Industrial News

In January, GSP launched two practice areas that complement their current divisions and open doors to new business opportunities. The new GSP Public Affairs and GSP Procurement practices have quickly gained ground in the Pittsburgh market as well as in other regions GSP serves including central Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

Since the firm's early days, GSP realized that many of its clients often needed additional, complementary services such as communications and event planning, and government contracting guidance and strategy. Typically, the firm outsourced the work to trusted partners but last year made plans to acquire two of those partners' businesses in order to provide commonly outsourced services under the GSP brand.

Leading the Procurement practice is Allan Roberts who has 15 years experience working with the federal government in various capacities and served in the United States Marine Corps. Most recently, Allan ran his own consulting firm that provided business development services to veteran business owners. The GSP Procurement practice assists clients in pursuing government contracting opportunities through their understanding of how to market to multiple tiers of decision makers and arrive at a thorough strategy. In addition, they provide guidance on the necessary reporting and compliance protocols that come with being a government contractor. One of the first Procurement clients is Pittsburgh-based technology company, Nokomis.

Heading up GSP Public Affairs is Niki Campbell. Formerly of Campbell Consulting, Niki is a veteran of the Pittsburgh PR community having spent many years at Ketchum and then as a consultant operating her own communications business. GSP Public Affairs provides clients with a full suite of public relations and communications services from writing, media relations, and media training to web site copywriting, crisis communications and event planning.

Since launching the practice, GSP Public Affairs has secured several clients, including NetServ LLC, The Cranberry Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mt. Lebanon Art in the Park event.

"Both Procurement and Public Affairs are ideal add-on practice areas for GSP; and Allan and Niki are professionals we trust and have worked with for many years," CEO Joe Kuklis said. "We recognized many of our clients needed these services and we were able to respond by bringing in two industry experts who could quickly establish and effectively lead these practice areas."

With the addition of Procurement and Public Affairs, GSP also added new ala carte services - specifically federal and state grant writing and grassroots lobbying. All of GSP's new service offerings are available to existing clients on a project or retainer basis and will be marketed as stand-alone services for new clients.

In addition to bringing on Roberts and Campbell, GSP hired Allison Beresnyak, and Christine Irwin as part time grant writers and Keith Wehner as a part time Public Affairs associate.

Anticipating this expansion and growth last year, GSP renewed its lease with Forest City Enterprises and doubled its office space in the Landmarks Building located in Station Square. In April, 22 Pittsburgh employees will move into more than 11,000 square feet of office space in the same building but on a different floor. The new space can accommodate up to 40 employees.