ThyssenKrupp meets community

Job-seekers and potential suppliers are steered to the company's web site, www.thyssenkruppnewusplant.com

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Degussa plans $10M plant

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Steel deal helps put fresh face on state

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German companies are at home in Alabama

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Strategy, teamwork paid off for Alabama   

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ThyssenKrupp Picks Alabama For Steel Plant 

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EU Ambassador Visits Alabama  

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AlabamaGermany Partnership Annual Dinner & Business Forum: Great Successes

Birmingham, AL – March 20, 2007 – World Business Advisors, LLC Principal, Michael H. Johnson, presented “Fußball & die FIFA Weltmeisterschaft Deutschland 2006:  Germany Scores Off Pitch as the 2006 World Cup Host” at the AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) Eighth Annual Dinner held at the Carraway Davie House and Conference Center on Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 5:30 p.m.  

Johnson, an attorney who speaks six foreign languages including German, is an economic development consultant with clients from both the public and private sectors, including the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export of Québec, the Geneva-based United Nations Conference on Trade & Development , Tennessee Valley Authority and numerous private companies.  He has also worked since 1998 for the Zurich , Switzerland-based Féderation International de Football Association (FIFA).  His work includes, the 1998 World Cup in France, the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia, the 2001 Confederations Cup in Korea & Japan, the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea & Japan, the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup USA, 2005 Confederations Cup Germany, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.  He will again work for FIFA in the upcoming U-20 World Cup in Canada in summer 2007. 

By hosting the 2006 World Cup, Germany had the opportunity to change world views, display their hospitality and demonstrate a changed nation.  Johnson shared an insider’s point of view on whether these opportunities were realized.  

The sponsors of this year’s AGP Annual Dinner included VIP sponsor Lufthansa German Airlines who presented two round trip tickets to Germany as a grand door prize.  Silver sponsors included Alabama Power Company, Bradley Arant Rose & White LLP, and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International.  Alagasco, Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board and Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce were Bronze sponsors.  The sponsor of the German Ladies' Inaugural Meeting was Rödl and Partner.

 Distinguished guests from across the state and the southeast attended, including the Honorable Hans-Jörg Brunner, Consul General for the Federal Republik of Germany Consul Atlanta office.  The 2007 Rainer Bauer Award was presented to Mr. Bill Taylor, President and CEO of MBUSI, an individual who has shown outstanding accomplishments, service and loyalty to Alabama and Germany.  Dr. Clara Gerhardt was also recognized for contributions made in the area of education and culture.  Three new German companies, VST-Keller, WKW Erbsloeh, and Aluminum Technology Schmid, were recognized for their presence in Alabama; three other German businesses, MBUSI, Hoerbiger, and Borgers, were recognized for the expansions of their pre-existing Alabama locations.

 A silent auction was also held at the dinner.  Items donated included a man's and woman's watch from Mercedes-Benz US International, an Auburn University Cutter & Buck windbreaker from the Auburn Industrial Development Board, a two nights' hotel stay and golf package from the City of Opelika Economic Development Department, eight Wine Flight & Cheese Plate cards from Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and a 30"x40" original painting by Czech artist Gabriela Pomplova.  Other items included a planter by Alabama artist JoAnne Holloway from an anonymous donor and crystal from Bromberg's.

                         The AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) held its Eighth Annual Business Forum on Friday, March 16, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. with a full buffet breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Birmingham Hilton Perimeter Park.  The forum offered participants the opportunity to hear a diverse group of presenters covering topics such as the automobile industry, culture relations, and preparing employees through higher education.  Hajo Drees, European Director of the Alabama Development Office facilitated the forum.

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International presented “Intercultural Relationships”; VST Keller’s Executive Vice President Philip Read presented “Establishment of a New German Business in Alabama”; Solutience President Richard Fowler spoke on “Operating a German Company in the U.S.”; and Samford University Dean of Business Beck Taylor discussed “How To Prepare Your Executive Workforce in Alabama and America with an MBA from Samford”.  Also, the inaugural meeting of the German Ladies Organization was held, and the ladies visited the Birmingham Museum of Art with a guided tour in German by museum docent Dr. Clara Gerhardt.

AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) was founded in 1998 to develop and support relationships and friendships between organizations and individuals in Alabama and Germany.  AGP has over 120 members including corporations, organizations and individuals from across the state.

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2006 Year-End Statistics on Alabama - Interesting Trends in Exporting

The 2006 year-end state export statistics show some interesting trends:

·         AL exported more to Germany than Mexico & Canada combined ($3.6 Billion, a 120% increase)

·         Exports to Germany now account for 26% of all AL exports.

·         Passenger vehicles and vehicle parts now account for over 35% of Alabama ’s exports.

·         AL had the 4th fastest export growth rate in the US (28.6%), which is almost 14% above the US average.

Get the full report at www.aitc.ua.edu

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Samford University Leads Students to Germany

Samford works with the Sprachinstitut Treffpunkt in Bamberg, Germany (http://www.learn-german.com/). After researching a number of different language schools and locations, Samford chose this one because of its location and the quality of instruction. Bamberg is a city of only 65,000 in northern Bavaria. As such, it provides a greater level of language immersion than larger metropolises, because fewer people speak English. Located in one of the most beautiful parts of Germany, Bamberg is a 1000-year old Bishop's seat, and has been named a UNESCO world heritage site.  Professor Angela Ferguson will be accompanying students to Bamberg from May 31-July 6, 2007.

Students will participate in 4 weeks of intensive language courses (from 9:30 - 12:30 daily) and a number of cultural excursions. The final week will be spent hiking in the Swiss Alps near Interlaken. The price includes 8 hours of Samford tuition, Treffpunkt tuition, 1 meal per day, all lodging and books, local travel in Bamberg and rail travel in Germany and Switzerland. Interested AGP members could come over for any portion of the time, or could attend the school at any point. Courses begin every Monday, the courses for absolute beginners (no prior knowledge of German) begin every two weeks. The schedule is available on the website, as well as cost for the courses and different types of housing arrangements.

The second trip Prof. Ferguson will be leading is in Berlin, Germany. She will teach a course on the history and culture of Berlin from July 9 - August 10, 2007.  If members are interested in language study in Berlin, Professor Ferguson most highly recommend the Goethe Institut (http://www.goethe.de/ins/de/ort/ber/kur/enindex.htm), but there are a number of other excellent schools in the city as well. Also, Samford has worked with previously is The German Language School (GLS: http://www.german-courses.com/13_ALL.html).

If AGP members are interested, travel arrangements and contacts with the schools in question can be made. Participants would not pay Samford tuition, unless they specifically needed U.S. college credit.  Please contact Angela Ferguson for further information.

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95th Birthday Celebration Held in Honor of Wernher von Braun

A party celebrating the 95th birthday party of German Rocket Scientist Wernher von Braun was held at Luciano's Restaurant in Huntsville, AL (964 Airport Road) on March 24, 2007. 

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Germany Wins Foreign-Language Oscar for "The Lives of Others"

From http://www.germany.info/relaunch/culture/new/cul_LDA_Oscar_2.2007.html

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck was elated when on Sunday night Clive Owen and Cate Blanchett announced “…and the Oscar goes to: Germany.” It is a tremendous success for the film’s 33-year-old writer-director, whose first feature film took him straight to the Oscars. The film, which has been hugely successful in Germany as well, winning seven German Film Awards (Lolas) and 3 European Film Awards, has received enthusiastic reviews since it came to US theaters earlier this month.

"I thank Germany and Bavaria for making this film possible," said an emotional von Donnersmarck after making his way to the podium.

"I was overjoyed when the announcement came and I saw Florian jump out of his seat," said Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, who attended the ceremony in the Kodak Theater and spent time with the German director there. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be at the Academy Awards and witness such a major event in the film industry, in Hollywood, but also to be there in person when a German film won the Oscar was very satisfying. He did a remarkable job of telling an intricate, compelling story and conveying an atmosphere full of tension."

"Lives" is the third German film to win the foreign-language film Oscar. "Nowhere in Africa" took home the prize in 2002, and "The Tin Drum" won in 1979.

Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed congratulations for the filmmaker and for the actors. The film was an outstanding directorial debut that moved audiences and won over Hollywood with its quality, Merkel said through a spokesman. In a year with especially strong competition, it stood out, even as a "low-budget" film.

Gripping Thriller

Set in 1984, “The Lives of Others” takes place in the Eastern part of a then divided Germany. Five years before its downfall, the East German government is ensuring its claim to power with a ruthless system of control and surveillance. Party-loyalist Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muehe) hopes the assignment of collecting evidence against the playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his girlfriend, celebrated actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck), will boost his career. After all, the “operation” is backed by the highest political circles.

What Wiesler doesn’t anticipate, however, is that immersing himself in his targets' world will also change the surveillance agent. The immersion in “The Lives of Others” – in love, literature, free thinking and speech – makes Wiesler acutely aware of the meagerness of his own existence and opens to him a completely new way of life, which he has ever more trouble resisting. But the system, once started, cannot be stopped. A dangerous game has begun. An intensely gripping thriller and moving love story, "Lives" features some of Germany’s most celebrated actors.

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Happy Anniversary to Mercedes Plant

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the first vehicle to roll off the production line at Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Vance. At the Mercedes plant they call that vehicle “Job 1."

Good for Mercedes, which has -- despite predictions from early detractors -- not only survived, but also flourished in Alabama.

As the years go by, it’s getting harder to remember when Mercedes wasn’t part of Tuscaloosa’s business vernacular, but Mercedes’ decision to build its first plant outside Germany spawned statewide economic growth that continues to this day.

Since then, Mercedes has expanded from producing the M-Class to also producing the R-Class and GL-Class. Last year 4,000 employees built 173,600 vehicles.

Hyundai, Honda and countless suppliers have followed in Mercedes’ footsteps by choosing Alabama for operations.

When it opened, Mercedes announced that it would invest $300 million to build a facility in Alabama, but that figure has reached more than $1 billion. The company also said it planned to employ 1,500 by the end of the decade, a goal it has easily surpassed. A $600 million expansion that doubled the size of the plant was completed in late 2004.

(from http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20070214/NEWS/702140332/1012/NEWS06)

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H1 Deadline 2007

(from http://www.gaccsouth.com/373.html?&L=1)

I have received many questions from German companies and German trainees and students about how they can stay and work in the U.S. There is a very important deadline they should think about - April 1, 2007. This is the date they should try to file papers with Immigration for an H-1B visa which would allow the trainees and students to stay and work in the U.S. for up to 6 years.  

If Germany companies want to keep someone who is in their company as a trainee or as a student they should do the following as soon as possible:

 

  • Decide if they really want to hire the trainee/student permanently.  The job can be either full or part time. 
  • Decide what title the person would have.  Since this visa is for professional people the title should be a professional one. 
  • Decide whether the job is full or part time.
  • Decide the salary
  • Decide how much of the visa application fees and expenses they are willing to pay.  Under Immigration law, the employer is required to pay either $750 or $1,500 to Immigration as a filing fee.  Which amount depends if they 25 employees or more.  Who pays all other fees and expenses are negotiable between the trainee/student and the company
     

If the trainee/student wishes to stay in the U.S. after their trainee/student visa expire they should the following as soon as possible:

  • Check their passports to make sure they won’t expire within the next 6 – 9 months.  If so, they should get new ones.
  • If they are on J-1a trainee visa, make sure they are not required to return to their home country for 2 years.  They can see that in their visa stamp.
  • If they graduated from a university in Germany get a copy of their diploma and transcript.  If they are in German get them translated into English.  If the trainee/student graduated from both a German and US university they usually don’t need their German diploma and transcript and won’t have to get an evaluation as discussed below.
  • Have their transcripts and diploma reviewed and get an opinion letter that their diploma in Germany is the equivalent of a diploma from a U.S. college.  We use The Trustforte Corporation for this service.  Trustforte can provide a certified translation and an academic evaluation of your educational background. Trustforte can be reached by e-mail at info@trustfortecorp.com or fax at (212) 481-4971.
  • Find a company to sponsor them for an H-1B visa.
  • Agree on the title, whether it is a part-time or full-time position, salary and who will pay the costs and expenses of the visa application.
  • Contact an experienced immigration or the company’s lawyer as soon as possible to start the visa application.
     

If everything goes well with getting the visa, they should have their H-1B visa and start working on October 1, 2007.  If they wait too long there will not be any H-1B visas until October 2008.

 

To qualify the German student or trainee must have at least a 4 year degree from a US college or equivalent German school and be offered a professional position which normally requires such a degree.

 

If for some reason an H-1B visa is not possible in time, the only other normal alternative to H-1b visa would be an E visa.  There is no deadline for E visa so if the company can't decide to sponsor for an H-1B visa in time this is an alternative.  However, it is more limited.

 

  • First, the sponsor can only be a company which is majority owned by German people who do not have a "green card".
  • Second, the job must be a management position. 

 

A common problem is that an OPT card or J-1 visa documents will expire before October 1, 2007, which is when the H-1b visa will start.  There are ways to allow the person to remain in the U.S., but whether they can work or if they will have to leave the U.S. to get their visa stamp before working in October depends on their situation.  They should discuss this with an experienced immigration attorney. 

 

submitted by Jim Nolan, jnolan@jnolanlaw.com

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Vance Plant Overachieves

 Mercedes-Benz produced 173,600 vehicles at its Alabama plant during 2006, surpassing its own expectations in the first year the Vance facility turned out three different models.  A $600 million expansion that doubled the size of the plant was completed in late 2004, and officials estimated annual production would be 160,000 vehicles.  In addition to the M-Class SUV, the plant began producing the R-Class crossover vehicle in 2005 and the full-sized GL-Class SUV in 2006.  Mercedes-Benz has 4,000 employees at its Vance plant, which covers more than 3 million square feet. The automaker began production of the M-Class there in 1997.     by Dawn Kent

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 “Enjoy Lufthansa’s business class “PrivateBed” seats departing daily from Atlanta’s Hartsfield airport.”

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April 27, 2006

Lufthansa is proud to announce new codeshare flights together with our Star Alliance partner US Airways

from Huntsville and Birmingham to Charlotte on to Germany.

Thank you very much for your continuous support of Lufthansa!

Please find below the detailed information on times and flight numbers.

 

US Airways codeshare out of Birmingham:

Departure       Arrival Flight no.

BHM     12.30 to CLT    14.46   LH 1419

CLT     16.30 to FRA    7.00    LH 1417

CLT     16.15 to MUC    8.00    LH 429

US Airways codeshare to Birmingham:

FRA     11.45 to CLT    15.15   LH 1416

MUC     11.30 to CLT    15.15   LH 428

CLT     17.35 to BHM    17.65   LH 1404

US Airways codeshare out of Huntsville:

HSV     12.12 to CLT    14.24   LH 1407

CLT     16.30 to FRA    7.00    LH 1417

CLT     16.15 to MUC    8.00    LH 425

US Airways codeshare to Huntsville:

MUC     11.30 to CLT    15.15   LH 428

FRA     11.45 to CLT    15.15   LH 1416

CLT     17.45 to HSV    18.05   LH 1432

 

Warren Hicks, TVA, receives the two round trip airline tickets to Germany

from Lufthansa German Airline Key Account Manager March Koesling at the 2006 AGP Annual Dinner, March 16, 2006.

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Lufthansa Facts and Figures

Lufthansa’s North American gateways include: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston,

Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC.

On January 15, 2003, Lufthansa launched the world’s first trans-Atlantic flying Internet

on its Washington, D.C.-Frankfurt route with the installation of Boeing’s Connexion broadband Internet access.

In June, 2002, Lufthansa launched the first-ever all-business class nonstop service from Newark to Duesseldorf,

and has since expanded it from Newark to Munich and Chicago to Duesseldorf.

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Mercedes-Benz suppliers gear up to accommodate expansion                                                                    

                                                                                                                The Birmingham Business Journal – May 5, 2005


Global automotive supplier Brose has opened a $25 million, 75,000-square-foot plant in Tuscaloosa County. Brose Tuscaloosa Inc. will supply door systems for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. in nearby Vance, Ala.
"Our partnership with MBUSI is another chapter in the long-standing, global relationship that Brose has experienced with Mercedes-Benz over the last 75 years," said Kurt Sauernheimer, executive vice president of the Brose Group, in a written statement.
The company expects to employ 90 people at the Vance facility by the end of this year. Brose estimates that by the end of 2006 the facility will be capable of producing up to 720,000 door systems per year.
Mercedes' parent company, DaimlerChrysler, recognized Brose in January with the 2004 Global Supplier Award in the "exteriors" category. Nine out of 500 suppliers worldwide were recognized for their outstanding performance in quality, system cost, technology and supply.
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2005/05/02/daily25.html?t=printable

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