July 2023

Mobile County Commission Approves $10 Million Agreement with Airbus

By Margaret Kates, AL.com

The Mobile County Commission unanimously approved an agreement with Airbus Americas for its new facility and final assembly line on Monday, bringing the total cash incentives from local governments to $20 million.

“This doesn’t happen every day,” Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson said after the meeting. “We see this opportunity before us for adding this third assembly line as adding another 1,000 jobs. That’s tremendous for this community. By 2029, we expect to have well over 2,000 people employed at Airbus.”

The agreement includes a $10 million cash incentive to the company for its expansion, which will bring Airbus’ total investment in the region to over $2 billion. The Mobile City Council approved a similar agreement last month.

Five million of the $20 million from both the county and the city will go toward workforce development programs for residents of Mobile County. Teckie Hinkebein, a spokesperson for Airbus, previously told the Lede that the funds would be used to scale up existing workforce training programs that Airbus has in partnership with Mobile County Public School System and the local colleges.

Read more at AL.com



Dankeschön to our PATRON Members:

Tesla Strikes in Germany

By Automobilwoche.de

Photo Credit: Photo: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS / Carina Johansen

Tesla uses German engineering know-how. Now the takeover of a German company has become known again.

Tesla has attacked again in Germany. The American electric car pioneer takes over the start-up Wiferion from Freiburg im Breisgau. It is not the first acquisition in this country. 

Wiferion develops inductive charging solutions for autonomous driverless transport systems, mobile robots and industrial trucks. Customers include ABB and Kuka. There is no official announcement about the takeover of Wiferion.

The publicly available list of documents states: "The shareholders intend to sell their shares in the company to Tesla International BV by means of a purchase agreement." A look at the commercial register shows that the company is already registered as "Tesla Engineering Germany".

One goal could be that Tesla wants to offer its customers wireless home chargers. At the last Tesla Investor Day, CEO Elon Musk made hints in this direction.

Tesla had already taken over the company Grohmann Engineering, today Tesla Automation, in Germany in 2017. In October 2020, the US manufacturer bought another German company, ATW from Rhineland-Palatinate.



Silver Shovel Award for 2022 economic development in Alabama

By Jerry Underwood for MadeinAlabama.com

Photo Credit: Made in Alabama

Governor Kay Ivey announced June 7 that Area Development, a national business publication, has selected Alabama for its Silver Shovel Award, recognizing the state’s economic development successes during 2022.

The honor reflects record results for Alabama’s economic development team, with companies announcing new facilities and expansion projects involving $10.1 billion in capital investment last year.

The inbound investment figure represents the highest annual total for the state, eclipsing the previous record of $8.1 billion set in 2018.

These 2022 projects will create over 13,000 jobs across Alabama and stimulate economic growth in both urban and rural areas of the state.

Read More at Made in Alabama

8th German-American Business Day in Frankfurt

By German American Chamber of Commerce

Frankfurt/Atlanta, June 16, 2023 - More than 250 companies interested in the U.S. market as well as representatives from politics and business met on June 15 at the premises of the Frankfurt am Main Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Frankfurt am Main) for the 8th German-American Business Day to discuss important issues of German-American economic cooperation.

The main focus was on market entry strategies and regulatory frameworks with regard to current U.S. industrial policy. However, new work concepts, legal specifics, automation trends as well as opportunities and risks in digital sales and marketing were also examined in workshops from a practical bilateral perspective. 

Prominent speakers such as Norman Thatcher Scharpf, U.S. Consul General in Frankfurt am Main, and representatives of foreign trade promotion and leading business associations kicked off the event by laying the macroeconomic and geostrategic foundation for the ensuing discussion among German companies on the current economic and investment environment.

The event was preceded by a moderated presentation by STIHL AG CEO Michael Traub, who addressed the company's establishment in the U.S. and then shared with participants his extensive U.S. experience on various key issues.

"Made in Germany" remains an important point, said Jan Heck, President & CEO of Miele USA, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German American Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, however, one could observe an increasing tendency to return to local value creation - "local for local"; "German Engineering: Yes, but 'Made in the USA'".

German-American relations have never been stronger and more important. As of 2022, German investment in the US amounts to roughly $637 billion, with over 5,600 German companies present in the US, and 885,100 jobs created by German companies in the US.

Read German American Chamber of Commerce's Press Release

Sister Cities Partnership Between Foley and Hennef, Germany

By Foley Sister Cities

The cities of Foley and Hennef, Germany, are working together in a Sister Cities Partnership,

according to the Foley’s Sister Cities Commission.

The Foley Sister Cities Delegation returns from their first trip to Hennef, Germany with high spirits and good feelings about their recent trip to investigate a Sister Cities Partnership. Foley delegates were received with warm greetings and special activities from their new friends in Hennef. This is the first people exchange as Foley begins to develop this sister cities partnership. Hennef will send its first delegation to Foley in October 2023. The first student exchange

will occur at the end of May 2024 when Foley High School students visit Hennef. The following October 2024, Hennef students will visit Foley. 

Why Hennef, Germany? Foley’s interest in developing a sister city partnership with Hennef, Germany is due to the similar characteristics: population, size, educational institutions, economic industries, many halls, playing fields and clubs for sports (especially soccer), and natural environmental settings. Both cities are rural yet urban and have close connections to surrounding communities with diverse shopping facilities. Foley citizens have personal and family connections to the city of Hennef. The greatest interest of this partnership is in creating educational and cultural exchanges.

The Foley delegates were treated to many wonderful events, including a special reception held at

Hennef’s new City Hall. Mayor Mario Dahm of Hennef welcomed its citizens and Foley guests addressing the issues that must be considered when developing this partnership, one of the greatest concerns the being the great distance.

Read Foley Sister Cities Full Press Release

Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members:

International Parliamentary Scholarship

American citizens under 30 with intermediate (B2+) German, an undergraduate degree, and an interest in international politics are invited to spend 5 months in Berlin experiencing and contributing to Germany's democratic system of governance while making new friends from 50 countries. The International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) of the German Bundestag makes it possible!

In addition to strengthening bilateral relations with participating countries, IPS conveys democratic values and tolerance in a pluralist society; deepens understanding for cultural diversity; and promotes peaceful coexistence in the world.

Apply for the 2024 program by July 31, 2023! See the Bundestag website for further details: https://lnkd.in/gMQ7_vP



St. John's Evangelical Reformation Tour

Join Reverend John Richter, Senior Pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church, Cullman, AL on a 12-day tour of Germany, in 2024.

As part of the church’s 150th anniversary celebration, we’ll have a special visit to Frankweiler, Cullman’s sister city. We’ll be going from Berlin down to Munich with many stops along the way to see and experience the sites of Martin Luther as well as many quintessential historical German sites. Born and raised in Cullman, Reverend John is a lifelong member of St. John’s. He has been on staff since 2003 and was formally called as Senior Pastor in 2014. John also serves on the Board of Directors for the Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches and is an adjunct professor of religion at Wallace State Community College. He is married to Tiffany, and they have two children, Vella and John Isaac.

Highlights: • Enjoy the highlights of Berlin on a panoramic tour • Attend a service at St. Mary’s Church where Luther preached in Wittenberg • Visit Luther’s home in Wittenberg where he lived with his family • Tour Eisleben, where Luther was born and also where he died • Stroll through Erfurt and visit the Augustinian Monastery • Enjoy free time to explore Erfurt at leisure • Explore Wartburg Castle where Luther translated the New Testament • Sail one of the prettiest sections of the Rhine River, past many castles • Celebrate with a meal and wine-tasting at a family-owned winery • Connect with residents of Frankweiler, Cullman’s twin city • Step back in time in medieval Rothenberg-ob-der-Tauber • Climb up to Neuschwanstein Castle for amazing Bavarian views • Marvel at the splendor of Linderhof Castle • Experience Munich with a guided tour, then leisure time • Conclude this fun tour with a Farewell Dinner in Ettal

Check Out The Tour Here.

Explore (and cool down) in the Caves in Alabama

By AL.com

Cathedral Caverns State Park - Photo Credit Alapark.com

You know what’s a cool place to visit, even during a record-setting heat wave? A cave. Alabama has a few to choose from.

Truth be told, Alabama has a lot of caves. Many are well-known to cavers but are on private property and aren’t open as public attractions. Some that once offered public access have changed hands and closed. Many require the ability and equipment to navigate vertical passages, meaning they’re inaccessible and/or dangerous to casual sightseers.

This list focuses on caves that are open and accessible to the public to some extent. Among those that are open for tours, highlights include average year-round temperatures in the neighborhood of 60 degrees.

Check out AL.com's list of caves to visit!



AGP Welcomes New Member

Please help us welcome our new members:

CORPORATE - ASSOCIATE

V. Alexander & Co., Inc.

Joshua Morris

Business Development

"Freight Driven, Customer Focused”

It’s quite fashionable to talk about moving cargo in high-minded terms, and many of those “supply chain” ideas are useful tools. However, when it comes to moving your cargo, none of those elevated theories mean much without a rock-solid foundation on the ground. People and technology working in concert to ensure that everything gets where it needs to go, every single time, no matter how complicated the circumstances. That’s just what V. Alexander has been doing every day since 1962. They have built a successful global logistics company on excellence, one transaction at a time. V. Alexander’s vision is to be the world’s most valued independent cargo dynamics provider. Being the most valued requires developing the most effective technology and systems, hiring and training the most qualified people, pioneering new solutions for the industry, and adding value to everything they do.

Learn more at: www.valexander.com

As an AGP member, you can connect with them through the

AGP membership database.



Join AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP)

AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) is an extremely active organization. Many of Alabama’s leading German and American companies are active participants in AGP. The organization facilitates:

• Networking Events
• Educational Outreach
• German Dinners
• Cultural Workshops
• Business Seminars
• Young Professionals Events
• Roundtables for German Company Leaders
• Study Trips to Germany

Join us today and be a part of our diverse group of industrial, corporate, cultural, educational, and governmental leaders. 

Stay Connected