german word of month
TRANSCRIPT
Dankeschön to Patron and Sustaining Members
Welcome New AGP Members!
Ozark-Dale County EDC Eric Basinger
New Direction - TCA Wendy DeShong-Neuhalfen
Charlotte Lewis
Alabama Germany Partnership German American Chamber of Commerce German Consulate General Atlanta
AGP Member News Ticker
Latest News from Lufthansa
Latest News from Mercedes
Latest News from Rodl Warren Averett
Latest News from Siemens
German companies: please send us your news link to
A NOTE FROM THE AGP CHAIRMAN
A Celebration to Remember By Bryan Winter
On March 7, 2013, the Alabama Germany Partnership celebrated its fifteenth anniversary at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Over 225 people, including German Consul General Christoph Sander, attended the Celebration -- recognizing the economic, scientific and cultural achieve-ments which have resulted from the cooperation of Alabama and Germany.
Consul General Sander lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is responsible for the Southeastern United States. Even though his tenure only began in September 2012, he has already visited Alabama several times. Consul General Sander is a strong supporter of teaching German as a second language and increasing student exchange programs between Germany and America.
Under the Saturn V Rocket, the Partnership also celebrated the successful collaboration of the German rocket team and Alabama's "Can Do" spirit with a special presentation by NASA Astronaut, Colonel Jim Halsell. With five space missions to his credit, Colonel Halsell shared his amazing experiences and personal videotape as the Commander of the Space Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station. According to Colonel Halsell, the mission was suc-cessful, in large measure, due to the linguistic assistance of the German as-tronaut Thomas Reiter who helped translate between the Americans and the Russians.
With the help of Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and Secretary of Com-merce Greg Canfield, the Partnership also celebrated seventeen new and expanding German businesses which have announced investments in Alabama in excess of $858 million.
The Partnership was also able to celebrate the achievement of Adam Martin, the recip-ient of the Barbara Fischer Education Award for his contributions to the improvement of German Education. Adam is a stellar teach-er of the German language and German culture at Auburn High School who has been instrumental in expanding and im-proving German language programs across Alabama.
Perhaps the highlight of the Celebration was awarding the Partnership's highest honor -- the Rainer Bauer Award --- to Mr. Billy Jo Camp. As many of you know, Mr. Camp was the ADO director who spearheaded Ala-bama's recruitment of Mercedes. Special thanks to Ms. Linda Sewell and to Mr. An-dreas Renschler for sharing their personal memories of Billy Jo's achievements. Also, special thanks to Mr. Rainer Bauer who trav-elled to Huntsville from Germany to present this prestigious award.
The morning after the Celebration, over 50 people attended the AGP Business Forum. The lineup of speakers for the Business Forum was phenomenal. First, Consul General Christoph Sander provided insights into European-American trade issues and negotiations. Next, the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Air and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Major General Collyar, discussed his personal experiences as a commander long-stationed in Germany, and the positive economic effect of Redstone Arsenal on North Alabama.
Participants in the Business Forum also heard from Holly McClain, who de-scribed the human genome research being performed at the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville. AGP Board Member, Dr. John Horack, also provided insights about opportunities for Alabama and Germany to collaborate in Space.
Later, AGP Board Member, Dr. Wolfgang Kneer, joined Dr. Horack in a lively discussion about the ways in which aerospace and automotive can learn from each other. Finally, the attendees were treated to a special presenta-tion by AGP Board member, Dr. Al Reisz, who described his personal experi-ences as an engineer critically involved in the development of the Saturn V Rocket, which carried the astronauts to the Moon.
Indeed, both the Celebration and the Business Forum were incredibly suc-cessful events in showcasing the history and achievements resulting from cooperative efforts of Germany and Alabama, as well as the opportunities which still lie ahead. The success of the Celebration and the Business Forum, themselves, are the product of our sponsors', volunteers, and members' con-tinued and generous support.
I would like to thank our sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor
Burr and Forman LLP
Platinum Sponsor
Maynard, Cooper and Gale PC
Gold Sponsors
Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose LLP Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Tuscaloosa County IDA
Silver Sponsor
Lufthansa
Bronze Sponsors
Alabama Power Birmingham Business Alliance BLG Logistics CARCAM Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County City of Auburn Johnson Controls PowerSouth Roedl Warren Averett LLC Southeast Alabama Gas District St. Clair County EDC
Student and Volunteer Sponsor
Alagasco
Reception Sponsors
Alabama State Port Authority Automation Personal Services Inc. Cornerstone Recruitment Group Jamison Money Farmer PC The University of Alabama/German Dept.
Business Forum Sponsors
Alabama International Trade Center Regions
I also extend my special thanks to our volunteers, including Celebration Co-Chairmen and AGP Board Members, Mr. Ethan Hadley, Mr. Clark Pendergrass and Mr. John Horack. Mr. Horack also did "double-duty," ably performing as our Master of Ceremonies. I also want to thank our Chair of the AGP Business Forum, Ms. Wendi Boyen. Last, but certainly not least, we are all extremely grateful for the outstanding work of AGP's new Executive Director, Ms. Tine Hoffmeister.
German Word of Month
SCHLAFMÜTZE
If you know a bit of German, you may get the wrong idea
about the meaning of Schlafmütze — which, translated literally, is a
sleeping cap.
When not used in reference to someone's choice of headwear,
the term means a person who's doing something just a bit too slow for your taste or
who's even a bit absent-minded. Perhaps the person
in front of you at a stoplight is stalling when it's time to go,
or your birthday completely slipped a friend's mind.
AlabamaGermany Partnership Executive Committee
AGP Chairman
Bryan Winter Lewis, Smyth & Winter, PC
Vice Chair/Chair Elect
Mark Sheppard Alabama State Port Authority
VP, Business Development
Brian Hilson Birmingham Business Alliance
VP, Culture
Dr. Thomas Fox University of Alabama
VP, Education
Dr. Anne-Katrin Gramberg Auburn University
VP, Communications
Warren McCullars Alagasco
Secretary
Judy Benson Johnson Controls
Treasurer
Jim Robertson Rödl Warren Averett LLC
Immediate Past Chair
Arndt Siepmann City of Auburn
AGP Affiliates
Consulate General of the Federal
Republic of Germany Atlanta
Christoph Sander
Marquis Two Tower, Suite 901
285 Peachtree Center Avenue, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia, 30303-1221
Phone: (404) 659 4760
www.germany.info/atlanta
Honorary Consul of the
Federal Republic of Germany
for the State of Alabama
Michael Johnson
Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose LLP
Phone: (205) 458.9421
German American Chamber
of Commerce of
the Southern United States, Inc.
Martina Stegmeier
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 586-6800
www.gaccsouth.com/en
German Quote
Unsere beiden größten Probleme sind die Schwerkraft
und Papier arbeiten. Wir können
die Schwerkraft zu lecken, aber manchmal die Schreibar
beit ist überwältigend.
Our two greatest problems are gravity and paperwork.
We can lick gravity, but sometimes the
paperwork is overwhelming.
— Werner von Braun
German Mittlestand Southern SME Forum
This business-specific event offers a platform to exchange ideas while building relationships with new business partners and offers the opportunity to gain insights on innovative business practices, in order to successfully strengthen your presence within the U.S. market.
To be held at Nashville's Hutton Hotel April 22, 2013, the all-day business conference will feature a breakfast seminar featuring
Martin Richenhagen, Chair-man, President & CEO of AGCO Corp. as keynote speaker
informative workshops,
panel discussions, and
numerous networking oppor-tunities.
Alongside the German Mittelstand - Southern SME Forum, we will al-so elect the 2013 GACC South Board of Directors as part of our Annual General Meeting.
For info: http://www.gaccsouth.com/events/special-events/southern-sme-forum
MEMBER NEWS
Claudia Zimmermann leaving Mobile Chamber to join Alabama Power Reprinted from al.com
The Mobile Area Chamber of Com-merce is looking for a new director of economic development. Claudia Zim-mermann said she will be leaving the position to join Alabama Power, effec-tive April 1.
Zimmermann, who has worked as the chamber's director of economic devel-opment since September 2010, will now represent Mobile County for Ala-bama Power as senior project manager of economic development.
"I'm very excited to join Alabama Power's economic and community development team," she said of her move. "It's the best of both worlds for me - I get to work with a really strong state-wide ED group and continue to support the Mobile Area Chamber and oth-er Alabama communities with growing their economies."
Zimmermann joined the chamber in 2004 and worked as a recruiter before leaving in March 2009 for a brief stint as director of European business development for the Alabama Department of Commerce. She returned to the chamber in September 2010 as the second-in-command of economic development.
Zimmermann largely oversaw the recruiting of new companies to the Mobile area and served as the local lead project manager for both the ThyssenKrupp and Airbus projects.
Troy Wayman, the chamber's vice president of economic develop-ment, said they hate to see her go, as she's been a true asset to the organization and the community.
"Alabama Power has what I believe to be one of the strongest eco-nomic development groups in the state; from an economic develop-ment standpoint, it is a plum job," Wayman said of Zimmermann's move. "It is a great opportunity for her and we're proud of her for the work that's she's down, and proud that they recognize her talents."
Wayman said the chamber is looking for Zimmermann's replacement.
Annual Dinner Pictures
We are having technical issues getting pictures loaded to our
website but we hope to have the issue fixed by the end of this week.
In the meantime, you can find them on Facebook here.
Dates To Remember
April 19 AGP Board Meeting,
Montgomery
April 22-24 German Mittlestand, Southern SME Forum
Brandenburger Tor Project
New AGP member Catherine Stella Schmidt is a German academic and scholar who is con-ducting research on German POWs in U.S. Army camps during World War II.
If you have publicly available histor-ical documents, photos, etc. you can share with her, e-mail her at [email protected].
NEWS
AGP Member Spotlight: Billy Jo Camp
BILLY JOE CAMP is a native of Cullman County, Alabama where he grew up on a small farm. Billy Joe received degrees in Business Ad-ministration and Political Science from the University of North Alabama, and served in the U.S. Army for nine years before starting a career in politics.
In 1971 he was appointed to the Alabama Governor's cabinet and eventually held posts, including Press Secretary, Executive Secretary, Legislative Liaison, Director of Foreign Trade and Director of the Alabama Development Office, in two administrations in Mont-gomery. Camp has also served as Secretary of State of Alabama and President of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), both statewide elected offices. Camp is widely credited with bringing the Mercedes-Benz M-Class assembly plant to Tuscaloosa.
After leaving state government, B.J. (as he's known) worked with the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama as director of that organization's successful recruitment arm and now heads World Busi-ness Advisors, LLC, which is headquartered in Birmingham. He works with companies and organizations literally throughout the world to meet business challenges, including location decisions.
Billy Joe have been an AGP member since the very start in 1998. "I think AGP is very good to keep Alabama and Germany working in close step together" Billy Joe says. "I grew up in Cullman County which has always been blessed with many great citizens with great German heritage."
CONSULAR’S CORNER
A Note from Honorary Consul of Germany By Michael Johnson
Congratulations and herzlichen Dank to AGP Director Tine Hoffmeis-ter, Chairman Bryan Winter and Master of Ceremonies Dr. John Horack for their contributions to the successful AGP Annual Dinner. Thanks to the AGP Board of Directors, members, sponsors and distin-guished guests for making the evening so memorable.
My sincere congratulations to Billy Joe Camp upon being selected as the 2013 recipient of the Rainer Bauer Award. I cannot imagine any-one more deserving, because without his dynamic role in leading the Alabama team during the now famous Mercedes-Benz recruit-ment project, the AGP would likely have never come to exist. Not on-ly were his personal relationships and bonds with the Mercedes team indispensable for that historic and successful project, he has never failed to actively promote the ties between Alabama and Germany. The economic, industrial and cultural landscape of Alabama has been indelibly and beneficially altered by Mr. Camp's leadership, and for that we owe him thanks. With his typical modesty, Billy Joe down-played his role and pointed to the team effort, while praising the criti-cal contributions of Governor Jim Folsom, current AGP Board Mem-ber Glen Pringle and former Alabama Power CEO Elmer Harris.
Another milestone in the ongoing relationship be-tween Alabama and Germany is the Airbus groundbreaking ceremony set for April 8 in Mobile. The Airbus FAL project for the A320 aircraft family augurs a strong future for the aerospace industry in Alabama and the surround states, bringing increased additional capital investment, technology, innovation and worker training skills with the project. Among the visiting dignitaries likely to be present be at the groundbreaking event will be Thomas Enders, CEO for Airbus parent EADS; Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO, Airbus; and Alan McArtor, Chairman, Airbus Americas, among others.
I hope that with Airbus' FAL project in Mobile and Mercedes-Benz's ongoing expansion in Vance, along with other significant foreign di-rect investment, state and local school officials will give strong consid-eration to more substantial investment in foreign language education and training. Other states in our region, including Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia, have established immersion programs at the elementary and secondary levels. To date, Alabama has not estab-lished a single immersion school, and most students generally do not begin foreign language education until relatively late.
Last month, the German Consulate General in Atlanta and the German American Cultural Foundation presented a $20,000 grant to jumpstart Georgia’s first German dual-immersion program. A Span-ish-language dual immersion initiative began in that state in 2012.
Consul General Christoph Sander spoke at the presentation ceremo-ny, saying, "The Germangovernment is proud to support the kick-off for the German dual-immersion program," he said. "We are looking forward to supporting the teachers and students who will become part of this excellent initiative in the coming years." The program will use the 50/50 model throughout elementary school, in which stu-dents spend half of the school day in the German language and the other half-day in English, achieving high proficiency in both the native and target languages. The German dual-immersion program will start with a kindergarten class for the 2013-2014 school year.
Bilingualism has been proven to increase cognitive skills and student achievement. The advanced linguistic skills and cultural proficiencies will create competitive advantages for the students in an increasingly global marketplace. In recognition of these extraordinary benefits, State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge has set the goal of ex-panding the Georgia Dual-Immersion Program to twenty dual-immersion schools by the year 2020.
http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/__pr/GKs/ATLA/2013/02/26__Immersion__PR.html
As Alabama and our neighbors continue to benefit from investment flowing from Germany into our region, bringing new technologies and job creation, the issue of qualified workers and skills becomes ever more important. The German system of vocational education and training program is recognized worldwide for its successful results.
An estimated 3,500 German companies are present in the U.S., and have invested approximately US$216 billion to date (8.6% of the total US$2.5 trillion in foreign direct investment in the US). In response to German investor companies having identified job skills as a key challenge to being successful in the U.S., the German Embassy has undertaken its "Skills Initiative" to identify and share information about best practices in sustainable workforce development. For more information, visit www.Germany.info/skillsinitiative.