The Saint Consulting Group
Encyclopedia
The Saint Consulting Group (TSCG) is a privately held management consulting
firm based in Hingham, Massachusetts
. The Saint Consulting Group works in land use consulting, generating public support to help companies navigate the local governmental approval process. The firm is reported to have annual revenues of $30 million by providing political experts, media experts, and lawyers on behalf of casinos, colleges, grocery and retail chains, medical groups, utilities, and heavy industries.
Saint specializes in using political-campaign tactics, such as petition drives, phone banks, door-to-door discussions, and websites, to support or oppose controversial projects, such as oil refineries, shopping centers, quarries, and landfills.
As of 2008, the company employed approximately 90 land use
experts in 10 offices in the United States
and an international
office in London, England.
Consulting Magazine named Saint Consulting one of their "7 Small Jewels" in 2007. The annual "Small Jewels" list highlights exceptional firms with less than 250 employees.
with a degree in political science
, he earned his master's in business administration from the Owen Graduate School of Management
at Vanderbilt University
. Saint, a Boston native, previously worked as journalist before serving as the press officer for former Massachusetts lieutenant governor Thomas P. O'Neill III
(son of Tip, former U.S. House Speaker).
After serving on O'Neill's staff, Saint founded Saint Consulting in 1983 as a one-man operation, doing public relations
and political work. He began to focus on land use in the mid-1990s and met Patrick Fox, who was running political campaigns in Massachusetts.
As of 2009, Saint is currently working on 135 cases in the U.S., UK and Canada. As of 2006, the company had about 55 employees, most with backgrounds in grassroots
political campaigns.
In 2009, three members of the Saint Consulting Group, Mike Saint, Robert J. Flavell, and Patrick F. Fox wrote the book Nimby Wars.
, the Nashville Opera Association
and on the advisory board of the Civic Bank and Trust in Nashville. He is on the executive board of the Nashville District Council of the Urban Land Institute
, and serves as a trustee on the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Consulting and Management Inc.
of land development
—was released for the first time. Performed by the Center for Economic and Civic Opinion, University of Massachusetts Lowell
, the Saint Index is an international survey that quantifies and analyzes opposition to development. The index has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Development Magazine, Business 2.0, Electric Perspectives, Birmingham Post, Health Facilities Management, Rock Products and Quarry News. The USA Today
published results from the Index that itemized landfills, casinos, and quarries as the three least-popular proposed projects in a person's hometown. A recent mention in The New York Times
cited how the Index discovered gender differences in attitudes toward land use issues.
The Saint Index was created by TSCG's President
, Patrick Fox, who joined the company in 1998.
Management consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
firm based in Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
. The Saint Consulting Group works in land use consulting, generating public support to help companies navigate the local governmental approval process. The firm is reported to have annual revenues of $30 million by providing political experts, media experts, and lawyers on behalf of casinos, colleges, grocery and retail chains, medical groups, utilities, and heavy industries.
Saint specializes in using political-campaign tactics, such as petition drives, phone banks, door-to-door discussions, and websites, to support or oppose controversial projects, such as oil refineries, shopping centers, quarries, and landfills.
As of 2008, the company employed approximately 90 land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
experts in 10 offices in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and an international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
office in London, England.
Consulting Magazine named Saint Consulting one of their "7 Small Jewels" in 2007. The annual "Small Jewels" list highlights exceptional firms with less than 250 employees.
History
P. Michael Saint is a graduate of College of the Holy CrossCollege of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
with a degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, he earned his master's in business administration from the Owen Graduate School of Management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. Saint, a Boston native, previously worked as journalist before serving as the press officer for former Massachusetts lieutenant governor Thomas P. O'Neill III
Thomas P. O'Neill III
Thomas Phillip O'Neill III leads a public relations and government affairs firm called O'Neill and Associates in Boston. He is the son of Tip O'Neill, who served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987.From 1975 to 1983, O'Neill served as lieutenant governor of...
(son of Tip, former U.S. House Speaker).
After serving on O'Neill's staff, Saint founded Saint Consulting in 1983 as a one-man operation, doing public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and political work. He began to focus on land use in the mid-1990s and met Patrick Fox, who was running political campaigns in Massachusetts.
Current business
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Saint Consulting has conducted about 1,500 campaigns in 44 states. Approximately 500 of those campaigns have been to block a development; many opposition campaigns have been clandestine. Many of Saint's covert projects oppose new Walmart stores, by funding local opposition groups and paid for by Walmart's competitors or unions who oppose the non-union Walmart. Funding typically comes from large rival supermarket chains.As of 2009, Saint is currently working on 135 cases in the U.S., UK and Canada. As of 2006, the company had about 55 employees, most with backgrounds in grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
political campaigns.
In 2009, three members of the Saint Consulting Group, Mike Saint, Robert J. Flavell, and Patrick F. Fox wrote the book Nimby Wars.
About Michael Saint
Mike serves on the board of directors of the Association of Management Consulting FirmsAssociation of Management Consulting Firms
The Association of Management Consulting Firms is an international not-for-profit membership association of firms which are engaged in the practice of consulting to management...
, the Nashville Opera Association
Nashville Opera Association
The Nashville Opera Association is a professional opera company in Nashville, Tennessee and is a member of OPERA America. The company currently offers three fully staged opera productions and the On Tour educational outreach program during an annual season which runs from October through April...
and on the advisory board of the Civic Bank and Trust in Nashville. He is on the executive board of the Nashville District Council of the Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit research and education organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London...
, and serves as a trustee on the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Consulting and Management Inc.
The Saint Index
In January 2005, The Saint Index - the annual measure of the politicsPolitics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of land development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
—was released for the first time. Performed by the Center for Economic and Civic Opinion, University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
, the Saint Index is an international survey that quantifies and analyzes opposition to development. The index has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Development Magazine, Business 2.0, Electric Perspectives, Birmingham Post, Health Facilities Management, Rock Products and Quarry News. The USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
published results from the Index that itemized landfills, casinos, and quarries as the three least-popular proposed projects in a person's hometown. A recent mention in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
cited how the Index discovered gender differences in attitudes toward land use issues.
The Saint Index was created by TSCG's President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, Patrick Fox, who joined the company in 1998.
External links
- Official website
- Website for The Saint Index
- Competitors Like Safeway Foods Retain "Hired Guns" To Try And Use Government To Stop Walmart Supercenters
- Walmart Store Protests Organized By Competing Grocery Stores
- Rubloff Development Group, Inc. v. Saint Consulting Group, Inc., No 10 C 3917 (N.D. Ill. June 30, 2011)
- WSJ: Safeway, Supervalu Training Unions to Battle Wal-Mart
- Financial Times: Opposition fades to big US land projects
- Inc. Magazine profile on Saint Consulting, from 2007 Inc. 5000, list of fastest growing companies in US