PR Consultants Group adds Sunwest Communications to network

PR Consultants Group has added Dallas-based Sunwest Communications to its nationwide network, expanding its Texas footprint and adding senior expertise in crisis, public affairs and media relations. The move comes as the group leans into a model built to give clients local access in more than 50 U.S. markets without adding traditional agency overhead.

Why it matters: - PR Consultants Group is expanding its bench of senior communicators in Texas, one of the country's largest business markets. - The addition gives the network more on-the-ground support in Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Worth and Frisco. - The move is meant to help clients handle reputation issues, public affairs work and multi-market campaigns without hiring multiple agencies.

What happened: - PR Consultants Group announced on Oct. 20, 2026, that Sunwest Communications is the newest member of its independent PR network. - Sunwest Communications is a Dallas-based public relations and public affairs firm founded in 1982. - Elizabeth Edwards, president of PR Consultants Group, said the addition will enhance value, expertise and experience within the network. - Crayton Webb, owner and CEO of Sunwest Communications, said the partnership gives Sunwest access to a broader group of communications specialists.

The details: - PR Consultants Group was founded in 2000 and operates as a nationwide network of senior-level public relations, strategic communications and marketing specialists in more than 50 U.S. markets. - The network is built around independently owned member firms that can work together or separately on client projects. - PR Consultants Group says the model gives clients one agency relationship with access to senior specialists across geographies, industries and disciplines. - The network says clients can tap crisis communicators, public affairs strategists, political specialists, digital experts and industry-specific practitioners as needs change. - Sunwest Communications has almost 50 team members across offices in Dallas, Fort Worth and Frisco. - Sunwest's core expertise includes crisis communications, media relations, public affairs, government relations and social media. - The firm ranked as the second-largest PR firm in Dallas in 2025 and has repeatedly appeared on the Dallas Business Journal's Best Places to Work list. - Webb's background includes work as a broadcast journalist, chief of staff for Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and vice president of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility at Mary Kay Inc. - Webb also launched LuncefordWEBB Government Relations under the Sunwest Communications brand in 2022. - PR Consultants Group says its members handle strategic communications planning, media relations, crisis communications, AI public relations, digital strategy, social media, public affairs, community engagement and event strategy. - The network says AI-related services include answer engine optimization, generative engine optimization and AI visibility strategy. - PR Consultants Group cites research from late 2025 showing 96% of content cited by AI assistants comes from PR-generated material, and says press release citations in AI-generated answers rose fivefold between July and December 2025. - PR Consultants Group also points to Gartner's projection that traditional search engine traffic will decline 25% by the end of 2026. - Sunwest Communications' website is More information.

Between the lines: - The deal reflects how PR firms are trying to package local relationships with national reach as clients face faster-moving crises, more political complexity and growing AI-driven discovery. - PR Consultants Group is positioning its network as an alternative to both large holding-company agencies and small standalone boutiques. - The AI messaging in the release shows how quickly search visibility and machine-readable content have become part of public relations sales pitches.

What's next: - PR Consultants Group will likely use Sunwest's Dallas-area presence to deepen work with Texas-based clients and organizations with Texas issues. - The network says its model is designed to activate senior specialists quickly when client needs expand across markets or disciplines. - Sunwest will continue serving clients from Dallas, Fort Worth and Frisco while working nationally and, at times, internationally.

The bottom line: - PR Consultants Group is betting that senior-level local firms with national reach can outcompete bigger agencies by offering speed, continuity and specialized expertise without added complexity.