BGR Managing Director, David Urban, wrote in the Wall Street Journal about what a Trump peace plan for Ukraine could look like. He and Former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo state that a successful plan would:
1) Unleash America’s energy potential
2) Rebuild ties with Saudi Arabia and Israel and work together against Iran.
3) Impose real sanctions on Russia.
4) Bulk up America’s defense industry.
5) Revitalize the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
6) Create a $500 billion “lend-lease” program for Ukraine.
7) Lift all restrictions on the type of weapons Ukraine can obtain and use.
WATCH: BGR Group Advisory Board Member and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker joined CNBC Squawk Box to discuss the response by foreign leaders to the assassination attempt of former President Trump, what it means for the 2024 election, and potential implications of a second Trump presidency.
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.
Bipartisan Team with a National Footprint Provides Comprehensive Advocacy Offering
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.
New Index from BGR Analytics Draws Data from 136 Categories
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.
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.
Top Firms in Washington, D.C. and Nashville, Tennessee Will Offer Clients Federal and State Lobbying Expertise
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.”
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.
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.
Utah: Best State for Asian Investment
