Lessons In Long-Term Leadership

Edward Berman understands what it takes to build something that lasts. As founder and CEO of Atlantic Vision, he’s spent 25 years growing the company into the largest private-label manufacturer of fiber optic cables and terminals—quietly competing in a market dominated by giants—and is now stepping into the spotlight with a brand of his own.

Atlantic Vision’s approach is rooted in long-term thinking, and focus on customer needs. By embracing customization, now 80 percent of orders, the company has carved out market share and launched industry-first products.

Berman spoke with Chief Executive to share Atlantic Vision’s story of growth, the impending impact of AI and how his own career has been about playing the long game.

Tell us about Atlantic Vision’s growth over the years.

Atlantic Vision is the largest manufacturer of private label optical fiber cables and terminals. Now, after 25 years, we are establishing our own brand.

The fiber optic cabling market is dominated by two very large companies, Corning and CommScope. We feel that our existing sales channels are missing significant opportunities and have not been successful in penetrating the Tier 1 hyperscalers where Corning and CommScope share a monopoly.

Those Tier 1 customers pay a premium due to not knowing that there is an alternative supply source. At the same time, mid-size regional data center customers are underserved as the priorities of the major suppliers are elsewhere.

Atlantic Vision sets itself apart by being highly-customer centric. That means customizing any order so that our clients themselves, whether they are installing broadband infrastructure or building data centers, can meet the needs of their own customers.

Two years ago, about half of our orders had customized specifications. Today, 80 percent of orders ask for custom hardware. Thanks to that approach, Atlantic Vision just released the industry’s first customizable multiport service terminal, called the LightBoost, for fiber broadband providers.

We’ve been able to capture and retain customers because we don’t shy away from custom orders, large or small.

By offering a more direct hands-on experience, we’re establishing the Atlantic Vision brand and presence in the marketplace, and successfully gaining market share.

Before founding Atlantic Vision, you served as a program manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Consortium. Tell us about your efforts there, and what interested you in a career in developing fiber optics.

In the early 1990s, I worked in commodities. Feeling kind of burnt out, I looked for another business to develop. I read an article about an interesting development in fiber optic technology that mentioned several companies. I contacted General Motors, which was one of those companies, and GM encouraged me to pursue the development. Then, GM introduced me to DARPA.

DARPA was very responsive and asked me to form a team and report back to them. I assembled a team of physicists in the field of photonics from the U.S., Ukraine and Japan to lead the research effort. The other companies that formed the consortium were GM, Boeing, Honeywell, Verizon and Lucent. DARPA awarded the consortium several significant contracts to develop and commercialize the technology for U.S. business and military.

The consortium work continued for five years, after which Atlantic Vision was incorporated to commercialize the fiber optic technology.

What does the future hold for the sector, and for Atlantic Vision?

The demand for bandwidth had been rapidly increasing and that was even before the introduction of bandwidth-demanding AI systems. Other means of data transmission such as copper and satellite cannot equal optical fiber bandwidth and cost advantages it offers.

Atlantic Vision makes a meaningful contribution to the industry and we are well positioned to lead in the implementation of next generation optical network systems.

What are some of the lessons you have learned over the course of your careers in the fiber optics space?

I think that it’s most important to focus on the long-term strategic goal. Often interesting opportunities, such as customer interest in a niche product, may not have significant upside potential. That sort of involvement can require time and effort that does not make a meaningful contribution to building the strategic goal.

What advice do you have for other professionals looking to get into a whole new industry?

When I transitioned from commodities to fiber optics it was a unique opportunity that I was able to exploit. Prior to commodities, I was a budget director at Brandeis University, working on government research grants. That helped in understanding how to approach DARPA as an administrator. So for me, it was a unique combination of experiences that I took advantage of.

It’s difficult but it can be done. For example, in my field someone will come along who does not possess sufficient technical knowledge to understand the technology and user requirements, and they will fail. So, it is most important to spend the necessary time to understand the product and industry before attempting business activity.