Dankeschön to our PATRON Members:
|
What to do in Alabama
|
June 1-2
Cullman
June 8-9
Tuscumbia
June 9
Huntsville
June 16
Tuscumbia
Please note that the dates are shared to the best of our knowledge. If you plan to attend any of the events - please make sure to check information directly with the host of the event. Thank you!
|
Save the Dates
|
June 6, 13, 20, 27
Tuscaloosa
June 7, 14, 21, 28
Birmingham
Birmingham
June 11, 18, 25
Birmingham
June 3
Tuscaloosa
June 6
AGP Board Meeting
Birmingham
June 17
FIFA World Cup
Germany vs Mexico
June 17-22
Germany
June 22
Stuttgart, Germany
June 23
FIFA World Cup
Germany vs Sweden
June 27
FIFA World Cup
Germany vs South Korea
Please note that the dates are shared to the best of our knowledge. If you plan to attend any of the events - please make sure to check information directly with the host of the event. Thank you!
|
AGP's New Members
|
Corporate - Regular Level
Cheryl Goodman
Controller
|
Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members:
|
Events & Seminars Offered by AGP Members
|
June GACC South Events GACC South
June
NAITA
June
ATN
June
AAMA
Are you a corporate AGP member in good standing that would like to share an event or seminar hosted by your company?
Please e-mail us a link to the event.
|
AGP
Executive Committee
|
Chair
Dr. Anna Gramberg
Auburn University
Vice Chair/Chair Elect
Brian Hilson
Birmingham Business Alliance
VP Education
Dr. Wolfgang Kneer
SWJ-BREILMANN U.S. LLC
VP Business Development
Jo Bonner
The University of Alabama System
VP German Business
Albert von Pelser
REHAU Automotive, LLC
VP Communication
Devin Dolive
Burr & Forman LLP
VP Culture
Dr. Thomas Fox
University of Alabama
VP Membership
Kirk Atkinson
Adah International, Inc.
Secretary
Bobby Ingram
JamisonMoneyFarmer
Treasurer
Arnold Servo
Rödl & Partner
Immediate Past Chair
Bryan Winter
Winter McFarland, LLC
|
AGP Resources
|
Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
Detlev Ruenger
Marquis Two Tower
Suite 901
285 Peachtree Ctr Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 934-5474
Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany
for the
State of Alabama
Michael Johnson
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Phone: (205) 250-8335
German American Chamber of Commerce of the
Southern
United States
Stefanie Jehlitschka
1170 Howell Mill Road
Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 586-6800
|
Contact Us
|
Executive Director
Tine Hoffmeister
Office
205-943-4772
director@alabamagermany.org
|
Join Our List
|
|
|
|
Those involved offer behind-the-scenes look at how Mercedes came to Alabama
|
|
By Alabama Newscenter
Photo by Tine Hoffmeister
Michael Tomberlin with Alabama NewsCenter reported on an event at "Starfest 2018" for the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. As part of the program, a panel of those involved offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the Mercedes-Benz plant came to Alabama.
|
Evonik Appoints Bonnie Tully CFO in North America |
|
Press Release by Evonik (AGP Member)
As part of a series of personnel moves, Ms. Bonnie Tully, currently head of Site Service at Evonik's Mobile, Ala., facility, will become Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Evonik Corporation based in Parsippany, N.J. She replaces current CFO Burkhard Zoller, who will become the head of region development, North America for Evonik.
Bonnie Tully joined Evonik in 1993 and has held a variety of assignments in the U.S. and Singapore before taking the role as head of Site Services in Mobile in 2011.
The new head of Site Services in Mobile will be Mr. Kel Boisvert, who is currently site manager at Evonik's Birmingham Laboratories in Birmingham, Ala. Kel Boisvert started with Evonik predecessor company, Degussa, in 1998 and held a series of national and International positions within the company, including three years in Mobile as QUAB site supervisor starting in 2007. He has been site manager in Birmingham since 2014.
All personnel moves are effective June 1, 2018.
Evonik employs more than 1,000 people in Alabama between Birmingham Labs and its Mobile production site, which is also its largest in North America. Birmingham Labs serves as the company's hub for parenteral drug delivery and associated partner drug production and custom manufacturing.
Evonik has more than 33 production sites and over 5,000 employees in North America.
For additional information about Evonik in North America, please visit our website:
|
Auto supplier SMP expands US footprint at new Tuscaloosa plant
|
|
By Made in Alabama
Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP) marked the official opening of a 700,000-square-foot Alabama auto parts plant with optimism that hiring could surpass initial projections.
Though
SMP inaugurated the Tuscaloosa plant Friday afternoon, the facility already has a workforce of 320 people, months before actual production begins. The company said the factory could eventually employ more than 1,000.
The plant's focus will be on the production of door panels, bumpers, claddings, roof spoilers and running boards for
Mercedes Benz U.S. International, the automaker's assembly plant just a few miles away.
|
Three Mobile students visiting Germany for Airbus gala
|
|
By al.com
Al.com, in an article by Lawrence Specker, reported that three students from Mobile's Palmer Pillans Middle School travelled to Germany as part of a mentoring program, the Airbus Flying Challenge.
|
New German Restaurant in Birmingham
|
|
A new biergarten, named
Brät Brot, has opened in Southside. Its menu consists of German staples such as bratwurst, schnitzel, and pretzels, as well as authentic German beers
.
|
Alabama Climbs Ranks Due to Automotive and Manufacturing Investment |
|
By Dale Buss
Dale Buss with Chief Executive reports that Alabama has climbed the ranks in terms of Best and Worst States for Business. Alabama now ranks 17, up from 24 three years ago.
|
Germany in the 2018 FIFA World Cup |
|
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner, and Germany has been picked as the overall favorite to win the tournament. Be sure to watch Germany play on the following dates:
vs. Mexico
17 June 2018
10:00 am
vs. Sweden
23 June 2018
1:00 pm
vs. South Korea
27 June 2018
9:00 am
|
Studying Abroad in Germany
|
|
By John Stephen Hutchinson, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Moin! I am John Stephen Hutchinson, a student of International Studies and German at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). I am expecting to graduate in 2019, and I am currently interning at AlabamaGermany Partnership.
Over the last Spring semester I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) in Lüneburg, Germany. Our USAC group consisted of around 45 students from various countries, although most were from the United States. Our classes were held at Lüneburg's university called Leuphana, whose founders transformed former WWII barracks into a place of higher education. While I was in Lüneburg I studied the German language at the advanced level as well as German and European politics.
Lüneburg, located in the German state of Lower-Saxony with a population of around 75,000 people, is a city of rich history. Lüneburg offers a special setting in Germany as a city relatively untouched by World War II, having retained many of its original medieval buildings and streets. Visitors to the city can enjoy its many landmarks, museums, and restaurants without having to encounter the heavy tourism that's associated with Germany's world-famous cities. Lüneburg is a city large enough to have plenty to do when you need some activity, but small enough that it's peaceful and quiet when you need a break. Furthermore, it's location in Lower-Saxony makes it easy to travel to other cities of interest. With the use of the Leuphana Semester Ticket I was issued, I was able to visit Bremen, Lübeck, Hamburg, Wolfsburg, and many more locations free of charge.
A student studying abroad must be prepared for the various cultural differences he or she will experience for an extended amount of time. Sometimes outsiders may perceive a foreign culture's habits as rude. For example, in northern Germany "small talk" with strangers is generally avoided. While Americans commonly greet others (including strangers) with "how are you doing?" the German equivalent "Wie geht's?" is reserved primarily for people one knows, as the term denotes actual interest in another's private life. For this reason I witnessed a few awkward moments in which my friends, in an effort to be friendly, asked total strangers, "Wie geht's?" only to be met with blank stares or visible confusion. Additionally, Germans tend to be more direct and are also not averse to asking questions on topics that Americans tend to avoid. For instance, whenever I held a conversation with a German, he or she often asked what I thought about the current political climate in the USA. These questions are never asked out of rudeness, however, but rather out of true curiosity. Other cultural differences were fun to discover. One amusing cultural difference that I personally experienced was a difference in tastes for snacks. While we Americans couldn't handle black licorice, our German friends found it hard to stomach beef jerky. We agreed, however, that we all liked Reese's Cups.
Those studying abroad gain cultural insight and experiences far beyond those that one can experience by merely traveling or vacationing abroad. To live in another culture is to properly experience the everyday lives of those living in a country other than one's own. From my own experience, some of the best memories I have from my time abroad weren't necessarily seeing the centuries-old landmarks or visiting museums full of priceless works of art (although these moments were great), but rather were being involved in the local community through cultural events or during holidays. During my time in Germany I experienced several German birthday parties (including my own), Gründonnerstag and Easter, field hockey matches, and several neighborhood gatherings. Being able to participate in a backyard cookout on a Spring afternoon offered a more authentic experience of everyday life in Germany than I could have received as a tourist.
Additionally, the value of studying abroad isn't only found in the fun that it brings, but also in the skills that one improves or gains during his or her time abroad. Studying a country's foreign language while living in that country is the most effective way to study a foreign language. In Germany I was able to constantly hear proper pronunciations and constantly practice my German. Furthermore, I learned new words at a faster rate due to continually hearing new words or needing to learn new ones in order to communicate. Words that I wouldn't have learned in the classroom suddenly became important, and ones that I had learned were now applicable. Learning German isn't only fun, but also beneficial for someone entering the job market, as employers find the ability to speak German an attractive skill.
To any student with any interest in the German language or culture, I highly recommend studying abroad. It's a great way to experience Germany in a way that one can't experience as a tourist, while also improving or gaining new skills. If you decide to study abroad, be prepared for challenges and cultural differences, but also be prepared to have some of the best experiences of your life. It's worth it!
|
|
|