Pac/West has served an ambulance company in a variety of capacities over the last two decades. Our team has provided ongoing lobbying, communications, and marketing services to build the company’s visibility and reputation within the community. Our past work has included securing TV, radio and print news coverage on their community education and safety services.
At one point, they faced the prospect of not having its county service contract renewed. Our team deployed strategic outreach and marketing to rally the community around it. Pac/West developed billboards reminding the community of the ambulance company’s successful history in providing critical and reliable public safety services. We also created a four-page insert for the local media featuring summer safety tips, plus the company’s water and mountain rescue services.
Pac/West also arranged for an editorial board with the media, coordinated the production of letters to the editor from key community and business leaders, and provided consultation on responding to media inquiries. Our outreach efforts played an important role in helping the company secure its bid for renewal.
More recently, the ambulance company is again facing similar challenges with its contract with a different county. Pac/West is assisting with lobbying and communications efforts surrounding this issue.
A bulk fuel storage company acquired property with operational infrastructure to store a variety of fossil fuel products and a permitted refinery that is not currently operating. The company planned to modernize the terminal with increased rail capacity and safety upgrades. This required new permits, including a construction permit for a fire suppression system and a construction permit for expanded rail capacity. Due to an entrenched activist community and general concerns over any petroleum facility, especially one with crude by rail capabilities, the modernization of the terminal presents unique challenges. Pac/West was retained to engage in a highly disciplined and proactive political public affairs effort to generate the necessary support to facilitate permitting and continued operation while following the rule of ‘do no harm.’ A strategic plan was developed to pursue all opportunities to achieve the objective of facilitating permitting and regulatory approval.
Pac/West also organized several tours of the terminal for elected leaders to showcase improvements to the facility and discuss a new renewable fuels facility to handle through-truck and rail development. We produced several short videos that presented different aspects of the terminal’s operation and posted these on the company’s website, and developed shorter versions used with digital advertising and geo-fencing to influence key decision makers.
Pac/West staff have also participated in several required spill drill exercises in the roles of Public Information Officer and Liaison Officer.
Pac/West has been engaged in both government affairs and public relations activities for a steel manufacturing and recycling company. In this role, we have coordinated meetings and tours with elected officials at the federal and state levels to discuss environmental and safety compliance issues.
We also work with the Oregon Congressional delegation to address the challenges associated with selling used metal from salvage yards without adequate connectivity to a national recall database.
Most recently, we have been assisting the company with government relations and public affairs associated with their role in a SuperFund clean-up site. We were involved on the company’s behalf during the National Environmental Policy Act process, participating in the public involvement process, while also monitoring environmental activists. We have also been involved with media relations outreach.
We also continue to work with this client to monitor state and local municipality regulations and actions.
Pac/West was retained by a railroad company to develop and implement a communication strategy that would brand them as a responsible company and an important part of its local economy.
Shortly after the parent company acquired a short line from another operator, the railroad experienced a couple of low-speed derailments involving unit trains of soybeans. These minor incidents coincided with increased public scrutiny of train safety in the wake of several oil train accidents. Although the short line did not haul crude oil, there were several proposals for crude oil terminals under consideration that would rely on the short line to transport their products. This drew opposition from environmentalists, who successfully seized on safety concerns with municipal bans on crude oil activities.
Pac/West implemented its proven research process to assess the situation, identify key target audiences, develop persuasive messaging, identify messengers, and communicate through the appropriate outlets. Communication efforts were planned and executed with a timeline of key events related to the railroad and the communities along the line. The implementation plan included outreach to the nearby tribal community to establish and strengthen relationships with community and non-elected leaders.
In a very short timeframe, we developed talking points, trained spokespeople and created a standalone website and newsletter, both of which were the first-of-its-kind for any of the parent company’s hundreds of railroads. We prepared and distributed press releases to local and regional media outlets to ensure the short line railroad would drive the conversation. The newsletter, website and media coverage effectively reached target audiences. We also filmed a video, which featured on the new website, to introduce the rail line to the public.
