Click here for Part I & Part II

Supporting Israeli and U.S. defense and security operations with top-tier surveillance technology

Dan Bader is Vice President of Business Operations for ELTA North America. Affiliated with ELTA Systems—a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries—ELTA North America is one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of aerospace and defense systems for the United States government. The company’s surveillance products and services support troops, first responders, and security personnel in airborne, ground, and maritime environments. ELTA North America opened in Fulton, Maryland in 2012, in partnership with the Maryland/Israel Development Center (MIDC).

Q. Why did you choose to work with the MIDC?

DAN BADER: When we were looking for a place to locate, we reached out to the Maryland/Israel Development Center and they were instrumental in helping us scout out locations, look at the tax implications, the employment opportunities, the base of support—from an engineering, managerial, and production standpoint. When we factored all that in, we decided Howard County was a great place for us to start.

Q. What was it like for the company to move from Israel?

A. We were fortunate when we moved to Fulton, Maryland to have a great group of dignitaries join us for the opening ceremony. We had Senator Cardin and Senator Mikulski from Maryland. We had Representative Ruppersberger. We had the Governor of Maryland—O’Malley. We had the Ambassador to Israel. We had local county executives and dignitaries, the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. It was a great event that opened up this facility. They were attracted because we were bringing capability, we were bringing jobs, we were bringing revenue. Obviously, from that standpoint, it was very attractive not only to us as a company to move here, but to the local state representatives to bring us here. And we’ve been expanding ever since.

Q. What advice would you give to other Israeli companies considering the move?

A. Any company that’s starting up, any foreign company that’s starting up—even an Israeli company starting up—you need help, you need advice, you need assistance. Don’t do it on your own. Don’t think you can do it on your own. You need to do what’s natural though it’s not always thought of for a start-up: reaching out, finding partners, finding companies that have been there before you and done that. We reached out to the MIDC, and they created that environment for us. They had those contacts, they had those relationships. So, reach out to those organizations. The State of Maryland—local counties have incentives and reasons to bring you here. The MIDC has been a great supporter of us. If another Israeli company wanted to say, “Can I be successful in the US—where should I go?” I’d say come right here to Maryland, reach out to the MIDC. You’re not alone. We’d love to help you. Learn from our experiences at ELTA North America, and you certainly can be successful.

Q. Tell us about your experience with the MIDC. How often do you meet with them, and what have they done for the business since you moved to Maryland?

I've been with ELTA North America for a year. I probably engage with MIDC once a month. When we started in 2012, MIDC helped us find the right places to locate, the real estate market, the brokerages, the companies, the leasing arrangements. We had to look at different counties. When you map that out, you’ve got to decide: Where am I going to get my qualified workforce? Where am I going to get my management staff? Where can I locate to access some of those communities? With D.C., Southern Maryland, Baltimore—that area right here was ideal for us. MIDC helped us locate those tax incentives, the growth opportunities. They gave us the reasons and made our job easier to figure out exactly where to go.

Since I’ve been here in the past year, the Maryland/Israel Development Center has allowed me to partner, to find other companies and executives, so I can have the forums, lead discussions— “What did you learn?” “How did you do that?” “This is my experience…” Those relationships and those partnerships have helped us and have helped other companies. We are always looking to recruit quality people and retain them. MIDC has allowed us those forums, those relationships, to help foster those relationships and have helped us find quality people. That’s important to us.

ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

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