ABOUT US
WHAT WE DO
Since our founding at the request of Ernst & Young more than 35 years ago, US Consults has been making the impossible possible for its clients.
WHO WE ARE
And because most companies and government entities don't expend energy on the impossible, we have yet to serve a client who before meeting us was fully aware of what was possible - including strategic options. For example: one multi-national private sector client approached us with the intention of having us negotiate benefits for a small ($20 million) investment that it intended for Pennsylvania. In creating the negotiating leverage, we created investment options for them that resulted in their first major investment in the U.S.A. in over a decade - as they received $750 million cash subsidies for an investment of equal amount (with "no harm - no foul" and no clawback provisions). The agreement provided them with continuing investment benefits over a 70-year period (30 years of cash benefits for every investment made during a 40-year agreement term). And it wasn't in Pennsylvania.
Yet, it is important to note that the client wasn't the only "winner" in those negotiations. Government was also a "winner" as were the communities - the people. The outcome was truly a "win-win" - perceived at the time the agreement was signed and ever since (years later).
How is that possible?
Another example: a public sector client approached us to help them diversify their economy - attract new businesses and jobs - and eliminate the generational poverty plaguing its citizenry. As the public sector client was two hours away from the nearest commercial airport (with limited service) and bowling alley and movie theater, the county was not exactly a convenient option for a company seeking expansion or relocation. Even the geography and climate were an acquired taste. In short, the client needed to build a war chest of economic development funds (which it did not have) in order to compete effectively with other communities. Yet, it had no source of revenue it could dedicate for that purpose, and building the funds out of tax revenues from the citizenry was an idea that would only be embraced by someone intent on political suicide. We found a way, righting a 100-year-long wrong along the way. At the same time, local businesses shared in the funds being generated - rather than facing additional taxes. Once again, the outcome was truly a "win-win".
How was that possible?
In essence, we resolve challenges by finding a solution in which there is only one side and all parties are on that same side. In the examples above, rather than antagonists, government (and the community) and the company are collaborators and mutual beneficiaries. This dynamic is why we often struggle to answer the question: "What is it that you do?" Do we negotiate discretionary grants? Yes. Do we negotiate discretionary tax exemptions? Yes. Do we negotiate discretionary special utility contracts (outside the normal tariff)? Yes. Do we negotiate discretionary tariff mitigation? Yes. Do we negotiate discretionary wage subsidies? Yes. Do we negotiate to mitigate a client's investment costs? Yes. Do we negotiate to mitigate a client's operating costs? Yes. Do we find new sources of revenue for government without adding to the voters' or businesses' tax burdens? Yes. The list of questions goes on - with all answered, "Yes".
But although each of those is something we do, each of those activities fails to capture the essence of what we do. Perhaps the essence of what we do is to create a transactional benefits möebius - where financial benefit is realized by the private sector concurrently with financial, economic, social and political benefit realized by the public sector.
How do we do that?
Certainly it takes more than charm and good looks to create the benefits möebius. We rely on our intellectual strength to carefully and accurately construct - through extensive research and intensive analysis - the raisons d'état and d'être necessary to achieve otherwise impossible results.
And exactly how is that done?
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