PACA

What PACA does

PACA Inc. is a privately held, family-owned government relations and association management firm based in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1975 by Paul A. Corey. The firm provides outsourced management services to professional societies, trade associations, and corporate entities in Ohio and the surrounding Midwest region. Its service portfolio spans eight integrated modules: Government Relations (legislative monitoring and statehouse lobbying), Creative Services (website design, development, and marketing campaigns), Member Services (membership development, retention, recruitment, and database management), Publication Management (editorial planning, content development, design, and circulation), Communication Services (news releases, feature articles, editorial, and advertising sales), Financial Services (budgeting, reporting, accounts receivable, and accounts payable), Public Relations (crisis management, promotional campaigns, public image development, and media relations), and Convention & Tradeshow Management (contract negotiation, registration, sponsorship, and continuing education certification).

The firm operates with a small team of 6 active staff members led by President David P. Corey, who has led the business since 1989 following in the footsteps of his father. PACA does not sell a software platform; its "technology" is the institutional expertise of its principals, particularly their deep state-government relationships (the founder worked with nine Ohio Governors; David P. Corey has twice been appointed by Ohio Governors to the Ohio Expositions Commission & State Fair Board). The website and digital footprint (pacainc.com) serve primarily as a marketing and contact channel rather than a productized service offering.

PACA's business model is a custom, project-based professional services model: pricing is not publicly disclosed and services are quoted per client need. Revenue derives from managed services contracts with association and corporate clients, where the firm acts as executive director and operational backbone for client organizations. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven, relying on referrals, reputation, and personal networks built over more than four decades. The company remains entirely Corey-family owned with no external investors, parent company, M&A activity, or disclosed plans for outside capital.

Name

PACA

Legal name

PACA Inc.

Website

https://[email protected]

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PACA Inc. is a family-owned Columbus, Ohio government relations and association management firm serving professional societies, trade associations, and corporate clients with lobbying, member services, publication, financial, PR, and event management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Association Management & Government Relations Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Affairs & Government Relations (MPAAADAE)

Keywords

• Association management services
• Government relations consulting
• Statehouse lobbying services
• Trade association administration
• Convention and tradeshow management

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Association Management Services: Professional services revenue derived from providing comprehensive association management to professional societies and trade associations, including administrative services, member services, publication management, financial services, and convention/tradeshow management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

PACA provides government relations and association management services to professional societies, trade associations, and corporate entities. Its core offering is a suite of eight integrated service modules covering legislative monitoring, statehouse lobbying, creative and digital services, member services, publication management, communications, financial administration, public relations, and convention/tradeshow management, delivered as outsourced back-office and advocacy support.

Product overview

PACA is a government relations and association management firm offering professional services to associations, corporations, and individual interest groups. The company provides an integrated suite of eight core service modules: Government Relations (legislative monitoring and lobbying), Creative Services (website design/development and marketing), Member Services (membership development and database management), Publication Management (editorial and circulation services), Communication Services (news releases and advertising), Financial Services (budgeting and accounting), Public Relations (crisis management and media relations), and Convention & Tradeshow Management. These services work together to provide comprehensive association management, though they are offered as distinct service offerings rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Relations Legislative monitoring and statehouse lobbying services that help professional associations, trade groups, and corporate clients navigate Ohio state government affairs and influence policy decisions.
• Creative Services Website design, website development, and marketing campaign services delivered for client associations and organizations.
• Member Services Membership development, retention and recruitment, database management, and record-keeping services for associations and professional societies.
• Publication Management Editorial planning, editorial content development, publication design and layout, and circulation management for client publications.
• Communication Services News release writing, feature articles, editorial services, and advertising sales for client organizations.
• Financial Services Budgeting, reporting, accounts receivable, and accounts payable management for client organizations.
• Public Relations Crisis management, promotional campaigns, public image development, media relations, and spokesperson services for client organizations.
• Convention & Tradeshow Management Contract negotiations, registration, sponsorship coordination, program development, floor plan design and layout, promotion, and continuing education certification for client events.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Kellen Company: Mid-size AMC offering association management, government relations, meetings, and publications to trade and professional associations—a near-identical service portfolio to PACA across the same customer segments.
• Virtual Inc. AMC serving technology and standards-focused associations with full management services including publications, member services, and government engagement, directly overlapping PACA's core offering.
• SmithBucklin: Largest U.S. association management company (AMC), providing the same bundled association and government relations services to professional societies and trade associations as PACA, but at much greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Capitol Consulting Group: Ohio-focused government affairs and lobbying firm serving associations, corporations, and nonprofit clients at the Ohio statehouse—directly competing with PACA for the same state-level public affairs mandates.
• Association Headquarters, Inc. (AHI): Mount Laurel, NJ-based AMC providing full-service association management, publications, conventions, and financial services to member-driven organizations—comparable in scope to PACA's eight-service bundle.

Broad incumbents

• MultiState Associates: Multi-state government relations firm that, like PACA, represents associations and corporations before state legislatures—but operates a national platform across many states rather than a single state focus.
• Vorys: Major Ohio-based law firm with a substantial government relations practice that competes with PACA for corporate lobbying and association legal/governmental work, but as part of a much broader legal services portfolio.

Others

• ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership: Industry body for the association management profession; not a competitor but the principal trade organization whose membership signals credibility and access for firms like PACA within the AMC ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 PACA