The 51 Group: Providing Boutique National Government Relations Solutions

Originally published in Gov Business Review

It is not uncommon for The 51 Group to act fast to have eyes and ears on the ground. Scott Frein and Davis Rennolds are used to jumping into action for their clients. After receiving a call on a Thursday afternoon, The 51 Group assembled a team to provide an assist for client meetings at a national political conference the next week. They understood the client’s needs, knew what was needed and who to meet with, and reported valuable information back to the client. This fast handling of client concerns to deliver results efficiently is just a glimpse of the importance The 51 Group places on fulfilling its commitments.

The 51 Group is a bipartisan government relations (GR) firm built upon the decades of industry experience of Frein and Rennolds. It provides its GR services nationally to clients of varying sizes in the financial services, private equity, healthcare, education, workforce development, automotive, gaming, mental health, and technology sectors. The extent and reach of its services can be determined by the company’s name itself.

“The 51 represents our ability to track and engage in state legislatures across the country in all 50 states, plus the federal government in Washington D.C.,” says Frein, founder and managing partner at The 51 Group.

Its services can be categorized into three verticals, bipartisan being the key as it caters to and nurtures good relations with political entities on both sides of the aisle. The federal GR work vertical is centered around D.C., specfically, client relations with Congress and the administration. The national/multistate work requires monitoring legislation across all states,finding patterns, themes and tracking movements and predicting what’s important for the client by maintaining great relationships with governors and state legislators across the country. And the team has an office in Richmond, VA, where they have a significant body of work before the Virginia governor's office and general assembly. This gives The 51 Group the ability to plug and play whenever the client needs its assistance.

The importance of national/multistate service cannot be understated, as companies don’t have the bandwidth to be aware of what’s happening across all 50 states. Some of them have large, sophisticated GR teams but are often focused on the states where the client is already present. These teams approach The 51 Group to flag potential issues or predict trends in states they are yet to scout. The company maintains this edge by networking and attending all events and conventions across the states to find an opening for its clients. This agility is what the in-house big GR teams are looking for and what The 51 Group’s clients value.

The biggest challenge The 51 Group faces while serving the industry is navigating through the ever-changing state governments, where every new legislator, policymaker, or governor has a set of boxes to check. Ensuring their objectives align with a client’s objectives is a constant struggle. The 51 Group overcomes this hurdle with its boutique approach to government relations, providing a personal touch with constant client communication. Its reputation enables it to work together even with its competitors to make the best out of a scenario for all parties. Finding this flexibility and balance with its competitors and clients alike to guarantee success, which can sometimes just mean preventing a loss, is what sets The 51 Group apart.

“Both Scott and I bring distinct perspectives and experiences to our consulting work but still have a similar approach centered around a smaller firm, focused on delivering results and exceptional customer service,” says Rennolds, founder and partner at The 51 Group.

The 51 Group has helped an ed-tech company that initially had no GR program. Together, they built a successful program from scratch, and they have since expanded their presence to 25-30 states with now a team of 20-plus people, addressing literacy needs prior to, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Their success is a source of pride and inspiration for The 51 Group.

The 51 Group enjoys a team of people with members from different backgrounds and political leanings while still preserving the team spirit. They come together to provide a unified approach to a problem, a testament to their bipartisan commitments while delivering their service.