©EPA
I Center for
Environmental
\ Industry &
Region 1, New England I Technology
TECHNOVATION
CURRENT NEWS AND EVENTS ON INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES • SPRING 1999
Exports: The Future of the Envirotech Industry
Over the past four years, EPA
Region I, New England has been working
to ease restrictions and open new
markets for the envirotech industry.
The Center for Environmental Industry
and Technology (CEIT), one of several
programs started by EPA Regional
Administrator John DeVillars to help
the regulated community, is making it
easier for the envirotech industry 3 products
to reach the marketplace. CEIT is
providing the envirotech industry with
access to:
• information;
• technology demonstration sites;
• export opportunities;
• capital; and,
• assistance in dealing with regulatory
barriers.
In helping the environmental
industry reach its goals, we realize that
our efforts are not as important to the
industry s health as is the state of the
market itself. This issue of Technovation
looks at an important part of the future
of the envirotech industry — exports.
Currently, the domestic market
in New England and the US, in
general, has leveled-off and the overall
growth of the industry, although
showing modest growth in recent
years, has not reached the impressive
figures of the late 1980 s. Much of this
bad news results from a lack of new
environmental regulations over the last
five years and the dependence of the
industry on regulatory-driven demand.
But, the global market for environmen-
tal services and technology seems to be
looking better for US envirotech exports.
According to the Department
of Commerce (DOC) data, total global
environmental sales increased over a
three year period from $428B in 1994
to $453B in 1996. European countries
and Japan seized the opportunity of the
global envirotech market and today
report close to 15% of their total sales
Global Environmental Sales
453
450
a 440
Q
§
430
420
1994
1995
1996
as exports. On the other hand, the US
envirotech industry accounts for only 9%
of its sales as exports. It s our hope that
we can narrow that gap in the near future.
The DOC predicts that there
will be more demand for environmen-
tal services and technologies from
developing nations than can be sup-
plied by today s envirotech industry. In
reaction to these economic indicators,
the EPA has put the concerns of the
envirotech industry on its list of
priorities.
In recent months, because of
global financial troubles in many areas
with anticipated high environmental
market growth -particularly Asia and
Latin America -the environmental
export market has experienced some
instability. According to the Interna-
tional Monetary Fund, global trade
growth was 3.7% for 1998 -the
lowest since 1994.
However, there are signs that
the international environmental markets
could be returning to their previous
high growth with an anticipated return
to economic stability in certain regions.
Despite an expected Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) decline for 1998 of
negative 8.7%, South Korea, Malaysia,
Thailand and Indonesia are expected to
average 0.6% growth in GDP in 1999.
Although the future of the international
market is far from secure, many of the
reforms enacted by effected countries
point towards a stabilization in 1999
(World Economic Outlook, International
Monetary Fund, October 1998).
This issue of Technovation
introduces you to a number of companies
in New England that have penetrated
the international marketplace. These
companies will share with you some of
their successes in this uncertain climate.
Source: Department of Commerce
-------
TYRONICS
A METRISA COMPANY
The International Market
Until 199 1, Tytronics sold
equipment primarily in North America
but its growth strategy called for
expansion into international markets.
John E. (Jack) Wolfe, president of the
company since 1986, came from
EG&G, Inc., bringing substantial
international business experience. Wolfe
states that growth into international
markets has been a key to Tytronics '
success. While only 8% of their sales
were outside North America in 1991,
today more than 60% of Tytronics 'sales
are international.
In 1991, one of Tytronics 'original
founders, Richard Sweeting, then Chief
Financial Officer (CFO), decided to
take the big step into international sales
and became Tytronics 'first international
sales manager. More than a year passed
with low sales. Sweeting then made
contact with some Scandinavian
distributors and sales began to increase.
Wolfe and Sweeting were believers
in international market opportunities,
Q Tytronics was founded in 1984 by four partners with a combination of
backgrounds in chemistry, engineering, sales and finance.
Q The company manufactures and markets instruments to monitor the chemi-
cal concentration of process liquids in situ (on-line chemical analyzers).
Q The primary customers for these products are chemical, petrochemical and
refining operations, which use such products for both process control and
waste stream monitoring. Tytronics 'major industrial customers include BASF,
Dow Chemical, DuPont and Exxon. The company also supplies water market
products to companies large and small, and to government entities worldwide.
Q Tytronics has 15 employees, with annual sales over $3 million.
Q In 1991, new instrumentation technology for the water market was developed.
Q Since 1994, Tytronics has acquired three other companies with comple-
mentary monitoring technologies.
Q In mid-1998 the corporation was reorganized to form a publicly traded
entity called Metrisa, Inc., of which Tytronics is now one division.
On-line colorimeter
and the modest successes in Scandinavia
convinced the company that an interna-
tional presence could be a long-term,
high reward opportunity for Tytronics.
By 1993, Tytronics was investing far
more heavily in its European distributor
relationships. Tytronics began to market
its products at international trade shows
and create a real presence for itself
outside of North America. The
company s marketing plan was to first
form distributor relationships in most
countries within Europe. Then, using
the increased profitability and European
references of its early sales, Tytronics
expanded further in Europe and subse-
quently moved to the Far East, Middle
East, South Africa and South America.
In 1994, Tytronics was contacted
by a U.K. distributor with water market
experience, and sales began to grow
rapidly in that area. As a result of this
deal alone, international sales rose by
more than 30% the following year. It
turned out that Tytronics 'international
endeavor had paid off, and, by 1995,
Tytronics was selling across most of the
world. But, not all distributors were as
good as their English partner. Sales in
Germany, for example, have not met
sales goals, and Tytronics has changed
distributors there three times. As Wolfe
emphasized, The biggest mistake you
can make is choosing the wrong
distributor! "Through this process,
Tytronics has learned much from its
experience in choosing and supporting
distributors, and has applied that know-
how wherever it expanded.
Over the years, Tytronics has
learned, sometimes the hard way, that
distributors and distributor relation-
ships must have certain characteristics
for success.
First, the distributor must
have only a narrow range of products,
focused on the markets of interest -in
Tytronics 'case, the chemical/petro-
chemical/refining and water markets.
Second, the distributor must
have a strong technical capability to
support both applications and service.
Third, the market potential
for the distributor must be such that
Tytronics 'products can become part of
their top tier of product lines, at least
among the top four in sales volume.
In many ways, this may be the most
important characteristic, because low-
volume product lines get little atten-
tion from international distributors.
Fourth, the working relation-
ship must be strong -the distributor
must feel well supported by Tytronics,
and Tytronics must feel that they are
getting the proper effort and results
from the distributor.
continued on page 3
2 Technovation
-------
BARDON
TRIMOUNT
The Czech Republic
Bardon Trimount was one of 17
US companies to participate in an EPA-
sponsored Environmental Technology
Initiative conference in the Czech
Republic. The US vendors demon-
strated remediation and site character-
ization technologies to environmental
officials from 15 Eastern European
countries under real-time conditions on
a contaminated industrial site outside
of Prague. As a result of Bardon
Trimount S participation in this confer-
ence, the manager of the company s
Environmental Services Division,
David Peter, concluded that the market
situation in the Czech Republic was
ripe for the environmental services that
the company had to offer.
After gaining the support of
government officials, Bardon Trimount
Q Started as a family business in 1937, Trimount Bituminous Products
Company supplied paving services to all of New England.
Q Bardon, an English company, bought Trimount forming Bardon Trimount
in the late 1980s.
Q In April 1991, Bardon Trimount saw an opportunity to use an innovative
process technology to recycle contaminated soils into paving material and
formed a new environmental service branch.
Q From Stoughton, Mass., David Peter manages the Environmental Services
Division. With 21 employees in three states and in a joint venture in the Czech
Republic, the division was expanded internationally when Peter came to the
realization that the domestic market, with low growth rates, limited further
growth for Bardon Trimount.
began work on two pilot projects
around Prague. The pilot testing is
done and a report verifying the safety of
the technology is being published and
presented to government officials. As of
today, there is no word whether the
technology has the green light. In fact,
Peter says that there is a good chance
that their services may not be accepted
at this time. In any case, as a new
government enters office in the Czech
Republic, Peter says that more efforts
will be made to introduce Bardon
Trimount s process to the new adminis-
tration. As part of the company s efforts
to address some of the language and
cultural barriers it encountered, an
office in Prague was opened with a local
Czech engineer as marketer and translator.
• Tyronics, from page 2
With these criteria now in place in
most areas of the world, Tytronics feels
that continued international growth
will be present. The dip in the Asian
economy has clearly had an effect on
the company, but it has been largely
offset by growth in other areas. In fact,
Wolfe feels that continued investment
in Asian distribution is merited,
because the long-term growth opportu-
nities for that region are excellent. He
also recognizes the market opportunity
present as the world demands better
drinking water and better hygiene,
particularly in areas such as Asia, South
America and Africa. In some ways, he
finds selling outside of North America
easier, due to the fact that buyers are
less fragmented there. As an example,
there are more than 5000 independent
water entities (municipalities, regions,
etc.) in the US. In contrast, 26 compa-
nies represent roughly 80% of the U.K.
market, a much easier selling situation.
Even though the U.S. market is
diverse, Tytronics is investing in it, and
sees some trends toward larger regional
entities that will make its task easier.
To Tytronics, the US market is still
developing, and represents a definite
opportunity. Yet,
due to concentration, international
sales may be more easily won over the
next few years.
Wolfe reminds us that Tytronics
is still a small company, but with an
unusually high level of international
sales. If Tytronics 'can do it, so can
many others. Wolfe encourages both
an investment in international sales,
and the persistence to follow that
investment through to success.
Great Britain
The Environmental Services
Division has formed a joint venture
with the AEA Technologies (the
former Atomic Energy Agency of the
UK) in London to work on international
projects and contracts. AEA has an estab-
lished reputation in the environmental
consulting business in Europe and has been
helpful in supporting Bardon Trimount s
Environmental Services Division in solicit-
ing contracts. For example, Bardon Trimount
received a contract for recycling of contami-
nated soils from a retired gasification site
along the Thames River in London that is
part of the Millennium Project. In addition,
Bardon Trimount participated in the clean
up of the 'Sea Empress " oil spill off the
coast of Wales, converting contaminated
beach sand into road pavement. Leveraging
the status of AEA Technologies has allowed
Bardon Trimount to show the international
community that its service is legitimate and
economical.
Looking Towards the Future
Bardon Trimount would like to
expand Environmental Services Division
operations to include other politically and
economically stable countries within
Eastern Europe, including Poland and
Hungary. Peter offers advice to envirotech
companies looking to export their technol-
ogy or services -concentrate your efforts
on one country at a time, so as not to run
the risk of wasting time and money and
being spread to thin.
3 Technovation
-------
Rizzo
Associates,Inc
The International Market
With the realization that the
company $ Big Dig project would be
completed in a few years, Bill Rizzo,
founder of Rizzo Associates, created a
new marketing strategy for his com-
pany that diversified their efforts into
the international arena. The firm had
already worked internationally, having
been hired by Johnson & Johnson
Professional Inc. in 1994 to work on
environmental projects in England,
Ireland, and Switzerland. With some
knowledge of the international oppor-
tunities available to the company,
Rizzo hired a consultant to research
and identify the foreign markets that
best matched his company strengths.
As a result of the market research,
and because of its political and eco-
nomic stability, Rizzo focused on
opportunities in Poland. Using infor-
mation from the US Trade and Devel-
opment Agency, the US Embassy in
Poland, and his own research, Rizzo
familiarized himself with Poland s
environmental sector, while simulta-
neously establishing a network of in-
country contacts with key government
and political players in the state and
local economies. Rizzo Associates has
been awarded a contract for work on a
portion of the Polish national highway.
Q In 1983, Bill Rizzo formed a Massachusetts environmental consulting and
engineering firm, Rizzo Associates, Inc.
Q Today, after fifteen years of steady growth, Rizzo Associates, Inc. has
200 employees and over $22M in sales domestically.
Q The firm has contracts for large public and private projects including the
Big Dig, a major highway project in Boston.
Rizzo Associates 'ongoing contract
in Poland is finally showing a profit. To
arrive at this point has required a signif-
sicant amount of Rizzo s personal time,
as well as approximately half a million
dollars of capital investment in maintain-
ing contacts and presence in the country.
In pointing out what he consid-
ered to be critical to exporting for the
envirotech industry, Rizzo said, 'Focus
on one project at a time and attack it.
Do not be tempted by the low-hanging
fruit all around you. And concentrate
on a specific country, a specific region,
and a specific project. " He cautioned
that it is very easy to be tempted by
projects that appear to be perfect
opportunities for profit, but in an effort
to obtain contracts from many projects,
you spread your time and money too thin.
Bill Rizzo has a goal for Rizzo
Associates, Inc. - to reach $100M in
sales by the year 2008, the company s
25th anniversary. The international
market, in particular Eastern Europe,
with its promising economic develop-
ment and integration into the European
Union is an integral part of Rizzo S plan
to reach his sales goal. With a healthy
mix of domestic and international
projects, Rizzo Associates is well on its
way to achieving its sales target.
Rizzo Associates has been awarded a
contract to work on a section of the Polish
national highway from Gdansk to Torun.
About CEIT
U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Centers
Middletown (CT) Export Assistance
Center
Phone: (860) 638-6950
Fax: (860) 638-6970
Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/ct/
middletown/
Maine Export Assistance Center
Phone: (207) 541-7400
Fax: (207) 541-7420
Intemet:http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/me/
Boston Export Assistance Center
Phone: (617) 424-5990
Fax: (617) 424-5992
Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/ma/
Portsmouth (NH) Export
Assistance Center
Phone: (603) 334-6074
Fax: (603) 334-6110
Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/nh/
Providence (Rl) Export
Assistance Center
Phone: (401) 528-5104
Fax: (401) 528-5067
Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/ri/
Montpelier (VT) Export
Assistance Center
Phone: (802) 828-4508
Fax: (802) 828-3258
Intenet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/vt/
EPAS CEIT promotes New
England S environmental technolo-
gies. It is a point of contact for the
environmental industry, technology
developers, investors, and other
interested stakeholders, providing an
ombudsman service for those seeking
assistance for the development of new
technologies. CEIT staff attempt to
match a developer s needs with a
variety of assistance offered through
relevant EPA, state, and other federal
agency programs. The CEIT also
works as a catalyst to bring together
private and public sector profession-
als to seek out ways that will bring
down the barriers to innovation and
speed up the commercialization
process. To contact the CEIT please
call (800) 575-CEIT toll-free in
New England or (617) 918-1831.
4 Technovation
-------
Mabbett &:
Associates, Inc.
Environmental Consultants & Engineers
The International Market
From the beginning, Mabbett &
Associates, Inc. has made international
work a long-term goal. 'Much thought
went into the process of going interna-
tional, "says Arthur N. Mabbett,
founder of the company. In fact, he says
that factors most companies do not
consider were investigated thoroughly
before taking any steps toward incor-
porating.
Mabbett investigated countries
that have great market potential and
offer an inclusive business climate.
Mabbett also looked into safety/
security issues, language barriers and
ease of currency conversion, stability,
and a decent supply of finance and
banking options. With these criteria,
Mabbett found the best opportunities
existed in the newly formed European
Union (EU). Finally, Mabbett decided
that Scotland was a prime location for
incorporating Mabbett & Associates,
Ltd.
Although this venture is costly,
Mabbett has taken advantage of a
variety of funding opportunities to
defray some of the start-up, marketing
and development costs. By incorporat-
ing in the European Union, Mabbett
& Associates, Ltd. achieved status as
an EU, United Kingdom (UK), and a
Scottish company. This allowed
Mabbett to apply for grants from the
a Founded in 1980 by Arthur N. Mabbett.
Q Mabbett & Associates, Inc. provides environmental consulting and engineer-
ing services to the manufacturing and commercial industry. Most of Mabbett s
work is in the private sector, with a concentration on pollution prevention and
control, hazardous waste management, industrial wastewater treatment, and
site assessment and remediation.
Q Based in Bedford, Mass., Mabbett & Associates, Inc. has 18 employees.
Q More than 80% of its contracts are with companies Mabbett & Associates
has worked with before.
Q Mabbett & Associates, Ltd. was formed in February 1996 in Scotland.
EU, the UK, and the Scottish govern-
ments separately. In addition, Mabbett
received loans at reduced interest rates
and greater lines of credit.
Mabbett has found that there are
other advantages to having a separate
company located in a host-country. For
one, it has provided Mabbett &
Associates, Ltd. with a reputation as
an EU established firm -an important
position to hold when marketing to
those countries that want to join the
EU, yet have not met the regulatory
standards to do so. Another advantage
to locating a separate entity overseas is
the supply of host-country investors
and staff. By including more host-
country nationals in the firm, Mabbett
& Associates, Ltd. has gained the
knowledge of European trained
personnel and investors. This also
allows Mabbett & Associates, Ltd. to
market its presence as a Scottish or
UK company, as opposed to being
perceived as strictly an American
company doing business in the EU.
According to Mabbett, this is an
invaluable asset to use when marketing
environmental services overseas.
Envirotech Export Assistance Available On-Line
On March 6, 1998 an EPA regional conference was held in Nashua, N.H.
to address the concerns of the envirotech industry. Among the many recom-
mendations made by the panel of industry and government leaders during the
conference, one in particular proposed remedies to the current domestic market
situation. The recommendation of the panel was two-fold:
• to provide real examples of exporting through case studies of envirotech
companies; and,
• to create an easily accessible, concise list of export assistance information in
one place.
As a result of these recommendations, we have included on the EPA
Region I, New England internet site a web-page devoted to envirotech export-
ing. The web-page consists of five case studies of companies within New
England, and a list of contacts for export assistance. You can visit the site at
http://www.epa.gov/region01/ra/intl/export.html.
Mabbett says that the perception of an
American office in a foreign country
can often be negative, and in some
instances leads to lack of success. Says
Mabbett, 'It is important that our
business is perceived as having a
positive impact on the local Scottish
economy, and the EU in general. "
For its innovative approach to
doing international environmental
work, Mabbett & Associates, Inc.
received the New England Environ-
mental Award for excellence in 1996.
This award recognized Mabbett s
collaborative effort with several Scottish
partners to design and implement a
major waste minimization and pollution
prevention project. By having a sister "
firm in Scotland, Mabbett & Associates,
Inc. received contracts for some of the
work on this particular project. Al-
though honored to receive such an
award, Mabbett assures us that it will
take a few more years until his Scottish
venture makes a return on his invest-
ment. Asked if he were to do it all over
again, Mabbett says, 'I would involve
more host-country investors from the
beginning and change the structure of
the principals of the company so that
US stakeholders are not perceived as
the primary leaders of the company. "
Disclaimer: EPA has not examined
any technology and does not endorse
or recommend any product or
service offered for sale by companies
featured in this publication. Further-
more, EPA has not confirmed the
accuracy or legal adequacy of any
disclosures, product performance or
other information provided by the
companies and used by EPA in
production of this publication.
5 Technovation
-------
Wright-Pierce
The International Market
Wright-Pierce entered the interna-
tional market with a contract in Norway
in 1994. Because of the company 5 track
record in designing biosolid composting
technology, Wright-Pierce gained
significant exposure internationally for
its particular niche services and was
able to use this as a launching pad to
begin exporting its services.
In 1995, David Fuller, President,
and Mike Giggey Senior Vice-President,
convinced Wright-Pierce s Board of
Directors that the company should
seriously explore international markets
and identified South America as the
region which held the most promise.
With the approval of the Board,
measures were taken to obtain contract
opportunities there.
Combining his research with
visits to the region and networking
with U.S. government agencies and
companies working in South America,
Fuller was able to pinpoint regions of
interest to market Wright-Pierce s
services. One dilemma Wright-Pierce
soon experienced was having too many
leads to pursue. Choosing among
many promising leads while maintain-
ed Wright-Pierce is an environmental engineering company that has been in the
business for over 50 years. It specializes in wastewater and biosolids treatment
technology.
Q The company, based in Topsham, Maine, has over 80 employees and three
offices in New England.
Q In 1994, Wright-Pierce entered the international marketplace.
L
ing the discipline to stay focused is a
real problem facing small to mid-size
firms with limited resources. In 1996,
Wright-Pierce was presented with two
opportunities, both as a result of net-
working, which illustrate this problem.
One proved to be successful, leading to
several contracts in South Africa. The
other, in Colombia, was not successful
and set back Wright-Pierce s efforts in
South America.
In the summer of 1997, Fuller
decided that the company needed to
concentrate its effort on one country.
Utilizing an existing sister state
relationship between Maine and Brazil,
Fuller established contacts with key
Brazilian decision makers and officials
within the Brazilian State of Rio
Grande do Norte. As a result, Wright-
Pierce was able to obtain a contract for
a wastewater treatment feasability
study for the City of Natal, funded by
the U.S. Trade and Development
Agency. After making more contacts
within the country, Wright-Pierce made
the decision to focus on two regions of
Brazil where they had the most presence
and contacts.
Currently, international projects
Company Listings
Bardon Trimount, Inc.
1715 Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906
Phone: (781) 941-7200
Fax: (781-941-7270
Mabbett & Associates, Inc.
5 Alfred Circle
Bedford, MA 01730-2346
Phone: (781) 275-6050
Fax: (781) 275-3127
Rizzo Associates, Inc.
235 West Central Street
Natick, MA 01760-3755
Phone: (508) 651-3401
Fax: (508) 651-1189
Tytronics
25 Wiggins Ave.
Bedford, MA 01730-2323
Phone: (781) 275-9660
Fax: (781) 275-9665
Wright-Pierce
99 Main Street
Topsham, ME 04086-1204
Phone: (207) 725-8721
Fax: (207) 729-8414
account for 7% of total annual gross
revenues. Fuller predicts this figure will
eventually approach 25%. Wright-Pierce 5
foray into the international market is
finally paying off in contracts won.
Wright-Pierce has learned much about
international business and marketing
through its experiences. First, Fuller
found the language barrier to be a
serious impediment when doing
business in foreign countries, even with
the help of interpreters.Second, the
temptation to explore other promising
projects clouded the company s focus.
Third, the investment of start-up capital
for time, travel, in-country offices,
translators, consultants and attorneys,
not to mention the start-up costs for
the actual projects themselves were
substantial. Add to this the fact that
the competition by foreign companies
was fierce. Another problem is the
strength of the US dollar, which makes
it difficult for US firms to be cost-
competitive with their foreign competi-
tors. However, with its growing
international business experience,
Wright-Pierce is confident it can expand
its markets and gain access to more
contracts within South America,
increasing its international sales revenue.
Innovative Technology
Database
Now On-Line
in
CEIT has developed a data base
containing information on innova-
tive technologies. The Innovative
Technology Inventory (ITI) includes
technology descriptions and informa-
tion on applications, environmental
benefits, performance, limitations,
and costs. The ITI can be accessed
on the EPA Region I - New En-
gland, CEIT web page at http://
www.epa.gov/region01/steward/ceit For
additional information, please contact
Junenette Peters at (617) 918-1830
or (800) 575-CEIT (2348).
6 Technovation
-------
Resources: Exporting Environmental Technology
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
The USAID supplies grants to foreign, developing countries. The grant money is in turn used for contracting services
supplies from US companies seeking to do business abroad. All USAID projects that have potential negative
environmental results are required to have environmental impact reports prepared prior to commencement.
and
Q The main USAID web page: www.info.usaid.gov.
Q Global Technology Network: facilitates the transfer of US technologies to USAID assisted countries and
regions.Focuses on identifying international business opportunities for environmental services and technologies,
as well as other industries. Provides business support services such as industry information services, regional infor-
mation, conference marketing, and counseling. Phone: (800) 872-4348 or (202) 712-1624. Web page: www.usgtn.org.
Q Center for Trade and Investment Services (CTIS): provides a clearinghouse of information for US and
developingcountries on USAID projects that are available for procurement. Phone: (800) 872-4348.
Web Page:www.info.usaid.gov.
Q United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP)/Environmental Technology Network for Asia (ETNA):
companies that register with US-AEP and ETNA databases are matched with Asian trade leads, including specific prod-
ucts or services, company information, nature of environmental problem(s), and company contact information.
Phone: (800) 818-9911. Web page: www.info.usaid.gov/business/ctis/etna.html.
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
The DOC has a variety of services and information that are readily available through the internet or by telephone. These
sites and offices contain information that range from general exporting guidelines to specific country market analyses.
Q The main DOC web page: www.doc.gov.
Q Environmental Technology Exports (ETE): information on international events pertaining to the envirotech
industry, export market plans for many countries in South America, Canada, and the Philippines, and environmental
export resource directory of local and regional organizations. Phone: (202) 482-5225. Web page: infoserv2.ita.doc.gov/
ete/eteinfo.nsf.
Q International Trade Administration: offers assistance in gathering information about possible projects going on in
countries of interest. Phone: (800) USA-TRAD. Web page: www.ita.doc.gov.
Q Trade Information Center (TIC): supplies information on the export process. Includes the most frequently asked
questions and answers about exporting, international trade contacts in each state, a guide to export trade leads, an
alternative finance guide, and more. Phone: (800)USA-TRAD.
Q Trade Development (TD) Industry Officers: specialists provide export assistance for particular markets. Officers
are available, specifically for environmental technology exports, in order to identify the obstacles in exporting services or
products. The officers conduct trade missions and fairs, business counseling and marketing seminars. For a list of
industry and international trade officers phone: (800)USA-TRAD. Web page for TD industry information:
www.ita.doc.gov. Web page trade statistics: www.ita.doc.gov/tradestats.
Q Market Access and Compliance (MAC) Officers: explain and clear obstacles to exporting. MAC officers maintain
a database of trade information that is region-specific and able to assist businesses in their export compliance. For a
list of MAC officers phone: (800) USA-TRAD. Web page: www.itaiep.doc.gov.
Q National Trade Data Bank: promotional and international trade data that is accessible via the Internet or on
CD-ROM disks. The database contains information on US imports and exports. Available at over 1,100 libraries
nationwide as well as through the STAT-USA subscription service. Phone: (800)USA-TRAD for a list of the libraries.
Q STAT-USA: information on trade leads, US procurement opportunities, and trade and economic data published
by the federal government. The database costs $50 per quarter or $150 for the year. Phone: (202) 482-1986.
Web page: www.stat-usa.goK
7Technovation
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Resources: Exporting Environmental Technology
The Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides contacts, market information, and information on financing your export
plans. Phone: (202) 205-6400.
Q SBA main web page: www.sba.gov.
Q Office of International Trade (OIT): provides seminars and workshops to instruct and educate small businesses on
exportation. Assists small businesses in obtaining financing for export purposes. Phone: (202) 205-6720.
Web page: www.sbaonline.sba.gov/oit.
Q The Export Assistance Network: provides businesses with finance and export marketing support. Export Assistance
Centers provide export promotion and trade finance assistance. Phone: (800)USA-TRAD (800-872-8723).
Financial Assistance
Financial support information for small businesses to take the lead in exporting environmental technologies and services
are provided below. These are the foremost sources of funding for small businesses to access the global market.
Q Export-Import Bank (EXIM): provides a variety of ways to fund your first export plan. EXIM provides export
credit insurance which covers political and commercial risks on export receivables. In addition, EXIM assists
small- to medium-size companies with pre-export financing from commercial lenders by guaranteeing 90% of the
principal and interest on loans or revolving lines of credit extended to eligible exporters. Phone: (800)565-3946,
(202) 565-3946 (Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia). Web page: www.exim.gov.
Q Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC): provides investment insurance and financing programs for
overseas investment projects in developing countries. See the web-page for more details or contact OPIC by
calling them direct. Phone: (202) 336-8799. Web page: www.opic.gov.
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