New Year Greetings from Incoming AGP Chair | | |
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The Alabama Germany Partnership enjoyed a robust year of engaging and impactful activities in 2023, and with anticipation for another outstanding year in 2024 we would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!
AGP would not have achieved success – and could not have advanced our mission – without our membership and sponsors; please accept our heartfelt thanks for your steadfast and generous support, and for the time and effort you dedicate to making AGP an outstanding organization.
Of course, our success over the last two years would not have been possible with the leadership of immediate past chair Kirk Atkinson.
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Thank you, Kirk, for helping AGP navigate a busy year, while having quite a year of your own; congratulations on your new job and on the arrival of your second child!
While AGP did not add any children in 2023, we did receive news of a new family member – and were excited to welcome Miele as the latest German company to invest in Alabama.
2023 was a busy year for AGP:
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Celebrated our 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner (and our 1st golf tournament) in Prattville
- Enjoyed a well-timed Study trip in September with a focus on Biotechnology, apprenticeship & exchange programs, and the economic impact of sports, with stops in Frankfurt, Mainz, Ludwigshafen, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, and Hanau.
- Hosted Michael Link, member of the German Parliament and Federal Government Coordinator for Transatlantic Relations, and his Chief of Staff Fabrizio Micalizzi
- Welcomed Melanie Moltmann, German Consul General to the Southeast, on several occasions
- Feasted on German-style asparagus and goose dinners at the Grand Bohemian
- Facilitated international connections at the US-EU SME Workshop
- Engaged Young Professionals with meetings at Evonik, the Space & Rocket Center, Brose, and the Christkindlmarkt in Cullman
- MBUSI Battery Plant tour in Woodstock
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Webinar commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift
- Dozens upon dozens of "Stammtische" throughout the state
- And of course our German Business Committee met regularly to share round-table style advice and best practices and best practices
Exceeding last year will be a challenge, but 2024 holds great promise. Our incredible Executive Director Tine Hoffmeister, the Executive Committee, and the “most-engaged Board of Directors in the state” are designing a thoughtful and exciting calendar of events and activities. As a member-driven organization, we welcome your input, participation, and support; we rely on your guidance to ensure that AGP is well-represented throughout Alabama and the southeast.
It is my honor to serve as chair of the Alabama Germany Partnership, and with your help I look forward to continuing AGP’s efforts to foster collaborations between government and industry leaders to further support our growing economy, engage our educational institutions at all levels to support and sustain our workforce, and promote cultural experiences that will enrich the lives of our neighbors - both near and far.
Your first task for 2024, if you haven’t done so already, is to save the date: AGP’s annual celebration dinner is Wednesday, February 28th, at The Club in Birmingham. Tickets are available now; I’m thrilled to share that initial interest has been high, and our seats are selling faster than usual! We hope that you can join us for our key event of the year.
Ein glückliches Neues Jahr! Happy New Year!
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Michael Brooks
AGP Chair 2024
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AGP Welcomes New Board Members | |
The AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) extends a BIG thank you to Kirk Atkinson, President & CEO, BLG Logistics, that has served as the AGP Chair for the past two years (max. term). We thank him for his hard work and dedication to the organization. Kirk will continue as the immediate Past Chair on the Executive Committee. On the first of January, we welcomed the new Chair, Michael Brooks, Associate State Director, Alabama International Trade Center. We are looking forward to continue our mission under his leadership. | |
Two directors from the board has been appointed to serve as officers on the Executive Committee. The executive committee has rotated three existing EC directors into new positions and appointed two directors from the board to serve as officers on the Executive Committee. The new officers:
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In the addition, AGP welcomes nine new board members that has been appointed to serve on the Board of Officers.
We are delighted to welcome such a strong group of new board members who will bring diverse expertise and insight to our organization. We look forward to working with the new directors as we continue our mission “to develop and support relationships between organizations and individuals in Alabama and Germany.” Please help us welcome following new board members:
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Dankeschön to our PATRON Members: | |
JOIN US for AGP 26th Annual Celebration Dinner 2024 | |
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Please plan to join us for AGP's biggest event of the year that brings German and American leaders from industrial, cultural, educational and governmental sectors together to celebrate Alabama-Germany Friendship:
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Club
Birmingham
We celebrate 26 Years of dedication to the development of educational, cultural, and business relationships among individuals and organizations with ties to both Alabama and Germany.
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Thank you to everyone that has already committed to sponsorship of the event. We are truly thankful for your support and dedication to the organization. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. | |
AGP Webinar - Alabama Workforce | |
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Join us for a discussion of the state’s key challenges and opportunities in the workforce arena:
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Zoom Webinar
We will discuss some of Alabama’s nationally acclaimed solutions including Governor Ivey’s Success+ Plan, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and the newly launched Talent Triad. We will also cover the states workforce figures and what they mean including the labor force participation rate.
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Our presenter Josh Laney, first director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA). In this role, Mr. Laney partners with industries and education providers across Alabama to develop and expand registered apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning for youth and adults. Mr. Laney also leads the AOA’s support of Alabama’s workforce development infrastructure by promoting the use of credentials of value and connecting citizens to in-demand occupations. | |
Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members: | |
Appliance maker Miele selects Alabama for its first U.S. production hub | |
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Photo Credit: Miele
Mayor Gary Fuller and the Opelika City Council announced in early December that
Miele, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances, has selected
Opelika as the location for a U.S. manufacturing hub that will employ hundreds of workers.
“We are excited to announce the arrival of Miele to our vibrant community. We are
committed to fostering innovation, creating high-quality jobs and contributing to the
economic growth of our community,” Mayor Gary Fuller said.
“Together, we look forward to a future filled with shared success and lasting positive
impact"; he added.
Germany-based Miele is launching a long-term growth project in Opelika that ultimately will
create several hundred jobs and see the company build a major production facility serving
multiple business units as its U.S. business expands. "Miele is one the world’s most iconic brands, and we’re thrilled to have this great company select Alabama as the home for its first U.S. manufacturing facility,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “Miele is a wonderful addition to our state’s business community, and I look forward to the day when its new Opelika facility is turning out first-class ‘Made in USA’ appliances coming from Alabama.”
Initially, Miele plans to occupy an existing facility in Opelika to jump start production of
appliances, creating over 150 jobs by 2026. In Phase II of the growth project, Miele plans to
build a large facility that will serve as the company’s major U.S. production center, creating
an additional workforce by 2030.
“Overall, Opelika offers the best conditions for a successful start for our new plant, including
the long-term perspective for further expansion stages,” said Uwe Brunkhorst, Senior Vice
President Business Unit Cooking for Miele. “We would like to express our gratitude to the
city of Opelika and the State of Alabama for their outstanding support during this selection
process and we look forward to further cooperation.”
City of Opelika's Press Release
Made in Alabama Announcement
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Germany's Olaf Scholz New Year's Address | |
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Photo Credit: Markus Schreiber/AP/picture alliance
In his New Year's message, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the tough global landscape but expressed confidence that "Germany will get through it."
"So much suffering; so much bloodshed. Our world has become a more unsettled and harsher place. It's changing at an almost breathtaking speed," Scholz said, according to the text of his speech released by his office ahead of the broadcast on New Year's Eve. "The result is that we, too, are having to change. This is a worrying thing for many of us. In some, it is also causing discontent. I do take that to heart."
The German leader, however, struck an optimistic note and highlighted the obstacles the country successfully overcame in 2023, both domestically and internationally. "Our strength resides in our readiness to compromise – in the efforts we put in for one another," Scholz asserted.
'We held back economic downturn'
With inflation having sunk from an average of 7.9% in 2022 to 3.2% in November 2023, the lowest level in two years, Scholz spoke of a much brighter economic outlook than a year ago — even if Germany's rate of inflation is still some way higher than the Eurozone average of 2.4%.
He also referenced Germany's replenished gas supplies, which he described as "filled to the brim" and said the country avoided an economic downturn. "Do you remember where we stood one year ago?" Scholz asked. "Numerous experts had forecast an economic downturn of three, four, five percent. Many feared that prices would keep on rising. There were concerns about power cuts and cold homes.
"Things have turned out differently," he concluded. "Inflation has gone down. Wages and pensions are going up. Our gas storage facilities are filled to the brim for the winter."
"We held back that economic downturn,” Scholz added. "We saved energy, and we made timely preparations. We all did - together."
Watch the Speech
DW.com Full Write Up
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2023 Foreign Direct Investment Year End Update: Continued Expansion of FDI Regulations | |
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Photo Credit: Womble Bond Dickinson
Regulations and restrictions on Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI”) have expanded quickly in the United States and in many of its trading partner countries around the world. FDI has been further complicated in the U.S. by the passage of individual State laws – often focused the acquisition of “agricultural land,” and in Europe by the passage of screening regimes by the individual Member States of the European Union (E.U.).
In 2023, fifteen U.S. States enacted some form of FDI restrictions on real estate. Some States elected to incorporate U.S. Federal regulations regarding who is prohibited from acquiring certain real estate, while other States have focused on broadly protecting agricultural lands. State laws also vary from those that prevent foreign ownership, to those that only require reporting foreign ownership.
The Alabama Property Protection Act (“APPA”), which went into effect in 2023, is one of the most expansive of the U.S. State laws, and which also incorporates U.S. Federal law. The APPA restricts FDI by a “foreign principal” in real estate related to agriculture, critical infrastructure, or proximate to military installations.
Read Womble Bond Dickinson's Full Write Up
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2024 AGP Membership Renewal Now Open
Thank you for your support as an AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) member in 2023!
Membership renewals have been emailed out and we hope you will renew your membership or become a new member TODAY! Your support will help us deliver new programming and support our ability to connect businesses, organizations, governments, and individuals. Didn’t get your renewal? Email us at director@alabamagermany.org or use the link below to renew.
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.
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Get a "Good Luck Pig" for 2024 | |
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In the German language, Schwein gehabt or “having a pig” means being lucky.
Marzipan piggies, sometimes carrying four-leaf clovers, are popular gifts in Germany ahead of the New Year's Eve. The little porkies are made of sugar and almond paste (marzipan). The 'Glücksschwein' (lucky pig) is meant to bring the recipient good luck for the coming year.
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Cullman Christkindlmarkt attracts more than 200K Visitors | |
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The Cullman Christkindlmarkt saw a significant expansion this past Christmas. The market, known for its festive atmosphere and cultural significance, introduced new attractions and extended its operational days, attracting a diverse crowd from across the nation.
Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Executive Director Nathan Anderson discussed the market’s growth during, and at the conclusion of, the event, which took place every Thursday to Sunday, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23.
“This year, we’ve increased the number of vendors, extended the days of operation and introduced new features like ice skating and a carousel. We’re focusing on enhancing the authenticity of the experience, down to the smallest details,” he said. The crowd estimate for the Christmas tree lighting was nearly 18,000, with the parade drawing around 20,000 attendees. “Calculating parade attendance is complex, but we use a combination of geofenced attendance tracking, drone footage analysis and on-street visual estimates,” Anderson explained.
The economic impact of the event has been notable. “We hosted 210,000 visitors from 41 states and over 700 cities, with an estimated direct economic impact of over $15 million,” he said. “This year’s event has not only boosted local commerce, but also highlighted Cullman’s capacity for hosting large-scale events.”
Read The Cullman Tribune's Full Story
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Please help us welcome our new members:
INDIVIDUAL - INDIVIDUAL
Adrian Rochofski
As an AGP member, you can connect with them through the
AGP membership database (except individuals memberships).
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AlabamaGermany Partnership 1900 International Parkway Drive, Suite 105
Birmingham, AL 35245 www.AlabamaGermany.org
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