What Hicks Partners does

Hicks Partners, LLC is a privately held, Columbus, Ohio–based multidisciplinary business consulting firm founded in 2003 by Brian Hicks, a former Chief of Staff to the Governor of Ohio. The firm delivers eight integrated professional service lines: Government Affairs (lobbying and legislative advocacy), Public Relations (strategic communications and stakeholder engagement), Business Development (site selection and incentive analysis), Grant Writing and Government Procurement (federal, state, and SBIR/STTR proposal support), Association Management (full-service administration), Energy Siting and Stakeholder Outreach (Ohio Power Siting Board navigation for energy and data center developers), Lead Pipe and Lead Service Line Identification communications, and a Speakers Bureau. Headquartered at 10 West Broad Street with a secondary office at 21 E State Street, the firm is staffed by a team of 24 or more professionals, including six Senior Advisors, multiple Senior Directors, Partners, and a dedicated grant writing bench that has built proposals for agencies including DOD, DOE, HHS, HUD, USDOT, DOJ, FEMA, EPA, and CDC.

The firm serves three principal verticals — government entities, private sector businesses, and non-profits — with additional specialization for energy and data center developers navigating Ohio siting regulation. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements billed on a quote-based, project-specific basis with multi-year contracts. The go-to-market model is sales-led, driven by direct outreach, partner and referral networks, the Speakers Bureau, e-newsletter, and the firm's content-bearing website. National reach is enabled through a partnership with the Advocus network, which spans 23 regional offices, allowing the firm to execute multi-state campaigns while retaining boutique Columbus-based responsiveness.

Operationally, the company is founder-controlled, with no disclosed external funding, no parent entity, and no subsidiaries. Senior leadership includes President and CEO Brian Hicks, Vice President and Partner Keith Conroy, and Partner Zach Holzapfel, supported by Senior Directors across state government relations, communications, and a deep bench of advisory talent drawn from Ohio executive and legislative branches, agency leadership, Cleveland Clinic, and corporate roles at Scotts Miracle-Gro and Wendy's International. The firm's ownership commentary indicates privately held LLC status under Ohio jurisdiction.

Name

Hicks Partners

Legal name

Hicks Partners, LLC

Website

https://hickspartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hicks Partners is a Columbus, Ohio–based multidisciplinary business consulting firm offering government affairs, public relations, grant writing, economic development, association management, and energy siting services to government entities, private sector businesses, non-profits, and energy/data center developers primarily in the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Affairs and Public Policy Consulting

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Media Representatives (54184), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Government affairs lobbying
• Grant writing services
• Public relations consulting
• Business development consulting
• Energy siting outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Hicks Partners generates revenue through professional consulting engagements including government affairs/lobbying services, public relations, business development, grant writing, association management, and energy siting services. Services are provided to government entities, private sector businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hicks Partners is a boutique multidisciplinary business consulting firm that provides government affairs/lobbying, public relations, business development, grant writing, association management, and Ohio energy siting services. It serves government entities, private-sector businesses, and non-profits, primarily in Ohio and the Midwest.

Product overview

Hicks Partners is a multidisciplinary business consulting firm that operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform. The company provides eight distinct professional services: Government Affairs (lobbying and legislative advocacy), Public Relations (strategic communications and stakeholder engagement), Business Development (economic development and site selection), Grant Writing (federal and state grant application services), Association Management (full-service administration), Energy Siting & Stakeholder Outreach (Ohio energy regulatory navigation), Lead Pipe & Lead Service Line Identification (infrastructure compliance communications), and Speakers Bureau. These services are offered as standalone consulting engagements rather than modules of a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Affairs Lobbying and government relations services helping clients navigate state, local, and federal governments; includes legislative advocacy, regulatory representation, policy analysis, and strategic consulting.
• Public Relations Strategic communications, media relations, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement, and grassroots/grasstops campaigns to build positive public perception.
• Business Development Growth strategy and market expansion services including site selection, business incentives analysis, investment support, and business-to-business matchmaking.
• Grant Writing Full-service grant application support including application review, writing, compliance editing, submission, and grant readiness training for federal and state agencies.
• Association Management Comprehensive association administration including meeting/event planning, operations, membership management, and government relations/strategic marketing.
• Energy Siting & Stakeholder Outreach Specialized Ohio energy siting and stakeholder engagement services guiding clients through Ohio Power Siting Board applications, community relations, and regulatory compliance for energy and AI infrastructure projects.
• Lead Pipe & Lead Service Line Identification Communications and outreach services supporting Lead and Copper Rule compliance through self-reporting programs, inspection scheduling automation, and data dashboards for lead service line identification and replacement.
• Speakers Bureau Speaking services on topics including Capital-to-Capital Update, Community Outreach, Economic Development, and Legislative Advocacy for events, conferences, and workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60% participation rates achieved in lead service line identification projects
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Advocus PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHicks Partners maintains a partnership with Advocus network, which provides access to expertise across 23 regional offices for large-scale, multi-state campaign execution while maintaining boutique responsiveness. This partnership enables national reach without sacrificing local agility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Forbes Tate Partners: Bipartisan government affairs and strategic communications firm combining federal lobbying, PR, and public affairs — the closest functional analogue to Hicks Partners' multi-disciplinary model at a national scale.
• Cornerstone Government Affairs: Boutique bipartisan government relations firm offering federal lobbying, strategic consulting, and federal budget/appropriations work — overlapping with Hicks Partners' government affairs and federal grants practices.
• The Herald Group: Integrated government affairs, public affairs, and strategic communications firm combining lobbying with media and digital campaigns — a multi-disciplinary boutique comparable to Hicks Partners' service platform.
• Subject Matter: Government affairs and strategic communications firm providing federal lobbying, strategic consulting, and creative/earned media services — directly comparable integrated model to Hicks Partners.
• Avenue Solutions: Bipartisan government relations and public affairs firm offering lobbying, strategic communications, and policy advocacy — closely aligned with Hicks Partners' government affairs + PR combination.
• CGCN Group: Government affairs, public affairs, and strategic communications firm offering lobbying, coalition building, and media relations — a similar multi-disciplinary boutique competing for similar clients.
• Mehlman Consulting: Bipartisan government relations firm focused on federal lobbying and strategic consulting, comparable in scale and service mix to Hicks Partners' government affairs practice.

Broad incumbents

• Vorys Advisors: Ohio-based legal and government affairs practice of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP — a larger, established Ohio firm with an overlapping state lobbying, public policy, and regulatory practice.
• Ice Miller Government Solutions: Indianapolis-based full-service law firm with a dedicated government solutions/public affairs practice; a larger, multi-state incumbent competing for similar Ohio/Midwest clients.
• BGR Group: Large bipartisan government affairs and lobbying firm providing federal lobbying, state advocacy, and public affairs — a scaled incumbent peer competing for larger clients Hicks Partners might otherwise pursue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HicksPartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hicks Partners