Eric Behrns founded Elmwood Strategies as a boutique lobbying and consulting firm to provide companies, associations, and other entities a broader scope of relationships and accomplishments within the Beltway. Elmwood Strategies focuses primarily upon public policy matters related to energy, technology, and the increasingly prominent nexus between them. We also provide opportunities for companies to meet potential partners and customers in business. Additionally, the firm has worked on behalf of clients’ public policy interests related to tax, financial services, and telecommunications.
Eric grew up on Elmwood Avenue and the firm’s name is a reminder of the need to stay grounded, employ a blue-collar work ethic, operate ethically, and achieve results. Symbolically, the firm’s name also evokes the threat posed by Dutch elm disease, and the fact that technologies can often be developed to mitigate the challenges we face. As Elmwood Strategies works on behalf of our clients, its focus will often be on technologies that can solve the challenges, both real and perceived, that energy consumption creates.
Elmwood Strategies is not a cumbersome law or lobbying firm where clients often get lost among multiple clients competing for time and attention. Instead, we offer personalized service, low overhead, and a high return on investment. Our clients aren’t paying for the marble lobby or wood-paneled elevators you’d find at bigger, less personal firms. Instead, we seek to provide a high level of service to fewer clients; perhaps this could be popularly referred to as the “Jerry Maguire” approach. At the same time, the firm is not afraid to buttress its capabilities as needed by leveraging our extensive contacts inside the Beltway.
Why Retain Elmwood Strategies?
Politics is defined by a competition for scarce resources, and if one does not participate in this constitutionally protected process it is guaranteed that competitors or enemies will prevail in your absence. Elmwood Strategies gives its clients a platform in Washington to effectively manage interactions with Congress and the Federal government. The firm uses its comparative advantage inside the Beltway to free entrepreneurs and organizations to focus upon their core competencies while knowing that their public policy interests are being protected in Washington. The firm’s work thus seeks to shift policy paradigms to unlock innovation, protect profit, and defeat proposals that would have a deleterious impact upon operations. For those entities that already have a Washington presence, Elmwood Strategies enhances its clients’ abilities to reach policymakers and achieve public policy goals.
The firm does not limit its outreach to one party, believing that better public policy results will be achieved when one explores all options for advancing policy ideals. The firm has strong relationships on both sides of the aisle, and believes that the combination of these bipartisan relationships with strong strategic and tactical execution significantly increases the odds of achieving a client’s public policy goals.
Elmwood Strategies provides personal service where clients understand what they are getting. Unlike many other firms who present their clients with invoices full of additional costs, Elmwood Strategies seeks to simplify the client relationship and does not bill for photocopies, local transportation, or other ordinary costs. While it may be appropriate to arrange in advance for atypical travel and other significant expenses, clients will never be surprised by their invoices or see “bill padding”. Instead, clients can expect personalized service with an excellent return on investment for a fair retainer.
When considering the decision to hire Elmwood Strategies, you may want to consider:
– Does Elmwood Strategies understand the goals and desires of my organization?
– Can we translate that understanding into a cohesive and effective strategy?
– Can we implement the strategy and achieve the company’s goals?
If we do not believe the answer to these questions is an unequivocal “yes,” Elmwood Strategies’ philosophy is to be forthright with potential clients about what may reasonably be accomplished. If you chose to move forward with Elmwood Strategies, we promise to attack your problems with a mix of experience, hard work, ethical behavior, personal attention, intelligent strategic advice, and effective tactical implementation. We relish the opportunity to represent your interests in Washington with these values and ideals intact.
