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February 8, 2011 Portlandbiz

New Atlantica division charts commerce, politics

Photo/Rebecca Goldfine Perry Newman says the new analytics division of Atlantica Group will help businesses better understand fast-changing global market trends

Governments collapsing overnight, economies spiraling downwards, anxious political leaders passing protectionist policies, emerging markets and new middle-class consumers are all increasingly relevant to companies, in Maine and elsewhere, that hope to play a bigger role in the ever-expanding global market.

In response to a world that's not getting any simpler, Perry Newman last month launched a new division of Atlantica Group LLC, his international consulting business based in Portland. He says he formed the spinoff, Atlantica Analytics, to draw clients' attention to the utility of understanding the intersection of politics and commerce. The division will focus on providing clients with in-depth analysis of political and legislative developments, and quickly shifting market conditions, as well as information on competitors and competitive trends, according to a press release.

Newman, who has a law degree and served as the first president of the Maine International Trade Center, founded Atlantica Group in 2000 to help companies develop their export business. With a handful of consultants, he researches international market conditions and connects businesses across borders. Yet, over the decade, as global economies have heaved and sputtered and political attitudes have shifted, Newman says he has seen businesses require more help navigating political landscapes and legislative labyrinths, as well as gain deeper insights into their global competition.

"With the incredible fluidity of political events, you need to know, ‘What does all this mean?'" Newman says. "There's only a certain amount you can get by watching from a distance."

At the moment, Newman says about 90% of his clients are based in Canada and Israel (he speaks fluent French and "taxi cab-driver" Hebrew). Although only a fraction of his clients is U.S.-based, he hopes Atlantica Analytics will draw in more national, as well as international, clients, he says.

As an example of how Atlantica Analytics might help a company, Newman points to the need for businesses to stay on top of protectionist bills -- which can arise when domestic economies sink -- such as the Buy American provision in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He says these types of bills can impact or preclude a foreign company from selling products across borders.

At the same time, Newman says Atlantica Analytics will help companies learn more about their competition, or even discover new competitors. At times, clients are surprised to hear of a company selling a similar product to theirs, he says. Armed with better knowledge, a company can learn from the mistakes a competitor has already made, or capitalize on an opportunity that another has uncovered.

"The biggest mistake in business is thinking we know everything. It's what you don't know and what you haven't investigated that can cause disruption," Newman says.

Janine Bisaillon-Cary, the president of the Maine International Trade Center, says between 20% and 30% of the center's calls come from panicked Maine companies that have hit an unexpected regulatory snag abroad. She says no matter what country a company is in -- a more stable European Union nation or an emerging market elsewhere -- being familiar with its political and legislative issues beforehand "is a big part of doing trade well and being successful and not having those issues," she says. "They cost money, time and a lot of headache."

While multinational corporations often have an in-house department that can deal exclusively with international hurdles or opportunities, smaller companies often don't have the resources to analyze foreign markets. But Bisaillon-Cary says the Maine International Trade Center and business consultants, such as Newman and Brazil expert Daniel Forte of Global Import-Export Solutions Inc. in Kennebunk, can help.

"What's happened with the Internet and people having websites, they are able to market their products quickly and easily all over the world," she says. "But you need to have the capacity to seize those opportunities and make it happen."

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