Do Germans and Americans Understand Each Other

T R A D EGACC • 75 Broad Street, 21st Floor • New York, NY 10004 • USA

G E R M A N A M E R I C A N

Bruce R. White, PartnerJKJ&H International:

Risky Business!

Rainer Brüderle, Federal Minister for

Economics and Technologyopened Energy Conference

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 0

Top 50 Ranking: T-Mobile USA New Number One

V O L U M E 2 1 · N U M B E R 3 · $ 5 . 0 0

German AmericanChambers of CommerceDeutsch-AmerikanischeHandelskammern

PROMISING MARKETS FOR RENEWABLES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

2nd German American Energy Conference in Berlin

69058_GACC_ACG:May/June 2010 4/30/10 1:14 PM Page 1

The WEMPE ZEITMEISTER is the only German chronometer-certified wristwatch. As a sign

of the uniqueness of this new collection, the back of each watch is engraved with a depiction

of the Glashütte Observatory, where our watches undergo a strict 15-day testing procedure

which verifies their precision. Only after passing these tests do they earn the distinction of

being awarded an official chronometer certificate. Available exclusively at Wempe. $2,780.

700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street New York TEL: 212.397.9000Hamburg Berlin Munich Dusseldorf Frankfurt London Madrid Paris Vienna

wempe-ZEITMEISTER.com

OPEN SUNDAYS 12–5

the word “Chronometer” has a superlative form.

Zeitmeister.


T R A N S A T L A N T I C T I C K E RGerman American Company News 4

C O V E R S T O R YPromising Markets for Renewables & Energy Efficiency:2nd German American Energy Conference in Berlin 6

S P O T L I G H T SThe Port of Virginia:An Easy Access to Business 12

Washington Update: A Fresh Look at U.S. Trade Policy 14

Top 50 Ranking:T-Mobile USA New Number One 17

B U S I N E S S T O O L SDo Germans and Americans Understand Each Other? 20

D R E A M C A T C H E R SWechsler’s Currywurst! 22

S T A T E S P E C I A LColorado: Moving Mountains for a Greener Economy 25

M E M B E R P R O F I L EDeutsches Haus at New York University:Learning “Germany” in New York City 28

P A S T G A C C E V E N T SGACC Highlights: March/April 2010 30

E V E N T C A L E N D A REvents & Delegations: May/June 2010 33

B O A R D T A L KBruce R. White, Partner JKJ&H International: “Risky Business!” 34

Think Fast!

Which state is home to the only city in history to turn down

hosting the Olympic Games? This state was also the first to

force a decision on the implementation of a renewable energy

standard through a public vote. If you know the answer or need

a few more hints, turn to our State Special to learn more about

this unique state.

Our cover story features the 2nd German American Energy

Conference, which took place on March 22-23, 2010 in

Berlin, Germany and a survey of German and American businesses in the renewable

energies industry conducted by the GACC and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants of

North America.

Interested in learning German or perfecting your German language skills? The

Deutsches Haus at New York University in New York City has been providing lan-

guage education since 1976 and offers cultural, linguistic and literary courses in addi-

tion to language classes.

Cross-cultural communication can be a tricky subject. In his article “Do Germans and

Americans Understand Each Other?” John Magee analyzes the differences in the per-

ceptions and communication styles of Germans and Americans.

Happy Reading!

E D I T O R I A L

Jan Christoph [email protected]

C O N T E N T S

Exclusive cartoon for German American Trade Magazine by Heiko Sakurai www.sakurai-cartoons.de


ZF Industries puts energy behind new Gainesville plant

Michigan manufacturer ZF Indus-tries will build a roughly250,000-square-foot plant inGainesville to make transmissionsfor wind turbines. The plant is thelatest in a string of economic devel-opment projects in Georgia linkedto the renewable energy sector. Thetransmissions to be made in theplanned Gainesville plant would beused in wind turbines, sources said.ZF spokesman Bryan Johnsondeclined to confirm that or saywhether the transmissions would beused for export or domestic mar-kets. The new ZF plant is said to bedubbed Project Wind, a source dis-

closed. ZF, with North Americanheadquarters in Northville, Mich.,employs about 250 in Gainesville,where it builds transmissions andaxles for construction equipmentand axle drives for cars and SUVs. • Atlanta Business Chronicle

Barkawi opens North American office

Barkawi, a German-based providerof management consulting andoutsourcing services for aftermar-ket support and supply chain, haslaunched its North American oper-ation. Headquartered in Munich,with offices in Moscow, New Del-hi and Shanghai, the new locationin Atlanta will serve clients inCanada and the United States. Theexpansion is also aimed at helpinginternational clients grow andimprove in the region. “Companiesaround the world are examiningtheir business operations to identi-fy ways to operate more efficientlyand effectively. North Americanclients, like those in our alreadyestablished regions, are anxious toaddress today’s economic pressuresby streamlining their supply chainsand aftermarket support,” explainsKarim Barkawi, Managing Partner.Barkawi’s expertise helps globalcompanies optimize their opera-tions by customizing processes andsolutions to meet their uniqueneeds. Clients include Case NewHolland, Daimler, DeutscheTelekom, Electrolux, Fujitsu Net-works, IBM, Lufthansa, Motorola,Nokia, Philips, Porsche, RIM(Blackberry), Samsung Electronics,Siemens, Sony Ericsson, and Volk-swagen. • Logistics Today

Fraunhofer CMB awarded $4.395mfor H1N1 vaccine development

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molec-ular Biotechnology (CMB)announced that it has received a$4.395 million award from theDefense Advanced Research Proj-ects Agency (DARPA) to develop avaccine against H1N1 influenzavirus using its plant-based produc-tion platform. This will be the thirdround of funding from DARPAand follows on CMB’s successfuloptimization and feasibility studiescompleted in 2008 and a new,state-of-the-art cGMP pilot manu-facturing facility completed at theend of 2009. This current fundingwill allow CMB’s H1N1 vaccinecandidate to progress to Phase 1clinical trials, therefore validatingthe utility of the technology formanufacturing products for use inhumans. • Press release

First Solar joins solar project Desertec

U.S. solar power company FirstSolar said it had joined theDesertec solar power project,which hopes to supply 15 percentof Europe’s power by 2050 via anetwork of renewable energysources. First Solar said it was thefirst pure photovoltaic companyto join Desertec, the world’s mostambitious 400 billion euro($549.9 billion) solar power proj-ect that proposes sending energycreated in the Sahara to localmarkets and to Europe. The Ari-zona-based company said it hadjoined Desertec for an initialperiod of three years and that itwould contribute utility-scale PVexpertise in project working

A D V E R T I S E M E N T


groups. Twelve member compa-nies - mostly German onesincluding Siemens, E.ON, RWEand Deutsche Bank - support theDesertec Industrial Initiative,launched at Munich Re head-quarters in July last year. • Reuters

Siemens enters Memphis market

Siemens AG is opening a largeassembly and distribution facilityin the Memphis area that willbring 150 new jobs and could has-ten the return of industrialdevelopment. The German com-pany has signed a 619,000-sq.-ft.lease for all of Building 1 at Air-ways Distribution Center inSouthaven. The new centershould be operational by May 15.Michael Krampe, director ofmedia relations for Siemens oper-ating unit Siemens Industry, Inc.,says the center will employ about150 at full capacity. Electrical dis-tribution products, controls andmotors will be distributed fromthe facility, where some lightassembly also will take place,Krampe says. • Memphis Business Journal

Wilh. Schulz GmbH breaks groundon $300M pipe plant in Tunica

Construction will begin May 1 ona new $300 million pipe manufac-turing plant in Tunica County.Wilh. Schulz GMBH already hasorders for the new plant to fill,and officials with the Krefeld,Germany-based company plan tostart production in December.The plant, which will producepipes for the oil and gas industries,will initially employ 200 workers.That number will increase to 500

over the next five years. This is thecompany’s first North Americanmanufacturing facility. Earlier thisyear the Legislature approved anincentive package that provided$15 million in bonds to help withthe construction. • Press release

BNY Mellon to buy BHF Asset Servicing

Bank of New York Mellon Corp,the world’s largest custodian offinancial assets, said it agreed toacquire Germany’s BHF AssetServicing GmbH for $343 mil-lion.The acquisition follows BNYMellon’s purchase of PNC Finan-cial Services Group’s (PNC.N)fund services unit a month agoand is part of the company’s effortto expand its market share global-ly this year, according to anexecutive. As a result of this deal,BNY Mellon will rank second infund administration in Germany,said Jim Palermo, chief executiveof BNY Mellon's asset servicingbusiness. The combined Germanbusiness will have $642 billion inassets under custody. Before,BNY Mellon was not one of thetop five fund administrators inGermany, Palermo said. • Reuters

NC lands Vossloh Kiepe Inc.

Vossloh Kiepe Inc. is making ahigh-speed entrance into ForsythCounty, NC. The advancedtransportation manufacturerplans to move into a 15,000-square-foot facility in southForsyth on April 1. “By the endof the year, we’re probably goingto bring 10 employees, and thatwill double next year,” said KlausRoehmer, the company’s presi-dent and chief executive officer ofU.S. operations. “I am excited...to get started because I believethe market is right at the presenttime for some new business.”Vossloh Kiepe, the county’s 11thGermany-based firm, has beenaround for more than a century.Based in Düsseldorf, it develops,manufactures and sells a varietyof electro-technical products todeliver goods and transport pas-sengers. • forsythnews.com


NEW:Subscribe to the Transatlantic Ticker via RSS Feed www.gaccny.com/en/news/transatlantic-ticker/

NEW:Follow the Ticker on Twitterwww.twitter.com/GACCNewYork

GAT


For two days, Berlin turnedinto a Mecca for environmen-tal technologies and

transatlantic business as the 2ndGerman American Energy Con-ference opened its doors at theHouse of German Business onMonday, March 22. High-rank-ing industry experts and politicaldecision- makers from both sidesof the Atlantic met to discuss cur-rent industry trends andchallenges. A vibrant eveningreception in the venue’s stunningatrium and many other gather-ings during the conferenceprovided an unrivaled opportuni-ty to network and furtherGerman-American cooperationin the clean energy sector.

Annual Conference

The German American EnergyConference is organized annuallyby the German American Cham-bers of Commerce (GACCs) andthe German Energy Agency(dena) in a joint effort to promotecooperation between two of themost important world economies

and players in the renewableenergy industry. In 2010, theconference focused on cur-rent trends and supportframeworks within the U.S.energy market, in particularwith regard to benefits andopportunities they hold forGerman companies.

“Although the political dis-cussion on internationalclimate policies is slowingdown, the U.S. market forrenewable energies in particu-lar shows dynamic develop-ment. Both German and U.S.companies see great potentialin the American market forthe coming years. Thetransatlantic business ties thathave been established overdecades offer a solid basis forcooperation in the renewableenergy and energy efficiency sec-tors. German companies shouldseize these opportunities now,”emphasized Dr. Martin Wans-leben, CEO, Association ofGerman Chambers of Industryand Commerce (DIHK).

C O V E R S T O R Y

G E R M A N A M E R I C A N T R A D E M A Y / J U N E 1 0

6

Dr. Martin Wansleben, CEO, Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce

(DIHK), during his welcome speech

Promising Markets for Renewables & Energy Efficiency March 22-23, 2010: 2nd German American Energy Conference in Berlin


>>


7

C O V E R S T O R Y

Above from left: Dr. MartinWansleben, Association of GermanChambers of Industry and Commerce(DIHK); Rainer Brüderle, FederalMinistry of Economics andTechnology (BMWi); Andreas Jung,German Energy Agency (dena); Dr. Werner Schnappauf, Federationof German Industries (BDI); SimonePohl, German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest

Right: Dr. Norbert Röttgen, FederalMinister of Environment, Nature,and Nuclear Safety (BMU), welcomesthe guests to the evening event

The event moved at a fast pace,mirroring the dynamic energyindustry. On Tuesday, four expertpanels ran simultaneously in orderto allow for the coverage of a vastrange of subjects in the wind-,solar-, bio-energy and energy effi-ciency fields. A total of 88presenters including representa-tives of corporations, political andresearch institutions discussedtopics ranging from “Solar afterCopenhagen – Opportunities andRisks for Germany and the U.S.”to “How to Increase Energy Effi-ciency Capabilities in Industry”.While the presentations focusedmainly on the future of cleanenergies, the organizers of the con-

ference also made a practical con-tribution in the here and now:The environmental impact of theevent was offset through a cooper-ation with “atmosfair”.

Strong Political Attention

The presence of top governmentofficials from Germany and theUnited States highlighted theimportance both countriesascribed to the conference and itstopics. Germany’s Federal Minis-ter of Economics and Technology,Rainer Brüderle delivered theofficial opening speech on Mon-day morning, while FederalMinister of the Environment, Dr.


8


Norbert Röttgen, welcomedguests at the evening reception.Deputy Minister of the FederalForeign Office, Dr. Peter Ammoncontributed one of the openingspeeches focusing on the future ofenergy policies in the USA andGermany. The United States wasrepresented on the political sideby speakers including Ambassa-dor to Germany, Philip D.Murphy; Special Envoy for Euro-pean and Asian Energy Affairs forU.S. President Barack Obama at

the U.S. Department of State,Richard L. Morningstar; and Sen-ior Policy & CommunicationsSpecialist at the U.S. Departmentof Energy, Scott Gregory Minos.With more than 500 experts inthe political and economic fieldstaking part in the two day confer-ence, the event was a big success.

The conference was generouslysupported by the Federal Min-istry of Economics andTechnology (BMWi).

Above: Viktor Elbling, FederalForeign Office; Dr. Axel Nitschke,Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK);Josef Eichhammer, Solar Trust of America, LLC; Klaudia Martini,Former Minister for Environmentand Forestry of the State of RheinlandPfalz; Michael Eckhardt, AmericanCouncil on Renewable Energy(ACORE); Jochen Homann, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi); Richard L. Morningstar, U.S. Department of State

Bottom left to right: GAE organizers - German American Chambers of Commerce (GACCs) and GermanEnergy Agency (dena)

C O V E R S T O R Y



9

>>

T he 2nd German AmericanEnergy Conference also pro-vided an ideal setting for the

GACCs to present their firstdetailed survey of German Amer-ican business in the clean energyfield. After the successful launch

of the Annual German AmericanBusiness Outlook (GABO) inthe fall of 2009, the GACCs onceagain worked with Roland Berg-er Strategy Consultants, this timeto gain first-hand insight intopotential and challenges of theRenewable Energy and EnergyEfficiency market in the UnitedStates. The results of the surveyhighlight the importance of thisyoung industry as a short- andlong-term employment driverand reveal strong potential forGerman-American partnership.

According to Juergen Reers,Managing Partner for RolandBerger Strategy Consultants ofNorth America, the US offersconsiderable potential for compa-nies in the renewable energyindustry. “About one-third of thebusinesses surveyed throughoutthe wind, solar, bio-energy andenergy efficiency fields expectannual growth rates of over 10%in 2010 and the next four years.” The 300 survey participantsincluded American companies aswell as US subsidiaries of Germanfirms with operations in one ofthe key sectors: wind; solar; bio-energy or energy efficiency. Thehigh revenue growth expectationsthroughout the entire sectormake it an engine for employ-ment growth, as 87% of

C O V E R S T O R Y

SU eht ni htworg elpma tcepxe seinapmoc namreG dna SU htoBrotces neerg

SU eht rof snoitatcepxe raey rep htworg euneveR

SEINAPMOC SU

sisylana regreB dnaloR:ecruoS

%43%01>

%01-5

%8

%2-0

%32

%0<

%5-2

%02

%61

RAEY 1

%15

%72

%51

%7

%1

SRAEY 5

STNEMMOC

dna SU fo %05 revO>seinapmoc namreG

%5 revo etapicitnaraey txen eht ni htworggnignellahc eht etipsed

ymonoce

mret regnoL>neve era snoitatcepxe

gnitseggus regnortseht fo ytilibaniatsus eht

seirtsudni

SEIRAIDISBUS NAMREG

%83%01>

%01-5

%3

%2-0

%81

%0<

%5-2

%12

%12

RAEY 1

%06

%92

%9

%0

%3

SRAEY 5

boj fo ecruos gnorts a sa nees si elohw a sa rotces neerg ehTmret regnol dna raen eht ni noitaerc

RAEY REP NOITAERC SBOJ

%4

%4001-52

001>

52-01

%8601-0

0< %31

%01

RAEY 1

%73

%5

%01

%91

%82

SRAEY 5

raey rep noitaerc boj rof snoitatcepxESTHGISNI

noitidda emos ees ,%78 ,smrif tsoM>raey txen eht ni sboj fo

detaerc sboj fo rebmun detcepxe ehT>rehtruf regral hcum si ynapmoc rep

gnitaerc boj eht gnitcelfer ,tuoyrtsudni neerg eht fo laitnetop

sboj fo tnuoma tsegral eht hguohT>,secivres dna selas ni emoc lliwera sboj D&R dna gnirutcafunam

oot worg ot detcepxe


Detailed survey results accessible at:www.ahk-usa.com

Survey on Renewable Energies in the United StatesEmployment Driver and Ideal Platform for German-American Partnership


businesses plan to hire additionalemployees already in the currentyear. The fact that a majority ofcompanies indicated that theycurrently feel restrained by thepoor overall economy makes thisoptimism even more noteworthy.

The fast paced growth of thisyoung industry, however, alsoposes challenges in the UnitedStates, while generating a strongdemand for German technologyand expertise. The data shows asurge in the number of Germancompanies entering the boomingUS market in recent years whilealso indicating that a clear major-ity of them already consider theirexpansion successful. 72% ofGerman respondents stated thattheir expectations for the USmarket had been met.

When it comes to the politicalframework and consumer educa-tion of the US market, bothGerman and American business-

es surveyed see potential forimprovement. The implementa-tion of national renewable energystandards and better education ofend-users on real energy costsand new technologies rank high-est on their list. US companiesadditionally named credit andfunding issues among their cur-rent key challenges, whichtranslate into strong competitionand high cost pressure for theGerman suppliers.

Decades of experience with inno-vative solutions in environmentaltechnologies make German com-panies particularly attractivepartners for their US counter-parts. One-third of Americanfirms surveyed in the sectoralready collaborate with Germanpeers, and 70% of these partner-ships have been forged within thelast five years. According to thesurvey, the number of transat-lantic business ties will grow evenfurther as 40% of US companies

1 0


C O V E R S T O R Y

evitisop a gnitcepxe SU eht deretne ohw seinapmoc namreGtem snoitatcepxe esoht dah evah ecneirepxe

evitisop yreV 3%

evitisoP %25

%82lartueN

/gnignellahCevitageN %71

secneirepxe hcetneerG SU rieht rof snoitatcepxe namreGSTNEMMOC

eht deretne ohw esohT>tsehgih eht htiw tekram

evah ot raeppa sepoh– tem meht dah

eht gnitcelfer ylbissopfo gninoitisop gnorts

seinapmoc esoht

waserof ohw esohT>evah segnellahc egral

meht decneirepxerieht gnipoleved elihw

sessenisub

rof snoitatcepxe seinapmoc namreG?hcetneerG ni ecneirepxE SU rieht ?tem neeb snoitatcepxe eht evaH

naht gnignellahc erom ylthgilSdetcepxe

neeb evah snoitatcepxe evitisoPtem

stluser was ohw esoht fo xim neve nAsnoitatcepxe naht esrow dna retteb

egral sa neeb evah segnellahc tekraMdetcepxe naht regral ro sa


Juergen Reers, Managing Partner for RolandBerger Strategy Consultants of North America,

presents survey results at GAE


C O V E R S T O R Y

are currently interested in findingGerman partners, of which amajority are looking for innova-tion partners.

“This is an important signal forus as a representative of Germanbusiness in the United States andreinforces our strong focus onthe renewables and energy effi-ciency industry,” commentedSimone Pohl, President andCEO of the German AmericanChamber of Commerce of theMidwest in Chicago.

In recent years, the GACCs havededicated an increasing amountof their work to projects in therenewable energy sector. In closecooperation with the GermanMinistry of Economics and Tech-nology, the GACCs organizecompany delegations, confer-ences and networking events inGermany and the United Stateswith the goal of promotingtransatlantic cooperation andbusiness partnerships in the cleanenergy sectors.

1 1


GAT

rojam eht no eerga yllareneg seinapmoc namreG dna SUsnoitulos rieht dna rotces neerg eht gnicaf segnellahc

rotces neerg eht gnicaf segnellahC


REHTO/SEINAPMOC SU3 poT

ymonoce rooP.1

gnidnuf/tiderC.2

ycilop laredef fo kcaL.3

SEIRAIDISBUS NAMREG3 poT

ymonoce rooP.1

ycilop laredef fo kcaL.2

noititepmoc gnortS.3

SNOITULOStuoba sremusnoc etacudE>

dna stsoc ygrene laerseigolonhcet

elbawener lanoitan teS>sdradnats ygrene

tnemnrevog esaercnI>ffirat ni-deef tes ro seidisbus

– yltnecer demrof erew spihsrentrap naciremA-namreG tsoMhtworg lanoitidda rof ytinutroppo tnacifingis llits si ereht


pihsrentrap naciremA namreG fo sutatS

yna evah ynapmoc ruoy seoDspihsrentrap /tnemevlovni tnerruc

?seinapmoc namreG htiw

ynapmoc ruoy sah gnol woHnamreG htiw derentrap

)sraeY( ?seinapmoc

eht fo erutan eht si tahWhtiw tnemevlovni/pihsrentrap

fo redro nI( ?seinapmoc namreG)esnopser tneuqerf tsael ot tsom

%95

%21oNesnopser

%92

oN

seY

%51

%5101>

01-6

5-3 %22

2-0 %84 seinapmoc namreG ot reilppuS|1rentrap noitavonnI|2

seinapmoc namreG fo remotsuC|3serutnev tnioJ|4

> stnednopser fo 3/1 tsomlAfo mrof emos evah ydaerla

namreG htiw pihsrentrapseinapmoc

> ylrae rieht ni llits si pihsrentraPylevitaler eht gnitcelfer ,sesahprotces neerg eht fo erutan wen

SU eht ni

> dezingocer evah seinapmoc SUlacigolonhcet namreG ehtpu tes evah dna pihsredael

spihsrentrap noitavonni

rieht gnidnapxe ni tseretni desserpxe evah seinapmoc naciremAspihsrentrap naciremA namreG

pihsrentrap gnikees ni level tseretnIseinapmoc namreG htiw )1

)3-0 fo egnaR( seitinutroppo pihsrentrap poT

seitinutroppo pihsrentrap erutuFSTNEMMOC

gnikool si rotces yrevE>noitavonni rof

pihsrentrap

owt ,raloS dna dniW>gnorts htiw saera

lacigolonhcet namreGhtob ,pihsredaelgnorts desserpxe

pihsrentrap ni tseretni

desserpxe ynaM>hcihw ,sVJ ni tseretni

eht tcelfer yamsmrif SU segnellahc

gnidnuf htiw dah evah

6.1

9.1

0.2

2.2

9.1 Ø

ygrenEycneiciffe

dniW

ygrene-oiB

,VP( raloS)lamrehT

)hgih/etaredom/wol/enon( snoitpO )1 )3 ,2 ,1 ,0( seulav dengissa erew


YGRENEYCNEICIFFE

rentrap noitavonnI>remotsuC>

erutneV tnioJ>

DNIW rentrap noitavonnI>remotsuC>

RALOS erutnev tnioJ>rentrap noitavonnI>

-OIBYGRENE

rentrap noitavonnI>erutneV tnioJ>

tnemtsevnI>


T he HamptonRoads regionconsists of 10

cities and 5 coun-ties situated inthe southeasterncorner of Virginia. Self-describedas ‘the heart of the mid-Atlantic’,the region is home to a naturaldeepwater harbor that is unob-structed and ice-free year round.Accordingly the Port of Virginiacan be regarded as the east coast’scentral U.S. port of entry - anartery of sorts - that allows cargoto flow with precision to andfrom its harbor and destinationsacross the interior United States.

Connected to a superior highwayand interstate network, multiplerailways and the James River, thePort of Virginia possesses a widevariety of possibilities to trans-port cargo efficiently andexpeditiously. Cargo transportedby truck, 64% of the port’s near-ly 2.1 mil TEUs (2008), takes lessthan an hour to leave the harborand begin the journey inland.This efficiency is due, in largepart, to an efficient and skilled

workforce, but more importantly,the utilization of the Port-Wide-Chassis Pool ensuring anadequate in-time supply of main-tained chassis.

Rail accounts for an additional31% of the container traffic link-ing the port to the region’s railwayconnections. Rail transportation,long regarded as environment-friendly, has been furtherenhanced via the Port of Virginia’saccess to a double stack railwaysystem that allows one contain-er to be stacked on top ofanother. This double stacktransport affords the freightforwarder keen advantages:twice as many containerstransported simultaneouslyand the flexibility in the num-ber and variety of destinations.Simply put, cargo shipped to, andunloaded in, the Port of Virginiaand transported via double stack

S P O T L I G H T S

The Port of Virginia An Easy Access to Business

For more information about the Port of Virginia or Hampton Roads,

contact the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance at +1-800-423-5068

www.hreda.com

1 2


69058_GACC_pg.12-13_crx_ACG:Layout 1 5/3/10 10:30 PM Page 2

rail to inland markets is a smartand efficient method that cansave companies time and money.

Additional transportation offeredby the Port of Virginia includes aweekly barge service between theharbor of Hampton Roads andRichmond, VA; a successfultransportation method estab-lished as a “green” alternative for5% of the port’s unloaded cargoin 2008.

As one of the world’s largest andmost vital natural harbors, theport’s current accolades includeaccommodating the leviathans ofthe ocean like the 15.000 TEU“Emma Maersk”. But tomorrowholds new challenges and theport is looking forward and

preparing to meet them with cre-ative solutions. Craney Island isjust such an example. Currentlyunder development and beingfashioned from the placement ofdredged material, Craney Islandwill be the Port of Virginia’sfourth terminal in HamptonRoads. Upon completion, theterminal will sit on 600 acres ofopen water and enhance theport’s turnover by 1.5 millionTEUs by 2020 and another 5million TEUs by 2032 culminat-ing in a future port-wide capacityof 10 million TEUs.

Through innovation the Port ofVirginia not only provides efficientand expeditious access for today’sbusiness, the Port of Virginia isprepared to face the future. GAT

AD

VE

RT

IS

EM

EN

T

■ The perfect read for your German-learning employees and bilingual families!

■ All feature articles in English & German.Editorial focus on all things German in the US.

■ Company subscription rate: $ 99/year for 10 copies per issue.

■ Call us now at (323) 876 5843 or contact us at [email protected]

■ Special subscription rate for readers of “Trade”: Only $15/year!

I Want You Dad!German film maker’s dramatic search for his GI father

Mission Hollywood – PossibleGerman Reality TV Show Has 12 Starlets Battle for Role in the US

Do You Remember?60 Years Federal Republic of Germany

MIX & MATCH

Steffi Graf und Andre Agassi: Eine deutsch-amerikanische Traumehe

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi: A German-American Dream Marriage

THE ONLY BILINGUAL MAGAZINE FOR AUSTRIAN, GERMAN AND SWISS CULTURE$3.95/ISSUE $19.95/YEAR (USA) $27.95 (CANADA) ISBN 1 558-7568

Summer/Sommer 2009

SWISS SPECIAL

+All Things Swiss in America

Discover

Germ

an W

orld

Mag

azin

e!Th

e on

ly b

iling

ual G

erm

an-E

nglis

h pu

blic

atio

n in

the

US

.

www.german-world.comFor regular updates and event announcements visit

German World Magazine, PO Box 3541, Los Angeles CA 90078 - USA

69058_GACC_pg.12-13_crx_ACG:Layout 1 5/3/10 10:30 PM Page 3

A fter months of internaldeliberation the ObamaAdministration’s trade poli-

cy is taking shape. Four priorityissues emerge from the Presi-dent’s State of the Union Addressin January, and the Administra-tion’s 2010 Trade Policy Agenda,which was released in March.

First, the Administration will dowhatever is necessary to revive theAmerican economy. The center-piece, from a trade perspective, isthe National Export Initiative,unveiled during the State of theUnion. Second, the White Houseis updating U.S. export controlspolicy to respond to technologydevelopments in other countries.Third, the Administration willemphasize trade enforcement toprotect the rights of U.S. compa-nies and workers. Finally, the U.S.will strengthen trade relations inSoutheast Asia, including thecomplex relationship with China.

Four Priorities

The National Export Initiative(NEI) seeks to double U.S.exports by 2014. This would sup-port two million U.S. jobs,according to the White House.The Department of Commercewill take the lead in concert withother Federal authorities includ-ing the U.S. Trade Representative(USTR), the Small BusinessAdministration, and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

The NEI represents a first-ever“government-wide” effort toboost U.S. exports, includingdirect engagement by PresidentObama. The White House creat-ed an interagency ExportPromotion Cabinet via ExecutiveOrder to focus the efforts of topU.S. officials. The CEO-levelPresident’s Export Council willbe invigorated under the leader-ship of Boeing President JimMcNerney as Council Chair.Greater financing, especially forsmall-to-midsized companies,

will be made available. Public-private partnerships and

“one stop” serv-

ice centers will aid U.S. compa-nies with their export activities.

The Administration is reviewingU.S. export controls policy toensure a proper balance betweennational security and commercialinterests. The review should con-clude soon, now that EricHirschhorn has been installed asUnder Secretary for ExportAdministration and Head of theBureau of Industry and Securityat the Department of Commerce.

Two measures were announced inMarch. The first deals withencryption technology. TheWhite House seeks to streamlinethe process for ascertainingwhether licenses are required forexporting products with encryp-tion technology.

The second deals with companiesthat employ dual-national andthird-party-national individuals.At issue are divergent policies fol-lowed by the Departments ofCommerce and State to deter-mine whether export licenses arerequired. The Administrationseeks to harmonize the proce-dures to reduce uncertainty andthe number of licenses required.

The Administration is devotingincreased resources to trade

enforcement. Last summer

S P O T L I G H T S

A Fresh Look at U.S. Trade Policy

WA S H I N G T O N� U P D AT E�

N E W S F R O M I N S I D E T H E B E L T W A Yby David [email protected]

1 4



S P O T L I G H T S

USTR Kirk articulated a three-prong strategy involving sanitaryand phytosanitary standards (SPS),technical barriers to trade (TBT),and potential violations of laborprovisions in free trade agreements.

The Administration recentlyreleased three reports (includingthe 2010 National Trade Esti-mate) detailing its enforcementpriorities. The reports addressingSPS and TBT problems stemfrom a new initiative.

Substantively, the focus will be onimpairment of U.S. intellectualproperty rights and non-tariff barri-ers, especially regulations andstandards that have no basis in sci-ence or which do not conform tointernational norms and guidelines.

Procedurally, while the Adminis-tration is receptive to resolvingdisagreements through informaltalks, it will pursue more vigor-ous measures if necessary.

The Administration seeks toenhance the profile of U.S. indus-try in Southeast Asia. TheTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)negotiations, which commencedin March, are a cornerstone of thestrategy. The nations participat-ing in the TPP talks are Australia,Brunei Darussalam, Chile, NewZealand, Peru, Singapore, theUnited States, and Vietnam.

The White House acknowledgesthe importance of rebalancingthe entire relationship with Chi-

na along strategic and economiclines. Engaging the Chinese lead-ership is a priority for PresidentObama and senior U.S. officials.

Other Important Areas

Three additional issues warrantbrief mention: the Administra-tion’s stance on the Doha talks atthe World Trade Organization(WTO), its position on transat-lantic relations, and the situationin Congress.

The Administration affirmsinterest in a rules-based, multilat-eral trading system anchored bythe WTO but other WTO mem-bers point to a lack of U.S.leadership as an impediment toadvancing the stalled negotia-tions. With the U.S. trade squadat nearly full strength, the U.S.may now be in position toreassert leadership.

While the 2010 Trade Agendareport acknowledges the “maturi-ty, stability, and immense mutualbenefits of the U.S. trade relation-ship with the EuropeanUnion,” it does not specifyconcrete steps for deep-ening the relationship.

Congress has shownlittle interest in for-mulating a coherenttrade policy. It contin-ues to block the pendingfree trade agreements withColombia, Panama and SouthKorea. Congressmen in both par-

ties have critiqued the Administra-tion’s “narrow” focus on tradeenforcement. There appears to belittle appetite in either party to pro-duce a comprehensive trade policy.

Conclusion

Improving the U.S. economyremains the Administration’s toppriority, followed by severaldomestic issues. Although theAdministration has set someintriguing trade goals, there maynot be sufficient political will inCongress to support them.Democrats are concerned thattough votes on health care, finan-cial markets, and climate andenergy may cost them at the polls.Republicans seek a path to returnto power. The Obama Adminis-tration will be challenged toidentify trade issues that canattract support from liberal con-stituents, such as labor unions, aswell as the more conservativebusiness community.

1 5

GAT


David Campbell

Attorney, CPA

Director of Trade Policy

Phone: (202) 659-6827

E-Mail: [email protected]

AB

OU

T

TH

E

AU

TH

OR

www.rgit-usa.com


Landesbank Baden-Württemberg

The globe helps to capture the world at a glance. Landes-

bank Baden-Württemberg supports you in the global

competitive environment and wants to be your preferred

partner in the key fi nancial centers all over the world.

LBBW New York Branch is your gateway to the US Financial

Markets and provides tailor-made solutions and a wide

range of products and services for subsidiaries of small

and medium sized German companies. Partnership begins

with a good talk: Please contact our German Desk at

+1 212 584-1700 or visit us at www.LBBW.com

Overview. Made in Germany.Beyond all borders.

Globe

Inventor: Martin Behaim

Germany, 1492

111772_AZ_GLO_178x256 1 24.03.10 11:12


T he latest Top 50 Ranking of German Firms in the U.S. conducted by the Ger-man American Chambers of Commerce, based on the 2009 annual sales figures,demonstrates the robust condition of German firms in the U.S. - despite the

recession and financial crisis. The total revenues of the Top 50 fell by only 7.5% from$275 to $255 billion in last year’s ranking. 32 of the 50 firms reported mostly mod-est losses. 18 companies even showed increased sales numbers. T-Mobile USA pushedSiemens USA from last year’s first place to become the new number one, althoughSiemens remains the biggest German employer having created 64,000 jobs. RobertDotson, CEO of T-Mobile USA for the last 6 years, traces this success back to hiscompany’s innovative products and pricing models: “T-Mobile USA is intensely focused on offering families a better overall communications value when every dollarcounts. While the recession has changed the spending habits for many consumers, we areextremely bullish on the opportunity to offer innovative products and data services thatdeliver new and compelling ways for families to stay connected. We’ve long held the lead-ership position on value in wireless, and we will extend that success into 2010 andbeyond.” The relatively low decrease in the overall volume of sales of the Top 50 iscontrasted with the number of job cuts over the same period. The Top 50 Germanfirms decreased their work force by 14% to 412,000, down from 480,000. The auto-motive sector and steel industry were hardest hit.

S P O T L I G H T S

1 7

New Number One: T-Mobile USA


Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of thefourth quarter of 2009, almost 152 million mobile customers

were served by the mobile communication segments of theDeutsche Telekom group – 33.8 million by T-Mobile USA – all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world’s most widely used digital wireless

standards. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products andservices help empower people to connect to those who matter

most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rankT-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout

the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality.

ROBERT DOTSON PRESIDENT & CEO, T-MOBILE USAAs the leader of the No. 4 carrier in the U.S., Dotson has carefully

crafted T-Mobile USA's reputation for being the smallest nation-wide operator with the biggest innovations – both in technologyand pricing scenarios. In fact, despite its smaller subscriber base,

T-Mobile has managed to keep its larger competitors (namely Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility) on their toes.

Company 2009 2008

Siemens USA Holdings 64,000 66,000

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. 50,000 62,030

Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. 39,000 42,000

T-Mobile USA 40,697 36,000

ThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. 21,000 44,228

Bayer Corp. 17,000 16,300

Bertelsmann, Inc. 17,000 17,000

BASF Corp. 15,000 15,191

Daimler Trucks 14,000 21,168

Robert Bosch, LLC 13,500 38,782

Top 10 Employers

By Nicola Michels, GACC New York

[email protected]

GAT


COMPANY U.S. WEBSITE U.S. TOPNAME LOCATION ADDRESS EXECUTIVE

1 T-Mobile USA Bellevue, WA www.t-mobile.com Robert Dotson

2 Siemens USA Holdings New York, NY www.usa.siemens.com Eric Spiegel

3 BMW of North America, LLC Woodcliff Lake, NJ www.bmwusa.com Jim O'Donnell

4 BASF Corp. Florham Park, NJ www.basf.us Kurt Bock

5 Allianz North America, Inc. (incl. Firemans Fund) New York, NY www.allianz.com Gary C. Bhojwani

6 Mercedes Benz USA, LLC Montvale, NJ www.mbusa.com Ernst Lieb

7 Bayer Corp. Pittsburgh, PA www.bayerus.com Greg Babe

8 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. Montvale, NJ www.aptea.com Christian W.E. Haub

9 DHL Holdings (USA), Inc. Plantation, FL www.dhl.com Hans Hickler

10 Boehringer Ingelheim Corp. Ridgefield, CT us.boehringer-ingelheim.com J. Martin Carroll

11 Turner Construction Co. New York, NY www.turnerconstruction.com Peter J. Davoren

12 Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. Waltham, MA www.fmcna.com Ben Lipps

13 Robert Bosch, LLC Farmington Hills, MI www.bosch.us Peter J. Marks

14 Trader Joe’s Co. Monrovia, CA www.traderjoes.com Dan Bane

15 Heraeus Incorporated New York, NY www.heraeus.com Schuh-Klaeren, Maike

16 Continental USA Fort Mill, SC www.continentaltire.com William L. Kozyra

17 Aldi, Inc. Batavia, IL www.aldi.us Charles Youngstrom

18 ThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. Troy, MI www.thyssenkrupp.com Deric Righter

19 Daimler Trucks Portland, OR www.daimler-trucksnorthamerica.com Martin Daum

20 Hannover Life Re America Orlando, FL www.hlramerica.com Pete Schaefer

21 Lehigh Cement Co. Allentown, PA www.lehighcement.com Albert Scheuer

22 SAP Americas Newtown Square, PA www.sap.com Bill McDermott

23 Volkswagen Group of America (incl. Audi Brand) Herndon, VA www.vw.com Stefan Jacoby

24 Henkel of America, Inc. Rocky Hill, CT www.henkel.us Jeffrey C. Piccolomini

25 Bertelsmann, Inc. New York, NY www.bertelsmann.com Robert Sorrentino

26 Adidas North America Inc. Portland, OR www.adidas.com Herbert Hainer

27 Munich Re America Princeton, NJ www.munichreamerica.com Anthony J. Kuczinski

28 E.ON U.S., LLC Louisville, KY www.eon-us.com Victor Staffieri

29 Evonik Degussa Corp. Parsippany, NJ www.north-america.evonik.com Tom Bates

30 Linde Gas North America, LLC Murray Hill, NJ www.us.linde-gas.com Patrick Murphy

31 Stinnes Corporation Tarrytown, NY www.dbschenkerusa.com Dr. Christoph Bohl

32 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Atlanta, GA www.porsche.com/usa Detlev von Platen

33 Deutsche Lufthansa AG East Meadow, NY www.lufthansa.com Jens Bischof

34 B. Braun Medical, Inc. Bethlehem, PA www.bbraunusa.com Caroll Neubauer

35 ZF Group North American Operations Northland, MI www.zf.com/na Dr. Michael Paul

36 GEA North America Holdings, Inc. New York, NY www.geagroup.com Susan M. Murphy

37 Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership Plymouth, MI www.freudenberg.us Mohsen M. Sohi

38 Helm U.S. Corporation Piscataway, NJ www.helmusa.com Andreas Weimann

39 Lanxess Pittsburgh, PA www.lanxess.com Randall S. Dearth

40 Flatiron Longmont, CO www.flatironcorp.com Tom Rademacher

41 Stihl Inc. Virginia Beach, VA www.stihlusa.com Fred Whyte

42 Wurth Group of North America Inc. Charlotte, NC www.wurth.com Andreas M. Fischer

43 Cognis Corp. USA Cincinnati, OH www.cognis.com Paul S. Allen

44 Behr America, Inc. Troy, MI www.behrgroup.com Heinz J. Otto

45 Schott North America, Inc. Elmsfort, NY www.us.schott.com Dr. Gerald J. Fine

46 BSH Home Appliances Corporation Huntington Beach, CA www.bsh-group.us Stefan Koss

47 Infineon Technologies North America Corp. Milpitas, CA www.infineon.com Jean-Baptiste Loire

48 Puma North America, Inc. Westford, MA www.puma.com Jay Piccola

49 Knorr Brake Holding Corp. Watertown, NY www.knorrbrakecorp.com Heinz Hermann Thiele

50 Beiersdorf, Inc . Wilton, CT www.beiersdorfusa.com Ian Holding

TOP 50 Ranking of German Firms in the U.S. 2009

1 8


S P O T L I G H T S


PARENT ‘09 SALES ‘08 SALES EMPLOYEES BUSINESSCOMPANY ($MILLIONS) ($MILLIONS) ‘09 ‘08 ACTIVITY

Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn 21,531 19,411 40,697 36,000 Communications

Siemens AG, Munich 21,301 27,200 64,000 66,000 IT/Communications, Transportation

BMW AG, Munich 16,296 16,660 5,500 6,000 Automotive (1)

BASF AG, Ludwigshafen 15,955 16,449 15,000 15,191 Chemicals (1)

Allianz SE, Munich 13,900 10,801 9,908 9,427 Insurance (2)

Daimler AG, Stuttgart 11,600 15,967 1,500 3,869 Automotive (1)

Bayer AG, Leverkusen 10,700 11,180 17,000 16,300 Pharmaceutical/Medical Products (1)

Tengelmann Group, Mühlheim 10,000 6,401 50,000 62,030 Grocery Stores

Deutsche Post AG, Bonn 8,813 14,814 2,600 2,890 Courier Services (1)

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Ingelheim am Rhein 8,664 7,484 9,300 9,000 Pharma (1)

Hochtief AG, Essen 8,200 9,600 5,700 5,700 Construction

Fresenius SE, Bad Homburg 7,612 6,663 39,000 42,000 Surgical/Medical Instruments (1)

Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart 7,250 7,672 13,500 38,782 Automotive, Consumer Goods, Industrial Technology (3)

Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Co.oHG, Essen 7,200 6,500 5,500 2,500 Grocery Stores

Heraeus Holding GmbH, Hanau 6,703 4,611 1,746 1300 Non-Ferrous Metals (1)

Continental AG, Hannover 6,304 4,781 1,381 1,381 Tires (1)

Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Co.oHG, Essen 6,200 5,800 3,000 1,000 Grocery Stores

ThyssenKrupp AG, Düsseldorf 5,200 13,488 21,000 44,228 Steel, Stainless Steel, Capital Goods, Services

Daimler AG, Stuttgart 5,153 10,411 14,000 21,168 Automotive (1)

Hannover Rückversicherung AG, Hannover 4,566 2,952 336 217 Insurance (2)

HeidelbergCement AG, Heidelberg 4,019 2,600 5,800 5,500 Cement (1)

SAP AG, Walldorf 3,746 3,709 4,000 750 Software

Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg 3,617 4,236 1,400 1,400 Automotive (1)

Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf 3,539 2,557 6,500 5,714 Industrial Organic Chemicals (1)

Bertelsmann AG, Gütersloh 3,481 4,640 17,000 17,000 Media, Publishing

adidas AG, Herzogenaurach 3,280 4,013 9,716 9,716 Sports Wear (1)

Münchner Rückversicherungsgesellschaft, Munich 3,237 3,600 1,211 1,200 Insurance

E.ON AG, Düsseldorf 2,570 2,492 3,256 2,977 Power Generation

Evonik Industries AG, Essen 2,306 2,813 3,500 4,000 Industrial Inorganic Chemicals

Linde Group, Munich 2,144 2,595 400 400 Industrial Gases (1)

Deutsche Bahn AG, Berlin 1,773 2,332 5,960 7,300 Freight Transportation

Porsche AG, Stuttgart 1,615 2,125 180 243 Automotive (1, 5)

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Köln 1,500 1,583 776 776 Air Transportation (6)

B.Braun, Melsungen 1,370 827 4,234 3,183 Surgical/Medical Instruments

ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen 1,322 1,752 4,660 5,917 Automotive

GEA Group AG, Bochum 1,198 1,285 2,224 1,400 Engineering Services (4)

Freudenberg Dichtungs-und Schwingungstechnik, Weinheim 1,125 976 6,184 6,184 Automotive (1)

Helm AG, Hamburg 1,100 494 292 75 Chemicals

Lanxess, Leverkusen 1,046 1,492 800 n/a Specialty Chemicals

Hochtief AG, Essen 1,040 n/a 2,022 n/a Construction

Andreas Stihl AG & KG, Dieburg 911 942 2,036 2,300 Power Tools

Würth-Gruppe, Künzelsau-Gaisbach 910 984 370 370 Maintenance Supplies

Cognis GmbH & Co. KG, Monheim 767 1,011 1,300 1,160 Chemicals (1)

Behr GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 729 1,004 2,220 2,694 Automotive (1)

Schott AG, Mainz 600 675 2,600 2,300 Glass & glass-ceramic products (1)

BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Munich 600 721 1,400 1,950 Kitchen Appliances (1)

Infineon AG, Munich 598 2,585 700 832 Semiconductors

Puma AG, Herzogenaurach 534 878 1,298 1,298 Sports Wear (1)

Knorr Bremse AG, Munich 475 485 2,559 6,000 Railroad Equipment (1)

Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg 413 1,071 2,342 2,342 Branded Consumer Goods (1)

Conversion rate of 1.39 (2009 yearly average) applied when sales given in EUR. (1) North America (exclusive U.S. figures not available) (2) Gross Written Premium (3) 2008 Sales (exclusive 2009 figures not available) (4) Americas (exclusive U.S. figures not available) (5) selectory.com (6) estimate

Download the ranking fromwww.gaccny.com

S P O T L I G H T S

1 9


⇑

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇑

⇑

⇑

⇑

⇓

⇓

⇑

⇑

⇑

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇑

⇓

⇓

⇑

⇑

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓

⇓


B U S I N E S S T O O L S

www.magee.de

Two economies inter-twined. Allies withinNato. Shared linguis-

tic, cultural and religiousroots. Countless personaland familial connections. Ifwe’re honest with ourselves,however, Germans andAmericans think and act dif-ferently. In areas key to thesuccess of their cooperation.Just one topic. Persuasion.Let’s reflect, if only briefly.

Objective

The Germans separate messageand messenger. Content takescenter stage. Arguments shouldspeak for themselves. Americanslink message and messenger.Content, form and presenterform a unity. “Sell yourself first,then your product or service.”Germans are wary of the Ameri-can approach, suspectingpersonality distracting fromweak arguments. Americans findthe Germans impersonal and dis-tanced: “Why should I bepersuaded, when the presenterisn’t even persuaded?”

Competent

Germans comprehend problemsas problems. Competent is hewho identifies and understandsthe problem, then recommendsits solution. Americans strive tosee problems as opportunities.Competent is she who is able tomaximize the gains they offer.Hastily interpreting a problem asan opportunity signalizes to Ger-mans an inability to recognize theseriousness of the situation.Americans can appear naive. TheGerman focus on the weak points

of a given situation isunderstood by Americansas pessimistic, negative, attimes destructive.

Analytical

Germans are systematicin their thinking. Com-plexity is grasped byutilizing theories andmodels to understandhow component partsinterrelate. Americans

break down complexity intoits component parts, focus onthe essential, in order to takeaction. Americans are scepticalof too much theory, arguinginstead with facts and experi-ence. Facts and experience,without a convincing descrip-tion of the big picture, do notpersuade Germans. To concen-trate on key variables onlymeans overlooking importantaspects. Americans are seen assuperficial and over-simplifying.The German inclination topaint the big picture can make aprofessorial and arrogantimpression on American ears,

Do Germans and AmericansUnderstand Each Other?

2 0



comprehensiveness as long-winded, overly complicatingand impractical. Americansbecome impatient.

Realistic

For Germans, if reality is thepresent, to understand the pres-ent, is to understand how itbecame such. To be realistic is tounderstand the past. For Ameri-cans, to be realistic is tounderstand what is possible. Thepossible is determined by presentcircumstances and by the abilityto shape a new present, a futurepresent. To be realistic is to envi-sion a future. American visionsare often perceived as notgrounded in an accurate under-standing of the status quo. Theywant to move forward withoutfirst establishing their startingpoint. German overemphasis onthe present as a product of thepast is seen as backward-looking.A vision of the future, forwardmovement, necessarily meansmoving away from the past.

Persuasive

In Germany, to persuade is toinform persuasively. The line ofargumentation guides an audi-ence to its logical conclusion.Selling the conclusion is not nec-essary. In the U.S., to persuade isto sell persuasively. Persuasiveargumentation leads the audi-ence to a choice. The audience isasked to make a choice. From the

German perspective, Ameri-cans sell, put on a show, donot persuade. Information isnot presented in a profes-sional way. The audience isconfronted with either buy-ing or rejecting. From theAmerican perspective, Ger-mans only inform, giveacademic lectures, don’t sell. Theaudience is left hanging.

Why reflect?

Why enter into dialogue witheach other, as Germans andAmericans, about subtle differ-ences in inclinations, approaches,in logics, in ways of thinking?Simple. If we persuade differently,there’ll be consequences, somepositive, some less so. The dan-gers: A persuasive message, whichcomes across clearly in the onebusiness culture and should leadto necessary action, suddenly doesnot reach its target audience inthe other. Decisions made withbroad consequences, judgedby the one logic to be per-suasive and thereforelegitimate, are viewed bythe other as suboptimal,perhaps even unjust. Themisperceptions create fric-tion and mistrust. Bothsides accuse the other ofbeing political. The fun-damental willingness tobe persuaded declinesrapidly, and with it theperformance of theentire organization.

B U S I N E S S T O O L S

2 1


John Otto Magee, an American, has lived & worked in Germany for 20 years.

A graduate of Georgetown University & Die Freie Universität Berlin, he was a senior policy advisor to the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in Bonn

& a management consultant within Siemens in Munich. John advises Dax30 & Fortune25 companies

on cross-border cooperation. [email protected]

GAT


Iwas born in Hamm and aftergraduating from high school(Abitur), I studied Macroeco-

nomics in Muenster. My first jobtook me to Düsseldorf, where Iworked as an auditor for Deloitte.After two years in auditing, Iwent to Los Angeles and SanFrancisco to complete my CPA(Certified Public Accountant)exam, the American “Wirtschaft-sprüfer”. After another two yearsin Mergers & Acquisitions whichincluded working throughoutEurope, I was given the opportu-

nity to go on a three-year assign-ment to Deloitte’s M&A practicein New York. About half a yearbefore the end of the three-yearterm, my wife and I decided thatwe would like to stay in NewYork. And so I joined a client ofmine, Tri-Artisan Partners, a pri-vately held investment bank. AtTri-Artisan Partners, I workedalmost exclusively in the privateequity business, covering theretail and restaurant sector. InJanuary 2008, I left my job at Tri-Artisan to start my own venture.

G E R M A N E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L S P I R I T I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S

D R E A M C A T C H E R S

Currywurst!

Andre Wechsler from Hammbrings the famous Germansausage to New York City.


2 2

PHO

TO C

RED

IT: J

OER

G L

OH

SE


I was determined to start a busi-ness on my own and asked myselfwhat I really miss here in NewYork. The answer was: Curry-wurst. So I ventured out to lookfor a restaurant space and tointroduce the most deliciousGerman street food to New York-ers. The restaurant opened onFebruary 16, 2009.

Why America

I always liked spending my vaca-tions in America. After graduatingfrom high school, my cousin and Iwent on a ten-week road tripthrough the Western States andthe National Parks. While rackingup miles on this trip, I became fas-cinated with the vastness and thenatural beauty of the country.This fascination brought me backto do another two similar roadtrips. Before my wife and I movedhere, neither of us had spent a lotof time in New York. It was usual-

ly a one or two day stop-over onthe way to the West Coast. It tookus more than a year to get familiarwith the city, to find friends andto feel at home. My wife and Iboth worked for a few differentlocal firms here in the city andwhile doing very fast paced andhigh energy jobs, we did not havemuch time to reflect on our lives.We got immersed in the city andlooking back, it is clear that NewYork changed us and we adaptedto the New York lifestyle. Howev-er, we found our little sanctuariesin the city, a quiet back yard, nicerestaurants, music venues andrecently even some bike lanes. So,I am not sure why New York,maybe we have never really chosento live here, maybe New Yorkpicked us.

Cultural Surprises

I find it difficult to think aboutAmerica as one cohesive place.

The country is so vast, and thereare many cultural differencesdepending on where you are. I wasand I still am surprised how peo-ple from different backgroundscome together and help each oth-er when it is needed. There is agreat spirit of community and vol-unteerism among the people.

Biggest Challenge

During my time as an employee,the biggest challenge was toobtain the necessary work visa. Iwent through four different visasin seven years before I receivedmy Green Card in 2008. A wholedifferent set of challenges cameup when I started my business.The general perception of Amer-ica is that it is an entrepreneurialand friendly country where peo-ple from all over the world cometo to fulfill their dreams. I stillbelieve that this is true, but forme this relates more towards the

2 3


>>

FAST FACTS WECHSLER ’ S CURRYWURST

Names of President: Andre Wechsler Hometown: Hamm, GermanyLocation: 120 First Avenue, East Village, New YorkYear Founded in the U.S.: 2008Business Activity: Restaurant / BarNumber of employees: 13


Andre Wechsler, owner of Wechsler’s CurrywurstAll photos: Joerg Lohse


general attitude of the peoplehere. In my experience peoplehere are more pragmatic, have a“can do” attitude and generallysee risks as opportunities. Deal-

ing with the City and State agen-cies (e.g. Department ofBuildings, Department of Trans-portation, Community Boards,State Liquor Authority) to obtainthe necessary permits to operate abusiness was definitely mybiggest challenge.

Greatest Inspiration

In a business context, my greatestinspiration was the enthusiasm ofthe people and the entrepreneur-ial spirit among Americans. Ifound that in general people herein New York are always open tonew ideas.

Future Goals

My wife and I are planning to stayhere in America for the near future.Since our families are in Germany,we would like to split our livesbetween Germany and New Yorkat some point. For my business, Iam planning to open a few morelocations over the next years. GAT


We carry...We carry...� Leitz premium productsLeitz premium products� Registers & DividersRegisters & Dividers� Signature Blotter Books Signature Blotter Books� A-4 paper, files, sheet protectorsA-4 paper, files, sheet protectors� Holepunches and more...Holepunches and more...

Hundreds of items in stock in ourHundreds of items in stock in ourUSA warehouse. Everything youUSA warehouse. Everything youneed to organize your office using theneed to organize your office using thetraditional Ordner system.traditional Ordner system.

Call for our complete catalogue today. Call for our complete catalogue today.

EUROPEAN OFFICE SUPPLIES

Same day

shipping

C a l l N o w ! 8 0 0 - 5 4 4 - 4 7 4 4w w w. e m p i r e i m p o r t s . c o m

PO Box 2728 • Amherst MA • 01004GAT03GAT03


www.currywurstnyc.com

All photos: Joerg Lohse


2 5


S T A T E S P E C I A L

E ven if you already knew thatthe town of Fountain, CObest represents the demo-

graphical composition of theUnited States or that Coloradowas the only state in history toturn down hosting the OlympicGames – bear with us to learnmore about a state that offers atruly unique blend of serenenature and high-tech industry.

Colorado has much to offer - notonly to tourists seeking calm in oneof the state’s four national parks oradventure on the slopes stretchingout over 40,000 acres of skiable ter-rain throughout the RockyMountains – but especially as aninnovative business environmentattracting many of Germany’s mostdynamic companies.

In recent years, Colorado has con-sistently been ranked among thebest states for business in theUnited States. In 2009, it reachedthird place in CNBC’s “Top Statesto do Business” assessment andcame in fourth in a similar rank-ing conducted on forbes.com.According to U.S. News & WorldReport, Colorado is also the 3rdmost attractive state for startingup a new business operation.

A great density of research facili-ties, many of which are groupedaround the National Center forAtmospheric Research (NCAR)in Boulder, is one of the state’sbiggest economic assets, mostevident in contributing to a highly skilled workforce. Yetanother Forbes ranking recentlydeemed Colorado to have one of the two best labor pools in the country.

ColoradoMoving

Mountains for aGreener Economy

COLORADO FACTS :

• Home to the city that according to the U.S.-Census Bureau, best represents the population make-up of the United States.

• The only state in history to turn down hosting the Olympic Games.

• Deemed in a recent Forbes ranking to have the second most attractive laborpool in the country.

• Colorado was the first state to force a decision on the implementation of a renewable energy standard through a public vote.

>>


Colorado Goes Green

While Colorado’s pristinenature appeals to tourists as anescape from digitalized 21stcentury hectic, the state’sresearch infrastructure is abeacon for technologicalprogress. What may seemlike an odd pairing today providesan ideal backdrop for Colorado’sambition to play a leading role ina greener US economy.

Genuinely committed to pre-serving their natural assets,Coloradoans were the first in thenation to bring about the imple-mentation of a renewable energystandard by public vote in 2004.

After a Renewables PortfolioStandard draft had been turneddown by the legislature fourtimes, a bill known as amend-ment 37 was eventuallyimplemented through the sup-port of a majority of Coloradovoters. After being voted intolaw in late 2004, the amend-ment provided a timeframerequiring major utilities to grad-ually increase the percentage oftheir retail electricity sales drawnfrom renewable sources.

While the final goal of amend-ment 37 was to reach a renewableenergy share of 10 percent by2015, the momentum in the statehas meanwhile picked upremarkably, leading to the recentapproval of a significantly moreambitious initiative. Colorado’slegislature signed off on a billraising the bar for utilities to a 30per cent share of renewables by2020, thus making it one of themost progressive energy policiesin the country. Additionally, thebill calls for several coal-firedpower plants to be shifted to nat-ural gas by 2017. Clean air, itseems, ranks high among the pri-orities of Coloradoans who in

part also justified their1976 rejection of theOlympic Games (that wasonce again attainedthrough a public vote) bypointing out the pollutionan event of this scalewould cause.

...And Becomes A Hotspot for Innovative Green German Business

The traditionally dense network ofresearch institutions has long beendrawing innovative know-how toColorado. When it comes to therenewable energy industry, especial-ly the wind sector, this dynamic isfurther supported by favourablenatural conditions. According toNational Renewable Energy Labo-ratory (NREL) stats, Colorado’swind could power nearly 67 millionhomes per year if fully harnessed.The combination of good windconditions and the proximity tomajor research institutions forexample induced Siemens to estab-lish its new Wind Turbine testingfacility in Boulder in 2008.

“Boulder will be Siemens’ firstwind turbine R&D competencecenter in the U.S. and willincrease our ability to competi-tively serve this important market.Because of the proximity ofimportant institutions such asNREL and the NWTC, Boulderis the perfect location for a R&Dcenter in the U.S.” said AndreasNauen, CEO of the SiemensWind Power Business Unit.

Siemens is only one amongst anumber of big players in therenewable energy industry that



We successfully put AT&T,AMX & other US firms on themap of Central and EasternEurope. We support you in the areas of

• Business Development• Regional Representation• Branch or Product Launch• Interim Management• Executive Consulting

Please contact your CEOadvise specialists:+49 712 781 [email protected]

COLORADO

• Population: 5,024,748

• Size: 104,185 sq mi. (269,837 sq km)


have very recently decided toestablish operations in Colorado.Many of these newcomers areGerman. Wind giant REpowerrelocated its headquarters fromOregon to Denver in late 2009,after seeing a surge in demand inregions beyond the West Coast.“Since 2007, we have managedour US wind energy businessfrom a Portland, OR office locat-ed near our initial projects inCalifornia, Oregon and Washing-ton. Today we are seeing ourbusiness grow rapidly to otherregions of the US. Denver – cen-trally located, with an excellentnational and international trans-portation infrastructure andsupportive business climate, pro-vides those characteristics webelieve will help us succeed inmeeting our US business goals,”explained Steve Dayney, CEO ofREpower USA Corp.

But Colorado’s climate does notonly benefit the wind industry.With an average of 300 days ofsunshine a year, the state has alsoincreasingly become a hotspot forsolar businesses. German Coner-gy, the world’s largest companysolely dedicated to solar energy, isrunning its US-operations out ofDenver. Here, it will soon bejoined by Kassel-based SMA Solarwhose new Denver plant is to takeup its operations by the middle of2010. The facility will focus onthe production of solar inverters,serving to convert direct currentelectricity from solar panels intoalternating current to be fed in theelectricity grid. At $22.3 million,the new plant thus far constitutesthe single largest German invest-

ment in the state and is expectedto create up to 700 new jobs.

With this influx of German busi-ness to the region, DanCheatham II, Director of theColorado Chapter of the GermanAmerican Chamber of Com-merce of the Midwest, has alsoobserved a strong increase inmembership at the local chapter.“The chapter has seen rapidgrowth recently, in part due tothe restructuring of our chapterto emphasize the increasing eco-nomic status of Colorado in aglobal economy, and because ofthe recent growth of the Renew-able Energies Sector within thestate and the Rocky MountainRegion. As more emphasis isplaced on the economic viabilityof the RE sector, more and moredomestic companies located herein this state are establishing con-tacts to German energydevelopers and associated pro-duction companies. Theirexplicit desire is in the exchangeand development of applied tech-nologies between our twolocations. This movement is bi-lateral involving the import andrelocation of German companiesto Colorado as well as the exten-sion of domestic companies intoGermany and Europe.”

When asked about the challengesGerman newcomers face in theregion, Cheatham points to a gen-eral shortage of a similarly trainedwork force in the United States,originating from the differentvocational training systems usedstateside as opposed to in Europe.While German companies are

used to employing workers whoare already well associated with thematerials and subject matter withwhich they will be working, theirAmerican peers rely on “on thejob” training. This issue is of spe-cial relevance to companiesoperating with sophisticated tech-nical equipment and sensitivematerials. Cheatham points outhowever, that in comparison toother states, Colorado, with one ofthe most educated populations inthe nation, makes it easy foremployers to swiftly close this gapbetween theory and practice.

2 7



National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL) in Boulder

Solar Energy Research Facility at NREL

National Wind Technology Center at NREL

GAT

Learn more about Colorado as an investmentlocation by visiting www.gaccco.org


M E M B E R P R O F I L E

FACT # 1 :

German is spoken by approximately 130 million people in Germany, Austria,Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,and in parts of Belgium, Northern Italy, and Eastern France. In the business world,German is a key language in the EuropeanUnion and the new economies of Centraland Eastern Europe. After English, Germanis the second most important languageworldwide for business, tourism and diplomacy.

FACT #2 :

Learning a language is more than memorizingvocabulary lists, declinations and case endings.Learning a language means learning a culture.

If you want to learn German as aforeign language in New York tobetter communicate with your

business audiences - or for any otherreasons - there is one place in NewYork that offers the best languageeducation since 1976: DeutschesHaus at New York University.

Our unique expertise lies in a com-bination of unparalleled programflexibility to best accommodate theneeds of our learners as well as theoutstanding teaching staff oftrained professionals to conductour group and individualized serv-ices. Each learner, individual or aspart of a class, receives a personalassessment to customize the German learning experience, ren-dering it as effective and efficient aspossible. Whether the course isdesigned for a group in a corporateenvironment, upper managementindividual preparation courses, orimmersion weekends, our certifiedprogram staff will assist you in put-ting together a useful curriculum.The high quality and standard ofall of our Deutsches Haus coursesis closely monitored and evaluatedby the Goethe-Institut New York,which has granted us the status ofthe partner for language courses, aswell as the rights as official Goethe-Institut examination center.

At Deutsches Haus, learners canchoose between a variety of stan-dard group courses or the comfort

of private instruction in their homeor office. Group courses are conve-niently scheduled in the eveningsand on Saturday. We also offer theoption of lunch classes. Our staffconsists of German instructors(Deutsch als Fremdsprache) withyears of teaching experience inaddition to qualifications in thefield of translation, legal and busi-ness German, the arts, literatureand film studies. They also partici-pate frequently in professionaldevelopment workshops and con-ferences and their work is beingevaluated by our students eachterm with the most positive results.

The Deutsches Haus LanguageProgram consists of the following:

Corporate Instruction

Private instruction on demand forcompanies. Depending on the needof the client, we design a curriculumto train employees. Our former andcurrent clients include the family ofMr. Murphy - the present US-Ambassador to Germany,Bertelsmann Verlag, E.ON. NorthAmerica, Nord LB, Eurohypo AG,LuK USA LLC, Chromalloy NewYork, Wagner Society of Washing-ton DC and St. Hilda’s and St.Hugh’s School, just to name a few.

Private Instruction

All of our private courses are tai-

Learning “Germany” in New York CityDeutsches Haus at New York University: The premier school

for German language instruction in New York City

2 8


Dr. Kathrin DiPaola (Director, Deutsches Haus)and Berlin artist Nicolaus Schmidt.

Opening “God Dancing/Spiders Flipping”, DH September 2009.

PHO

TO: C

HRI

STO

PH R

ADKE

200

9


World-Class ServiceH. Juergen Hess

Licensed Salesperson and EcoBroker®

914.833.0420 Ext. 362 Mobile: 914.409.8925

[email protected]

AREA’S MARKET LEADER. SINCE 1888.NUMBER ONE RANKED GLOBAL NETWORK.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

Relocating to or within the Metropolitan New York Area?It is my primary duty to make this experience a positive one.

To assist you in any of your Real Estate needs, contact me today.

Serving New York's Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess Counties and Beyond

www.juergenhess.houlihanlawrence.com


lored to the specific needs of thestudent or group of students.Hours and location are flexibleand we work closely with the stu-dent’s schedule to ensure themost effective instruction.

Standard Group Courses

Most of our students enroll inthe Basic Beginner level and con-tinue with us throughout thecomplete course range fromBeginner to Very Advanced (10different levels). Through ourinternally developed placementexam, we are able to determinethe starting level, from which thestudent would benefit the most.

Children’s classes

Our children's program startedas a small private instructiongroup that developed into thelarge language program we cur-rently offer. Our classes cater toboth bilingual German childrenas well as beginners, from age 3through 10.

Special Courses

Our philosophy is to show theGerman world to our studentsfrom every possible angle. Weoffer topic-related special coursesdesigned to appeal to and deepenthe students’ knowledge aboutspecific cultural, linguistic or liter-ary interests. Some of our

previously taught courses are“Conversation with Film andMusic”, “Meet the Author”, “Her-ta Mueller”, “Berlin on Film”,“Advanced Reading Knowledge”and “Business German”. This year,we included “Travel Germany”and “Sütterlin Script” as weekendimmersion workshops.

Goethe-Institut Language Exams

In the State of New YorkDeutsches Haus is the onlylicensed official examinationcenter for the internationallyrecognized Goethe-Institutexams (Start 1 and 2, B1-Zer-tifikat Deutsch, Goethe-Zertifikat B2 and Goethe-Zertifikat C1). The exams areheld twice per year and are opento the public. The success rate isvery high, almost 100%, and theparticipants number is growingeach year. Most of our teachers arealso certified exam supervisors.

M E M B E R P R O F I L E

Experience Germany in NYC

With a broad and very active cultural program,Deutsches Haus brings cutting edge research, political

developments, artistic expression, and contemporary dailyGerman life to New York City. Where else can you meet

Mayor Bloomberg, Daniel Kehlmann, Gesine Schwan and Hape Kerkeling (just to name a few) in one season

in an intimate setting? For more information on our programs, please visit:

www.deutscheshaus.as.nyu.edu

GAT

Professional development workshop

Founded in 1977 as one of New York University’sprestigious international houses, Deutsches Haus at NYU is a key American institution in the New York City area fostering German-Americanand international understanding. In a globalizedworld, DH believes in the importance of a deeptrans-Atlantic understanding and dialogue.


P A S T G A C C E V E N T S

Denver, CO

4/26 3rd Energy

Efficiency Symposium

Los Angeles, CA

3/16 GACConnect:

Business Networking

“Stammtisch”

San Francisco, CA

4/20 2010

EuroNetworking

Reception

4/14 Expert

Luncheon Solar Energy

3/11 GACCCO

2010 Annual

Membership Meeting

3/18 March Treffpunkt

Business Forum

4/18 HR

Executive Circle

4/19-23 Green

Building Innovation

Delegation & Conference

3/8 Tax Legislation

Seminar

3/6 YEC EVENT

Chicago Bulls

vs Dallas Mavericks

3/17, 4/21 YEC

Monthly Stammtisch

4/13 Expert Luncheon

on Solar Energy

“SCHOTT Solar - A German

American Success Story”

4/14 Wind Boom in Texas:

2nd German American

Wind Energy Conference

Hannover Berlin

3/22-23 2nd Annual

German American

Energy Conference

4/18 GACC Delegation

to the Hannover Fair

3 0


Austin, TX

GACC HighlightsMarch/April 2010


P A S T G A C C E V E N T S

3 1


Philadelphia, PA

Atlanta, GASavannah, GA

New York, NY

3/23 Presentation &

Networking Reception at

MSOE Grohmann Museum4/14 MI Chapter:

SAE Reception 2010

3/30 Business Luncheon:

“Getting Your Message

Across - How to Win Over

German Clients”

3/3 After Hours

Business Networking

4/27 Enhance your

business with links

and friends: Online

Social Media and You

3/2 Lunch Discussion

with Steven Hill on

“Models of Capitalism

in the 21st Century:

The U.S. vs. Europe”

On Friday, April 30, the GACC South held its

Annual General Meeting in Savannah, GA to explore

developments in the future of trans-Atlantic trade

and specifically, German investment in the Southeast.

The AGM doubled in size from last year and included

many members of the Savannah community.

A N N U A L G E N E R A L M E E T I N G

Minneapolis, MN

Chicago, IL

Milwaukee, WI Detroit, MI

4/20 After Hours

Business Networking

@ Poggenpohl

4/8 Expert

Luncheon Bioenergy

3/3 Business Seminar

with Ernst & Young

3/30 Breakfast with

our CEO & President,

Kristian Wolf

4/21 Journalist Roundtable:

Caroll H. Neubauer, B. Braun

Medical, Inc. commenting

on the Health Care Reform

4/21 Annual Meeting

hosted by Allston & Bird LLP

4/12 IP and Media Law:

Who owns the News?

3/16 Intercultural

Workshop: Do Germans

& Americans understand

each other?

4/9 3rd Annual

Winetasting Gala

Houston, TX


German American Trade is published

bimonthly by the German American

Chamber of Commerce Inc., 75 Broad

Street, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10004.

Reproduction in whole or in part of any

article is prohibited without permission.

Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be returned

unless accompanied by a properly addressed

envelope bearing sufficient postage. Editor

reserves the right to edit letters to be

reprinted. Editor and publisher cannot

accept any liability for the accuracy or com-

pleteness of any material published.

Contributed articles do not necessarily

reflect the Chamber’s position. If you have

any comments regarding articles in this

magazine, please call 212-956-1770.

Periodical postage paid at New York,

NY and additional mailing offices:

USPS number 025-026

One Year Subscription: US$ 30 (Euro 48)

One subscription is included in annual

membership dues.

Single copy: US$ 5 (Euro 8)

U.S. postmaster send address changes to:

German American Trade, 75 Broad Street,

21 Fl., New York, NY 10004.

Office of publication: New York

Publication date of this issue: May/June 2010

© Copyright 2010 German American Trade

GAT Editorial Team

Nicola Michels GACC NY [email protected]

Barbara Afanassiev GACC NY, Philadelphia [email protected]

Ina Bohse GACC [email protected]

Stefanie Jehlitschka GACC [email protected]

Sabine Zimmermann GACC NY, California [email protected]

Jayne Riemer-Chishty GACC [email protected]

Julia Zimmermann GACC South, Texas [email protected]

Thomas Zielke RGIT [email protected]

Atlanta

German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, Inc.1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30318

T 404-586-6800 F [email protected] • www.gaccsouth.com

Chicago

German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc.401 N. Michigan Avenue, #3330

Chicago, IL 60611

T 312-644-2662 F [email protected] • www.gaccom.org

Houston

German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, Inc. Texas Office1900 West Loop South, Suite 1185

Houston, TX 77027

T 832-384-1200 F [email protected] • www.gacctexas.com

New York

German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 75 Broad Street, 21st Floor

New York, NY 10004

T 212-974-8830 F [email protected] • www.gaccny.comEditor & Advertising Coordinator:

Nicola Michels • [email protected] 212-956-1770 F 212-974-8867

Philadelphia

German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.One Penn Center, Suite 340

1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

Philadelphia, PA 19103

T 215-665-1585 F [email protected]

San Francisco

German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.California BranchOne Embarcadero Center

Suite 1060

San Francisco, CA 94111

T 415-248-1240 F [email protected]

Washington, DC ASSOCIATED PARTNER ORGANIZATION

Representative of German Industry and Trade1776 I Street NW, Suite 1000

Washington DC 20006

T 202-659-4777 F [email protected] • www.rgit-usa.com

Design and Production

328 Commerce Street

Hawthorne, NY 10532

T 914-741-0445 F [email protected] www.thinkersdesign.com

T R A D EG E R M A N A M E R I C A N

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E G E R M A N A M E R I C A N C H A M B E R S O F C O M M E R C E

3 2



3 3


May 4

YEC Professional Seminar“Presentation Skills Workshop”

Held by GACC SouthAtlanta, GAwww.gaccsouth.com�

May 4

Germany: Driving the DigitalFuture - Media TechnologyInnovations from FraunhoferHeinrich Hertz Institute

Held by GACC San FranciscoSan Francisco, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com

E V E N TC A L E N D A RMay 4 - June 23, 2010

May 7

10th Annual MERLIN Awards Gala

Held by GACCoMChicago, ILwww.gaccom.org

May 11

Business Seminar “Mobile Technology for Businesses and Consumers”

Held by GACC SouthAtlanta, GAwww.gaccsouth.com

May 19

Asparagus Dinner

Held by GACCNYNew York, NYwww.gaccny.com

May 20

A Taste of Germany Spargel Gourmet Dinner


May 18

Young Executive Social Mixer

Held by GACC South Texas OfficeHouston, TXwww.gacctexas.com

May 19

YEC Stammtisch


June 12

Atlanta International Soccer Fest, Tournament


June 3

E-mobility Conference


June 8

Workshop Conflict Management


May 26

Spargelfest

Held by GACC PHLPhiladelphia, PAwww.gaccphiladelphia.com

May 26

YEC Boat Cruise


May 25

GACConnect: Business Networking “Stammtisch”

Held by GACC San FranciscoSan Francisco, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com

May 11

Young Professional Social Mixer


May 15

Education in a Global Economy

Held by Minnesota ChapterMinneapolis, MNwww.gaccom.org

May 16

Atlanta Bi-National TennisChallenge organized by BABG


May 11

Solar Expert Luncheon

Held by GACCNYPhiladelphia, PAwww.gaccny.com

May 18

German American Photovoltaics Conference

Held by GACCNYLyndhurst, NJwww.gaccny.com

May 11

Solar Expert Luncheon

Held by GACC San FranciscoPhoenix, AZwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com

June 23

Dinner with State Secretary Dr. Bernd Pfaffenbach


June 23

Business Seminar “Federal, State and LocalIncentives for German CompaniesLocating in the Southeast”


June 16

YEC Stammtisch


June 19-20

Breakfast w/... Our NewlyElected Board of Directors


June 21-25

Bio Energy Conference and Delegation

Held by GACCoMDes Moines, IAwww.gaccom.org

June 16

Golf Outing

Held by GACC PHLPhiladelphia, PAwww.gaccphiladelphia.com

May 20

EACC Spring Networking Event 2010


May 21

Asparagus Dinner



GAT: Your company does busi-ness in Germany and the UnitedStates, and other countries - howdo you manage the Property andLiability Insurance and EmployeeBenefits Insurance Programs?

WHITE: Managing risk andunderstanding the issues thataffect you and your employees, inthe countries you choose to dobusiness, are very important.There are three primary areas forGerman American businesses tofocus on: Communication:Insurance companies and brokerslocated in each country do noteffectively communicate witheach other. “Face to face” time,uncovering client needs, under-standing of the issues and devel-oping a plan of action with con-stant communication between allparties, is the most effective solu-tion. Coordination: Poor com-munication creates misunder-standings relative to coordinatingrespective risk management pro-grams. This can result in gaps incoverage. Regulations and legalrequirements are often misunder-stood. There must be coordina-tion of programs from all the par-ties, of the coverage terms andthe implementation of the plan.Compliance: This issue centerson tax obligations, revenue recog-nition and the appropriate alloca-tion of expenses. There can beaccounting issues relative to pay-

ment of a claims; duplicate insur-ance coverage in each countryprovided by the insurance pro-gram in the other country; andcoverage and defense determina-tion issues for the insurer. Therewill be complex issues to workthrough if coverage is not placedaccurately. Providing focused riskmanagement, insurance andemployee benefits programresources to the parent and sub-sidiary company drives value.Client focused integrated solu-tions will be more efficient, andcost effective and provide youwith the communication, coordi-nation and compliance that isneeded, for the GermanAmerican company today!

GAT: Which trends and chal-lenges do you see in the nearfuture in your industry?

WHITE: Our Industry is highlyregulated, federal, state and local.The amount of regulation con-tinues to grow. The consumer hasa difficult time understandinghow it all works. Our Industryneeds to do a better job of com-municating and coordinatingcoverage so it works for all!

GAT: You have been a Directorof the German American Cham-ber of Commerce for 1 year. Howdo you see the role of our cham-ber and how has Johnson,

Kendall & Johnson benefitedfrom the board membership?

WHITE: Our involvement withthe board, members and ourGerman American clients helpedus recognize that there are differ-ences in culture and customsrelated to transacting propertyand casualty and employee bene-fits insurance placement. Theneed to address and improve onthis helped us formulate thebusiness objectives of ourGerman American joint venture,JKJ&H International.

BO

AR

D

ME

MB

ER

I

NF

O

Bruce R. White, Partner JKJ&H InternationalJohnson, Kendall & Johnson, Inc.109 Pheasant Run, Newtown, PA 18940(215) 579-6411 • [email protected]

3 4


GAT

JKJ & H International is a joint venture between Dr. Friedrich E. Hörtkorn GmbH of Heilbronn, Germanyand Johnson, Kendall & Johnson Inc., of Newtown,PA created for the sole purpose of providing Risk Management, Insurance and Employee Benefits Program advice and services for German Americanowned companies.

Bruce White is a partner in Johnson, Kendall & Johnson, Inc. and JKJ&HInternational, located in Newtown, PA. Bruce has been an active member of the German American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia for many years and began serving on the Board in 2009.

B O A R D T A L K

Risky Business!www.jkj.com




SM

lufthansa.com/myskystatus

NetworkingA product of Lufthansa.

SM

Fly from 17 U.S. gateways to more than 400 worldwide destinations

and never leave your friends behind. Post departure and arrival info

and set in-fl ight updates from your smartphone at MySkyStatus.com

and alerts will be sent via Facebook and Twitter.

With MySkyStatus™, in-the-air doesn’t mean out-of-touch.


Documents

Do Germans and Americans Understand Each Other