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Dankeschön to our PATRON Members:
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What to do in Alabama
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January 13 - February 13
Mobile
January 19 - Febuary 18
January 20
Huntsville
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!
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Save the Dates
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January 17, 21, 31
Tuscaloosa
January 18, 22
Birmingham
January 18
AGP Board Meeting
Birmingham
January 24
Decatur
January 25
Birmingham
January 29
Birmingham
January 29
Birmingham
February 4
Tuscaloosa
March 1
Vance
March 2
AGP Business Forum
Vance
April 9
Birmingham
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!
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AGP's New Members
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Corporate - Associate Level
Sarah Ames
Partner
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Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members:
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German Word
of the Month
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"Fingerspitzengefühl"
Compound nouns abound in the German language. One that applies well to a variety of scenarios yet is difficult to translate precisely into English is "Fingerspitzengefühl."
The literal translation of this expression - often used to connote someone who deftly handles all manner of tricky social situations, accurately assesses various signs of the times, or cleverly strategizes solutions in a range of contexts - is "finger tip feeling."
Most German native speakers would use it to positively describe an individual or his or her actions. For instance, if an employee named Klaus had done a great job of sussing out a new consumer trend and implemetend a successful marketing event for his company related to it, while cleverly stroking the fragile egos
of various colleagues and/or potential clients in the process, he would probably reap praise for his keen business acumen by keeping his finger on the pulse of his field as well as assessing any interpersonal pitfalls that could throw up roadblocks to sealing a successful deal.
"Klaus showed real Fingerspitzengefühl in masterminding that sale," is what one of his superiors might say to another, for instance.
Unbeknownst to many modern Germans, the origins of the word seem to stem at least in part from the world of military strategy.
According to an entry in English on the word "Fingerspitzengefühl" in the popular global online encyclopedia Wikipedia, it refers to "a stated ability of some military commanders ... to maintain with great accuracy in attention to detail an ever-changing operational and tactical situation by maintaining a mental map of the battlefield."
In this vein, the encyclopedia goes on to state, "the concept may be compared to ideas about intuition and neural net programming."
Most Germans, in day-to-day civilian language, however, would most likely not immediately relate this word to military strategy.
A random, unscientific sampling of German diplomats at the German Embassy in Washington supports this more general connotation of Fingerspitzengefühl, which they would use to describe someone having a deft grasp of a given situation.
In terms of traditional handicrafts or trades such as watchmaking, wood carving or hairdressing, the expression Fingerspitzengefühl, may also be taken literally - namely as someone showing fine dexterity with their hands, or excellent "finger tip feeling."
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German Idioms
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"Ich bin fix und fertig"
Literally:
I'm quick and ready
English Equivalent:
I'm wiped out or I'm exhausted
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Events & Seminars Offered by AGP Members
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December
GACC South Events
GACC South
December
NAITA
December
ATN
February 8
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.
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AGP
Executive Committee
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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
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AGP Affiliates
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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
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Contact Us
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Executive Director
Tine Hoffmeister
Office
205-943-4772
director@alabamagermany.org
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Join Our List
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| AGP Celebrates 20th Anniversary |
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2018 marks AlabamaGermany Partnership's 20th Anniversary. As we celebrate this milestone, we also celebrate Germany being Alabama's No. 1 foreign investor for the past 20 years which has in turn transformed the state's economy and the lives of many residents.
Please join us for the celebration:
Thursday, March 1, 2018
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Visitor Center
& Mercedes-Benz Museum
Vance, AL
This will be AlabamaGermany Partnership's biggest event of the year, celebrating our journey and our organization's supporters. Enjoy networking opportunities throughout the night, heavy hors d'oeuvres, open bar and silent auction. We will hear keynote from MBUSI, acknowledge 2017 new and expanding German companies in Alabama and present two awards; the Barbara Fischer Education Award and the prestigious Rainer Bauer Award. This is our Annual Dinner in a special format in celebration of our Anniversary.
Thank you to our generous top sponsor:
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| Additive Manufacturing Seminar |
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Join us for a very interactive "lunch and learn" seminar co-hosted by AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) and Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA). The seminar is for companies wanting to explore opportunities in additive manufacturing to produce prototypes, shorten and lower cost in their product development cycle, prototype parts and products and empower advanced in-house tooling for various in process applications.
BigRep and SWIGRO
will introduce to us:
- Overview to today's industrial 3D Printing including broad applications overview and case studies
- The value of Manufacturing with Additive Manufacturing (tooling, jigs, fixtures)
- Low Cost Large Prototypes
- Designing for "Your Next Solution" and the Power of Simplify3D
- Open discussion and review of Studio 3D printer.
Select from two locations:
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Robotics Technology Park
Decatur
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Thursday, January 25, 2018
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
AIDT's Alabama Workforce Training Center
Birmingham, AL
Thank you to our co-host and sponsors:
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Boysen Alabama in Vance is expanding
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A plant in Vance that builds automotive exhaust systems for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International will effectively double in size and bring 70 additional jobs to Tuscaloosa County.
Michael May, the plant manager at Boysen Alabama, USA, said Monday that the German company currently employs around 60 people. He said their strong partnership with MBUSI and their dedication to excellence made the expansion possible.
"Here at the plant and in our headquarters in Germany, we provide stable employment and an extraordinary benefits package. We stand for the best quality," May said. "Our customers see this, too, and we're gaining worldwide business for our exhaust systems."
May said the expansion will add more people and machines to Boysen's operation in Vance and that the hiring process would begin soon.
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| The First Alabama Automaker Welcomes the Latest |
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Press Release By MBUSI
"We welcome the Toyota-Mazda plant - the newest addition to the automotive industry in the State of Alabama. We applaud the people of the region and are pleased to see that so many other automakers recognize the same great qualities here that we did back in the mid-90s: a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, an amiable business climate, and great southern hospitality," said Jason Hoff,
president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc.
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Bolta US Donates $93,580 to Community Soup Bowl
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Press Release by Bolta US
$93,580 were handed over to the Community Soup Bowl by Anil Puri, Chairman of the internationally operating Purico Group and Member of the Board of Directors of the wholly-owned subsidiary Bolta US in Tuscaloosa.
With advanced production facilities in the UK, Germany, Mexico, and the USA, the company group is a global leader in design, manufacturing, and assembly of chrome plated plastic parts for most of the world's leading car manufacturers. In the USA, investing
$47.8 million in a new manufacturing facility, Bolta just at the end of July this year celebrated the official opening of a 200,000 square foot production facility, Bolta US, located in the Tuscaloosa County Airport Industrial Park.
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German American Business Outlook 2018
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By German American Chamber of Commerce
German subsidiaries in the US are growing and investing heavily despite some skepticism regarding the state of free trade and the availability of a skilled workforce, according to the 2018 German American Business Outlook (GABO) survey conducted by German American Chambers of Commerce (GACCs), the Representative of German Industry & Trade (RGIT), and KPMG.
Despite all those concerns, 100% of the surveyed German companies are expecting growth for their own businesses for the first time since the inception of the GABO survey. At the same time, only 2% expect the US economy to contract. Harnessing the power of digitalization is a key trend for the German-American business community. Similarly, companies are driving innovation in R&D through cooperation with universities and startups.
As German companies are expanding through M&A or the creation of new manufacturing capabilities in the US, they struggle with the ever-increasing shortage of skilled labor. The skills gap is motivating companies to take the initiative and grow their own workforce. An impressive 25% of German companies are leading the charge by establishing apprenticeship programs as a solution to keep their productivity at maximum capacity.
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| Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. Accepting Applications for Technical Programs |
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By MBUSI
Candidates interested in applying for the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (MBUSI) Mechatronics apprenticeship program have until the end of March 2018 to get their applications in for consideration.
The next round of candidates for the Mercedes-Benz Mechatronics programs will start in August 2018.
"We continue to be extremely pleased with the candidates who have applied for and who have gone through the Technical programs since they were set up five years ago," said Jason Hoff, President and CEO of MBUSI. "
More than 260 candidates have gone through the program and this
model has been recognized nationally and globally as a model in the arena of workforce development."
For more information on how to apply, go to: https://www.mbusi.com/employment and click "Careers" and then on the program of interest to learn more information about the programs, including how to apply, frequently asked questions and details about the curriculum.
About The Mercedes-Benz Mechatronics Program
The Mercedes-Benz Mechatronics program involves seven terms of instruction at Shelton State Community College. Students will attend classes at Shelton 4 days per week, and experience operational insights and daily procedures at the plant a minimum of one day a week. The top percentage
that successfully completes the program
will advance to MBUSI and earn a full-time job in Production. Of the students who advance to MBUSI, a top percentage will go into the Mercedes-Benz Industrial Mechatronics Maintenance Apprenticeship Program.
About Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa plant
MBUSI - located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama - is the production location for the GLE, GLS and GLE Coupe SUVs around the world, as well as the C-Class sedan for North America. In 2016, the plant produced more than 310,000 vehicles. MBUSI currently employs more than 3,700 team members and supports 7,000+ jobs on the approximately 1,000-acre site. In 2015, MBUSI announced a $1.3-billion plant expansion and new jobs to pave the way for production of future SUVs. Most recently, Daimler AG announced another $1 billion investment to set up electric vehicle production in the United States and plans to produce EQ-branded SUV models at MBUSI.
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| Greetings in German |
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Moin, Servus, Tach - did you know there are many ways to greet each other in the various regions and dialects of Germany? Which expressions of the greeting do you know?
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| German Prisoners in Alabama |
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This fourth installment is taken from The Fort McClellan POW Camp: German Prisoners in Alabama, 1943-1946 by permission of author Jack Shay, whose parents were stationed at Fort McClellan during the war.
The Fort McClellan POW Camp, although differing from most other camps in its physical attractiveness, conformed to existing Army standards for the confinement of Axis Prisoners of War during World War II.
McClellan's camp was designed for one enclosure with three separate compounds and four companies in each compound, and about 250 men in a company. It was a rectangle, approximately 2,000 feet along its front and back and 1,400 feet on either side, laid out on a heavily-forested hillside in the extreme western section of the Fort McClellan complex. Ten-foot-high barbed wire fencing enclosed the perimeter of the camp. Eight guard towers, each a couple dozen feet high to the catwalk where U.S. MPs kept vigil, were emplaced, three on a side, with each of the four corners sharing a guard tower, guaranteeing complete coverage of the camp.
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