Fredricks Consulting is a ‘lean and mean’ international business consultancy that works closely with clients to identify and take advantage of long-term growth opportunities in the transatlantic marketplace. We also provide expert guidance on European Union (EU) regulations (e.g. CE marking), decision-making, and standardization processes. We help our clients carefully define and achieve their strategic objectives including: gaining market access for products, expanding market share, nurturing strategic partnerships, reducing or eliminating product compliance liability/costs, and influencing decision-makers to shape a more favorable policy/regulatory environment.

Meet The Founder

Louis W. Fredricks

Prior to founding Fredricks Consulting, Louis served the U.S. Department of Commerce at the U.S. Mission to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium as the regional expert on EU product certification requirements and standardization policy. In this capacity, he provided consulting services to hundreds of U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on complex CE marking, conformity assessment, and standards issues.  Louis helped his clients navigate the EU regulatory environment and gain market access for their products in Europe.

Louis also worked at the Brussels office of Burson-Marsteller, a leading public affairs and communications consulting firm.  As a member of the Government Relations team, he helped a wide range of international private-sector clients influence the EU decision-making process and achieve their strategic objectives. In this role, Louis focused primarily on EU digital policy including data protection, cloud computing, and the online marketplace. He also monitored and analyzed the proposed Consumer Product Safety and Market Surveillance Regulation. Louis has a deep knowledge of EU legislative procedures and their impact on SMEs.

Louis has a strong network of contacts in the European Commission (i.e. the European regulator), the U.S. Department of Commerce (e.g. agencies such as the International Trade Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology), U.S. and European trade associations (e.g. the National Association of Manufacturers and Orgalime), and standards-developing organizations (e.g. CEN/CENELEC, ASTM International, and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers).

Louis is a natural leader, entrepreneur, problem-solver, and innovator with the unique ability to connect with people, instill trust, and build strategic relationships.  He founded his first start-up when he was 12 years old: a one-man landscaping service with his father’s lawn mower. In his teens and twenties, Louis kneaded dough at a small local bakery and rapidly climbed the ladder to become a General Manager in the restaurant industry. In Brussels, he was an executive assistant in an art gallery. These experiences helped Louis understand the challenges of running a business and, according to him:

“The transatlantic market offers great business opportunities for SMEs; it’s my professional passion to help them compete, succeed, and expand their businesses”.

Originally from Grand Haven, Michigan, Louis has a Master of Arts in European Studies from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, a Graduate Certificate in International Relations from Boston University, a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Political Science from Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado. He speaks English, Spanish and French.