February 2021
AGP Let's Talk German Sausages
Join us for a talk with German native, Rolf Meyer, who is living his American Dream in Northport, Alabama.
Thursday, March 18, 2021
3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Zoom Webinar

Since Rolf was 14 years old, he has dreamed about opening a butcher shop. Last fall, his dream became a reality when he opened Rolf’s Deli and Sausages in Northport. Join us for a conversation about his journey that took him from Germany to Alabama and his love for making German sausages. We will learn about the different kinds of German sausages and what to serve them with and much more.


AGP Conversation with REV Birmingham
Join AGP Young Professionals for a talk with David Fleming, President and CEO, REV Birmingham, who will discuss REVs history in Birmingham, some notable programs/initiatives, COVID impacts, and future plans:
Thursday, March 11, 2021
5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST
ZOOM Webinar

REV Birmingham is a place-based revitalization and economic development nonprofit working to make the city of Birmingham a more vibrant place. They provide services for Birmingham “yaysayers” who need help strategizing and organizing; local startups and small businesses in or interested in the city of Birmingham; and developers and investors contributing to Birmingham’s renaissance. 


SAVE THE DATE!
We are excited to announce the date for AGP's 23rd Annual Celebration Dinner. The Celebration normally takes place this month but for obvious reasons, we have decided to wait until early summer. Please save the date:
Thursday, June 17, 2021
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Region's Field in Birmingham

More information to follow soon. Sponsorship registration will be opened soon but in the meantime feel free to contact us at director@alabamagermany.org for more information.


Dankeschön to our PATRON Members:
German retailer ALDI breaks ground in Baldwin County
By Birmingham Business Journal
The German retailer ALDI has broken ground on a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Baldwin County that will support the company’s expansion throughout the Gulf Coast region.

The $100 million project will create more than 200 jobs in Loxley.

The 564,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open next year, will be ALDI's sixth distribution center in the South and can serve up to 100 stores in Alabama, southern Georgia, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle, and Louisiana.


Community Block Grants will help two German companies
The city of Cullman has received a $350,000 grant that will help German company REHAU, Inc., add 125 new jobs. Cullman will use the Community Development Block Grant to provide road improvements and improve traffic safety to the main thoroughfare to REHAU Inc., which produces plastic-injection products that are used in the manufacturing of Alabama-built vehicles, including Mercedes, as well as for construction and other industries.


The state also slated funds for Schnellecke Logistics Alabama so it can open in a new building near the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) plant. Tuscaloosa county will receive a $258,000 grant. The company is expected to play a role in MBUSI's plan to begin producing electric vehicles. To do that, Schnellecke Logistics Alabama intends to hire 162 workers once its 530,000-square-foot logistics warehouse is completed, state officials said, with employment for a total of 373 people at the facility by its third year in operation.


Mercedes Makes Progress on Electric Vehicles
By Business Alabama

The exterior of the highly anticipated 600,000-square-foot Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. (MBUSI) battery plant in Bibb County has been completed. That sets the stage for equipment installation needed to build electric batteries for a new lineup of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Two new warehouses are also now in full operation at the Bibb County site.

MBUSI broke ground on the new battery plant in 2018 as part of a $1 billion investment in Bibb and Tuscaloosa counties to start production of electric vehicles and expand its Alabama operation’s logistics activities. Production is set to begin in 2022, with about 600 jobs expected.


RIP Daimler And Long Live Mercedes-Benz
By Jalopnik
Daimler is the name of the company that owns both Mercedes-Benz and the world’s biggest semi truckmaker. But those two concerns will split, Daimler said Wednesday. Eventually, the maker of Mercedes-Benz won’t be called Daimler anymore but instead “Mercedes-Benz.”

The transaction and the listing of Daimler Truck on the Frankfurt stock exchange are expected to be complete before year-end 2021. In addition, it is also Daimler’s intention to rename itself as Mercedes-Benz at the appropriate time.

Quoth Ola Källenius, Daimler's CEO:
“This is a historic moment for Daimler. It represents the start of a profound reshaping of the company. Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans and Daimler Trucks & Buses are different businesses with specific customer groups, technology paths, and capital needs. Mercedes-Benz is the world’s most valuable luxury car brand, offering the most desirable cars to discerning customers. Daimler Truck supplies industry-leading transportation solutions and services to customers. Both companies operate in industries that are facing major technological and structural changes. Given this context, we believe they will be able to operate most effectively as independent entities, equipped with strong net liquidity and free from the constraints of a conglomerate structure,” said Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler and Mercedes-Benz.


Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members:
Black History Month
In Honor of Black History Month, we want to share the story of Jesse Owens (born in Alabama) and Luz Long’s friendship demonstrated how sports could unite people across gender, race, and nationalities, even in the toughest circumstances. Watch the video.
The German Embassy in Washington is highlighting 9 influential Germans of African descent who impacted the world or are making a difference in their communities in honor of Black History Month.

Steffi Jones
German football manager is best known for managing the German women’s national team.

Nestor Alexander Haddaway
Trinidadian-born German musician and vocalist.

Isaac Bonga
NBA basketball player from Germany who currently plays for the Washington Wizards.

Aminata Toure
A German politician with Malian roots who recently became the deputy speaker of Schleswig-Holstein’s state parliament.

Dennis Schröder
German professional basketball player for NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.

Charles Huber
A German politician and former actor are known for his lead role in the TV series Der Alte.

Cassandra Steen
German-American singer, songwriter, and actress.

Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jérôme Boateng
Brothers that are both professional German soccer players.

Nelson Müller
TV personality, successful chef, author, and singer. One of his restaurants has earned a Michelin star!



20 High School Students in Alabama win place on National German Exam Honor Roll
20 students in Alabama have been awarded medals and special recognition on the National German Exam Honor Roll for outstanding performance on the 2021 National German Exam for High School Students.

Over 8,000 students participated in the exam this year. The National German Exam, now in its 61st year, rewards students through an extensive prize program and provides a means of comparing students in all regions of the US. Doug Philipp, German teacher, and AATG (American Association of Teachers of German) President said, "The outstanding performance of these German students in our national competition brings honor to their school, their district, and their German program. The AATG salutes their tremendous accomplishment and the great work their teachers do.

Please help us congratulate the students and their dedicated German teachers from :

  • Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile
  • James Clements High School in Madison
  • Vestavia Hills High School in Vestavia/Birmingham
Alabama School of Mathematics and Science:
Top left to bottom right: David Johnston, Hannah Nguyen, Luke Burroughs, Shrish Shetty, Lindsey Haas, Elbread Roh, Caroline Nelson, and Tabitha Watson.
Not pictured: German Teacher Muriel Hoequist
From James Clements High School:
Left to right: Carly Parker, Alex Underwood, Isaac Lamm & German teacher Peggy Boynton

Germany has more distilleries than Scotland
By Mike Maceacheran for National Geographic
The whole scene along this whiskey road trip is strangely familiar: historic castles and deer-filled forests, then rows of plowed soil, golden barley fields, and the sweet scent of cereal grains.

But this isn’t somewhere in Scotland. Nor is it in Ireland or the United States. This is Brandenburg, a sparsely populated region in Germany surrounding Berlin. It the most compact part of a seductive new whiskey country that has upwards of 250 producers—almost twice as many as Scotland, yet with just a fraction of the visitors. Factor in an increasing emphasis on grain-to-glass provenance, and it’s evident that interest in German whiskey is rocketing.

With five compelling distilleries all within a 60-mile radius of the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (which opened in October 2020), Brandenburg is a fruitful place to taste whiskey. A circumnavigation of the German capital region promises new-found tradition and adventure in equal measure, with warehouses, whiskey cellars, and sampling rooms.


Alabama the Beautiful
Take This Unforgettable Road Trip To Experience Some Of Alabama’s Most Impressive Caves And Waterfalls.

Alabama is filled with hundreds of caves and waterfalls. In fact, some of the best caves and waterfalls in the world are located right here in the Yellowhammer State. Listed in the link, OnlyInYourState.com has mapped a road trip that’ll take you to some of these caves and waterfalls. With a driving distance of 346 miles and an estimated drive time of only 7 hours and 6 minutes, this road trip is perfect for a weekend adventure. It begins at Russell Cave National Monument, but you may begin anywhere you’d like.


New AGP Members
Please help us welcome our new members:


CORPORATE/SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP

Hyperion, Inc.

Conor Wilson
Managing Director

 Scott Milo
Vice President


Hyperion is a small business with a worldwide footprint. For nearly three decades, we have provided Engineering, IT, and Energy services for Government and industry. We have deployed technical teams to consult, survey, install, maintain, and operate technology products throughout the United States, as well as 16 countries across the globe including active war zones. From digging in the dirt to data in the hands of end-users, we work in every aspect of the IT spectrum all over the world. We operate on a host of Federal contract vehicles and have a physical presence in Alabama, Washington D.C., Germany, and South Korea. Learn more at www.hyperioninc.com


INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP

Lawrence Gansel



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

Let's welcome YOU as a new member - Join AGP TODAY!


AGP Membership 2021

2021 AGP Membership Renewal are Open

Thank you for your support as an AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) member in 2020! It is so appreciated especially in times like this.
 
This past year may have thrown us a few curveballs that have affected many of us. It has been unsettling times, to say the least, but we’re still proud of everything we were able to accomplish.
 
Membership renewals have been sent 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.
 

We are looking forward to a better 2021 with y’all! 

COVID-19 RELATED NEWS AND RESOURCES
NEWS:

The pandemic can only be overcome if it is brought under control all over the world. Nobody is safe until everybody is safe. Germany thus chose early on to focus on finding joint responses to the pandemic in a spirit of solidarity. The key is to ensure affordable global access to tools for detecting infections, medication for treating the disease, and above all vaccines for preventing it. The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator) was set up to this end last year, and Germany has already contributed 600 million euro to the scheme.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that Germany will need to re-open cautiously and step-by-step in order to avoid a sudden return to lockdown if COVID infections pick up again.
"We cannot afford ups and downs," Merkel told participants of an online conference of the center-right CDU/CSU parliamentary group, according to several sources who spoke to reporters following the meeting.
Merkel will meet with the leaders of Germany's 16 states to discuss the way out of a lockdown that began in November and was extended until at least March 7.


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:

You can continue to reach us by phone: (205) 341-7880 or email: director@alabamagermany.org.


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