CenterPoint 360

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Learn more about corporations VOTING to rewrite our laws.

Centerpoint360 is a lobbying firm based in Greenwich, CT. According to its website, "Centerpoint360 serves as a complementary angle to the traditional government relations operations. We serve at the intersection of business and government in order to enhance a client’s ability to shape the debate as well as manage the legislative and regulatory processes."[1]

The firm's clients "include Fortune 100 companies with annual revenues in excess of $200 billion as well as not-for-profit and privately held enterprises, with clients in the consumer packaged goods, transportation, technology, supply chain & distribution, healthcare and sports marketing industries."[2]

Support for the American Legislative Exchange Council

Centerpoint 360 President and CEO W. Preston Baldwin is the Chairman of the corporate ("Private Enterprise") board for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as of 2011.[3][4]

A list of ALEC Corporations can be found here.

About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Executives

  • W. Preston Baldwin: President and CEO
    • Former Vice President of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (UST) and Senior Vice President of UST Public Affairs, Inc. UST Inc.

According to his Linkedin profile, "From 1985 - 2009, Preston served as lead architect in building the UST state government relations department which included the recruitment and hiring of a 50 state lobbying network consisting of over 100 consultants and a 15 person internal management team, the restructuring and regionalization of internal operations as well as the oversight of day to day operations and strategies. UST managed over 800 pieces of legislation per annum with a success ratio in excess of 98 percent and enhanced return on investment to the corporation fourfold."

Altria (formerly Phillip Morris) purchased UST in 2009. [5]

Federal Bills UST and Baldwin Helped Pass

Include, but are not limited to:[6]

  • Federal Tobacco Excise Tax
  • Commerce State Justice Appropriations Bill - S1217
  • Deceptive Mail Prevention & Enforcement - S335
  • Direct Shipping - S577
  • Smokeless Warning Labels - HR1532
  • Leahy - Bankruptcy - S625 and HR833
  • Emergency Supplemental Appropriations - HR1141

Lobbying

Baldwin has been a lobbyist for US Tobacco, among others.[7]

Contact

W. Preston Baldwin
President and CEO
Centerpoint360, LLC
30 Milbank Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
#203.769.5922
Email: pbaldwin@centerpoint360.com

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

External resources

External articles

References

  1. Centerpoint360 About Us, Centerpoint 360 website, accessed July 8, 2011.
  2. Centerpoint360 Industries, corporate website, accessed July 2011
  3. contact, corporate website, accessed July 8, 2011.
  4. Private Enterprise Board, ALEC website, accessed July 8, 2011.
  5. AP, Tobacco maker UST moves to Altria’s Virginia HQ, Washington Times, Apr 1 2009, accessed July 8, 2011.
  6. OPR Lobbyist Registration & Reporting
  7. William Preston Baldwin III lobbying registry 2008-2009, Virginia Public Records, accessed July 8, 2011.
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