BALLARD-PIPELINE-2026-0401 | Client Pipeline Dossier

The 60-Second Version

Five allied-nation industrials. All have US operations and employees in red districts. Two face Section 301 investigations directly (Dassault via EU, Kawasaki via Japan). Three more are exposed through the EU grouping (LKAB, ABB, SSAB). All five need representation before the April 15 written comments deadline. Some have DC representation through trade associations or smaller firms. None have a Trump-aligned firm with direct White House access. Ballard is the upgrade they need before the window closes.

Opening line: "Brian, I have five companies -- two face Section 301 directly, three more are exposed through the EU grouping. All five need representation before April 15. Some have DC representation through trade associations or smaller firms -- none have a Trump-aligned firm with direct White House access. All have US operations and employees in red districts. Ballard is the upgrade they need before the window closes."I

What We Know vs. What We Don't

Verified / Confirmed

April 15 USTR Section 301 written comments deadlineV
16 named economies incl. EU, JapanV
Sweden not individually named (EU grouping)V
Ballard has Japan FARA infrastructure: 4 filingsV
Existing lane: Nippon Steel $180K, Mitsubishi $240K, Hanwha $150KV
ABB spends $460K (2023), $590K (2024) lobbying. Both PACs terminated on FEC.V
SSAB has VP GovRel Katie Larson + PAC since 2012V
Kawasaki: $0 lobbying, suing USGV
Dassault: ~1,700 employees expanding to 2,200R
LKAB: No federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02 via OpenSecrets / LDA.govV
21 companies deep-enriched in entity store. 64,000+ observations. Engagement pathways mapped for all 5 shortlist companies.E

Gaps to Flag

Exact current DC firm for Dassault not yet identified. ABB uses FGS Global (US) LLC.
LKAB has no US government relations function -- true greenfield
Volvo Cars in appendix has Geely ownership risk (FARA complexity)
Atlas Copco already a Ballard client at $20K -- upsell potential unclear

Shortlist Summary

Company	Country	US Employees	Current DC	Engagement	Ballard Fit
Dassault	France/EU	~1,700	NBAA (indirect)	12E	HIGH
Kawasaki	Japan	4,000+	$0 spend / suing USG	15E	HIGH
LKAB	Sweden	~5,200 global	No federal LDA filing (OpenSecrets / LDA.gov)	49E	HIGH
ABB	SE/CH	10,000+	$590K (2024). PACs terminated.	118E	MODERATE (supplement)
SSAB	Sweden	1,200+	VP GovRel + PAC	995E	MODERATE (force multiplier)

Regulatory Context

Deadline April 15, 2026 (USTR 301 written comments)V

Economies 16 named incl. EU, JapanV

Sweden Not individually named (EU grouping)V

FARA Japan (4 filings), Taiwan (1), Saudi (3)V

Pipeline Math

Pipeline $3.6M/yr conservative, $9M/yr optimisticI

Existing Lane Nippon Steel $180K, Mitsubishi $240K, Hanwha $150KV

"Across all five companies: legal teams are strong and well-resourced but primarily focused on compliance and legal defense. Ballard operates upstream of legal -- helping shape the policy environment rather than reacting to it."I

Company Cards

Dassault Falcon Jet French parent, all-American operation

~1,700 employees expanding to 2,200. CEO publicly flagged 25% EU tariff threat. $100M expansion in Arkansas with Gov. Sanders.R

Profile

HQ 3801 E. 10th St, Little Rock, AR 72202 (completion/manufacturing). Corporate HQ: Teterboro, NJ.R

Parent Dassault Aviation (France)R

Sector Business AviationR

US Employees ~1,700 (expanding to 2,200)R

301 Exposure EU -- 16 named economiesV

Revenue Target $250K/monthI

Current DC Presence

Lobbies via NBAA (CEO Betbeze on Advisory Council)V
No federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02 via OpenSecrets / LDA.govV
Canadian lobby registrationR
State-level gov relations (Arkansas, Gov. Sanders)R
No Trump-aligned firmI

Ballard Alignment

Priority	Fit	Evidence
Trade policy (EU 301)	HIGH	EU named, tariff threat on aerospaceV
US investment story	HIGH	$100M expansion, 2,200 jobs, red stateR
Defense (dual-use)	MODERATE	Rafale military, Falcon civilR
White House access	NONE	No Trump-aligned firm currentlyI

Network Intelligence

12 engagements from 5 people | 256 positions mapped Minimal engagement overlap. 5 people engage with network content.E

Arnaud Dardy, Group General CounselE
Denis Schirmann, VP Foreign Military SalesE
Laurent Bendavid, CIOE
Christine Ricouart, SVP Systems Purchasing & ProcurementE
Thomas Beaumont, Chief of Supply ChainE
Byron L. Adkins, Senior Management (2 engagements -- only US-based engaged contact)E

GAP: Weakest engagement signal of all 5 shortlist companies. No warm pathway through existing network. Cold approach required.

256 employee positions mapped from deep enrichment.E

Acquisition Strategy

Lead with: "Your $100M Arkansas expansion is exactly the investment story this administration rewards. We position that story in front of Commerce before April 15."

Entry point: US corporate strategy / Government Affairs

Close: "This is about shaping the outcome, not just responding to it."I

GAP: Exact current DC firm unknown -- need to verify if any firm represents them.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Japan's largest heavy industrial

Already suing USG -- without any DC lobbyist. Ballard's Japan FARA infrastructure is in place.V

Profile

HQ 26972 Burbank, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 (Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. -- consumer vehicles division)R

KHI US Facilities Lincoln, NE (rail); Wixom, MI (robotics); Brea, CA (engines)R

Sector Defense / Rail / Robotics / EnergyR

US Employees 4,000+ across 4 statesR

301 Exposure Japan -- 16 named economiesV

OpenSecrets D000070178, $20K contributions, $0 lobbying (2024)V

Current DC Presence

OpenSecrets profile exists with political contributionsV
$0 lobbying spend in 2024V
Currently suing USG over IEEPA tariffsR
No lobbyist of record as of 2026-04-02 via OpenSecrets / LDA.govV
No Trump-aligned firmI

Ballard Alignment

Priority	Fit	Evidence
Trade policy (Japan 301)	HIGH	Japan named, active litigationV
Defense interop	HIGH	Submarines, JMSDF alongside USNR
FARA infrastructure	IN PLACE	Embassy of Japan, 4 filingsV
Existing lane	PROVEN	Nippon Steel $180K, Mitsubishi $240K, Hanwha $150KV
Lobbyist staffing	READY	Hunter Morgen handles Asia/industrialV

Network Intelligence

15 engagements from 6 people | 251 positions mapped Minimal engagement overlap. Koichi ISOBE (Strategic Consultant, Sasakawa Peace Foundation) is the only meaningful engaged contact (5 engagements, LIKE + COMMENT). Helicopter sales team in SE Asia also engages (Indy Udol, Takenori Sano).E

Jenifer Rogers, Non Executive Director (1 engagement)E
Yu Kashiwagi, Senior Staff Hydrogen Strategy Division (1 engagement)E
Koichi ISOBE, Strategic Consultant (5 engagements) -- potential warm introduction pathE

Ballard advantage: FARA Japan infrastructure already in place. Hunter Morgen staffs Asia lane. Pathway is through FARA/Embassy, not LinkedIn network.I

251 employee positions mapped.E

Acquisition Strategy

Lead with: "Your attorneys told you to sue. That is not working. We get you in front of Commerce -- where Ballard already has Japan FARA infrastructure in place."

Entry point: US executive leadership / legal team

Close: "Don't sue. Make a deal."I

LKAB Europe's largest rare earth deposit

True greenfield -- no federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02 via OpenSecrets / LDA.gov. Offensive play: bring strategic supply to America. Swedish state-owned.R

Profile

US Office Chicago, IL (LKAB North America)R

Parent Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (Swedish state-owned)R

Sector Mining -- iron ore, critical minerals, rare earth elementsR

Employees ~5,200 employees in 12 countries (per LKAB website, as of 2025)R

301 Exposure Sweden under EU grouping (not individually named)V

DC Presence No federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02 via OpenSecrets / LDA.govV

Current DC Presence

No federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02 via OpenSecrets / LDA.govV
Active EU public affairs (SVP Niklas Johansson)R
No US government relations function identifiedR
True greenfield opportunityI

Ballard Alignment

Priority	Fit	Evidence
Critical minerals	HIGH	Kiruna REE deposit, Trump EOsV
Trade policy	MODERATE	EU grouping, not direct targetV
Arctic	HIGH	Bernice at Arctic Encounter Apr 15-17I
Investment story	HIGH	"Come build in America" framingI

Network Intelligence

49 engagements from 20 people | 264 positions mapped Moderate and improving. 20 people at LKAB engage with network content.E

Stefan L., VP Strategy & Business Development (11 engagements)E
Par Jonsen, CTO Business Area Special Products (4 engagements, LIKE + COMMENT)E
Anders Borg, Chair of the Board of Directors (3 engagements) -- former Swedish Finance MinisterE
Andreas Stenlund, CDO / Head of Development & Digital Transformation (3 engagements)E
Jenny Nordstrom, Project Manager (4 engagements)E
Mikael Rosenqvist, Security Strategist (2 engagements)E

Warm pathway: Anders Borg (Chair) engages with network content. VP Strategy engages most actively. CTO engages. Multiple senior touchpoints.E

Access Path

Via ServiceNow: Thaer Abu-alata (Client Director) -- LKAB is his clientI

264 employee positions mapped.E

Acquisition Strategy

Lead with: "You are building the supply chain America needs -- we help you get the attention that deserves."

Entry point: SVP Public Affairs / U.S. leadership

Close: "Ballard connects critical minerals strategy to the people making the decisions."I

ABB $590K lobbying (2024). PACs terminated. Supplement play.

10,000+ US employees. Current firms lack Trump White House access. Ballard is the upgrade alongside existing representation.I

Profile

US HQ 305 Gregson Drive, Cary, NC 27511R

Locations 40+ USR

Sector Automation, robotics, electrification, power gridsR

US Employees 10,000+R

301 Exposure Swedish-Swiss, EU groupingV

OpenSecrets D000023729, $460K (2023), $590K (2024), $630K (2019)V

PAC ABB Group PAC (C00041947, C00602516) -- both TERMINATED on FECV

Current DC Presence

Active federal lobbying: $590K (2024), $460K (2023), $405K (2021), $630K (2019)V
ABB Group PAC -- both PACs TERMINATED on FECV
Current DC firm: FGS Global (US) LLC, 1299 Pennsylvania Ave NW, DC. Lobbyists: Catharine Ransom, Ben Springer, Anthony Reed, Brent Robinson. Issues: grid modernization, resiliency, cyber-security, EV charging, electrification of transportation, robotics, workforce development.V
Strong Hill presence but no direct White House relationshipI

Ballard Alignment

Priority	Fit	Evidence
Energy agenda	HIGH	Grid modernization = Trump energy dominanceR
Defense	MODERATE	Base resilience, electrificationI
Play type	SUPPLEMENT	Add Ballard alongside existing firmsI
Revenue potential	HIGH	10K employees, multi-district Congressional storyR

Bernice flagged MUST ADD on March 31. Wallenberg sphere -- same network financing Swedish defense export reform.I

Network Intelligence

118 engagements from 32 people | 259 positions mapped Present and growing. 32 people at ABB engage with network content.E

Josue M. Carrillo, Technical Service Consultant (32 engagements)E
Johan Granstrom, Head of Energy Transition (10 engagements, PRAISE + LIKE + COMMENT)E
Tiziano Fiore, Head of Product Management Global Business Line (9 engagements)E
Shiva Sander Tavallaey, Manager Advanced Modeling & Control (8 engagements)E
Dennis Helfridsson, Managing Director ABB Sweden / VP Robotics & Discrete Automation (5 engagements)E
Camilla Kullborg, Project Manager Expert Learning Lab (3 engagements)E

Warm pathway: Dennis Helfridsson (MD ABB Sweden, VP Robotics) is a senior decision-maker who engages. Johan Granstrom (Head Energy Transition) relevant to grid/energy pitch.E

259 employee positions mapped.E

Acquisition Strategy

Lead with: "You have strong DC representation -- but this administration rewards direct relationships."

Entry point: Existing government affairs team

Close: "Ballard supplements what you have with access you don't."I

SSAB Americas VP GovRel + PAC. Force multiplier.

VP Gov Relations Katie Larson in DC. PAC since 2012. LDA filings on Section 232 steel. Ballard is the force multiplier for Trump-administration access.V

Profile

Mills Axis, AL (Alabama) + Muscatine, IA (Iowa)R

Parent SSAB (Swedish, publicly traded)R

Sector Defense steel (Armox), critical minerals (vanadium)R

US Employees 1,200+R

301 Exposure Sweden, EU groupingV

VP Gov Rel Katie Larson (DC-based, ex-US Steel, GWU MA Leg Affairs)V

PAC SSAB Americas PAC (C00513861) since Feb 2012, $40K/cycleV

LDA Section 232, USICA/COMPETES, Nippon Steel/US Steel merger, EPA, carbon border, Buy CleanV

Current DC Presence

Katie Larson, VP Government Relations, DC-basedV
SSAB Americas PAC registered since 2012V
Active LDA filings on Section 232 steel tariffsV
Strong existing gov relations functionV
Current DC firm: Elevate Government Affairs, LLC, 440 First Street NW, DC. Notable lobbyists: Kelly Lugar (ex-DOE Deputy Asst Sec), Samuel Whitehorn (ex-Senate Commerce counsel), Jeffrey Markey (ex-Rep Doc Hastings staff).V
Lobbies on EXACTLY the topics we are pitchingI

Ballard Alignment

Priority	Fit	Evidence
Trade policy (232 steel)	HIGH	Already lobbying on 232V
Defense	HIGH	Armox/NATO, Rheinmetall partnershipR
Critical minerals	HIGH	Vanadium recovery from slagR
Play type	FORCE MULTIPLIER	Supplement Katie Larson with Trump-admin accessI

SSAB Intelligence

Armox armor steel -- NATO allied vehiclesR
Rheinmetall partnership: first defense mfg using fossil-free steelR
Japan branch (Tokyo)R
Vanadium recovery from steel slag -- critical mineralR

Source: SSAB intelligence via Jernkontoret channel / Fei YingR

Network Intelligence

995 engagements from 167 people | 241 positions mapped STRONGEST of all shortlist companies. 167 people at SSAB engage with network content. Deepest engagement overlap.E

Leonardo Vieira, Senior Technical Development Manager (98 engagements)E
Fei Ying, Digital Development (72 engagements) -- insider pathway. Disclosure: personal relationship with principal.EI
Johan Anderson, Global Strategy Projects (45 engagements)E
Sandra Ahlstrand, Digital Development Manager (27 engagements)E
Marc Guttner, President Management Board SSAB Poland (22 engagements)E
Jesper Kansbod, Head of Governmental Relations (engagement confirmed)E
Katie Larson, VP Government Relations DC (from LDA/FEC filings)V
Helena af Sandeberg Herres, Head of Marketing (18 engagements)E

Warm pathway: WARMEST of all targets. 167 engaged people including senior strategy, marketing, digital, and government relations. Fei Ying (72 engagements) is the strongest insider pathway (disclosure: personal relationship with principal). Jesper Kansbod (Head GovRel) engages with network content.E

Approach: Via Jernkontoret for institutional backing. Katie Larson (VP GovRel DC) is the decision-maker for lobbying engagement.I

DEEP ENRICHMENT -- company_id 166109. 241 employee positions mapped, all Sales Nav endpoints captured.E

Access Path

Via Jernkontoret (Swedish Steel Producers' Association). Katie Larson is the decision-maker.I

Acquisition Strategy

Lead with: "You already have strong government affairs -- Ballard adds the executive-level access that makes it count."

Entry point: Katie Larson / VP Government Relations

Close: "We amplify what Katie is already doing with direct administration access."I

Verification & Sources

Source Legend

V Verified -- Primary/official source confirmed (USTR, OpenSecrets, FEC, FARA, Senate LD-2, Reuters)

E Entity Store -- Cruzam entity store (linkedin.db, enrichment endpoints)

R Reported -- Company website, press, industry publication, third-party database

I Inferred -- Analyst assessment, strategic inference, executive brief

Claims Verification

Entity	Claim	Source	Tag	Status
USTR	April 15 Section 301 written comments deadline	Federal Register	V	Confirmed
USTR	16 named economies incl. EU, Japan	Federal Register	V	Confirmed
USTR	Sweden not individually named (EU grouping)	Federal Register	V	Confirmed
Ballard	Japan FARA: 4 filings	FARA efile	V	Confirmed
Ballard	Nippon Steel $180K, Mitsubishi $240K, Hanwha $150K	Ballard 2025 CSV (309 clients)	V	Confirmed
Dassault	No federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02	OpenSecrets / LDA.gov	V	Confirmed
Dassault	~1,700 employees expanding to 2,200	ainonline.com, homebasearkansas.com	R	Confirmed
Dassault	CEO Betbeze on NBAA Advisory Council	nbaa.org	V	Confirmed
Kawasaki	OpenSecrets D000070178, $0 lobbying 2024	OpenSecrets	V	Confirmed
Kawasaki	Suing USG over IEEPA tariffs	Reuters	R	Confirmed
Kawasaki	4,000+ US employees across 4 states	Company website	R	Confirmed
LKAB	No federal LDA filing found as of 2026-04-02	OpenSecrets / LDA.gov	V	Confirmed
ABB	$590K lobbying (2024), $460K (2023), $630K (2019)	OpenSecrets D000023729	V	Confirmed
ABB	PAC: C00041947, C00602516 -- both TERMINATED on FEC	FEC	V	Confirmed (terminated)
SSAB	Katie Larson VP GovRel, DC-based	LegiStorm, OpenSecrets	V	Confirmed
SSAB	PAC C00513861 since Feb 2012	FEC	V	Confirmed
SSAB	LDA filings: Section 232, USICA/COMPETES, carbon border	Senate LD-2	V	Confirmed
SSAB	Armox armor steel / Rheinmetall partnership	ssab.com	R	Confirmed
Atlas Copco	Existing Ballard client $20K, Hunter Morgen	Ballard 2025 CSV	V	Confirmed
Yokohama	Sued USG	Reuters	V	Confirmed
Volvo Cars	Kountoupes Denham $1.67M external firm	OpenSecrets	V	Confirmed
Volvo Cars	Parent AB Volvo $800K-$1.2M/yr lobbying -- CORRECTION: AB Volvo (trucks) is a separate company from Volvo Cars (Geely-owned). AB Volvo lobbying does not apply.	OpenSecrets, corporate records	V	Corrected
Dassault	$100M Arkansas expansion	homebasearkansas.com	R	Reported
Dassault	CEO flagged 25% EU tariff threat	ainonline.com, Mar 2025	R	Reported
LKAB	Anders Borg, Chair -- former Swedish Finance Minister	riksdagen.se, public record	V	Verified
Pipeline	Pipeline math ($3.6M-$9M)	Analyst estimate: 3-5 clients x $100K-$150K avg/mo	I	Inferred

Corrections Applied

Entity	Original Claim	Corrected To	Source
ABB	No DC lobbying	$590K (2024) federal lobbying. PACs terminated. DC firm: FGS Global.	V OpenSecrets, FEC, LDA.gov
SSAB	No DC lobbying	VP GovRel + PAC + LDA filings	V LegiStorm, FEC, Senate LD-2
Dassault	1,200 employees	~1,700 (expanding to 2,200)	R ainonline.com, homebasearkansas.com
ABB	Active PAC	Both PACs (C00041947, C00602516) TERMINATED on FEC	V FEC
Volvo Cars	Parent AB Volvo $800K-$1.2M/yr lobbying	AB Volvo (trucks) is separate from Volvo Cars (Geely-owned). Lobbying figure does not apply.	V OpenSecrets, corporate records

Appendix: 5 Additional Companies

Researched but not prioritized for Thursday. Each has acquisition strategy from executive brief.

Toray Industries -- Japanese carbon fiber, Boeing/Airbus supply chain

600 Third Ave, New York, NY

Japanese carbon fiber manufacturer. Boeing/Airbus supply chain. Critical material for aerospace and defense applications.R

Lead with: "You are already a critical part of the U.S. industrial base."

Entry point: US + mfg leadership

Close: "We help convert your U.S. presence into policy advantage."I

Sandvik -- Swedish mining and cutting tools

1702 Nevins Rd, Fair Lawn, NJ

Swedish mining and cutting tools. GC: Johanna Kreft (EVP). Bernice named in Mar 31 email.R

Lead with: "Your products are highly specialized -- ensuring they are evaluated individually is critical."

Entry point: GC or corporate leadership

Close: "We help ensure your products are treated on their merits."I

Yokohama Rubber -- Already sued USG, USTMA member

1 MacArthur Pl, Santa Ana, CA

Already sued USG (Reuters). USTMA member. ~2,100 US employees.V

Lead with: "Your U.S. manufacturing story is strong -- but it's not being fully represented in Washington."

Entry point: US exec leadership

Close: "We help ensure your U.S. operations are recognized accordingly."I

Atlas Copco -- EXISTING Ballard client ($20K, Hunter Morgen)

7 Campus Dr, Parsippany, NJ

EXISTING Ballard client ($20K, Hunter Morgen). CLO: Eva Klasen. OpenSecrets client profile.V

Lead with: "You already recognize the importance of Washington -- our role is to scale that into measurable results."

Entry point: Existing Ballard contact

Close: "We build on your existing efforts and amplify them."I

Volvo CarsRISK FLAG -- Geely ownership = FARA complexity

Mahwah, NJ / Ridgeville, SC

VP Gov Affairs Katherine Horne Yehl, LDA filings, external firm Kountoupes Denham ($1.67M). 4,000+ SC employees. Note: AB Volvo (trucks/heavy equipment) is a separate company from Volvo Cars (Geely-owned). AB Volvo's $800K-$1.2M/yr lobbying does not apply to Volvo Cars.V

RISK: GEELY OWNERSHIP = FARA complexity. Brian's call. Chinese ownership creates complications for foreign agent registration and political optics.