While the ‘Econsult’ name and business traces its roots back to the late seventies, Econsult Solutions, Inc., or ‘ESI’ as we commonly refer to ourselves, celebrates ten years in business this year. And as any small business owner knows, ten years is no easy feat. It’s a milestone worth celebration, but also reflection to take stock of where we’ve been and where we want to go.
Originally focused in providing economic analysis and witness testimony for litigation matters, Econsult Corporation diligently serviced clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic. In the early 2000’s, the company’s scope expanded, and taking stock of the evolution of the firm, a succession plan was implemented, pulling certain practice areas out of Econsult Corp. and officially giving life to Econsult Solutions. In this time, our practice areas have grown to include economic development, equity and inclusion, government and public policy, real estate, transportation and infrastructure, and universities and hospitals, while not losing sight of our initial litigation efforts.
Within a decade, we have had the privilege of offering our expertise to clients across the country, and at times, around the world, in economic and fiscal impact analysis, performance benchmarking, community and neighborhood development, public policy, strategic planning, as well as conducting surveys and primary research. Even now, ESI continues to push into new territory, providing not only quantitative, but qualitative analysis, supporting clients in more strategic advisory settings, generating forward-looking thought leadership content, and examining the future forces affecting cities and regions, both large and small.
We have also had the pleasure of working with an amazingly talented team of staff members who have diligently served our mission of providing impartial expert analysis grounded in sound economic principles. They have represented the firm with the highest levels of dedication and talent. We have witnessed many advance within the firm and take on new responsibilities, eager to meet the challenges that are presented. Those that have moved on from the firm have gone on to do great things in a variety of public and private settings. It has been a pleasure seeing their careers flourish and their reach spread far and wide. We are proud to have fostered an environment that values diligence in this way. Our senior advisors have also played a major role in expanding the firm’s geography, skillset, and real-world knowledge understanding of the implications of certain choices and policies that distinctly complements our practice areas. The advisory board has grown to over 75 talented individuals who have all held significant positions in business, government, academic, and non-profit organizations, providing yet another level of rigor and know-how to our work.
While there’s no crystal ball for us to perfectly predict what will happen in the next ten years, we can confidently say that continuing to provide the highest quality of services and capabilities will remain our utmost priority. That as an organization, we continue to recruit bright, energetic individuals passionate about the work we do. That we are able to meet the most pressing challenges our clients face to help them make their case in a way that is effective and considers all angles of the topics at hand. And that the guiding values which birthed this company ten years ago live on.
Stephen P. Mullin, Principal & Board Chair | Mullin@econsultsolutions.com
As Co-Chair of the ESI Board of Directors, Stephen Mullin provides expertise to clients in the fields of economic development, public finance, policy analysis, real estate, energy, and business and government strategies. Mr. Mullin served as President since the firm’s inception and is now guiding strategic planning and development of the firm for its posterity.
Richard Voith, Principal & Board Chair | Voith@econsultsolutions.com
Dr. Richard Voith is a founding principal of ESI and Research Fellow of the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR). He is a widely published expert in real estate economics, transportation, and applied microeconomics. He oversees a wide variety of projects in the realm of housing, labor markets, transportation, and economic development. Just as importantly, he is involved in setting the strategic direction of organizations both large and small.
