an impactful and flourishing partnership between BHA and BGR in Tennessee and beyond.”
CNBC ranked Tennessee as the third best state for business in 2023 and the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is one of the top five cities in the nation for job outpacing competing cities such as New York, L.A., Chicago, Denver, and Charlotte.
Consistently ranked as a Bloomberg Government “Standout” Firm, BGR Group is recognized for its policy expertise in health care, technology, appropriations, defense and financial services. Loren Monroe, a BGR principal and co-head of the firm’s State and Local Advocacy Practice, commented, “Working together, I am excited to connect our federal policy experts with business leaders in Tennessee. With competitive elections for President and control of Congress in November, there are significant policy implications for 2025.”
About BGR Group (www.bgrdc.com)
Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., London, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia. BGR specializes in three key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, and business advisory services. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers, and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.
About BHA Strategy (BHA Strategy):
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BHA Strategy is a full-service, strategic consulting firm providing expertise in government affairs, public relations, and corporate intelligence. With deep roots in both political campaigns and public service, BHA’s team applies winning campaign strategies and senior advisor expertise to the biggest challenges facing startups, corporations, and causes. BHA retains a political skill set that includes public opinion research, digital marketing, and media production/placement. The firm’s core focus is multi-state government affairs, strategic communication, and reputation management.
Washington, D.C., (January 30, 2024) — BGR Group, the premier lobbying and communications firm in the nation’s capital, today promoted Jo Maney to the newly created position of Chief of Marketing and Engagement.
Jo will oversee advertising and promotion for BGR Group, manage the brand and the extensive content produced by BGR’s practices, and continue to lead the firm’s public engagement. She will remain a principal in BGR’s Public Relations practice, BGR Group’s communications company, and the president of the BGR Foundation.
“BGR is thrilled Jo has agreed to take on this new responsibility, which will help us continue to grow and innovate,” said Erskine Wells, president of BGR Group. “We wanted a strategic, respected, and dedicated colleague to head our engagement efforts. Jo was the natural choice.”
Jo has been with BGR Public Relations for 12 years. She previously worked as communications director for the House Rules Committee under Chairman David Dreier (R-California) and in other congressional offices prior to that. Her new position takes effect immediately.
About BGR Group (www.bgrdc.com)
Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas, London and now Atlanta, Georgia. BGR specializes in three key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, and business advisory services. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers, and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.
Washington, D.C. (January 25, 2024) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced Robin Colwell (Commerce), Dan Greenwood (Defense), and Fred Turner (International), have been elected by their colleagues to be principals in the firm.
“BGR is proud to have team members like Robin, Dan and Fred,” said Erskine Wells, President of BGR Group. “Each is known for their outstanding work ethic and command of the issues on which they work. Robin, Dan, and Fred continue to provide exceptional service to our clients and are excellent colleagues as well. Congratulations to Robin, Dan and Fred on their election as principals.”
About BGR Group (www.bgrdc.com)
Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas, London and now Atlanta, Georgia. BGR specializes in three key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, and business advisory services. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers, and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.
Atlanta, GA, (January 25, 2024) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced the opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia. Building off the firm’s successful expansion in Austin, Texas in 2018, the Atlanta office will provide strategic representation and advocacy for clients in various industries at the local, state and national levels. The new office will physically expand the firm’s presence in the Southeast and enable the delivery of effective and innovative advocacy solutions to clients before state and local officials across the region and country.
BGR will be represented in Georgia by Thomasville, Georgia native William Crozer, a firm Principal and Co-Head of the firm’s bipartisan State and Local Advocacy Practice, and metro-Atlanta native Labriah Lee Holt, a Vice President and the newly named Managing Director of the Atlanta office. With the support of the entire firm’s bipartisan lobbying team, William and Labriah will focus on representing Georgia-based clients in Washington, D.C., as well as growing the firm’s bipartisan work in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, and throughout the Southeastern region.
Georgia is consistently ranked as a top state for business, and Atlanta has the nation’s third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. “BGR ‘s history is rooted in the southeast and Atlanta is the epicenter for business and politics in the booming region. The best policies come from state and local decision-makers, and Georgia has some of the best public servants in the nation today,” former Governor and BGR Founder Haley Barbour said. “Having William and Labriah based in Atlanta will enable the firm to effectively service our clients with deep issue expertise and critical relationships and help drive synergies between the state and Washington.”
Before rejoining BGR in 2021, William served as a Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) beginning in 2018. IGA serves as the primary liaison between the White House and the more than 500,000 state, local, territorial, and tribal leaders from the 50 States, 5 major Territories, and the District of Columbia. He previously served in the Counsel’s Office for then-Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. Labriah most recently served as State Government Affairs Director for Microsoft, based in Atlanta, where she led engagement across the southeast region with state and local officeholders to advance policy. Before joining Microsoft, Labriah worked with federal, state, and local leaders throughout the country on some of the most pressing foreign policy issues as AIPAC’s National Director of Outreach. Labriah started her career as an Intellectual Property Attorney at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta. Labriah currently serves on the Business Council for the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) and is a Board Member of the CareerRise, a workforce intermediary in Atlanta.
William Crozer commented, “With world class infrastructure, a competitive economic development and tax environment, a dedicated workforce, and a leading education system, businesses from around the world are thriving in Georgia’s economy. While remaining focused on BGR’s national and regional engagement, I am excited to provide a more concentrated level of support for clients with the state’s bipartisan Congressional delegation, the Governor, and other state and local officials. Having a full-time presence in Georgia will help BGR position our clients to be part of Georgia’s continued success.”
Labriah Lee Holt offered, “I am honored to open a new BGR office in the city that helped raise me and that has remained at the forefront of economic development and innovation in the Southeast. Atlanta is not only a great place to do business, but also a vibrant hub of culture, creativity, and diversity. Atlantans know this vital culture influences everything from business, film production, sports teams, cutting edge technology, to the music industry. I have extensive experience working with governors, attorneys general, mayors across the region, and I look forward to helping our clients navigate the opportunities and challenges they face. I joined BGR to help its state and local team continue to expand, and I’m thrilled Atlanta will anchor the firm’s growth in the Southeast.”
BGR’s Atlanta office will be located at One Buckhead Plaza, 3060 Peachtree Road, Suite 1880, Atlanta, GA 30305.
About BGR Group
Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas, London and now Atlanta, Georgia. BGR specializes in three key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, and business advisory services. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers, and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.
Bipartisanship seems to be breaking out in Washington thanks to taxes. Earlier this week, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) announced a significant bipartisan, bicameral agreement on business and individual tax relief. Dive deeper into the recent bill, hear from BGR experts Steven Pfrang and Joel Bailey, and learn about what’s next in BGR’s latest product: BGR Tax Talk.
Happy holidays from BGR Group! This holiday season the BGR Foundation proudly supported the Coats for Kids program organized by the Children’s Charities Foundation. Coats for Kids has distributed brand new winter coats to more than 50,000 children from thirty local charities and community organizations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
BGR wishes you and yours a blessed holiday season!
In 2023, the BGR Foundation was proud to support several charitable organizations around the DMV and the country. In addition, BGR team members have donated resources and time to the Arlington Food Assistance Center which provides dignified access to groceries to people in need in Northern Virginia and Comfort Cases which provides comfort and support to children in foster care.
Through service and support, BGR Group is working to improve our community and provide assistance to these vital organizations and the people they serve.
Learn more about how BGR gave back in 2023 in our Foundation Recap below:
