January 2023

New Year Greetings from AGP Chair

Dear AGP Members and Supporters, 

Happy New Year to you and your families, both here and abroad.

Thank you all for your support of the AGP during the past year. Last year was another record year for the AGP, and Tine and the board continue to set the bar higher.

Speaking of Tine, we were elated to celebrate her 10^th anniversary as AGP Executive Director with a touching event in Birmingham. Tine’s hard work, dedication, and resulting successes are invaluable to the AGP.  

The 2022 annual dinner in Mobile was one for the record books. We had the second-highest attendance and the most positive feedback due to the Mobile community’s support and of course the entertaining Mardi Gras celebration.

I’m proud to report that the AGP became more involved in current issues last year. We hosted a seminar on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Martha Bozeman and involved her in the annual dinner, resulting in our first AGP promotional video.

We also grew closer to the German Consulate in Atlanta and the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) last year. The World Games proved to be an excellent opportunity in displaying what Alabama and the AGP can offer the German diaspora, not only business and industry, but also culture, education, and sports.

This year, we will celebrate AGP’s 25^th anniversary at the Annual Dinner in Montgomery on Thursday, March 30th. We plan to use the same successful format that was so well-received in Mobile, which puts more emphasis on networking while also highlighting recent successes within the State. We will also have our first-ever golf tournament on the morning after the dinner, in lieu of the Business Forum.

Regarding our German-Alabama industries, we look forward to a continued focus on electric vehicles as well as other sustainable technologies and developments. The upcoming year should also foster increased collaborations between German culture and education, and for the first time, AGP will dedicate money to support students and teachers of German as a second language.

2023 should also bear fruit from recent GACC collaborations including a mutually beneficial plan to increase our presence, membership, and value around the Southeast.

We should look forward to strengthened American-German relations this year as Germany again views the US as its most important foreign policy partner. With stable administrations and the ongoing war in Ukraine, our shared opportunities for both political and industrial collaboration are great.

To all our members, it is my honor to continue to serve as your chairman. Thank you for your confidence and, most importantly, thank you for all you do to make the AGP successful!

Sincerely / Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Kirk Atkinson, President

Adah International

AGP Chair

AGP Welcome New Board Members

The AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) is excited to announce that Kirk Atkinson, president of Adah International, will continue in the role of Chair for AGP for another 12 months. Furthermore, AGP has appointed one director to serve as a new officer on the Executive Committee and has also rotated two existing EC directors into new positions.

New positions on the AGP's Executive Committee: 

In addition, eight new board members have been appointed to serve on the Board of Directors. 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 the following new board members:

AGP's Board of Directors serves a three-year term. The organization has grown considerably over the past several years and the service of our board of officers and directors has greatly contributed to this growth. We are very thankful for their hard work and dedication to the organization.

Click here to see the full listing of AGP's Officers and Directors.

AGP 25th Anniversary - SAVE THE DATES

The AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) is Turning 25!

Please plan to celebrate our Anniversary with us!

The 2023 event will take place on Thursday, March 30, 2023, from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel Capitol Hill in Montgomery/Prattville. This will be our largest event of the year with an expected 250-280 industrial, cultural, educational, and governmental leaders.

We will be continuing the celebration the following day by hosting our very first Golf Tournament on Friday, March 31, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

SAVE THE DATES! MARCH 30+31, 2023

Sponsorship opportunities for the AGP Anniversary Celebration are now open. Sponsorships are available from $750 up to $10,000. Individual tickets and sponsorships for the Golf Tournament will be available later this month.

AGP Stammtisch in Birmingham

Come join us for our first AGP "Stammtisch" of the year:

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Carrigan's Beer Garden, Birmingham

Come out to network! 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 month (every other month will be in Birmingham).

Carrigan's Beer Garden has a great selection of beverages and food for purchase. Family, kids and dogs are allowed. 

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.

Dankeschön to our PATRON Members:

German Company ADS-TEC Energy Announce Investments in Auburn

Press Release By ADS-TEC Energy

ADS-TEC Energy establishes first North American site for its ultra-fast charging

technology in Auburn, Alabama

NÜRTINGEN, Germany and AUBURN, Ala., December 20, 2022 – ADS-TEC Energy (NASDAQ: ADSE), a leader in battery-buffered, ultra-fast-charging solutions, today announced it is establishing its first dedicated facility in North America in Auburn, Ala., bringing together sales, warehousing, service and assembly in the new location. The company expects its new site in the United States to be fully functional by 2024, expanding ADS-TEC Energy’s manufacturing to include both Germany and the U.S. ADS-TEC Energy plans to invest $8 million and create approximately 180 jobs in the coming years associated with the new site, which will facilitate the expansion of e-vehicle charging infrastructure in the U.S.

“We’re excited to welcome yet another high-tech German company to Alabama,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “The partnership between German engineering and Alabama manufacturing has brought many innovative products to the North American market. “We’re excited to add ADS-TEC Energy’s battery-buffered fast charging stations to that list, serving the quickly growing electric vehicle market.”

“The City of Auburn is grateful for the trust that Thomas Speidel and his team have in our community, and we will do everything we can to support ADS-TEC Energy in establishing a successful operation in Auburn,” Mayor Ron Anders said. “The assembling and servicing of innovative equipment for the emerging electric charging infrastructure market right here in Auburn will create well-paying and clean high-tech jobs for Auburn residents.”

Read the full press release

Read Made in Alabama's Announcement

German automotive supplier Eissmann Automotive NA Expansion

By Birmingham Business Journal

German automotive supplier Eissmann Automotive NA is expanding its Pell City facility.

The manufacturer will invest $3.4 million to bring new advanced manufacturing equipment to its new production line. Leaders plan to hire 79 more employees to support the production of new orders.



Eissmann Automotive specializes in car interiors, built-to-print trim components, shifter modules, and many other parts for German and domestic automakers such as Mercedes, Audi, Jeep, Tesla, Porsche, Volkswagen, and others.

“Eissmann Automotive Group’s decision to expand their facility in St. Clair County is wonderful for our citizens and community,” said Stan Batemon, St. Clair County Commission chairman.

Photo Credit: Partners by Design

“It is always beneficial to both our community and the company when higher-paying jobs with more advanced technology are announced. This is a testament both to the company’s ability to produce a great product and the faith they have in St. Clair County’s workforce.”

Alabama Sen. Lance Bell said the growing company is an important part of the state’s automotive supply chain.

Eissmann Automotive currently has 13 locations on three continents.

Read more Birmingham Business Journal



Germany's Olaf Scholz New Year's Address

By The Federal Chancellor

2022 has been a difficult year characterized by Russia’s attack on Ukraine – but also by cohesion and strength. Those are Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s words in his New Year’s address. “Let’s continue with courage and confidence along the path we have set out on,” the Chancellor says. “May this New Year be a good one for you all!”

Watch Chancellor Scholtz's address here.



Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members:

German Club from Samford University Visits German Company in Vance

By Lizzy Frykman, Sophomore, Samford University

On Friday, November 18^th, a group of students from the German Club at Samford University took a field trip to Brose, an auto parts manufacturer located in Vance, Alabama, led by Dr. Angela Ferguson. The AlabamaGermany Partnership provided funding to help underwrite the trip and was invaluable in connecting Dr. Ferguson with the leadership team at Brose. The group consisted of 16 students from many different majors and grades, all currently studying German under Dr. Ferguson. We arrived at the plant at around 9:45 am and were given a thorough presentation and tour—all in German—by the Production Manager, Joachim Weigel, and Kristin Coleman, the Executive Assistant to the CEO.

Joachim showed us around the plant floor, explaining the basic engineering and production process, in which they construct parts for car doors, seats, and small electric motors within the seats and doors. Kristin, on the other hand, showed us more of the administrative side of the plant, walking us through the various office spaces and test rooms. We were all impressed by the very organized workspace and the “promoting from within” philosophy. Joachim and Kristin encouraged questions and seemed to make personal connections with each of us. Joachim asked about our various career paths and discussed how those skills fit into the Brose workplace in ways that we had not thought of before. 

The students who went on this trip included Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. The majors they represented included International Relations, Journalism and Mass Communication, Religion, English, Psychology, Nutrition, and Musical Theater. Despite the variety of students, all have found much value in studying German. Gage, a freshman German, and International Relations double-major has always had a fascination with German history, and how that contributes to and intersects with English history. He hopes someday to work in International Law. Kaleigh, a senior studying Nutrition (with a German minor), had initially struggled to see how German would contribute to her future career in Nutrition. However, she said that, upon visiting Brose, she saw “that there can be an automatic correlation between German and nutrition” after seeing how important nutrition was in the canteen at Brose. The value of knowing German is “not something that stops after college” she says.

After visiting Brose, we drove to Rolf’s Deli and Sausages in Northport, Alabama, where we tasted a plethora of German foods, all made fresh by Rolf himself. Rolf was a delightful and fascinating man, who has moved through many different careers (and countries) over the years. His passions and interests finally led him to start his deli, in which he cures all of his own sausages (which are butchered from his own pigs that he’s raised!), cooks all his own Schnitzel, and bakes his own pretzels. He even made us fresh espresso! As Gage Sherrill puts it, “You could taste the love in the food.” Aside from his skills in the kitchen, he makes guitars and has a Black Belt in martial arts. He truly was a wonder, and a delightful man to meet and talk to, and many of us enjoyed ordering our food and chatting with him in German! 

Welcome New AGP Member

Please help us welcome our new member:

CORPORATE - ASSOCIATE

McDermott Will & Emery

Boris Uphoff

Partner

At McDermott, their mantra is #AlwaysBetter. It means that they wake up each morning thinking about how they can be that much better than the day before. This drive for constant improvement is in their DNA—and it pushes them, every day, to be a better partner for you. They do this by working to fully understand your world—from the markets, you operate to the internal dynamics you face. It’s about going beyond delivering exceptional legal work to supporting your enduring success. In doing this, they strive to be your indispensable partner.

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

Learn more at: www.mwe.com

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