first international deal doubles revenue for...

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Published by the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development First International Deal Doubles Revenue for Annapolis Company Despite this year’s economic slowdown, Annapolis-based Maritime Applied Physics Corporation (MAPC) expects to dou- ble its revenues—and all because of a cold call from Korea. The 25-person engineering company provides R&D serv- ices, mostly for the U.S. Department of Defense, although MAPC also does some non-military and commercial work. Its work includes the design and prototyping of specialized vehicles: advanced marine vessels; motion control and navigations sys- tems; and advanced energy and power systems. “We’re doing a project now for a Department of Defense research agency to develop unmanned robotic vehicles that can reprogram themselves when they encounter obstacles such as a bridge that is out,” says Peter MacShane, Business Development Manager for MAPC. The driverless vehicle, similar to an army jeep, would be used for dangerous reconnaissance missions or to deliver supplies without risking soldiers’ lives. Located at the David Taylor Research Center, a former navy research station that is slated to be developed into a high-tech research park, the company has an enviable view overlooking the Severn River and the U.S. Naval Academy, even if its 1960s era government issue building does not exactly exude a high-tech aesthetic. Walking into MAPC’s research area reminds one a little of a high school auto shop, except that the vehicles in varying stages of assembly have sophisti- cated computerized systems or other advanced features. “When we received an e-mail from the head of a small trading company in Korea, we were skeptical that he was legitimate, but we responded quickly any- way,” MacShane says. “It quickly became apparent that Mr. Park had deep techni- cal knowledge and understanding and had been a trusted employee of a Korean client corporation that has asked not to be identified.” MAPC was also initially concerned that they might simply be used to bid down another competitor and that there was no real chance for them to get the deal. Inside this Edition New Beginnings: Japan in the Immediate Post War Years, 1945-1949 Graduate Students Offer Cost-Effective Means to Explore New Markets Welcome to BuyUSA.com Baltimore’s Foreign Trade Zone Grows Fivefold Maryland Welcomes New Japanese Trade & Investment Representative Calendar of Events Tradeshow Calendar Global perspectives for Maryland’s business community. SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2001 continued on page 6

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Page 1: First International Deal Doubles Revenue for …msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5300/sc5339/...Published by the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development First

Published by the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development

First International DealDoubles Revenue for Annapolis Company

Despite this year’s economic slowdown, Annapolis-basedMaritime Applied Physics Corporation (MAPC) expects to dou-ble its revenues—and all because of a cold call from Korea.

The 25-person engineering company provides R&D serv-ices, mostly for the U.S. Department of Defense, althoughMAPC also does some non-military and commercial work. Itswork includes the design and prototyping of specialized vehicles:advanced marine vessels; motion control and navigations sys-tems; and advanced energy and power systems.

“We’re doing a project now for a Department of Defenseresearch agency to develop unmanned robotic vehicles that can

reprogram themselves when they encounter obstacles such as abridge that is out,” says Peter MacShane, Business Development

Manager for MAPC. The driverless vehicle, similar to an army jeep,would be used for dangerous reconnaissance missions or to deliver

supplies without risking soldiers’ lives.

Located at the David Taylor Research Center, a former navy researchstation that is slated to be developed into a high-tech research park, the

company has an enviable view overlooking the Severn River and the U.S.Naval Academy, even if its 1960s era government issue building does not

exactly exude a high-tech aesthetic.

Walking into MAPC’s research area reminds one a little of a high schoolauto shop, except that the vehicles in varying stages of assembly have sophisti-

cated computerized systems or other advanced features.

“When we received an e-mail from the head of a small trading company inKorea, we were skeptical that he was legitimate, but we responded quickly any-

way,” MacShane says. “It quickly became apparent that Mr. Park had deep techni-cal knowledge and understanding and had been a trusted employee of a Korean

client corporation that has asked not to be identified.”

MAPC was also initially concerned that they might simply be used to bid downanother competitor and that there was no real chance for them to get the deal.

Inside this Edition • New Beginnings: Japan in the

Immediate Post War Years, 1945-1949

• Graduate Students Offer Cost-EffectiveMeans to Explore New Markets

• Welcome to BuyUSA.com

• Baltimore’s Foreign Trade Zone Grows Fivefold

• Maryland Welcomes New Japanese Trade & Investment Representative

• Calendar of Events

• Tradeshow Calendar

G l o b a l p e r s p e c t i v e s f o r M a r y l a n d ’ s b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y .

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2001

continued on page 6

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MARYLAND EXPORTS REBOUNDED IN 2000

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OIB Assisted Export Sales

"During fiscal years 1998 through2001, Maryland's Office of InternationalBusiness (OIB) has assisted over 200 com-panies conclude nearly 600 documentedexport sales transactions. Total value ofthese sales exceeds $138 million. OIB'sBaltimore-based trade specialists, workingwith our 11 overseas office, and represen-tatives, provide a full spectrum of exportassistance programs for Maryland firms.OIB's focus on results-oriented export pro-grams and solutions to export obstaclesfacing Maryland's small and mid-sizedfirms has resulted in marked successreflected in the number, value and breadthof Maryland products and services sold tooverseas buyers in this four-year period." �

World View is produced as a collabora-tive effort of the Office of InternationalBusiness and Economic Development, theGreater Washington Board of Trade,Suburban Maryland International TradeAssociation and World Trade CenterInstitute. It is published bimonthly anddistributed for free. This newsletter maybe reproduced without permission, unlessotherwise stated. Information presented inWorld View concerning programs andevents may be subject to change. Thepublication is not responsible for errors offact or omissions within World View.

Items for World View and address correctionsshould be sent to:

Editor in ChiefJulie Evans

Office of International BusinessMaryland Department of Business &

Economic Development217 E. Redwood Street, Suite 1300

Baltimore, MD 21202 U.S.A.Phone: (410) 767-0695

Fax: (410) 333-8200E-mail: [email protected]

www.mdisglobal.org

Design byTerumi Powell

New Beginnings: Japan inthe Immediate PostwarYears, 1945-1949

An exhibit of photographs, magazines,newspapers and children’s books from the University of Maryland’s Gordon W.Prange Collection honors the 20th anniver-sary of the Sister State Relationship betweenthe State of Maryland and KanagawaPrefecture, Japan.

On display at the Enoch Pratt Central Library in Baltimore

Opening October 25

In the immediate aftermath of WorldWar II, Japan experienced a cultural ren-aissance. Despite the physical devastationand the sparse living conditions that manyJapanese experienced, publishing flour-ished. This is evidenced by the 21 millionpages of books, magazines and newspa-pers that comprise the University ofMaryland's Gordon W. Prange Collection,the nearly complete publishing output ofJapan for the years 1945-1949.

In October, 1945, soon after the Allied Forces arrived in Japan, GeneralHeadquarters established the CivilCensorship Detachment (CCD). The CCDwas charged with enforcing a ten-pointcode for the Japanese Press. When censor-

ship of the Japanesemedia was lifted in 1949, GordonPrange, thenchief of GeneralM a c A r t h u r ’s1 0 0 - m e m b e rhistorical section,arranged for thedeclassification andshipment of the CCD’sfile copies to his homeinstitution, the University ofMaryland.

Gordon W. Prange began teaching his-tory at the University of Maryland in 1937.Except for a leave of absence during WorldWar II and the Occupation, Prange taughtcontinuously at the University until severalmonths before his death on May 15, 1980.

New Beginnings, the first exhibit in theUnited States of the Gordon W. PrangeCollection, is sponsored by the Maryland-Kanagawa Sister State Committee in cele-bration of the 20th anniversary of the SisterState Relationship between the State ofMaryland and Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

For further information, please contact:Monica Chun, Director-Asia, MarylandSister States Program, at (410) 576-0022;or [email protected]

D E P A R T M E N T O F B U S I N E S S & E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

Parris N. Glendening, GovernorKathleen Kennedy Townsend, Lt. Governor

David S. Iannucci, SecretarySandra F. Long, Deputy Secretary

Source: Maryland Department of Business& Economic Development

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That outside experience,though, benefits the quali-ty of the students’ work.

“Because the stu-dents are 28 to 45 yearsold, most have extensivebusiness experiencealready,” says Kolasheski.“The company doesn’thave to worry about dealingwith the business basics.”

Kolasheski also works hard tobalance the expertise on each team so thatthere will be international finance, interna-tional marketing and international man-agement majors on each team.

“We also have many foreign-born students and will match those students to the projects when possible,” saysKolasheski.

ACE*COMM Corporation, a Gaithers -burg-based telecommunications company,has been so pleased with the students’work that they have come back threetimes, each to explore a different market.They even hired one of the students on thefirst project.

“With the current challenges in thetelecom market, it is difficult to do thingstoday that will help you tomorrow,” saysTim Russotto, Chief Technology Officer forACE*COMM. “We don’t have the timenow that the students do to focus deeplyon one area. I’ve been very pleased withthe reports that we’ve received.”

Russotto adds that the program isn’ttotally free. The company must providesenior staff time and a certain amount ofinformation about the company, evensome that you may not wish to provide.But, he points out, the cost-benefit is quite high.

One difference UB offers in its newcourse is the opportunity for the studentteams to travel to the country or region offocus to gather information firsthand.During the seven to 10 day trip the stu-dents conduct on-site visits, meetings,interviews, surveys and information gath-ering from local libraries and archives.While it is not a requirement for a compa-

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MGraduate Students Offer Cost-Effective Means to ExploreNew Markets

Is there an international market thatyour company would like to explore buthasn’t had the time or resources to do so?Or perhaps you would like to get somenew perspectives on your internationalstrategy? Some local universities may havea solution for you.

The University of Maryland UniversityCollege (UMUC) has offered its ManagingOverseas Operations course for the pastfour years as the capstone of its Masters ofInternational Management program. Inthat time its graduate students have devel-oped international business plans for some40 companies. Corporate sponsors haveranged in size from tiny biomedical start-ups to major corporations like MarriottInternational.

This past spring the Merrick School ofBusiness at the University of Baltimore(UB) launched a new elective in interna-tional business for its MBA students—theGlobal Business Practicum.

Both programs allow students to workin small groups on a specific corporateproject, focusing on a particular country orregion of interest to the company. UMUC’sprogram concentrates on developing com-prehensive international marketing plansfor a market or region, while UB mayinclude more narrowly defined projectssuch as market analysis, feasibility studies,distribution analysis or a variety of otherspecific company needs.

“We want the project to be interestingfor the students, but it must be a real proj-ect for the company,” says Professor AlanRandolph, who teaches the GlobalPracticum.

Professor Richard Kolasheski, whodirects the program at UMUC, adds that itis very important to have buy-in from asenior person at the company for the proj-ect to have meaning to the company.

Since most of the students work full-time while getting their degrees, bothuniversities are careful to ensure that thestudents’ place of employment does notcreate a potential conflict of interestbecause it is a competitor of the sponsor-ing corporation.

ny to participate inthe Practicum,Randolph hopesthat the spon-soring compa-nies will helpdefray some of

the costs for thestudents’ travel.

Single Source, a Rockville-based dis-

tributor for U.S. manufac-tured office furniture and products,

was the first company to participate in theGlobal Practicum at UB this past spring.Single Source had already been developingbusiness in Chile, and was also interestedin exploring the office furniture and prod-uct market in Argentina.

“We were very impressed with thedetailed market analysis that they did forus,” said Bruno Galetovic, President andCEO of Single Source. “We wanted to findout how [office product] dealerships oper-ated in Argentina, who were the majorplayers and what were their concerns.They found all the right companies basedon our guidelines and changed some of our thinking about approaching themarket.”

At the end of the semester the studentteams deliver both a written report and aprofessional presentation with their find-ings to the company.

This Fall UB’s Global Practicum willfocus on southern China, in particular theShen Zhen Special Economic Zone inGuangzhou Province. �

If your company is interested in work-ing with a student team, contact:

Prof. Richard KolasheskiUniversity of Maryland

University College410-263-5072

[email protected]

Prof. Alan RudolphUniversity of Baltimore

[email protected]

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Welcome to BuyUSA.comNew e-marketplace offers clicks,mortar and plenty of buyers

Can e-commerce help triple the 1% ofall U.S. businesses that exported goodslast year?

U.S. Commercial Service officials hopeso and are banking on a new e-market-place to introduce thousands of mainlysmall and midsize companies to 95% ofthe world’s consumers during the nextcouple of years.

BuyUSA.com, created by the Commer -cial Service and IBM, is the vehicle forlinking businesses in the U.S. with quali-fied buyers and potential business part-ners around the world. Launched in June,the site allows U.S.-based companies tofind foreign buyers and distributors fortheir products. Similarly, businesses locat-ed outside the U.S. can view product catalogs and background information on U.S. companies that have been pre-qualified by U.S. Commercial Servicetrade experts.

“Click and Mortar” to the rescueBut what makes BuyUSA.com a bet-

ter bet to succeed than a whole menu ofB-to-B marketplaces that haven’t turneda profit or have tanked during therecent dot com meltdown? One differ-ence may be that BuyUSA.com has alarge network of offices and people. The“bricks and mortar” side of the equationseems to be a major factor separating e-marketplace winners and losers.

BuyUSA.com aims to provide accessto new markets while dramaticallyreducing the costs and risks of entry.“This is a very sophisticated market-place,” said Jerry Mitchell, acting direc-tor general of the U.S. CommercialService. “Standing behind each businessrelationship and transaction is ourworldwide network of 1,800 experi-enced professional trade specialists in105 U.S. Export Assistance Centers and157 offices co-located in U.S. Embassiesand Missions in 84 countries worldwide.We can help build value-adding busi-ness relationships where none exist.”

Going global without betting the farm

How cost-effective? Although pricesare coming down and features going up, abusiness these days can easily spend up to$1 million for a higher-end transactionalWeb site. In contrast, the BuyUSA.combasic annual membership is $300, or$600 for a catalog containing up to 20 product or service descriptions. Inaddition, the opportunities for high returnon investment can be substantial. TheCommercial Service catered off-line toabout 20,000 mostly small U.S. firms lastyear and facilitated sales worth more than$21 billion.

Taking the fear out of clickingThe Commercial Service spends a

great deal of effort identifying qualifiedbuyers in the markets where it has officesand knows the lay of the land. In theworld of languages and business practices,knowing who pays the bills on time andenjoys a good reputation for delivering thegoods is invaluable—for both buyers and sellers.

The trust factor was a particularlystrong selling point for BuyUSA.com sub-scriber Robert Coglia, president ofLactona Corporation, a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of oral hygiene products. “Frankly, I’m afraid when I getcontacted out of the blue by a potentialoverseas customer,” he said. “I need toexpand my customer base—but I need toknow who I’m dealing with.”

Point, click, and sambaForeign buyers often mirror the con-

cerns of U.S. businesses. Here’s howBuyUSA.com works from the foreignbuyer side. Say a Brazilian natural health-care products distributor or retailer islooking for new products from the U.S.The Brazilian firm, whose bona fides havebeen checked by the Commercial Service,can post a lead on the site. U.S. supplierscan contact the Brazilian directly online. Ifthe Brazilian is unsure about the U.S. sup-plier, they can contact a local U.S.Commercial Service office (located in SaoPaulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and Belo

Horizonte) to get more information aboutthe supplier. These offices also provideaccess to local Commercial Serviceexperts, business and industry informa-tion on all 50 states, assistance schedulingmeetings with U.S. suppliers either face-to-face or via videoconference, online dis-cussion forums and a calendar of U.S.trade events.

BuyUSA.com uses the WebSphereCommerce Suite that allows subscribersto build their own catalogs and provides aWeb browser. A user logs on and employsthe search engine to find a product,searching by key words or harmonizedcode. The user can also create a searchagent that keeps on searching after thesession ends. If a match is not found withthe desired product, the buyer is alertedwith an email. IBM created this featureusing Net.Data to find matches and a Javaprogram for the email application.

Trends are looking upAll this may sound impressive, but

what are the future prospects for exportssold on-line? Should small companies bespending time and money pursuing newbusiness this way? Looking beyond thewreckage of inflated stock prices andfailed e-business plans, the trends suggestthat faith in this realm is not misplaced.Indeed, Forrester Research estimates thatexports arranged on-line should top $100billion by the end of the year. And this fig-ure should jump to $350 billion in 2002,$775 billion in 2003 and nearly $1.4 tril-lion—or 18% of total global trade in 2004.

The Commercial Service’s JerryMitchell has a ready answer.

“We want BuyUSA.com to be a mar-ketplace that saves both buyers and sellerstime, money and worry. Our primaryfunction is creating perfect matches.We’ve done it successfully for 20 yearsaround the world, and now we’re doing itonline.”

For more information about registeringwith BuyUSA.com, contact the UnitedStates Export Assistance Center inBaltimore at 410-962-4539. �

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IN THE NEWSMaryland Welcomes NewJapanese Trade andInvestment Representative

Despite the Japanese economy’s decadelong malaise, the country is still the world’ssecond-largest economy and remainsamong the top five destinations forMaryland exports with $265 millionworth of goods exported last year. In fact,Maryland’s exports to Japan increased by16 percent in 2000. When Maryland’strade representative in Japan for the pastseveral years declined to renew her con-tract due to family medical reasons, theOffice of International Business quicklysought a replacement to assist Marylandcompanies in this important, yet challeng-ing market.

Maryland’s Office of InternationalBusiness is pleased to welcome Kojiro Abeas its new trade and investment represen-tative in Japan. For the past twenty years

Mr. Abe has beenworking for theState of Alaska.He first set upthe Japan officefor the AnchorageConvention andVisitors Bureau andthen the State ofAlaska’s Japan tourismoffice in 1982. In 1996 heincreased his responsibility becoming theState of Alaska’s Japan representative fortrade as well.

In that capacity, Mr. Abe has exploredevery possible means of promotingAlaskan businesses in Japan includingfamiliarization (Fam) trips, seminars, newsreleases, trade shows, workshops, trademissions, press conferences, newspapersand TV appearances. He has sent nearly100 trade or media Fam trips with around1,000 Japanese guests to Alaska in the past

21 years with the purposeof promoting variousAlaskan businesses.Conversely, he has assist-ed some 500 Alaskans

visiting Japan for the samepurpose. He looks forward

to doing the same forMaryland businesses.

Before representing Alaska, Mr. Abehad a long career in the tourism industryin Japan.

The newly re-opened MarylandBusiness Center Japan will be located indowntown Tokyo and will provide busi-ness expertise to Maryland companies targeting the Japanese market. The officewill also work to encourage foreign investment in Maryland from Japan. For information, contact Pete O’Neill at 410-767-0690 or by e-mail at po’[email protected]. �

Baltimore’s Foreign TradeZone Grows Fivefold

Baltimore’s Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)#74, which is located adjacent to the Portof Baltimore, grew substantially larger withthe approval by the U.S. Department ofCommerce’s Foreign Trade Zones Board in April.

With available space virtually exhaust-ed and demand increasing, the BaltimoreDevelopment Corporation, agent for theFTZ, submitted an application to increasespace at three existing sites and add eightnew ones in the same vicinity. FTZ #74,which previously encompassed 286 acres,now totals 1,464 acres.

The benefits of being in a FTZForeign Trade Zones offer businesses

involved in importing and exporting sig-nificant cost-saving opportunities thatenhance their competitive edge. A foreigntrade zone is a site within the U.S. wheremerchandise is considered by the U.S.government as outside the U.S. customsterritory. Foreign and domestic goods maybe brought into the enclave without pay-

ment of customs’ duties or governmentexcise taxes.

Merchandise in a FTZ can be stored,tested, repaired, labeled, repackaged,manipulated, assembled, manufactured orprocessed. If the merchandise is thenexported from the U.S., no duties are paid.However, if the merchandise is sold in theU.S., applicable customs’ duties are owed,but the manufactured/assembled goodmay fall into another tariff classification ata lower rate of duty.

The FTZ is a boon for the Port ofBaltimore and the regional economybringing in cargo and providing jobs. Thefour current operators in the FTZ—Baltimore Freeport Centre, DiamondGroup, C. Steinweg Baltimore, Inc. andTitan Steel—employed over 970 peopleand handled 37 different commoditiesfrom 45 countries with a value in excess of$151 million in 2000.

“The FTZ is critical to our business,”says Amanda England, director for CantonMaritime, a new operator in the FTZ. Thecompany brings in non-ferrous metalsthrough the Port of Baltimore and does a

lot of warehousing. The FTZ allows thecompany to bring in the materials andstore them until needed by the customerwithout the financial burden of having topay the customs duties upfront.

“The market for metal can be veryvolatile, so customers do not always wantto buy the product right when it comesinto the Port,” says England. “Being in theFTZ has allowed us to maneuver a lot ofmetal to the Port of Baltimore, to hire newpeople and expand into new buildings.”

The expanded zone will be able toaccommodate three additional companiesthat have submitted applications for certi-fication by the Baltimore DevelopmentCorporation that runs the zone, andaddress future needs.

“We hadn’t been marketing the FTZbecause there was no space available,” saysSue Reil, director of FTZ #74. “Now thatthe application, which was submittedmore than a year ago is approved, we areready to move forward.”

For information on FTZ #74, contactSue Reil at the Baltimore DevelopmentCorporation at 410-837-9310 x338. �

Abe Kojir

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continued from page 1

First International Deal Doubles

“We took small steps,” says MacShane.“It wasn’t until we realized that we reallyhad a crack at taking this down and ourpresident, Mark Rice, felt comfortable thatit was a real deal, that we put together aserious proposal.”

While MAPC did not have to expendtime and resources to find its first interna-tional customer, the $2.5 million deal toprovide motion-control technology for a research ship to be built for a majorKorean conglomerate did not fall into itslap either. Along the way the companyencountered several obstacles.

No International Track RecordFirst, the company was small and had

no track record internationally. DuringMAPC’s first meeting in Washington, DCwith the president of the Korean compa-ny, he suggested that they team up withJJMA, a well-known international navalarchitectural firm in McLean, Virginia,that is a trusted supplier to Koreans.

“Through partnering with JJMA, wewere able to beat out the largest contrac-tor in the UK,” said MacShane.

Financing is Big Hurdle for Small Companies

As is often the case for small, inexpe-rienced exporters, obtaining financingwas also a major challenge for MAPC.

“Because we had to increase ourcredit limit immensely, we wentthrough 10 or 11 banks before findingone that was willing to do the deal,”said MacShane.

In addition to talking with privatebanks, MAPC sought the advice ofMaryland’s Office of InternationalBusiness and its trade finance program.Ultimately, the company was direct-ed to the U.S. Small Business Admini-stration, which was willing to provide a 90% loan guarantee through itsWorking Capital Program.

Working with the SBA, MAPC wasable to find a small regional bank will-ing to finance them.

“We do international business if itmakes sense,” says Bob Mann, VicePresident, Sandy Spring Bank. “To us,Maritime Applied Physics is a well-man-aged company that has a lot of technicalexpertise on board, and is uniquely quali-fied to do the job. [Financing the deal]provided an entrée for us to get a long-term customer. But the SBA working cap-ital program was the key that made theloan palatable.”

Allfirst Bank in Baltimore, which doesextensive international banking, is servingas the correspondent bank for SandySprings and is handling the portion of thedeal—a performance guarantee—beingdone through a letter of credit.

“It was a pleasure working withAllfirst,” says Mann. “They worked hard toget the deal done.”

MAPC was also concerned about howthe payment schedule from the Koreancustomer was to be structured.

“It is dangerous for a smallcompany like us to do $700,000in work without getting paid,”said MacShane. As a conse-quence MAPC negotiatedthree installment paymentsfrom the Koreans and the balance under a letter of credit.

Navigating the Maze of U.S.Export Controls

A third challenge MAPC faced was try-ing to navigate the U.S. government’s exportcontrol regime. Developed during the Cold

War, export controls were designed prima-rily to prevent the proliferation of sensitivetechnologies that could be used in thedesign of missiles, weapons of massdestruction or for chemical and biologi-cal warfare.

The chief problems the companyencountered were how to classify their tech-nology and under which department’s juris-diction it fell—the State Department whichis responsible for military sales or the U.S.Department of Commerce that oversees theexport of commercial “dual-use” technologythat could have military applications.

“It was very difficult to work withthem [the State Department andDepartment of Commerce] because every-thing had to be done in writing and wecould not sit down and talk with them,”said MacShane. “They did not understandwhat we were doing and so it took a yearof flip-flopping between State andCommerce to close the deal.”

The Koreans: Tough negotiators, but Fair

Lastly, closing the deal required intensenegotiations with the Korean customer.

“The Koreans are tough negotiators andrequire tons of information,” said MacShane.

“We thought the deal was dead onthree occasions. But they are also good fortheir word, extremely polite and were kindto our people visiting there.” �

Peter MacShane

“The Koreans aretough negotiators and require tons ofinformation,” saidMacShane.

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Calendar of Events

September 27International Legal Questions andAnswers 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon WorldTrade Center Baltimore, 21st fl. WorldTrade Center Institute 410-576-0022www.wtci.org/events.htm

October 11Market Entry Strategies for Russia andEastern Europe 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.World Trade Center Baltimore, 21st fl.World Trade Center Institute410-576-0022 www.wtci.org/events.htm

October 15-16Trade Financing Solutions Seminar(Ex-Im Bank, see Sept. 10 seminar fordetails)

October 17Chinese Business Education in the U.S.:Panel Discussion. How do these pro-grams offer business opportunities toU.S. business people interested in China?5:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. Location: TBDMaryland-China Business Council Cost:$15 members; $25 non-members.LizTodd-Lambert, [email protected]

October 18Financing Your International Transactions8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon World TradeCenter Baltimore, 21st fl. World TradeCenter Institute 410-576-0022www.wtci.org/events.htm

November 1Latest Opportunities for Trade withLatin America 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noonWorld Trade Center Baltimore, 21st fl.World Trade Center Institute410-576-0022 www.wtci.org/events.htm

November 7CyberChina II: An expanded reprise ofour highly successful May meeting on ITand Internet opportunities in China 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: TBDMaryland-China Business Council,Steve Hammalian, [email protected]

November 12-13Trade Financing Solutions SeminarEx-Im Bank (see Sept. 10 seminar fordetails)

November 14Fourth Annual Meeting at the ChineseEmbassy. Opportunity to meet and get toknow the senior staff. Drinks and buffet.Location: Chinese Embassy, WashingtonDC 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (tentative)Cost: $50 non-members. Maryland-China Business Council, Clay Hickson,[email protected]

November 15Smooth the Importing Process: The Newest Techniques for Getting Through Customs8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. World TradeCenter Baltimore, 21st fl. World TradeCenter Institute 410-576-0022www.wtci.org/events.htm

October 29 - November 1Visit of Maryland’s Representative in Brazil Companies interested in theBrazilian market should contact Maria-Angelica Vargas at 410-767-0939or [email protected] toschedule an appointment.

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Trade Financing Solutions Seminar 8:30a.m. – 5:00 p.m. $499 ($449reduced rate for small businessexporters) Ex-Im Bank headquarters 811 Vermont Ave., Washington DCExport-Import Bank of the United States 202-545-3912

September 12Sourcing in China: Panel DiscussionWhat are the key issues in identifyingand managing suppliers in China? 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Towson University,Room 424, Executive Board Room,Administration Building (7720 York Rd.,Towson, MD) Maryland China BusinessCouncil Cost: $15 members; $25 non-members. John Lau, [email protected]

September 20Advanced Shipping and Logistics: The Latest on Incoterms 2000 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.World TradeCenter Baltimore, 21st fl. World TradeCenter Institute 410-576-0022www.fg/events.htm

September 25MCBC Moon Festival BanquetThird annual banquet celebrating theChinese Moon Festival—outstandingnetworking and social event plus greatfood. 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m HunanManor Restaurant, Columbia, MDMaryland-China Business Council Cost: $35 members; $45 non-members.Anthony Goh, [email protected]

Abe Kojir

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PAIDBALTIMORE, MDPERMIT NO. 4361

Global perspectives for Maryland’s business community.

Office of International BusinessMaryland Department of Business & Economic Development217 E. Redwood Street, 13th FloorBaltimore, Maryland 21202

EnvironmexAsia-WatermexAsia 2001 Singapore

October 30 – November 2

Environmex/Watermex are Asia’s top environmentaltechnology trade shows. The demand in the regionfor environmental technologies and modern waterand sanitation facilities is expected to increase overthe next decade. In 1999, more than 7,000 visitorsfrom 56 countries attended the biannual show. Forinformation contact Igor Evseev at 410-767-0689or by e-mail at [email protected].

Business Mission to MexicoDecember 3-7

Mexico is one of the fastest growing export mar-kets for Maryland products and services. TheOffice of International Business is organizing abusiness mission for companies interested in theMexican market this fall. For information, contactMaria-Angelica Vargas at 410-767-0939 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Mediphar TaipeiTaipei, Taiwan

November 10-13

The 12th Taipei International Medical Equipment &Pharmaceuticals show is the major medical tradeshow in Taiwan. In recent years, biotech and bio-chemistry products have received considerableattention at the show. For more information contactMary Ann Wo at 410-767-0688 or by e-mail [email protected]

Trade Show Calendar