REHAU Celebrating 25th Anniversary in Cullman |
|
|
Congratulations to our #AGP member REHAU that is celebrating the 25th anniversary of REHAU’s production plant in Cullman, Alabama. The plant started with 30 employees. Today with more than 800 employees, REHAU is the second-largest manufacturing firm and seventh-largest employer in Cullman. The team at Cullman includes more than 200 employees with 10 or more years of service, which reflects REHAU’s family-oriented culture and dedication to long-term employee growth.
The plant began operations in early 1996 with 30 employees producing bumpers for the 1997 sport utility vehicle of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) made in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The facility has expanded numerous times to its current footprint of about a million square feet with nearly 800 employees and currently operates as two separate plants – one specializing in automotive painted exterior components, the other in PEXa piping for plumbing and radiant heating systems and gaskets for household appliances.
Speaking at the employee celebration, Automotive Plant Manager Dr. Venki Padmanabhan, who joined REHAU in 2020, said, “As I stand on the shoulders of the many talented and passionate plant managers who preceded me, I bear the responsibility of devoted stewardship expected of me, not only to preserve what is good among us and our business but to also find ways to fully engage every single one of you to understand how we profit from our efforts, continuously improve and support the profitable growth of REHAU in our region.”
In October 1994, construction began on a 200,000-square-foot facility located in Industrial Park II off Highway 69 that would be equipped with injection molding and painting technology. The plant was still ramping up production of its first vehicle model when, in October 1996, the company broke ground on an expansion that would nearly double its size. While continuing to participate in the growth of automotive production in the southeastern United States, in 2003, Plant Cullman became the first REHAU plant outside of Germany to master the demanding technology for producing cross-linked polyethylene (PEXa) pipe. This lead to the January 2006 announcement of plans to build a second plant for PEXa pipe production to open in May 2007. After weathering the 2008 economic downturn, the company celebrated yet another automotive plant expansion in April 2014 as it announced plans to build a technical center. In 2016, the construction plant ventured into the appliance business with the start-up of its first gasket production line.
|
|
Congratulations to Brose Tuscaloosa - IndustryWeek Award Winner |
|
|
Congratulations to our AGP member Brose Tuscaloosa for winning Best Plants Award from IndustryWeek.
Achieving operational excellence in the best of times is a challenge. Be it difficult customers with outrageous demands on cost, quality, or delivery – perhaps all three simultaneously – or less-than-reliable suppliers, or internal battles across departments, the struggle is real. In harder times, that challenge is multiplied many times over.
This past year and a half have been far less than ideal for all manufacturers. COVID-19, extreme supply shortages, and seriously depleted workforces have tested their mettle like never before. And the ground remains unsteady for many.
It is in this latter environment that IndustryWeek conducted its latest IW Best Plants Awards competition, our annual salute to manufacturing excellence across North America.
Here’s what we learned: Operational excellence endures. Extraordinary manufacturing facilities find ways to do extraordinary things, rise to the occasion and persevere in the midst of chaos. To achieve remarkable manufacturing performances, regardless.
Such manufacturers are peopled with strong leaders and smart employees. They value communication. They embrace teamwork and build tight-knit relationships up and down the value chain. They are problem-solvers and opportunity seekers. They hold tight to continuous improvement.
The IndustryWeek Best Plants Awards winners are such manufacturers, and we applaud them.
|
|
Merger of Alabamian and German Companies |
|
|
By Business Alabama
Huntsville’s Adtran and Munich-based Adva will merge, with the new company retaining Adtran’s name and headquarters in Alabama and Germany.
MarketWatch valued the all-stock deal at $931.1 million.
The merger will “create a leading global, scaled provider of end-to-end fiber networking solutions for communications service provider, enterprise and government customers,” according to a press release, combining Adtran’s leadership in fiber access with Adva’s leadership in data center interconnect, business ethernet and network solutions.
“We are in the early stages of an unprecedented investment cycle in fiber connectivity, especially in the U.S. and Europe, fueled by the demand for last-mile fiber access and middle-mile transport to provide high-speed connectivity to homes, businesses and future 5G infrastructure,” said ADTRAN Chairman and CEO Thomas Stanton. “By joining forces, our combined firm’s portfolio will better position us to capitalize on this highly compelling global opportunity. We expect the transaction will create significant long-term value for both companies’ stakeholders by increasing our scale and improving our ability to serve as a trusted supplier for customers worldwide.”
The merger will “leverage the complementary nature” of the two company’s customers, said Brian Protiva, Adva CEO.
|
|
Dankeschön to our PATRON Members: |
|
|
AGP Traveling Stammtisch in Opelika |
|
|
Please join us for our traveling AGP Stammtisch:
Thursday, September 9, 2021
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Resting Pulse Brewing Company, Opelika
This is a great opportunity for German expats to meet and for other German-speaking/practicing to improve your German. Speaking German is encouraged but not required. We meet every first Wednesday of the month in Birmingham and on other select dates around Alabama. This time we will be in Opelika.
The Barbara Fischer Education Award will be presented to Anja Werth of Auburn University by Dr. Traci O’Brien, Auburn University & AGP Board, and Executive Committee Member at the Stammtisch. This award is presented to someone who has contributed significantly to the advancement of the Alabama-Germany relationship in the areas of education and culture and to the vision of the AlabamaGermany Partnership.
What does "Stammtisch" mean? A Stammtisch is an informal group meeting held on a regular basis, and also the usually large table around which the group meets. A Stammtisch is not a structured meeting, but rather a friendly and casual get-together.
|
|
AGP Young Professionals Webinar “The Great Economic Reset of 2021”
|
|
|
Join the AGP Young Professionals upcoming webinar:
Thursday, September 16, 2021
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST
ZOOM Webinar
They will be joined by Kathy Deck, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama. An economist by training, her research interests include regional economic development, industry market structure, and higher education economics.
Kathy will be speaking on “The Great Economic Reset of 2021” which will cover the real GDP growth since the end of the great recession and discuss the current conditions of the manufacturing and financial markets. She will also cover household debt (mortgages & student loans), and the current U.S., Alabama, and Tuscaloosa Employment by Sector.
|
|
Upcoming German American Chamber of Commerce South Events
|
|
|
SME Business Development Conference
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 | W Atlanta, Downtown
Explore. Connect. Lead.
The SME Business Development Conference’s mission is to facilitate a dialog in various areas such as Innovation, Leadership and Workforce Development. The daylong conference will allow you to explore a range of topics that will focus on reimagining business in a changed world. Our diverse agenda will offer companies and attendees the chance to connect and build new relationships while providing tools to lead in any organization.
Since 2011 the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S. has been organizing and curating the SME Business Development Conference in cities across the southern U.S. In 2021, we are excited to bring a new format of the conference to the heart of Georgia, one of America’s most relevant cities for international business in the southeast.
|
|
GACC South Annual Gala
October 23, 2021 │ Atlanta, GA
An Elegant Evening of Friends, Food, and Fun
The annual gala, one of GACC South’s largest events of the year, brings together German and American leaders and executives from various industries. For the 25th time, this year we aim to bring our German-American business community together after a year and a half apart to reignite the dialogue between the U.S. and Germany across all sectors. This sophisticated event, held in Atlanta, Georgia, is a one-of-a-kind chance for professionals to network in a chic, modern atmosphere.
|
|
UA Students Win Fulbright Awards for 2021-2022 |
|
|
By The University of Alabama |
|
A University of Alabama student has received a Fulbright Student Research Award and four students have won Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Awards for the 2021–2022 academic year.
Fulbright is the most prestigious U.S. international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals. The Fulbright Award of the U.S. Department of State offers one-year grants for independent study and research and for English teaching assistantships overseas.
The highly competitive program selects approximately 1,500 award recipients from more than 11,000 applicants each year. UA has received national recognition as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students for five of the last six years.
In addition to this year’s winners, five UA Fulbright Student Award recipients from last year who had their awards delayed as a result of COVID-19 conditions in their host countries are expected to have an opportunity to serve in 2021–2022 as health conditions improve and travel restrictions ease.
“During a year of extraordinary challenges, every Fulbright student applicant and their faculty and staff advisors rose to those challenges by demonstrating a commitment to the vital work of advancing intercultural understanding throughout the world,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost of international education and global outreach. “No matter the circumstances, UA remains steadfast in providing such global learning opportunities to all of our students. We congratulate our 2021–2022 awardees and alternates, as well as those from last year who will now begin their Fulbright experience after a delay due to the ongoing pandemic.”
2021-2022 Fulbright Student Research Award recipient:
-
Malik Seals, of Columbus, Mississippi, received a Fulbright Award to research “Pregnancy and Multiple Sclerosis: Investigating Nature’s Immunosuppressant” at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Berlin, Germany. A 2020 UA Honors College graduate in biological sciences, he has been honored with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Anderson Society, Jasons Senior Men’s Honorary, Omicron Delta Kappa, Alpha Epsilon Delta and Black Student Union Hall of Fame, and served as president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. He is currently a graduate student in immunology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow.
Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Awards offer U.S. students the opportunity to serve in an English classroom overseas assisting the teacher and exchanging culture with the people of the host country. The 2021–2022 recipients are:
-
Lindsey Drost, of Holland, Michigan, an experienced English Language tutor and Spanish educator in the Tuscaloosa City Schools and a UA English Language Institute conversation partner. Drost graduated summa cum laude with a BA in German and Spanish and received awards for excellence in German and the best essay in Spanish. Currently enrolled in UA’s master’s program in education, she was selected to teach in Germany.
- Logan Fenhouse, of Lombard, Illinois, a Blount Interdisciplinary Scholar in the liberal arts, former leader of Beyond Bama Alternative Breaks, Spanish interpreter at Maude Whatley Health Center and mentor with experience tutoring all ages. A 2020 summa cum laude Honors College graduate with degrees in Spanish and interdisciplinary studies and fluency in Spanish, she was chosen to teach in the Canary Islands of Spain.
-
Michael Fisher, of Auburn, a 2020 UA graduate in international relations and German, brings teaching experience in programs that engage communities with special needs (Easter Seals, Best Buddies, Miracle League of Tuscaloosa and Night to Shine Prom) and international experience in Nicaragua. During his Fulbright year of service, he plans to share his American culture through his guitar presentations and music exchanges, and build community through service in the classroom and civic organizations. He was chosen to teach in Germany.
-
Natasha Stevanovich, of Washington, Michigan, a Delta Phi Alpha German Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society member, UA German Club President, Outstanding Service in German award recipient, Model United Nations Club member, Tuscaloosa County Schools ESL Tutor and UA English Language Institute conversation partner. A 2021 Honors College graduate in German and psychology with a minor in creative media with study experience at Humboldt University in Germany and advanced fluency in German, she was selected to teach in Germany.
|
|
Congratulations Dr. Linam |
|
|
By Chase Trautwein, President, AL Chapter of American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)
|
|
Congratulations to Rebecca Linam (second from the left in picture) of the University of North Alabama. She successfully defended her dissertation, "Eine Flucht, die niemals endet: Flucht aus Ostpreußen und transgenerationale Traumata am Beispiel von Dörte Hansens Altes Land" and has thereby earned the title of Doctor of Modern Languages.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Rebecca Linam! Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
|
|
Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members: |
|
|
E.U. Recommends Travel Ban For American Tourists |
|
|
As expected, the European Union recommended, on August 30th, that its 27 member nations reinstate travel restrictions for American tourists because of rising coronavirus infections in the United States.
The European Council has decided to remove the U.S. from its ‘safe list’ of countries for nonessential travel. This is a reversal from its June decision to recommend lifting restrictions on all American travelers just as the summer tourism season kicked off.
The E.U.’s new recommendation clearly differentiates between vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers; fully vaccinated travelers should still be allowed to travel if they can show a negative result from a Covid-19 test taken within three days of arrival.
However, this guidance is non-binding, so individual countries in the E.U. bloc can decide to impose their own sets of restrictions. Travelers should expect a messy patchwork of different rules and regulations across the continent, much like they encounter a mishmash of non-uniform rules and regulations across the U.S. Unvaccinated U.S. travelers will likely be faced with rigorous restrictions including frequent testing and quarantines upon entry, if they are allowed to enter at all.
|
|
Please help us welcome our new members:
CORPORATE/PATRON MEMBERSHIP
Andreas Ebensperger
President/CEO
Flemming Buhl
Chief Commercial Officer
Andres Christensen
President Norton Lilly Logistics
Sumner Adams
Vice President Human Resources
Karl Schneider
Vice President Integrity Customs Brokerage
Founded in 1841, Norton & Co. (now Norton Lilly International) has been in business longer than any ship agency in America. We are experienced in all aspects of the maritime and logistics industries and are a fully integrated and diversified service provider benefiting clients across the globe. With in-depth knowledge of local markets and strong relationships with service providers and governmental agencies, our Principals are ensured of professional representation at all times.
Norton Lilly maintains offices in 42 cities in the Continental US that serve over 100 Ports. Our global outreach extends to offices in Canada, Panama, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Trinidad, Barbados, and the Pacific Islands consisting of Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan. The headquarters of Norton Lilly International was moved to Mobile, AL in 2002, where most Senior
Management are located.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORPORATE/ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Jake Rogers
Vice President
For more than 160 years, we have been committed to providing our clients with great service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals. We are proud of our longstanding history of supporting not only our customers but also our communities, employees, and shareholders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORPORATE/ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
James Aughtman
Principal Owner
Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Aughtman Hospitality Consulting is a full-service boutique agency working with corporate, association, and leisure groups to find the perfect location for conventions, meetings, and training sessions no matter where you are traveling. They also offer entry-level sales training and bench Director of Sales (DOS) services for hotels needing short-term and project help with sales and marketing efforts.
As an AGP member, you can connect with them through the AGP membership database.
________________________________________________________________________________
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIPS
Stefanie Griepentrog
________________________________________________________________________________
As an AGP Corporate/Educational/Governmental member, you can connect with them through the AGP membership database.
|
|
11 quirky and themed Alabama restaurants |
|
|
Would you eat Po’ Boys with a legendary werewolf-like creature from the Louisiana swamps, or would you rather sit on the beach watching the sunset as you dine?
Alabama has all kinds of unique eateries that add an entertaining atmosphere to the dining experience.
In past lists, we’ve mentioned fun places like the Rattlesnake Saloon, built inside a cave, and the train-themed Derailed Diner, as well as Madison Station where you can eat inside an old jail. Click here to see a previous list. Before going, always be sure to check for changes in restaurant hours and situations during coronavirus restrictions.
|
|
COVID-19 RELATED NEWS AND RESOURCES |
|
|
NEWS:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are in place for entry into Germany from a large number of countries. Those entering Germany from risk areas must complete a digital entry registration form, be tested for coronavirus, and, depending on the regulations of the Land in question, self-isolate. Please check for restrictions and registration here.
Key Information for Travelers to Germany from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visit CDC Website.
RESOURCES
We have collected a list of resources that can provide information and assistance during these challenging times. You can find them on our website under Helpful Resources.
AlabamaGermany Partnership:
|
|
|
|
AlabamaGermany Partnership 1900 International Parkway Drive, Suite 105
Birmingham, AL 35245 www.AlabamaGermany.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
