Orion Strategies
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Strategic communications, Public relations, Lobbying, Advocacy, Market research, Creative services |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Curtis Wilkerson |
| Headquarters | Buckhannon, West Virginia , United States |
Area served | United States (Washington, DC; Harrisburg, PA; Columbus, OH; Charleston, WV; Buckhannon, WV; Martinsburg, WV) |
| Products | Public relations, lobbying, advocacy, polling, focus groups, video production, graphic design, digital solutions |
Orion Strategies LLC is a firm specializing in strategic communications, with core expertise in public relations, lobbying, and advocacy. The company also includes a research arm that provides polling and focus groups services, as well as a creative division that delivers video production, graphic design, and digital solutions.
History
Established in 2007 by Curtis Wilkerson, Orion Strategies operates from multiple locations including Washington, DC; Harrisburg, PA; Columbus, OH; Charleston, WV; Buckhannon, WV; and Martinsburg, WV.
Activities
Orion Strategies offers a full suite of strategic communication services encompassing bipartisan lobbying at both federal and state levels, grassroots advocacy, media engagement, creative production, and research capabilities.
Polling
The organization performs impartial polling for clients such as the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and news organizations including The State Journal. In an assessment of U.S. pollsters by FiveThirtyEight, Orion received a B− grade.
Natural gas industry
Orion holds a prominent role within the natural gas industry. In 2018, it authored reports endorsing fracking. By 2021, Orion attributed its efforts to the passage of West Virginia’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Act on behalf of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. This legislation imposed felony charges for protests targeting oil and gas infrastructure and was described by its sponsor John Kelly as legislation "requested by the natural gas industry."
Criticisms
In 2011, Politico Morning Tech spotlighted Orion’s function as a tool for AT&T during its attempted acquisition of T-Mobile, raising questions about the authenticity of this advocacy.