Drew Wilson
Public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies has secured a major investment from Semper Fi Partners, Aldine Capital and Wintrust Bank.
Alex Conant and Terry Sullivan, founding partners at Firehouse, will remain majority shareholders of the firm.
“We think we’re the best public affairs firm in Washington, DC, but to become the best agency in the country, we needed additional partners,” Conant said.
The new investment also will help Firehouse broaden its national footprint, increase its 35-strong headcount and expand in areas such as analytics and creative.
“Our job is to provide the best product to our clients and be our clients’ best friend,” Sullivan said. “And that isn’t going to change.”
Founded six years ago by veterans of Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, the Washington, D.C.-based firm opened offices in New York City and Orlando this year.
When the firm opened its first Florida office this year it tapped veteran Florida political operatives Todd Reid and Emily Brown to run the operation.
Reid served as Rubio’s deputy chief of staff and state director for more than a decade and was the senior staffer responsible for all of Rubio’s outreach and constituent services operations throughout the state.
Brown came to the firm from the Central Florida Expressway Authority, where she served as public affairs manager. She has more than a decade of experience managing strategic communications campaigns for state and local governments.
Last week, the firm announced further expansion into Florida with the addition of Evan Berryhill as a vice president of its Sunshine State team.
Berryhill was a deputy communications director on Ron DeSantis‘ gubernatorial campaign and has worked in political communications with several other Republican candidates and organizations.
