Exporter Spotlight: Compass Technology Group LLC

A Q&A interview with: 

• Becky Schultz, CEO/Owner, Compass Technology Group LLC

County: Fulton

Industry: Government contracting, engineering services, manufacturing

Compass Technology Group, LLC was formed in March 2012. We started off with SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) federal grants with the Air Force in the area of RF and microwave measurements of materials. Now we have three areas of focus: 

1. Research (R&D): Mainly with regard to the measurement of electromagnetic properties of materials. 
2. Services: Companies send us their materials and we do measurements for them, using our devices and expertise to help companies develop their materials and get better performance.
3. Manufacturing and selling of devices: The focus beam system was our first system for sale, but we have developed other devices as well, including table top, hand-held and robotic probe systems. 

How long has your company been exporting?

Our first product export was in 2018. Since then we have also exported our contract measurement services, where clients send us materials so that we can measure the characteristics of the electromagnetic properties of the materials. 

What motivated your company to start selling internationally?

Our area is very niche and there is a limited customer base in the U.S. who needs this expertise.  If we wanted to expand our customer base, we needed to look internationally.  We started with the U.S. government as a customer and then grew into commercial spaces like 5G, radome and automotive sectors, so going international exposed us to more customers in these markets.

What is the biggest lesson your company has learned about exporting?

At first it was pretty scary – so many laws and rules to follow. But I have learned there’s a lot of help out there.  When we first started working on SBIRs, we were part of Georgia Tech ATDC (Advanced Technology Development Center).  They introduced us to the SBDC, through which we were subsequently introduced to GDEcD and then to the U.S. Commercial Service – a whole network of resources. It’s grown to this great group of people who encourage and support us. While exporting is a daunting task, there’s definitely a lot of help in Georgia. This is important for us since our sales are technical sales and we don’t have much international experience.

How has GDEcD’s International Trade Team helped your company? OR What outside resources have been helpful in achieving success internationally?  

We have used the services of GDEcD, the SBDC and the USCS, as well as the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Some of these entities have provided us with due diligence on potential international partners or customers. Others have worked with us on international trade shows and events. For example, we exhibited with GDEcD at the DSEI show in London. Through our participation we are developing an important potential international business lead. We’ve worked with GDEcD’s in-country reps to assess market opportunities and identify qualified leads. The USCS has helped us with export compliance matters, which is essential for our product lines. We participated in the SBDC’s ExportGA training course. The Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Export Challenge grants that we won have been very helpful. We have received encouragement, training and information from all of these entities to get involved internationally. We look forward to future international events. This year I was connected with EXIM (Export-Import Bank of the U.S.) for their small business export credit insurance.  When I was having trouble as a small business getting a letter of credit so I could accept a deposit on a system, I was pointed to EXIM as a way to be able to offer terms to customers.

What advice do you have for companies that are just starting to export?

They should reach out to some of the resources in the area, like GDEcD, SBDC, USCS to ask questions and get help. There are people who can offer lots of help and encouragement. Talk to other companies by going to different lunches, conferences and events [once it is safe to do so] where you can hear other companies’ experiences and how they’ve met the challenge, to see what they’ve done. 

What has been your biggest export achievement?  

Successfully selling expensive technical pieces of equipment internationally.  Also, being recognized as an expert in this technical area, and starting to get international recognition for the expertise we have. This has happened largely through our participation in U.S. and international industry events and conferences. 

How has the global Covid-19 crisis affected your company and your international business?  

The biggest thing is not being able to travel. We had set up participation in a couple of different conferences this year. One employee was scheduled to speak at a European industry conference; it’s now been delayed until 2021. Also, not being able to travel to demo systems or to install systems has been difficult and slowed things down. There’s no substitute for face-to-face meetings.

How has COVID-19 impacted your future plans for export growth? 

It’s just slowed it down a little bit. We’re trying to keep going as much as we can. Things are moving forward slowly now and we look forward to being able to travel next year. 

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Are you a Georgia business looking for help growing your international sales? Find out how Georgia’s International Trade Team can help at www.Georgia.org/Trade.