The Montrose Group

What The Montrose Group does

The Montrose Group (TMG) is a privately held Ohio-based economic development and public policy consultancy founded in 2009 by Dave Robinson and headquartered at 100 East Broad Street, Suite 2320, Columbus, Ohio. The firm delivers four core professional service lines — Economic Development Advisory, Economic Development Planning, Corporate Site Location, and Lobbying — to a mix of municipal governments (e.g., City of Strongsville, Madison County), corporate clients (e.g., Root Inc., Fortner Upholstering, Sierra Nevada Corporation), developers, and trade associations, with primary service geography spanning Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and national project reach via its 50-State Incentive Guide. Its value proposition rests on the rare combination of economic development advisory and direct lobbying capability, supported by leadership credentials including a former Ohio Governor's Legislative Director, former Ohio House member, former Ameritech Ohio ED Director, former JobsOhio/Ohio Department of Development leaders, and a two-time Top 50 Economic Developer, with the firm claiming over 105 collective years of team experience and $1.2 billion in cumulative negotiated economic development incentives.

The firm operates as a principal-led, relationship-driven consultancy without any proprietary technology platform, API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees — strategic planning engagements, corporate site selection mandates, incentive negotiation retainers, and ongoing lobbying representation — with pricing not publicly disclosed and contracts varying by scope, client type, and engagement duration. Distribution is entirely direct-to-client, supplemented by a thought leadership engine comprising the monthly Development Debate podcast, white papers (Ohio TMUD, Mid-America EDC Site Development Guide, Development Opportunity 2024), a blog, a newsletter, and the Annual Economic Development Policy Forum, which serve as top-of-funnel demand generation. Key strategic partnerships include co-development work with the Dayton Development Coalition, JobsOhio, the Ohio Department of Development, and Malone Workforce Solutions (on the Aerospace and Defense Metro Competitiveness Index), while minor GTM partners include Tenby Partners, Agracel, Kleingers, Porter Wright, JLL, Huntington National Bank, CSX, and Norfolk Southern as event sponsors.

The firm has been independently recognized by Consultant Connect as home to a Top 50 Economic Developer (Matt McCollister in 2016 and 2024) and demonstrates sustained project-level outcomes ($6M in Ohio community project funding secured in the latest cycle, $500,000 ODOT TID grant for Pickaway County, SNC's $100M Dayton expansion landed). It is a 1–10 person LLC with no subsidiaries, no institutional funding rounds, no M&A activity, no disclosed revenue, and no public filings, operating as a founder-led boutique whose growth is constrained by principal capacity rather than market demand.

Name

The Montrose Group

Legal name

The Montrose Group, LLC

Website

https://montrosegroupllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Montrose Group is a Columbus, Ohio-based economic development and public policy consultancy offering economic development advisory, corporate site selection, strategic planning, and lobbying services to municipalities, corporations, developers, and trade associations across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure & Project Finance Advisory (BPAHADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL), Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Economic development consulting
• Corporate site selection
• Government relations lobbying
• Incentive negotiation services
• Public policy advisory

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Advisory Services: Strategic advisory fees for economic development planning, corporate site location, incentive creation and administration, business retention and expansion programs, and downtown revitalization consulting for communities and organizations.
2. Corporate Site Location Services: Fees for representing growing companies (software, technology, manufacturing, logistics) through site selection and incentive negotiation processes. The firm has negotiated $1.2 billion in economic development incentives to date.
3. Lobbying Services: Government relations and lobbying services for public- and private-sector organizations and trade associations before local, state, and federal governments. Services include budget, policy, procurement, funding, regulatory reform, and tax matter advocacy.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Montrose Group is a professional services consultancy that delivers economic development advisory, corporate site location, lobbying, and strategic planning services to public- and private-sector clients. The firm helps communities develop and execute economic development strategic plans, represents growing companies in site selection and incentive negotiations, and provides government relations advocacy before local, state, and federal bodies. Service revenue is generated through consulting engagements, with the firm having negotiated $1.2 billion in economic development incentives and co-authored over 50 strategic economic development plans.

Product overview

The Montrose Group is an economic development and public policy consultancy offering a suite of advisory services rather than a software product. The core offerings include Economic Development Advisory Services, Corporate Site Location Services, Lobbying Services, and Economic Development Planning Services. The firm also provides supplementary research resources including a 50-State Incentive Guide, The Development Debate podcast series, white papers, and a blog. These services collectively help clients with strategic planning, site selection, incentive negotiations, government relations, and economic development plan creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Economic Development Advisory Services Advisory services for communities and organizations working on economic development plans and programs at the local level, including business revolving loans, business retention and expansion, tax abatement, tax increment financing, workforce development, and port authority services. Day-to-day advisory support to small- and mid-sized cities and counties.
• Corporate Site Location Services Represents growing software, technology, manufacturing, and logistics companies considering expansion or relocation, conducting research on growing markets and negotiating tax incentives. The firm has negotiated $1.2 billion in economic development incentives to date.
• Lobbying Services Government relations services for public- and private-sector organizations and trade associations before local, state, and federal governments, covering budget, policy, procurement, funding, regulatory reform, and tax matter advocacy, with a unique integration of lobbying with economic development policy and program expertise.
• Economic Development Planning Services Data-driven planning model including research, community listening, and action steps around land use, workforce, infrastructure, tax, and quality-of-life initiatives. Services include broadband plans, smart zone strategies, comprehensive strategic plans, Transformational Mixed Use Development studies, downtown redevelopment district plans, and housing studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.2 billion in economic development incentives negotiated across the United States
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Dayton Development CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on bringing Sierra Nevada Corporation's $100 million Aviation Innovation and Technology Center expansion to Dayton International Airport. Partnership involved multi-state site selection competition and ongoing economic development coordination in the Dayton region.
• JobsOhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level economic development partner instrumental in securing the SNC project for Ohio. Collaborated on incentive negotiations and project approval processes.
• Ohio Department of DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for economic development project coordination and incentive programs at the state level.
• Malone Workforce SolutionsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of the Aerospace and Defense Metro Competitiveness Index, evaluating 43 metropolitan areas using a proprietary P-Q-R-S Framework to identify top U.S. defense regions.
• Tenby PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• AgracelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• KleingersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• JLLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor and panel participant at the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• Huntington National BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• CSXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.
• Norfolk SouthernminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 5th Annual Economic Development Policy Forum.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Site Selection Group: Site Selection Group is a US site selection consultancy representing growing companies (manufacturing, logistics, data centers) on facility location and incentive negotiations, directly comparable to Montrose's Corporate Site Location Services practice.
• Tangerine Government Relations: Tangerine is a state government relations and lobbying firm with deep Ohio connections, providing local, state, and federal advocacy for trade associations and corporate clients comparable to Montrose's Lobbying service line.
• Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS): BLS is an economic development and site selection strategy consultancy that advises communities and companies on competitiveness, ED strategy, and corporate attraction; materially overlaps Montrose's ED Advisory + Corporate Site Location services.
• McCallum Sweeney Consulting: McCallum Sweeney is a long-standing economic development and site selection consultancy serving both corporate site selectors and public-sector clients, closely paralleling Montrose's bidirectional (company + community) service model.
• Global Location Strategies: Global Location Strategies provides corporate site selection, incentive negotiation, and ED consulting for manufacturers and logistics firms, overlapping Montrose's core site selection and incentive negotiation offering.
• Capitol Consulting Group: Capitol Consulting Group is an Ohio-based government relations and lobbying firm serving public- and private-sector clients before the Statehouse; a direct peer to Montrose's Lobbying practice.

Others

• Conway Data / Area Development Magazine: Conway Data publishes Area Development magazine and operates corporate site selection research and data products; comparable to Montrose's thought-leadership content (white papers, 50-State Incentive Guide) and overlapping on audience.

Broad incumbents

• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) - Consulting/Site Selection: JLL's Location Advisory practice combines location strategy, incentive advisory, and economic development consulting for large enterprises and communities, competing with Montrose for incentive-driven corporate mandates.
• Deloitte (US Consulting Site Selection practice): Deloitte's Location Investment and Economic Development advisory group offers strategy and project finance guidance to state/regional clients and large corporate site selectors at much greater scale; a broad incumbent competitor with overlapping capability.
• CBRE - Location Advisory: CBRE provides site selection, location strategy, and economic incentive advisory as part of its broader commercial real estate services; competes for the same corporate expansion and incentive negotiation mandates as Montrose.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montrose-group-llc
• Xx.com/montrosegrpllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Montrose Group