The Southern Group opens its Charlotte office under the leadership of Charlotte bipartisan power partnership.
CHARLOTTE, NC — The Southern Group (TSG), one of the South’s leading government relations and business strategy firms, today announced the launch of its Charlotte office. This marks the firm’s second location in North Carolina and a major expansion into one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing economic hubs.
The Charlotte office will be led by Tariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston, two well-recognized Charlotte leaders who served together on the Charlotte City Council from opposite sides of the political aisle. While representing different parties, Bokhari and Egleston built a reputation for working collaboratively to solve complex challenges, helping shape Charlotte policy on public safety, economic development, infrastructure, housing, and growth.
“Charlotte is not just where we built our careers, it is home, and we both feel a deep responsibility to give back to the city that gave us so much,” said Bokhari.
“As Charlotte continues to grow, we have to make sure that growth translates into real opportunity for more people, whether through upward mobility, affordable housing, safer neighborhoods, or better outcomes for our kids,” added Egleston. “We are excited to use this platform not only to help businesses succeed, but to support the organizations and community leaders who are already doing the hard work every day to make Charlotte stronger.”
The launch comes at a pivotal moment for Charlotte’s business community. Despite being one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in the Southeast, Charlotte has historically lacked a dense government relations ecosystem. Cities like Tampa and Orlando, which are not capital cities and have metro economies comparable in size to Charlotte, outpace Charlotte by an estimated three to five times in the number of lobbying and government affairs firms with a physical presence in the metro area.
As a result, Charlotte’s ability to consistently compete for state attention, appropriations, and policy outcomes has been limited.
“Charlotte punches below its weight in Raleigh,” said Egleston. “That is not because the city lacks importance. It is because many companies lack a coordinated, senior-level strategy for government engagement.”
Bokhari added that while Charlotte companies typically have executives overseeing finance, operations, marketing, and growth, many lack a clear owner for government relations. “Businesses have CFOs, COOs, CMOs, and strategy teams managing their core functions,” he said. “What many do not have is someone accountable for navigating government, regulation, and public policy. That is where The Southern Group adds value.”
Unlike traditional lobbying models, The Southern Group serves as an extension of its clients’ leadership teams. Across the Southeast, the firm helps companies align business strategy and government engagement at the local, state, and federal levels, supporting regulatory navigation, incentives, public-private partnerships, and complex municipal challenges. This approach positions government relations as a proactive, value-creating function.
The Charlotte office is backed by The Southern Group’s multi-state platform, data capabilities, and decades-long reputation across the Southeast, strengthening the firm’s footprint in North Carolina, where it already operates an office in Raleigh.
“The addition of Charlotte significantly deepens our presence in North Carolina,” said Kevin Wilkinson, Director of The Southern Group’s North Carolina office. “It ensures that both the state’s political center and its largest economic engine are fully represented within our platform.”
The move also reflects the firm’s broader regional growth strategy.
“This move strengthens the connection between North Carolina’s largest economic engine and its policy center in Raleigh,” said Rachel Cone, Senior Managing Partner at The Southern Group Florida. “By pairing deep local leadership in Charlotte with The Southern Group’s statewide and regional platform, we are helping businesses engage government more strategically and more effectively across the state.
Bokhari and Egleston bring deep relationships across Charlotte’s political, business, civic, and media communities, which they view as central to the firm’s value.
“We know this community, from neighborhoods and nonprofits to boardrooms and government offices,” Bokhari said. “We are known for helping people and organizations cut through complexity and actually get things done.”
The office will focus on high-growth and innovation-driven sectors including finance, technology, recruitment, development, mobility, hospitality, entertainment, and other industries navigating rapid expansion and regulatory complexity.
“We look forward to using our skills, experiences, and connections to help shape the future of our city and state,” said Egleston.