Drew Wilson
Ballard Partners inked lobbying deals with a pair of new principals this week as it continues to expand its operations in the District of Columbia.
The firm headed up by Brian Ballard is now representing Deerfield Beach-based health technology company Sentry Data Systems and Egyptian car importer ARTOC Auto.
Sentry Data Systems bills itself as a “pioneer in automated pharmacy procurement, utilization management and 340B compliance.” In layman’s, the company develops data analytics software for the health care industry that helps providers order prescription drugs and comply with medication pricing rules.
Founded in 2003, the South Florida-based company has built a client base of more than 11,000 hospitals, clinics and pharmacies.
Ballard’s other new client, ARTOC, was for a time Egypt’s sole importer of cars manufactured by Czech Republic-based Škoda Auto. While most Americans would struggle to pick the 121-year-old automaker’s badge out of a lineup, they’re likely familiar with its parent company, Volkswagen Group.
ARTOC’s relationship with Škoda hit a speed bump when Škoda decided it wanted to do business with other importers and distributors in the Egyptian market. The two companies have since cut ties after 20 years of working together, and the company might be on the lookout for another auto manufacturer that wants to make inroads into the emerging market, possibly an American one.
Ballard chaired the Trump Victory organization in Florida during the 2016 presidential campaign and is seen as one of the few lobbyists close to President Donald Trump. Those ties led him to expand his firm to Washington, D.C. shortly after Trump’s inauguration, where it has quickly found success.
Since the expansion, Ballard Partners has added several major clients, including the governments of Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Qatar and the Maldives.
Ballard Partners topped all Florida firms in lobbying compensation last year, bringing in an average of $4 million in fees each quarter for its legislative and executive work at the state level. It’s showed no signs of slowing down, again topping all firms after bringing in an estimated $4.66 million in legislative and executive branch lobbying pay during the first quarter of 2018.
