THYSSENKRUPP NIROSTA

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

Karen A. Fenner: Hidden Traps of

International Teams

M A Y / J U N 2 0 1 1

Top 50 Ranking: A Strong Recovery with Daimler GroupCharging Ahead

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

German AmericanChambers of CommerceDeutsch-AmerikanischeHandelskammern

THYSSENKRUPP NIROSTAMaking NYC History Once Againat One World Trade Center

Gert Weiss, ThyssenKruppNirosta: “To be part

of this project is a greatsource of pride for me”

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

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 YThyssenKrupp Nirosta: Making NYC History Once Again at One World Trade Center 6

S P O T L I G H T SGermany and U.S. Share Common Sustainability Goals 10

The Peak of Excellence: bauma 2013 12

B U S I N E S S T O O LThe 80-20 Approach to Problem Solving: The Hidden Traps of International Teams 14

W A S H I N G T O N U P D A T EFranchising in the U.S.: An Opportunity Second to None 16

G T A I I N D U S T R Y T A L KUSA: A New Generation of Mobile Networks in the Making 18

T O P 5 0 G E R M A N F I R M SA Strong Recovery with Daimler Group Charging Ahead 21

G E R M A N R O O T SJacob Beringer 24

S T A T E S P E C I A LNorth Carolina: Equal Parts Business & Charm 28

M E M B E R P R O F I L EOrchard Hotels 32

Flex Logistics 36

Intelliverse 38

E V E N T C A L E N D A REvents & Delegations: May/Jun 2011 40

H O W W E S I N KPlaying the Quiet Game 41

Ground Zero - Finally a New Beginning

Ten years after the World Trade Center towers fell, the Freedom

Towers are slowly appearing on the New York City skyline.

Construction began in 2006 and if all goes according to plan,

the skyscraper will open its doors in 2013. Read about the

exciting project ThyssenKrupp Nirosta has taken on in our

cover story.

ThyssenKrupp is also number 16 in the new Top 50 Ranking

of German Firms. 2010 was a good year for most German subsidiaries in the U.S.

According to the latest ranking, sales performance jumped by 6% from $265 billion in

2009 to $281 billion in 2010. Two thirds of German subsidiaries reported increased

sales in comparison to last year.

Our State Special features North Carolina; read how a traditional economy of tobac-

co plantations, furniture and textile manufacturing reinvented itself as the technologi-

cal center of the eastern United States. Nowadays, North Carolina is powered by inter-

national innovation in knowledge-based fields such as advanced manufacturing, soft-

ware and information technology, biopharmaceuticals and financial services.

Karen A. Fenner, executive cross-cultural and language trainer, elaborates in this

month’s Business Tool article on “The Hidden Traps of International Teams”. She

describes guidelines that provide clear expectations for bi-cultural or multi-cultural

teams to help avoid costly cultural misunderstandings - especially the most hidden one:

problem solving.

E D I T O R I A L

Jan Christoph [email protected]

C O N T E N T S


Mobile application developmentfirm and subsidiary of German e-commerce firm opens new office

004 Technologies USA, Inc., amobile application developmentfirm based in Champaign, Illi-nois announced the opening ofits new office. 004 is the first USsubsidiary of 004 Beratungs-und Dienstleistungs GmbH, ane-commerce services firm basedin Aschaffenburg, Germany andfocuses on developing native andmulti-platform mobile apps. • www.newswiretoday.com

US approves first offshore wind farm

The US government approved aplan to build the country's firstoffshore wind farm, in a baynear Cape Cod, MA. Installa-tion of 130 3.6-megawatt windturbine generators standing 440feet high could begin in Nan-tucket Sound by fall, theDepartment of the Interior saidin a statement. The wind tur-bines will be built by Germancompany Siemens. • www.google.com

Feds grant $2.1 billion loanguarantee for California solar farm

The United States Department ofEnergy offered a conditional $2.1billion loan guarantee to Germandeveloper Solar Millennium tofinance the first half of a 1,000megawatt solar thermal powerplant to be built in the SouthernCalifornia desert. The BlytheSolar Power Project is the largestof nine big solar power plantslicensed by the California Energy

Commission. The $2.1 billionloan guarantee will fund theinstallation of the first two phasesof the complex, which will gener-ate 484 megawatts of electricityand employ 1,000 constructionworkers. • www.blogs.forbes.com

The Volkswagen Beetle rides again

Volkswagen is currently intro-ducing its all-new Beetle designin New York. According to theCEO of Volkswagen of America,the U.S. is the most importantmarket for the Beetle, and it is acritical part of the new chaptertrying to be written for Volkswa-gen in the U.S. and worldwide.• www.autos.aol.com

ThyssenKrupp to build innovative passenger boarding bridges for Boeing

ThyssenKrupp Airport Systems,Inc., a part of the Elevator Technol-ogy business area of theThyssenKrupp Group and a leadingmanufacturer of airport passengerboarding bridges for the NorthAmerican market, today announceda contract with The Boeing Compa-ny for two state-of-the-artglass-walled bridges. They will beinstalled at Boeing’s new 787 Deliv-ery Center in North Charleston,South Carolina and are the first everpassenger boarding bridges pur-chased by Boeing. • ThyssenKrupp

Passats for U.S. dealers roll out

Volkswagen’s Chattanooga planthas gone from making test vehiclesto rolling out 2012 Passats thatdealers will be able to show to buy-

ers, as production of customer carsis about to ramp up. VW has hiredabout 1,600 workers at its $1 bil-lion plant to make an all-newmidsize sedan that, along with itsredesigned Jetta compact, are thebackbone of efforts to rapidlyincrease sales in the United States.• www.timesfreepress.com

DHL reboots in U.S.after $9.6 billion bleed

Deutsche Post AG’s DHL Expressunit is rebuilding its U.S. opera-tions around internationalshipments after a $9.6 billion “dis-aster” in domestic deliveries. Afterfiring 15,000 people and closing75 percent of its outlets in 2008,DHL Express U.S. is expandingand may beat the volume goal itset that year by 15,000 packages aday in 2011. • www.bloomberg.com

Daimler cites upturn in North American truck market

Germany’s Daimler AG is holdingto its forecast for improved earn-ings this year, and the companyboosted its 2011 forecast forNorth American truck marketgrowth. The company’s trucks unitis targeting a “substantial” increasein sales this year lifted by morerobust markets in Europe andNorth America. • www.ttnews.com

German firm BMZ plans U.S. headquarters in VA

A German company that makesrechargeable batteries for a rangeof electronics and tools plans toopen its U.S. headquarters in Vir-

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 1 1

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ginia Beach, VA and create up to50 jobs in the next two years. TheU.S. subsidiary of Batterien-Mon-tage-Zentrum GmbH plans to setup a warehousing, sales and assem-bly operation. • www.hamptonroads.com

Renusol establishes US subsidiary

German PV mounting systemsmanufacturer Renusol has sig-nalled its intent to increase itsworldwide presence by found-ing a US subsidiary. RenusolAmerica, based in Atlanta,Georgia, was formed in Januaryand will help the company tailorits engineering, sales and cus-tomer service towards NorthAmerican clients. • www.pv-tech.org

American Profol studies $14 million expansion

American Profol, owned by ProfolKunststoffe GmbH of Halfing,Germany, is considering a seventhproduction line at its existing facil-ity in Cedar Rapids, IA. This is inaddition to the new productionline the company announced lastyear. Demand for American Pro-folís polypropylene film productshas been at or beyond productioncapacity since early 2010.• www.easterniowabusiness.com

Germany's TecnoSun Solar AG to set up shop at UT complex in OH

German solar firm TecnoSunSolar chose Toledo, OH overnine other American cities afterrepresentatives from the Univer-sity of Toledo met the head ofTecnoSun Solar at an Interna-

tional Energy Conference. Tec-noSun Solar, headquartered inNeumarkt, Germany, makes solarpanel supports called “trackers”,that move with the sun duringthe day to maximize the panel’sefficiency. All of the trackers willbe produced at the new location.• www.abclocal.go.com

Hotset to invest $1 million in Georgia

Hotset, a German manufacturer ofindustrial heating elements, willinvest $1 million in a new sales,service and distribution center inSwainsboro, GA. The companywill renovate a 30,000-square-footfacility at the Swainsboro-EmanuelCounty Airport, creating 10 newjobs when it starts operations inthe east-central Georgia city thissummer. The company has facto-ries in Ludenscheid, Germany andits North American headquartersin Vermont. • www.globalatlanta.com

Liberty Global acquiring German cable provider KBW

Liberty Global announced anagreement to acquire KBW, thethird largest cable TV operator inGermany. Mike Fries, Presidentand CEO of Liberty Global, com-mented: “The proposed ac-quisition of KBW is great news forour shareholders and, just asimportantly, German consumers.This transaction provides us withfurther access to one of the fastest-growing cable markets in Europe.”Liberty Global will acquire KBWin a series of transactions, with thedeal totaling about $4.48 billion.• www.americanbankingnews.com

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

Follow the Ticker on Twitterwww.twitter.com/GACCNewYork

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WELCOMENew MembersAkerman Senterfitt LLP www.akerman.comAll Star Imports LLC www.allstarimports.netAutotestgeraete Leitenberger GmbH www.leitenberger.deContinental Airlines www.continental.comDetecon Inc. www.deteconusa.com/enDHL Global Forwarding www.DHL-DGF.comEasy Software, Inc. www.easysoftware.usFNT Solutions, Inc. www.fntsolutions.comHalfen Anchoring Systems www.halfen.comHB Solar Atlanta LLC www.hbsolar.usHerrenknecht AG www.herrenknecht.deHoltz Rubenstein Reminick www.hrrllp.comista North America www.ista-na.comKlingspor Abrasives, Inc. www.klingspor.comMetabolic Balance, Inc. www.metabolic-balance.com/usMid-America Overseas, Inc. www.maoinc.comMontag Windows & Doors www.montagwindows.comMostly Chocolate.com www.mostlychocolate.comParente Beard LLC www.ParenteBeard.comPöppelmann Plastics USA LLCPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP www.pwc.comQuite Quick Productions, LLC www.quitequickproductions.comReiss+Preuss LLP www.reisspreuss.comRenusol America Inc.Samson Controls, Inc. www.samson-usa.comSiemens Energy, Inc. www.siemens.comSprint www.sprint.comStanton Public Relations & Marketing www.stantonprm.comSteinbauer Electronics America, Inc. www.steinbauer-electronics.deSteinbeis Center of Management and Technology, Inc. www.us.scmt.comVandenberg & Feliu, LLP www.vanfeliu.comVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. Chattanooga Operations www.vw.comWTP Advisors www.wtpadvisors.comParenteBeard LLC www.parentebeard.com Stockton Real Estate Advisors www.stocktonadvisors.bizEckart W. Schwarz, MD

German AmericanChambers of CommerceDeutsch-AmerikanischeHandelskammern

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Making NYC History Once Again at One World Trade Center

ThyssenKrupp Nirosta

More than 80 years ago, thefamous Chrysler Buildingwas crowned with silvery

“Enduro KA-2” metal, a stainlesssteel developed by Krupp andmarketed under the trade name“Nirosta” (a German acronym for“nichtrostender Stahl”, meaning“non-rusting steel”).

Now another New York Citylandmark is using Nirosta’sworld-class product: One WorldTrade Center. The corners of theskyscraper’s facade will be edgedwith stainless steel made byThyssenKrupp Nirosta in Ger-many. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta(Krefeld) and partner companyChristian Pohl GmbH (Cologne)will be providing 250 tons ofstainless steel facade elements forOne World Trade Center, whichis currently under construction inNew York City. Additionally,

ThyssenKrupp Elevator has beenawarded a contract to install all71 elevators and nine escalatorsand perform maintenance at OneWorld Trade Center. Thyssen-Krupp Nirosta (Krefeld)produced the material at its Dil-lenburg plant using a customizedrolling and heat-treatmentprocess. Partner company Chris-tian Pohl GmbH (Cologne)fabricated this high-quality mate-rial into complex facade elementsfor the corners of the One WorldTrade Center. After shipment tothe USA, the installation work ofthese elements has just started.

One World Trade Center isowned by the Port Authority ofNew York & New Jersey and itsconstruction is being managed byTishman Construction Corpora-

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C O V E R S T O R Y

Gert WeissHead of Product Service

ThyssenKrupp Nirosta


tion of New York. Work on theproject began in 2006. Thebuilding will have 2.6 millionsquare feet of rentable space, andthe gross square footage is 3.5million square feet. The high-rise

itself will be 417 meters tall,

topped with a 124-meter anten-na. The total height of 541meters corresponds exactly to1,776 feet, a reference to theAmerican Declaration of Inde-pendence in 1776.

Adjacent to the tower will be amuseum and memorial honoringthe victims of September 11, 2001.

The final architectural design ofthe building now under construc-tion was drawn up in the NewYork office of the internationalarchitectural firm Skidmore,Owings & Merill. The outerfacade of the skyscraper will bemade of glass. Above the 60-meter-high base, the metal framessurrounding the glass panes willbe clad with stainless steel panels.The outstanding architecturalfeature of the design is that theedges of the building rotatethrough an angle of 45 degreesfrom the base upwards. All thecorner elements therefore have to

C O V E R S T O R Y

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The One World Trade Centerproject will be one of the world’s

most important buildings, and it is beingconstructed on a location – Ground Zero – thatremains very emotional. Talking with the people

of New York, you realize just how important this project is for them. To be a part of it

is a great source of pride for me and for ThyssenKrupp.

Gert Weiss, Head of Product ServiceThyssenKrupp Nirosta

“

”

www.thyssenkrupp.com


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C O V E R S T O R Y

be made in a tapering form in linewith this axial rotation.

These 1 by 4 meter (40 by 160inches) facade elements are beingmade from the corrosion-resist-ant chromium-nickel-molybden-um stainless steel alloy Nirosta4404 with a textured finish“Laser” specially designed for thisproject. “Our material meets theextremely high requirements foruniform surface quality with nostreaking or shadowing from anyangle regardless of light condi-tions,” says Gert Weiss, head ofproduct service at ThyssenKruppNirosta. And Heinrich RobertPohl, managing director ofChristian Pohl GmbH, adds:“Such complex jobs call forsupreme technical competenciesand a wealth of manufacturingexperience. With a high-techsolution we were able to win ourextremely demanding customersover for this jointly developed,high-quality German product.”

For the US companies involved inthe One World Trade Center, thefact that owner, architects andclient chose material made in Ger-many was not withoutsignificance. “The quality of ourproduct helped us to win the con-tract for this out-of-the-ordinaryproject. Ultimately we regard it asan accolade to be a part of thisglobally known project in the

heart of New York which meansso much to so many Americans,”emphasize ThyssenKrupp Nirostaand Christian Pohl GmbH, bothof whom are based in NorthRhine-Westphalia (Germany).

ThyssenKrupp Nirosta inKrefeld (Germany) is one ofthe world’s leading manufac-turers of stainless flat productswith a broad range of stainlesssteel grades, sizes and finishes.The company has several sites inGermany and employs around4,200 people. GAT

Gert Weiss Head of Product Service ThyssenKrupp Nirosta 47794 Krefeld, Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 2151 83 01Email: [email protected]

Matt Rhodes Director of Media RelationsThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. 1776 Eye Street, NW,

Suite 775, Washington, D.C. 20006Phone: 202-559-2003

Email: [email protected]

550m500m450m500m350m300m250m200m150m100m

50m

One WorldTrade Center

Empire StateBuilding

Bank ofAmerica Tower

ChryslerBuilding

New YorkTimes Tower


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S P O T L I G H T S

www.bmwi.de/en T he German AmericanChamber of Commerce,Inc. (GACC) hosted the

Building Efficiency in Germanyand the U.S. workshop in coop-eration with the “BuildingEnergy 11” conference inBoston, MA on March 8th. Theevent featured presentationsfrom German and Americanenergy efficiency experts as wellas German efficient building

companies who

are preparing to enter the U.S.market. Over 80 attendeesengaged the speakers whoincluded the Vice Mayor ofCambridge, MA, HenriettaDavis and Dr. Manfred Hegger,of the University of Darmstadtin Germany. Eight Germancompanies participated in theevent as a delegation supportedby the German Federal Min-istry of Economics andTechnology (BMWi).

Representatives of these compa-nies included Stephan Tanner ofIntep, who built the first “pas-sive house” standard, ultra-lowenergy buildings in the U.S. andMartin Wilhelm of bb22, who

has developed a green urbanplanning design that isalready being implementedin Frankfurt, Germany.

Discussions at the confer-ence raised awareness onboth sides about the exciting

developments in energy effi-ciency that are taking place

both in Germany and the Unit-ed States. A focus on passivehouses showed that they are nowbecoming quite affordable inGermany and are quickly gaininginterest and support in the U.S.as well.

By Matthew Allen, GACC New York

Germany and U.S. ShareCommon Sustainability Goals


Kurt Roth of the Fraunhofer Cen-ter for Sustainable Energy Systemsin Cambridge, MA explained thatthe main focus in the U.S. needs tobe on energy efficiency retrofits toexisting buildings. He noted that80% of all buildings that will existin the country in the year 2030have already been built. But there isstill a need for innovation through-out the value chain of these types ofprojects. Everything from the ener-gy management systems toventilation to effective marketing ofthe savings available through effi-ciency upgrades must be developedand improved before these retrofitscan be widely implemented.

The eight companies who pre-sented at the workshop stayed inthe Boston area through the weekand met with strategic partners inthe architecture and construc-tion, real estate, and productdistribution sectors to determinehow they could best develop amarket for their products in theNew England region. They wereeager to learn more about thechallenges that face the marketcurrently and are interested inbecoming involved.

The delegation was part of aninitiative funded by the GermanFederal Ministry of Economics

and Technology (BMWi) to sup-port the international growth ofGerman energy efficient build-ing companies. This programfollows the German AmericanEnergy Efficiency Conference,which was held in New YorkCity in April 2009, sponsoredby the same initiative. Support-ing partners for the BuildingEfficiency in Germany and theU.S. workshop included eclare-on GmbH, the German Con-sulate General Boston, the Ger-man American Business CouncilBoston, the German Center forResearch and Innovation, andthe New England SustainableEnergy Association.

S P O T L I G H T S

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Panel discussion at the conference.From left: Prof. Norbert Fisch, Head of the

Institute of Building Services, Energy Designand Solar Technology at the Technical University

Braunschweig, Germany and CEO of Energy Design, Asio; Prof. Manfred Hegger,

Head of Energy-Efficient Building Unit at the Technical University of Darmstadt,

Germany and Solar Decathlon Winner 2007and 2009; Dr. Kurt Roth, Head of Building

Energy Efficiency Group at the FraunhoferCenter for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE)

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From left: Claudia Schuett, Deputy Consul General,Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany;Marian LeMay, Executive Director, German-AmericanBusiness Council of Boston, Inc.; Matthew Allen,Manager Consulting Services, German AmericanChamber of Commerce, Inc.; Wolfgang Elfner, Sales Director Export, RAICO Bautechnik; Mark Bomberg, Consultant, Homatherm®


S ince 2004, the GermanAmerican Chamber of Com-merce, Inc. in New York

(GACC New York) has acted asthe official U.S. Representative ofMesse München International(MMI). As such, it has organizeda press conference for the well-known bauma at the constructionshow CONEXPO CON-AGG inLas Vegas on March 24, 2011.

bauma, being MMI’s largest showas well as the world’s leading tradeshow for the construction indus-try, was once more able to drawthousands of exhibitors andattendees. Last year’s success, forinstance, was reflected upon byMr. Klaus Dittrich, Chairman &CEO of MMI, during the pressconference. He pointed out thatbauma 2010 worked with 3,256

exhibitors from 54 countriesoffering products and servicesto 420,170 attendees frommore than 200 countries onapproximately 6 millionsquare feet (555,000 sqm) ofexhibition space.

Furthermore, Mr. Dittrichemphasized the importance of

bauma China to his intent lis-teners of over 90 internationaljournalists and associations.According to Mr. Dittrich, bau-ma China 2010 has proved itselfonce again to be Asia’s most suc-

S P O T L I G H T S

The Peak of Excellencebauma 2013

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From left: Jennifer N. Liehn, Director U.S. Office MMI& Dr. Benno Bunse, President & CEO – GACC NewYork; MMI’s Eugen Egetenmeir, Managing Director, KlausDittrich, Chairman & CEO, & Katharina Hamma,Senior Executive Officer; Johann Sailer, VP - CECE

By Jennifer N. LiehnDirector U.S. Office MMIGACC New York


cessful construction show with1,859 exhibitors from 37 coun-tries and 155,615 attendees from171 countries.

Another highlight for the con-struction industry was the newlylaunched construction show bCIndia in February 2011 whichwas perceived positively by thepublic and described as a superbpremiere. The event is a jointventure between MMI and theU.S. Association of EquipmentManufacturers (AEM).

Mr. Johann Sailer, VP of theCommittee for European Con-struction Equipment (CECE),took the opportunity of the pressconference to present the pleas-ant news that the Europeanconstruction equipment industryis on the upswing with a project-ed forecast of +11% in 2011.

Especially the German Construc-tion Equipment Market willshine in 2011 since it is expectedto lead this positive trend with anestimated growth rate of 10%.

Therefore, “bauma 2013 willtake place in a positive surround-ing of growing markets and newtechnology in Europe,” as Mr.Sailer perfectly put it.

MMI is also to a large extentinvolved in other constructionshows around the world: Con-Build Vietnam, ConBuildIndonesia, ConMex (MiddleEast), CTT (Moscow), IranCon-Min (Iran), sitp (Algiers) andConstroi (Angola).

MMI is one of the world's lead-ing organizers of trade fairs. Itorganizes some 40 shows forcapital goods, consumergoods and new technologies.More than 30,000 exhibitorsfrom over 100 countries andmore than two million visitorsfrom over 200 countries partici-pate in fairs and exhibitions inMunich each year. With six sub-sidiaries abroad - in Europe andAsia - as well as 66 foreign repre-sentatives covering 89 countries,MMI has a network that success-fully spans the globe.

S P O T L I G H T S

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The next bauma will take place April 15-21, 2013in Munich. The application process for exhibitors

has just started. For more information, please contact Ms. Jennifer N. Liehn at 646-437-1013

or [email protected]

For future construction show dates, please visit

www.messe-muenchen.de

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The due diligenceprocess has beencompleted, bot-

tom line expectationshave been formalizedand congratulations arein order. Another Ger-man-American acquisition isabout to be completed! With theink barely dry, departments aremerged and synergies are celebrat-ed. However, things have changed.More than one culture is now pres-ent at the conference table.Protocol and formats have changedand management style has taken adifferent tone. No problem, right?

We’re a global society and we allspeak English.

Not so fast - just becauseeveryone speaks Englishdoes not mean we’re all onthe same page. The ruleshave changed; however, noone seems to be handing

out a new proto-

col handbook. This isexactly the time whennewly-formed teamsmust set their ownguidelines. Guide-

lines that provide clearexpectations for bi-cul-

tural or multi-cultural teams tohelp avoid costly cultural misun-derstandings - especially the mosthidden one: problem solving.

Problem Solving Approaches

Problem solving doesn’t sound asglamorous as a “multi-milliondollar merger”, however, withoutthe right approach, productivityon international teams can grindto a halt. Both sides want to solveproblems effectively and effi-ciently; however, what Americansmay see as effective and produc-tive, Germans may view asinefficient and vice versa.

What separates the parties fromthe get-go is what each side con-siders a “priority”. Americans areresults-driven, whereas, for Ger-mans, the “process” is just asimportant as the result.

The American Approach

A few American executives Iworked with recently summedup problem solving approachesperfectly: Americans, they said,apply the 80-20 approach. Theywork out the details to 80% and

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

The 80-20 Approach to Problem SolvingThe Hidden Traps of International Teams

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immediately start working tofind a solution. Time is money,let’s get going. The remaining20% provide the necessarydegree of flexibility for future“changes”. For the Germanmindset, these 20% leave a largeelement of “uncertainty”. A 20%gray area, for a very structured,analytical culture is a difficultelement to work with.

The German Approach

The U.S. executives explainedthe German approach as analyz-ing a problem 100% from thebeginning, working out ALLdetails from the beginning, creat-ing consensus, and developing aprocess that will be adhered tothroughout the project to find asolution. The German culture isa very sequential one: all stepsshould be followed even if theyseem redundant. For Americansthis can be extremely frustratingand shows a lack of flexibility. Intheir minds, rules occasionallyneed to be bent becausechange is inevitable.

Communication breakdown

For German managers, if thereis a process in place and all detailshave been worked out, communi-

cation, follow-up meetings andsteady feedback is not consid-ered to be such a necessity.Everyone has been given theirresponsibilities and peoplework independently. On theflip-side, since Americans start

working on a project veryquickly, expecting future changes,

it is vital for them to keep the com-munication lines open, meet morefrequently and provide updates.Not a good situation.

Applied on the same team, thesetwo approaches are bound forcollision. Is either approach rightor wrong? Absolutely not. Eachside wants success, and each roadcan lead to achieving success.The challenge is getting on aroad with the same traffic rules.The good news is that with thisunderstanding it is in the teams’hands to make positive changes.

The Solution

Guidelines! From the first daythat international teams with dif-ferent cultural backgrounds worktogether, guidelines must be creat-ed, agreed to and adhered to. Theopenness and excitement after anacquisition diminishes over time,especially if a team becomes moreand more dysfunctional.

The following are only a few ofthe topics that need to be dis-cussed and agreed on:• Mode of communication

(brainstorming vs. structuredmeeting formats).

• Communication style– directness – separate personal feelings from issues.State the positive as well!Constructive criticism.

• Mindfulness of time zonedifferences (never have oneparty always get the Friday,3:00 pm, conference call slot)

• Feedback/updates -how often?

• State expectations – statelevel of flexibility!

• Language barrier – avoididioms, slang at all costs!

• To avoid language misunder-standings, have a participantTAKE MEETING NOTES.Distribute them and haveapproved by all participants!

• Communicate!

Remember: No “one way” is the“right way”. The “German way”is not the right way, the “Americanway” is not the right way, thecompany way is not the rightway. It’s the strategy the teammembers decide on together thatis… THE RIGHT WAY!

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

1 5G E R M A N A M E R I C A N T R A D E M A Y / J U N 1 1

Karen A. Fenner has been providing on-site cross-cultural and language training

for Europeans and Americans since 1995. Her company, Globally Speaking,

offers one on one or group seminars in cross cultural communication

and language training at various levels for international executives.

She is a regular lecturer at the Rutgers University Executive MBA Program.

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www.globallyspeaking.org

Americans areresult-driven, whereas,

for Germans, the “process”is just as important

as the result.

“

”

GAT


With the economystarting to bounceback and credit

easing up, the 20th annu-al International FranchiseExpo (IFE) held April 1-3at the Walter E. Washing-ton Convention Center inWashington, D.C. regis-tered a record attendancefrom both franchisee candi-dates and exhibitors. Theyearly IFE trade show isendorsed by the U.S. Depart-ment of Commerce andpromoted worldwide as partof their International BuyersProgram. More than 150 U.S.embassies actively promote theIFE within their regionsthrough their foreign Commer-cial Service Offices and bringofficial escorted delegationsfrom all around the world toWashington, D.C.

“There are no signs of franchisingslowing down right now, which iswhy there are such vast opportu-nities for potential investors”,says Tom Portesy, President ofMFV Exhibitions and organizerof the trade show. Franchisinghas become an increasingly suc-

cessful and profitable method ofdoing business in the UnitedStates. In fact, growth rates forfranchising rank above the aver-age margins in other sectors.

It would be to their detriment ifGerman producers and theiraffiliates in the U.S. did not con-sider the possible advantages andincentives of a franchise formatfor their distribution efforts. Formarketing activities in the U.S.,this can include building up a co-operation with existing,well-established franchise busi-

nesses as well as the introduc-tion of a potential newfranchise line.

From Boston to Honolulu,from Minneapolis to Miami,there is a tremendous varietyof successfully operatingfranchises. This holds truein particular when it comesto marketing consumerproducts. The most recog-nized faces in thefranchising world are thebig chains of fast foodoutlets and retail busi-nesses that sell apparel.

Yet many more types of franchisebusinesses exist that are availablefor organizing the distributionchannel and marketing of hard-ware or products of equipmentmanufacturers. For example,among the exhibitors at the IFEwas an American franchise thatmarkets solar panels on behalf ofa German producer.

Visitors and potential investors atthe Washington, D.C. tradeshow IFE in April got an impres-sion of the wide scope ofemerging franchise offers. Inshort, franchising comprises a

S P O T L I G H T S

WA S H I N G T O Nh U P D AT Eh

N E W S F R O M I N S I D E T H E B E L T W A YBy Günter MaierGermany Trade and Invest

Franchising in the U.S.


1 6

An Opportunity Second to None


S P O T L I G H T S

sophisticated network of con-sumer and client services, rangingfrom organizing distribution ofmerchandise to the enterpriseconcept of professional sportsteams. At the IFE, the startinginvestment cost to join anupcoming franchise in clientservices was listed at anywherefrom US$ 28,000 to above US$1million, depending on thebrand and location.

You might ask yourself, - wheredo I sign up? The concept is prac-tical and easy: The franchiseepurchases a company’s expertiseand experience and provenmethod of doing business.According to the InternationalFranchise Association (IFA),there are basically two distincttypes of franchise arrangements: • Product distribution arrange-

ments in which the dealer is tosome degree, but not entirely,identified with the manufac-turer or supplier.

• Business format franchises inwhich there is complete identifi-cation of the dealer with thebuyer. This type of franchise isthe most commonly known andmost popular system. It offersthe franchisee in addition to atrademark and logo a completesystem of doing business. Afranchisee receives assistancethroughout the wholeprocess of establishing abusiness, including siteselection, training, set-upservices, advertisements andproduct supply.

U.S. economists forecast stronggrowth for franchise businesses in2011. The recent FranchiseBusiness Economic Outlookprepared by Pricewaterhouse-Cooper for the InternationalFranchise Association (IFA)predicts a rebound in thenumber of establishments,jobs, and economic output inthe franchise business. Thenumber of U.S. franchise estab-lishments will grow 2.5% in 2011(in comparison with an increaseof 0.3% from 2009 to 2010) toalmost 785,000, an increase of ca.19,000 compared to 2010. Thejob growth in this sector is pro-jected to rise by 2.5% from 7.6million to 7.8 million. Thiswould foreshadow a net increaseof close to 200,000 new jobs.

The estimate for the economicoutput in franchising is impres-sive. The franchise industry is amajor contributor to the U.S.economy. According to the IFA, itemploys more than 20 millionpeople and contributes more than$2 trillion in economic activity.The aforementioned 2011 out-

look forecasts a projected growthof the gross value of goods andservices produced by franchisebusinesses of 4.7% or US$ 33.3billion, or in other terms anincrease from US$ 706.6 billionto US$ 739.9 billion.

Think about it! For prospectiveinvestors looking to expand orsimply gain footing in the Amer-ican market, franchising can bethe right distribution method forselling products and services inthe United States.

RGIT

The Representative of German Industry and Trade (RGIT) is the liaison office of the Federation

of German Industries (BDI) and the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce

(DIHK) in Washington.

www.rgit-usa.com

GAT

Günter Maier is an economist and business correspondent for Germany Trade

and Invest. His knowledge of doing business and market experience in the

U.S. spans coast to coast. He has been stationed for GTAI in Washington, D.C.

since 2004, prior to which he worked in Los Angeles, CA for seven years.

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 202-629-5712

Fax: 202-347-7473

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USA: A New Generation of Mobile Networks in the Making

C ell phone service providers inthe US are ready to invest bil-lions of dollars in new

technologies and services. Com-peting for customers has shifted toa technological level. In order tobear this financial burden, smallercarriers try to bundle their finan-cial energy by merging with othercompanies.

AT&T’s takeover of T-MobileUSA was only just the beginning. Equipment manufac-turers of the new 4G networks aswell as manufacturers of smart-phones and tablet PCs are amongthe winners of this development.At least in the short run it is unlike-ly that mobile customers will haveto accept an increase in price due to

a smaller number in providers. Allsigned contracts would continue asan independent brand after thetakeover of T-Mobile.

By investing billions, companiesin the US are striving for betterreception in the networks as wellas faster data transmission andsignaling rates. It is only withthis, that cell phone providers can

promote new smart-

phones and tablet PCs effectively.The latter seems to be the one tokeep existing customers or evengain new ones.

The existing 3G networks with adownload speed of 3 Mbit/s atmost can hardly manage the ever-growing flow of data during thepeak traffic hours. Consequencesare interrupted connections or aweak and at times even missingreception of the network sub-scribed to. However, the develop-ment and implementation of suc-

ceeding technologies in the stan-dard of 4G (fourth generation) isextremely cost intensive and thusnot easy to bear for cell phoneservice providers.

Two wireless carriers are alreadyoffering a service in 4G, althoughnetworks for this fourth genera-tion have not even been put inservice yet. From a technologicalpoint of view, these services aremore of a stopgap solution, or canbe called ‘pre-4G‘ services at best.According to the definition of theInternational TelecommunicationUnion (ITU), an agency of theUnited Nations responsible forthe standardization of informa-tion technology, only the tech-nologies of LTE Cat 3 (Long TermEvolution) as well as WiMax2come close to the peak speedrequirements for 4G service at100 Mbit/s. At the end of 2010however, the ITU announced thatalso HSDPA+ can be seen as 4G.

For now, field tests are being con-ducted for the standards LTE Cat3 and WiMax2 in the US, not tomention the even faster succeed-ing standard of LTE-Advanced,offering download rates of 1,000Mbit/s and a ping time (RTT,round-trip time) of under 20 ms.However, it is only when LTE-

G T A I I N D U S T R Y T A L K

By Ullrich Umann (Germany Trade and Invest) Translation from German by Sandy Jones, GACC New York

1 8



Advanced will reach marketabili-ty – experts do not see this hap-pening until 2015 – that videostreaming, video telephony, videosurveillance, telemedicine servic-es, VoIP and 3D conferencingcan be offered on a totally newlevel of quality for mobile phonesand equipment.

AT&T is currently making mas-sive investments into stabilizingits 3G networks in metropolitanareas to avoid losing more cus-tomers to its most importantcompetitor, Verizon. Also, AT&Tis developing HSPA+, just like T-Mobile. With this, a takeover ofT-Mobile would not be a techno-logical obstacle for AT&T.AT&T is also working to developthe succeeding technology ofLTE, and the company plans topresent first results in 2012.

Verizon is also said to develop LTEnetworks with a download speedof up to 12 Mbit/s. At the end of2011, the company plans to offerthese networks in 38 urban areas.In contrast, Sprint is already offer-ing WiMax in 39 regions. Also,Sprint is in negotiations with thestart-up company LightSquaredregarding the bundling of frequen-cies. LightSquared has alreadyacquired frequencies and is nowlooking for a partner in the US toexpand a 4G network.

For some time now, T-MobileUSA has been under pressure tosecure its economical futurethrough forming alliances or tak-ing over other companies.Deutsche Telekom AG, hithertoowner of T-Mobile USA, tried togive as reasons for the negativedevelopment the delay in making

the company-owned 3Gnetworks available andnot being able to obtainthe marketing rightsfor the iPhone in theUS. Analysts howeversaw another problemon the horizon for T-Mobile – namely missingfrequencies to establish“real” 4G networks.

The sale of up to 7,000 cell phonetowers, announced by T-Mobile inJanuary 2011, to finance the pur-chase of more frequencies, is nownot likely to happen or will be upto the new owner, AT&T. The salewas said to generate a cashflow ofbetween US$ 2.0 - 3.5 billion for T-Mobile. Likely buyers couldhave been American Tower Corp.

and Crown Castle InternationalCorp. Industry experts did not seeSBA Communication Corp., thethird player on the market, as alikely buyer.

Sprint, the third-largest carrieron the market, is not able to pro-vide its network operatorClearwire Corp. with the urgent-


Ullrich Umann

GTAI Correspondent

Phone: 212-584-9717

Fax: 212-974-8867

E-mail: [email protected]

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


ly needed amount of money toexpand the WiMax network andto further develop the LTE tech-nology. It is also not possible forClearwire to sell frequencies inorder to finance the desperatelyneeded investments. By doing so,the company would rob itself ofthe necessary bandwidth for afuture LTE implementation.

Thus, analysts see Clearwire ascontroversial. On the one hand,with WiMax, the company is atechnological step ahead ofAT&T and Verizon. On the otherhand, however, this lead wouldshrink if the two competitors wereto make massive investments. Bytaking over T-Mobile and itsHSPA+ technology, AT&T iseven already ahead of Clearwire.

In 2005, Sprintoverextendeditself financial-ly and on a tech-nological level withthe takeover of Nextel.Nextel’s network in the standardiDEN, not compatible withCDMA, is said to be switched offby 2013 and all of its customers areto be transfered to Sprint’s CDMAstandard. This will cost Sprintapproximately US$ 5 billion.

Alcatel-Lucent, L.M. EricssonTelephone & Co. and SamsungElectronics Co. Ltd. were commis-sioned with the technical execu-tion. For Ericsson, this meansexpanding a contract, which wassigned with Sprint in 2009.Alcatel-Lucent is said to take care

of the technically difficult networkexpansion in metropolitan areassuch as Los Angeles and New York.

Sprint hopes to offset the finan-cial burden with possible savingsof approximately US$ 10 billionin the course of 7 years. Amongothers, the company hopes tosave substantially by integratingall of Nextel’s customers into theCDMA standard. However, inorder to convince all customers‘inherited‘ by Nextel of the tech-nical switch and to prevent themfrom leaving for the competition,Sprint adapted its walkie-talkiefunction, made possible byiDEN, to the CDMA standard.Thus, this function remains as aspecial extra.

If one was to follow the market’slogic, and if AT&T’s takeover ofT-Mobile receives approval bythe Antitrust Division, Verizonand Sprint are very likely to cometogether soon for talks regardinga possible merger. By doing so,Verizon would overtake AT&Tonce again in number of cus-tomers and network expansion.Sprint, on the other hand, utiliz-ing only its own financial means,could not catch up anymore tothe first-largest and second-largest carrier on the US cellphone service market.



GTAIINDUSTRY TALKA new series with detailed industry reports,written by the US-correspondents of GermanyTrade and Invest (GTAI), the official German for-eign trade and inward investment agency.

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Daimler has benefited from the boom in demand for premium automobiles inthe United States. With sales increased by over 22% (reported in Euro) Daim-ler ranks first in the new Top 50 Ranking of German Firms in the U.S.

compiled annually by the German American Chambers of Commerce. The car-maker is predicting that 2011 will be a new record year in terms of sales.

Actually, 2010 was a good year for most German subsidiaries in the U.S.: Sales per-formance jumped by 6% from $265 billion in 2009 to $281 billion in 2010. Twothirds of the German subsidiaries reported increased sales in comparison to lastyear, while employment levels remained stable. German subsidiaries weathered thefinancial storm extremely well. They wisely used financial instruments such as nat-ural hedging or they pursued innovative personnel strategies. Stihl, Inc. - leadproducer of chain saws – conducted an “in-sourcing initiative” in order to retain itshighly-trained workforce.

Growth industries like the renewable sector continued to bring positive momentumto the U.S. market. Siemens, which ranks third, will build wind turbines for thecountry’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod, MA - a plan the U.S.government had just recently approved. Siemens will also contribute to the ObamaAdministration’s drive to strengthen the U.S. infrastructure. Large-scale invest-ments in high-speed trains, rail and smart-grid projects, as well as energy efficiencyare in the works nationwide. The Knorr-Bremse Group, one of the smaller playersin the ranking, reported a 14% growth rate in its Rail Vehicle Systems division. Itis important that the U.S. stays focused on its renewable energy agenda and doesnot lose momentum, since the new leader in Cleantech private financing is nowChina.

China is also now the world’slargest car market, posting growthfigures that the rest of the indus-trialized world can only dream of.Although sales declined some-what, last year they still hit aglobal record of $18 million. Fewdoubt that a new record will bereached in 2011. Even though theU.S. car market may no longer bethe industry leader, in terms ofunit sales and innovative powers itis still very influential. It has beenfound that trends started in theUnited States are being copiedelsewhere. It remains to be seenwho the winners will be.

S P O T L I G H T S

2 1

A Strong Recovery withDaimler Group Charging Ahead

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 1

By Nicola Michels, GACC New York

[email protected]

Company 2010 2009

Siemens USA Holdings 62,000 64,000

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

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

T-Mobile USA 37,795 36,000

Daimler Group 18,295 17,697

ThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. 17,500 21,000

Bertelsmann, Inc. 17,000 17,000

BASF Corp. 16,487 15,000

Bayer Corp. 15,100 17,000

Robert Bosch, LLC 13,500 13,500

TOTAL 286,677 290,197

Top 10 Employers


COMPANY LOCATION WEBSITE GERMANNAME IN U.S. ADDRESS PARENT COMPANY

1 Daimler Group Montvale, NJ & Portland, OR www.daimler.com Daimler AG, Stuttgart

2 T-Mobile USA Bellevue, WA www.t-mobile.com Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn

3 Siemens USA Holdings New York, NY www.usa.siemens.com Siemens AG, Munich

4 BASF Corp. Florham Park, NJ www.basf.us BASF AG, Ludwigshafen

5 BMW of North America, LLC Woodcliff Lake, NJ www.bmwusa.com BMW AG, Munich

6 Allianz North America, Inc. (incl. Firemans Fund) New York, NY www.allianz.com Allianz SE, Munich

7 DHL Holdings (USA), Inc. Plantation, FL www.dhl.com Deutsche Post AG, Bonn

8 Robert Bosch, LLC Farmington Hills, MI www.bosch.us Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart

9 Bayer Corp. Pittsburgh, PA www.bayerus.com Bayer AG, Leverkusen

10 Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. Waltham, MA www.fmcna.com Fresenius SE, Bad Homburg

11 Boehringer Ingelheim Corp. Ridgefield, CT us.boehringer-ingelheim.com Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Ingelheim am Rhein

12 Trader Joe’s Co. Monrovia, CA www.traderjoes.com Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Co.oHG, Essen

13 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. Montvale, NJ www.aptea.com Tengelmann Group, Mühlheim

14 Turner Construction Co. New York, NY www.turnerconstruction.com Hochtief AG, Essen

15 Aldi, Inc. Batavia, IL www.aldi.us Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Co.oHG, Essen

16 ThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. Troy, MI www.thyssenkrupp.com ThyssenKrupp AG, Düsseldorf

17 Heraeus Incorporated New York, NY www.heraeus.com Heraeus Holding GmbH, Hanau

18 Continental Tire the Americas, LLC Fort Mill, SC www.continentaltire.com Continental AG, Hannover

19 Volkswagen Group of America (incl. Audi) Herndon, VA www.vw.com Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg

20 Lufthansa Group East Meadow, NY www.lufthansa.com Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Köln

21 Hannover Life Re America Orlando, FL www.hlramerica.com Hannover Rückversicherung AG, Hannover

22 SAP Americas Newtown Square, PA www.sap.com SAP AG, Walldorf

23 Lehigh Cement Co. Allentown, PA www.lehighcement.com HeidelbergCement AG, Heidelberg

24 Adidas North America Inc. Portland, OR www.adidas.com adidas AG, Herzogenaurach

25 Munich Re America Princeton, NJ www.munichreamerica.com Münchner Rückversicherungsgesellschaft, Munich

26 Henkel of America, Inc. Rocky Hill, CT www.henkel.us Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf

27 Evonik Degussa Corp. Parsippany, NJ www.north-america.evonik.com Evonik Industries AG, Essen

28 Bertelsmann, Inc. New York, NY www.bertelsmann.com Bertelsmann AG, Gütersloh

29 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Atlanta, GA www.porsche.com/usa Porsche AG, Stuttgart

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

31 DB US Holding Corp. Tarrytown, NY www.dbschenkerusa.com Deutsche Bahn AG, Berlin

32 Helm U.S. Corporation Piscataway, NJ www.helmusa.com Helm AG, Hamburg

33 E.ON U.S., LLC Louisville, KY www.eon-us.com E.ON AG, Düsseldorf

34 Beiersdorf, Inc. Wilton, CT www.beiersdorfusa.com/ Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg

35 Lanxess Pittsburgh, PA www.lanxess.com Lanxess, Leverkusen

36 ZF Group North American Operations Northland, MI www.zf.com/na ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen

37 B. Braun Medical, Inc. Bethlehem, PA www.bbraunusa.com B.Braun, Melsungen

38 Knorr Brake Holding Corp. Watertown, NY www.knorrbrakecorp.com Knorr Bremse AG, Munich

39 Puma North America, Inc. Westford, MA www.puma.com Puma AG, Herzogenaurach

40 Flatiron Longmont, CO www.flatironcorp.com Hochtief AG, Essen

41 Stihl Inc. Virginia Beach, VA www.stihlusa.com Andreas Stihl AG & KG, Waiblingen

42 K+S New York, NY www.k-plus-s.com K+S AG, Kassel

43 Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership Plymouth, MI www.freudenberg.us Freudenberg Dichtungs-u. Schwingungstechnik, Weinheim

44 GEA North America Holdings, Inc. New York, NY www.geagroup.com GEA Group AG, Bochum

45 Schott North America, Inc. Elmsford, NY www.us.schott.com Schott AG, Mainz

46 Behr America, Inc. Troy, MI www.behrgroup.com Behr GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart

47 BSH Home Appliances Corporation Huntington Beach, CA www.bsh-group.us BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Munich

48 Infineon Technologies North America Corp. Milpitas, CA www.infineon.com Infineon AG, Munich

49 Cognis Corp. USA Cincinnati, OH www.cognis.com Cognis GmbH & Co. KG, Monheim

50 Wurth Group of North America Inc. Charlotte, NC www.wurth.com Würth-Gruppe, Künzelsau-Gaisbach

TOP 50 Ranking of German Firms in the U.S. 2010

Conversion Rate of USD 1.3133 to the EUR applied (2010 annual average)

2 2


S P O T L I G H T S


U.S. TOP SALES ($M) SALES ($M) EMPLOYEES BUSINESSEXECUTIVE 2010 2009 2010 2009 ACTIVITY

Ernst Lieb MBUSA / Martin Daum DTNA 26,549 23,030 18,295 17,697 Automotive (8)

Philipp Humm 21,127 21,531 37,795 36,000 Communications

Eric Spiegel 19,400 21,301 62,000 64,000 IT/Communications, Transportation

Kurt Bock 17,395 15,955 16,487 15,000 Chemicals (3)

Jim O'Donnell 16,985 16,296 1,024 5,500 Automotive (1)

Gary C. Bhojwani 15,109 13,900 9,808 9,908 Insurance (2)

J.P. Foley 11,672 8,813 3,000 2,600 Courier Services (3)

Peter J. Marks 11,171 7,250 13,500 13,500 Automotive, Consumer Goods, Industrial Technology

Greg Babe 10,860 10,700 15,100 17,000 Pharmaceutical/Medical Products (1)

Ben Lipps 9,219 7,612 39,000 39,000 Surgical/Medical Instruments (1)

J. Martin Carroll 8,800 8,664 9,413 9,300 Pharma (3)

Dan Bane 8,500 7,200 6,000 5,500 Grocery Stores (1)

Christian W.E. Haub 8,100 10,000 50,000 50,000 Grocery Stores (4)

Peter J. Davoren 8,000 8,200 5,100 5,700 Construction

Charles Youngstrom 6,800 6,200 3,000 3,000 Grocery Stores

Deric Righter CEO / Christian König President 6,700 5,200 17,500 21,000 Steel, Stainless Steel, Capital Goods, Services

Schuh-Klaeren, Maike 6,342 6,703 1,736 1,746 Non-Ferrous Metals

Matthias Schoenberg 6,151 6,304 3,561 1,381 Tires

Jonathan Browning 5,061 3,617 3,500 1,400 Automotive (1)

Jürgen Siebenrock 4,583 4,429 12,404 11,752 Air Transportation/Logistic/Catering

Pete Schaefer 4,413 4,566 341 336 Insurance (2)

Bill McDermott & Jim Hagemann Snabe 4,259 3,746 4,000 4,000 Software

Albert Scheuer 3,943 4,019 5,800 5,800 Cement (1)

Herbert Hainer 3,683 3,280 10,210 9,716 Sports Wear (1)

Anthony J. Kuczinski 3,581 3,237 1,200 1,211 Insurance (2)

Jeffrey C. Piccolomini 3,577 3,539 5,440 5,714 Industrial Organic Chemicals (1)

Tom Bates 3,318 2,306 3,500 3,500 Industrial Inorganic Chemicals

Robert Sorrentino 2,786 3,481 17,000 17,000 Media, Publishing

Detlev von Platen 2,300 1,615 300 180 Automotive (1)

Patrick Murphy 2,205 2,144 6,977 400 Industrial Gases (1)

Dr. Christoph Bohl 2,198 1,773 5,981 5,960 Freight Transportation

Andreas Weimann 2,089 1,100 300 292 Chemicals

Victor Staffieri 2,052 2,570 3,000 3,256 Power Generation (5)

Ian Holding 1,734 1,182 2,084 2,342 Branded Consumer Goods (1)

Randall S. Dearth 1,541 1,046 1,309 800 Specialty Chemicas (1)

Julio Caspari 1,510 1,322 2,746 4,660 Automotive

Caroll Neubauer 1,452 1,370 4,145 4,234 Surgical/Medical Instruments

Heinz Hermann Thiele 1,171 919 3,030 2,559 Railroad Equipment (1)

Jay Piccola 1,122 924 1,300 1,298 Sports Wear (3)

Tom Rademacher 1,079 1,040 1,990 2,022 Construction

Fred Whyte 1,053 911 2,125 2,036 Power Tools

Karl-Georg Mielke 905 n/a 1,950 n/a Chemicals

R. Krieger, B. Norton, M. Heidingsfelder, Y. Masumoto 799 695 4,224 4,499 Automotive (1)

Susan M. Murphy 793 1,198 2,163 2,224 Engineering Services (3)

Dr. Gerald J. Fine 788 600 2,600 2,600 Glass & glass-ceramic products (1)

Heinz J. Otto 723 729 2,300 2,220 Automotive

Michael Traub 572 600 1,600 1,400 Kitchen Appliances

Jean-Baptiste Loire 460 598 640 700 Semiconductors

Paul S. Allen n/a 767 n/a 1,300 Chemicals (1) (6)

Andreas M. Fischer n/a 910 n/a 370 Maintenance Supplies (7)

(1) North America (exclusive U.S. figures not available) (2) Gross Written Premium (3) Americas (4) Filed chapter 11 Dec 2010 (5) E.ON U.S. LLC becomes LG&E and KU Energy LLC through acquisition by PPL Corporation 11/2010 (6) Cognis acquired by BASF 12/2010 (7) results published May 18, 2011 (8) MBUSA: Mercedes Benz USA, DTNA: Daimler Trucks North America

Download the ranking fromwww.gaccny.com

S P O T L I G H T S

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Jacob Beringer foundedBeringer Brothers Winery inSt. Helena, California (Napa

County) in 1875. Through tech-nological innovation andsuccessfully targeting East Coastmarkets, the Beringer name, bythe start of the First World War,became one of the most recogniz-able liquor brands in the UnitedStates. Born in 1845, Jacoblearned the wine trade in thevineyards and cellars surroundingMainz. He took a cellar appren-ticeship at Tim & Floske inBerlin (1865-1867), followed bya position at the prominent J.A.Harth & Co. merchant house inMainz (1867-1868).

Jacob’s decision to leave Europein 1868 hinged upon a numberof variables. The competitivewine trade was wrecked by landscarcity, inconsistent weather,and paranoia over wine manipu-lation. In addition, his brotherFrederick’s successful maltingbusiness in New York Statepromised Jacob relatively stablefooting in the New World. WithFrederick’s help, Jacob opened awine shop on 10th Street in NewYork City. Jacob’s stay in NewYork was short-lived, however, ashe decided to follow the growingnumber of German immigrantsheading to California’s Bay Area.Upon arriving in St. Helena in

1870, Jacob took a job in thecellar of another Germanimmigrant, Charles Krug.

Still working as foreman atKrug’s estate in 1875, Jacob –with financial assistance fromFrederick in New York – pur-chased a vineyard, afarmhouse, and cultivableland for the sum of $14,500.He managed to collect a har-vest a year later and decided in1878 to resign from Krug,devoting full attention to hisown property. Jacob becameactive in the St. Helena Viti-cultural Club and the St.Helena Water Company bythe end of the decade. In 1879he married the Austrian-born

roots

I M M I G R A N T E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I PI N T H E 1 9 T H & 2 0 T H C E N T U R Y

Jacob BeringerBy Kevin D. Goldberg

G E R M A N R O O T S

2 4


www.ghi-dc.org/entrepreneurship

COURTESY OF THE NAPA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Beringer Brothers and their workmenin front of the winery in 1895 (Jacob in

plaid vest at left of archway, Frederick at center with thumbs hooked in vest).


Agnes Tscheinig. Six of their chil-dren would survive into adulthood.

Jacob’s impulse was to create aRhine-styled winery. Althoughthe estate would soon produce anarray of wines and brandies, theinitial plantings centered on thefamiliar Riesling and Gutedelgrapes. Plans were drawn to builda two-story building that wouldutilize the gravitational fermenta-tion method popular inGermany. The work was under-taken with an infusion of capitalfrom Frederick. Constructionalso began on limestone cellaringtunnels, an enormous endeavorthat few had attempted before inCalifornia, and none to the scalethat Jacob envisioned. Chineselaborers (“coolies”) were used tocomplete the dangerous process,taking years to complete.

By 1880, Beringer Brothers Win-ery was shipping an astonishing145,000 gallons of wine to theEast Coast. Jacob avoided the cut-throat San Francisco market,where the majority of Bay Areavintners were active. The decisionto focus on Eastern marketsdepended on Frederick’s ability tomarket and sell his brother’s wine.In 1880, Frederick, whose thir-teen-year presidency of the New

York Arion Society helped formfriendships with political andbusiness elites, opened a wineshop at 180 Fulton Street. Freder-ick bombarded the local mediawith praise for Jacob’s wine. In anenvironment where domesticwinegrowers found it increasinglydifficult to attract buyers, influen-tial papers such as the New YorkRetailer printed articles payingtribute to Beringer’s “European-styled” wines.

To meet the growing demand ofconsumers, Jacob employed thenewest technologies, includingsteam crushers and mechanizedtracking to move the tonnage inthe cellar. Tens of thousands of gal-lons of wine continued to be senteastward on frequent cross-countryand cross-sectional rail and steamertrips. This coincided with otherdecisions by the brothers, includ-ing the purchase of an additionalseventy acres of vineyards andthe sending of the winery’sbookkeeper Albert Schantzento New York.

Frederick and his familymade the move to St. Helenain 1884. Construction began onthe timber-framed “RhineHouse,” a magnificent homewith stained glass windows and

turreted towers. At an estimatedtotal cost of almost $50,000, thehome was an exhibition in osten-tation. Two stained glass SwissKnights, representing Frederickand Jacob, “protected” the frontdoor. According to the localnewspaper, “This addition to St.Helena’s long list of attractivehomes… perhaps eclipses all oth-ers in the county.”

The success of the winery in the1880s is made evident by theexpansion of the cellar, the pur-chase of additional vineyards, andthe construction of above-groundstorage. Jacob made the decisionto drift from the original tunnel,cutting additional chambers onboth sides of the original walls. Athird story was added onto thewinery in the 1880s along withthe acquisition of 32 thousand-gallon redwood casks forfermentation and aging, all ofwhich helped Jacob raise the lev-el of production to 175,000gallons by 1886.


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This article is an excerpt from a new project at the German Historical Institute Washington DC.Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American

Business Biographies, 1720 to the Presentwill feature a collection of 250 biographical articles of 1st & 2nd generation German-American business

people along with contextual information and a wealth of visual material.

2 5


Beringer winery barrel room.

>>


Together, the brothers were activein Napa County’s commercialand social life. Both served termsas president of the St. HelenaTurn Verein, both played anactive role in local politics, andboth supported fellow immi-grants through groups such as theGerman Benevolent Society.Frederick still filled the financialand social roles, serving as presi-dent of the St. Helena SavingsBank and, in 1888, delivering theeulogy for Kaiser Wilhelm I toSan Francisco’s vibrant Germancommunity. Jacob focused onday-to-day operations, helpingthe estate fight vine diseases andcontinuously improving func-tionality in the cellar.

Jacob was forced to take on alarger role following Frederick’sdeath in 1901. The San Franciscoearthquake of 1906 rattled NapaCounty, sending the chimney ofthe Rhine House crashingthrough the roof, and damagingthe winery and cellar. But Jacob’sestate had already become one ofthe nation’s largest. In fact, theproperty’s approximately 155acres and almost 700 tons of cropwould have made it the largest inall of Germany, save for the Roy-al Prussian Wine Domain(Kloster Eberbach). The yearsbefore World War I – due largelyto a global slump in wine sales –were actually a period of declinefor the estate, however. Jacob’s

death in 1915 was preceded bythe sale of the Rhine House ayear earlier. Nevertheless, Prohi-bition and its end would begin anew chapter for the Beringerbrand, and the estate founded byJacob Beringer would once againfind firm ground.


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It’s a state built on the idea ofdoing rather than giving theillusion that things are getting

done. Adopted in 1893, the statemotto is “esse quam videri,” fromCicero’s “On Friendship,” mean-ing “to do, rather than seem to bedoing.” Action is vital, while

frankness and sinceritysurrounds those actions.

It’s the kind of placewhere sweet tea is stillstored in buckets and

drunk out of jars while theworld’s most advanced technol-

ogy is being developed inResearch Triangle Park. It’s the

kind of place that raised the likesof Thelonious Monk, JohnColtrane, Maya Angelou,Michael Jordan and Dale Earn-hardt, but still pays homage tobluegrass bands that work at thelocal gas station during the day. Itis rooted in southern hospitalitywhile being at the forefront ofresearch. It’s quirky and complex.It’s North Carolina.

Founded in 1789 as the 12thstate in the union, North Caroli-na is wrapped in patriotism, withstate colors of red and blue. Thecapital city of Raleigh is home tocentury-old colleges standingnext to new federal buildings.The University of North Caroli-na, opened in 1795 in ChapelHill, is the oldest state universityin the country. Charlotte, thebanking center of the country, isthe largest city in North Carolinawith over 1.5 million residents inits metro area. The area known asResearch Triangle Park, named assuch from the triangle created byRaleigh, Durham and ChapelHill, is the largest research parkin the United States.

North Carolina has three distinc-tive regions. The first is themountains in the west, which aremade up of the Great SmokyMountains and the Blue RidgeMountains. Parts of the moun-tains receive over 30 inches ofsnow per year and are great for

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


2 8

NORTH CAROL INA

• Population: 9,535,483

• Size: 53,819 sq mi. (139,581 sq km)

Equal Parts Business & Charm

How North Carolina becamethe technological center

of the eastern United States

North Carolina


winter sports. In the central sec-tion of the state, there are rollinghills, plains and rock outcrop-pings, spotted with the financialcenters of the United States andeconomically successful cities.From tobacco farms rooted insouthern history to excellentresearch universities and textilefactories, the center of the state isabundant and diverse. Finally, onthe eastern coast, there are over300 miles of ocean front propertyas made up by the intercoastalwaterway and outer bank islands.The coast is home to the famouscity of Wilmington (made popu-lar again recently by the hit dramaseries of the ‘90s, Dawson’sCreek), Kitty Hawk of the WrightBrothers’ first successful flight andTopsail Island, a former outpost ofthe feared pirate Blackbeard.

What makes North Carolina tick?

North Carolina came of age inthe rural south, primarily basedon a traditional economy oftobacco plantations and furnitureand textile manufacturing. Thesedays, it is powered by internation-al innovation in knowledge-basedfields. The state fosters advancedmanufacturing, software andinformation technology, bio-pharmaceuticals and financialservices. Tobacco crops, while stillexistent, have been edged out bywine-making and bio fuels.

There is also a large defense-relat-ed industry in the state, as it has

the fourth largest military presencein the country. University-basedresearch fuels the innovation anddevelopment of technologies,while government funding, agrowing population, and an edu-cated workforce put thetechnology into practice. There isalso a massive aerospace industry,with most of the world’s largestaeronautical companies owningfacilities in the state. North Caroli-na has four international airports,74 publicly-owned airports and300 privately-owned airports. Thelargest of these airports is in Char-lotte, with non-stop dailyinternational connections toCanada, Mexico, Germany(Munich and Frankfurt), Paris,London, Rome and Rio deJaneiro. The Charlotte airport alsomakes for a great layover destina-tion, with rows of white rockingchairs to relax in between flights.

The banking and finance indus-try, centered in Charlotte,employs over 200,000 workers atover 1,700 firms. Over 120banks operate over 1,800 branch-es in the state, and headquartersfor three of the nation’s 15 largestbanks (such as Bank of America)are headquartered in Charlotteand Winston-Salem. Nucor, thenation’s largest steel producer,and the National Association ofStock Car and Auto Racing(NASCAR) call Charlotte home.Nucor has one of the most effi-cient steel making facilities in theworld and NASCAR makes more

2 9



By Pamela Jackson, GACC South

>>


than $3 billion annually inlicensed product sales, which iseven more impressive when oneremembers that they are still afamily-owned business.

Centered in Research TrianglePark, North Carolina has thethird largest biotechnologyindustry in the nation with morethan 520 bioscience companies.The industry employs over56,000 workers, ranging fromtechnicians to PhDs. GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, Bayer, NovoNordisk and Baxter all have oper-ations in the state. The NorthCarolina Biosciences Organiza-tion created the country’s firstcomprehensive biotechnologytraining program, partneringwith government, industry andacademia to train workers tomeet the growing demand forbioscience experience.

The state is also putting in meas-ures to continue growth in thegreen energy sector. There hasbeen strong legislative support tocontinue expansion and assistcompanies looking to developtheir reach and technologies inthe North Carolina.

Deutschland’s presence in the Tar Heel state

Germany has been a long-timeinvestor in North Carolina, cur-rently creating over 30,000 jobsthere. Of the 192,200 jobs in thestate created by foreign-ownedaffiliates, 16% of them are withGerman-owned affiliates. Ger-

man companies and subsidiariesown roughly $436 million inNorth Carolina real estate.

There are roughly 200 Germansubsidiaries in the state, ranging insize from only a few personnel tomega-companies. German-ownedFreudenberg is the world’s largestproducer of nonwovens and has alarge plant in North Carolina thatproduces the Novolon productline, which was first developed atNC State University.

SIEMENS, one of the largest for-eign investors in the nation,employs more people in NorthCarolina than in any other state.The company operates a state-of-the-art production facility out ofCharlotte, where generator shaftsweighing 300 tons each are made.Each shaft spins at 3600 RPM for3-5 years before it has to bestopped for maintenance. A 280-ton generator shaft, which will bethe core of Finland’s new nuclearpower plant, was manufactured inCharlotte, then shipped by theGerman company Kühne + Nagel.

North Carolina has become aninteresting mix of internationaltechnology and business. Thestate attracts superior companiesfrom all over the world because ofits academic and technologicalbase and has extensive programsin place to help with site selection,business services, and develop-ment for international companieslooking to set up shop. It may betime for you to grab a mason jar ofsweet tea and explore.



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Orchard Hotels are centrallylocated boutique hotels juststeps from Union Square,

Chinatown and the FinancialDistrict. “At the Orchard andOrchard Garden Hotel, you’vecome to the right place. Nogreenwashing here. We’re dedi-cated to healthy, sustainablehospitality. And we have beenfrom the very beginning”, saysStefan Mühle, General Manager,Orchard Hotels, San Franciscoand Regional Director, PortfolioHotels, USA.

In 2006, Stefan and his teamopened the $21 million OrchardGarden Hotel, California’s firstLEED-NC® certified hotel by

the US Green Building Council(USGBC). Its sister property, theaward-winning Orchard Hotel,earned its own LEED-EB certifi-cation in March 2009. LEED(Leadership in Energy & Envi-ronmental Design) is theUSGBC’s green building cer-tification program thatencourages and acceleratesglobal adoption of sustain-able green building anddevelopment practices.

Inspiration for the hotels comesfrom its 86-year-old owner, Mrs.S.C. Huang. She is passionateabout clean environments, afterthe untimely cancer-related deathsof three family members, and has

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

3 2


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Fax: [email protected]


devoted herself to creating envi-ronmentally safe, sustainablehotels. “Studies prove that LEEDcertified buildings have loweroperating costs, higher employeeproductivity, and happier, healthi-er occupants,” says Stefan.

While there are many shades of‘green,’ the Orchard Hotels aremost thorough. From construc-tion practices to décor, food andbeverage, daily operation andmore, the hotels never waverfrom their commitment toMother Earth.

Raised in Berlin, Germany, Ste-fan Mühle, who now lives in SanFrancisco with his wife Betsy,their daughter Mimi and dogMoxie, is considered one of thenation’s leading experts on ‘green-ing’ the hospitality industry. Butgoing ‘green’ posed its challenges.

In 2002, as it became increasing-ly important to tightly controlexpenses in the post-9/11 busi-ness climate, he and Mrs. S.C.

Huang wanted to take first stepsto go ‘green’ in housekeeping byreplacing cleaning products withcitrus-based, organic products,which, if used properly, wouldalso save money. So, Stefan calleda meeting with housekeepingstaff members and told them the‘good news.’ To his surprise, themessage was greeted with distrustas most of the crew did notbelieve that ‘green’ cleaningproducts would do the job. Ste-fan’s argument for a ‘healthierwork environment’ was met withlittle enthusiasm as the house-keeping team was much morefocused on getting roomscleaned quickly and efficiently –no matter the (environmental)price. Potential health benefitsweren’t of much interest either.

It would have been easy for Ste-fan to issue a memo forcing theteam to comply. Realizing, how-ever, that employees look atsenior management for inspira-tion and not just direction, hesuggested an experiment: Room

attendants were assigned intotwo groups – one outfitted withtraditional chemicals, and oneequipped with ‘green’ products –for one week initially. Duringthat first week, the ‘green’ teamlearned how to properly dilute,mix and match, and apply specif-ic surface cleaners. Since theproducts were non-toxic, fear ofmishandling evaporated quickly.However, product performanceremained a hotly debated pointof contention. After anotherweek, the ‘green’ group slowlybegan to see the benefits of usingthe products properly. Two moreweeks went by (all the while Ste-fan asked for daily feedback),and then the groups rotated. Theemployees who had used the newproducts had to revert to usingchemicals and the other teamcouldn’t wait to experience the‘green’ items, which, in the inter-im, had generated lots of buzzamongst the teams.

The results were astonishing.Not only did the hotels’ employ-ees overwhelmingly select the‘green’ cleaning products, but theexperiment created a tremendousboost of confidence among staffmembers in a very challengingbusiness environment. They hadbecome part of the decision-making process.

In addition, the Orchard GardenHotel debuted San Francisco’sfirst guestroom key card energycontrol system that switches offmuch of the guest room’s powerwhen the guest leaves the room,saving both energy and money.The hotels’ ‘green’ practicesinclude a 100% tobacco-freeenvironment, recycled paper and


3 3


>>


soy-based inks, in-room recy-cling bins, low-flow faucets andtoilets and more.

The Orchard hotels are proudmembers of the German Ameri-can Chamber of Commerce andthe German American Business

Association and work closelywith the German Consulate andthe Goethe Institute. Prominent-ly featured by media worldwide,the hotels were covered byWolkenlos and Der Spiegel. Theyare also members of the BusinessCouncil on Climate Change.


3 4


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Stefan MühlePortfolio Hotels & ResortsRegional Director and General Manager

The Orchard and Orchard Garden Hotels’ Award-Winning and ‘Green’

Recommended by Michelin Guide San Francisco 2010

2008 TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award for Best Luxury Hotel - United States

National Geographic Traveler Magazine “Stay List” 2008

Outside Magazine “Best New Eco Getaways” 2008

“Best Place to Work in the Bay Area” in 2005-2010 by the San Francisco Business Times

San Francisco Department of the Environment - Certified ‘green’ Business Award

Hotel Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008

… among many others.


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Successful organizations havefigured out that strong inter-personal communications in

business are essential. As compa-nies become more global and

employees are working togeth-er from greater distances, itis important that everycompany evaluates their

communications strategyto ensure that it fosters per-

sonal interactions. To do this,we must understand what tech-nologies are available and howthey can be applied to keep ourlines of communication open.

Unified Communications (UC)

This combination of live calling(traditional land line phone serv-ice, mobile phone service, etc.)with messaging services, includesvoicemail, faxing, and email.Whereas most people already usemany of these services, UC solu-tions attempt to bring them alltogether into a single interfaceallowing the user to leverageadvantages of each. UC has“voice logistics” intelligence to

ensure we receive the calls weneed regardless of our location.Have you ever been waiting inyour office for an important callonly to find it comes in just asyou step away? With a UC solu-tion, you can create a path so animportant call gets forwarded toyour mobile phone allowing youto connect even though you werenot in your office.

Automated Attendant (AA)

A voice menu greets callers toyour business and offers themoptions to hear pre-recordedinformation (such as the direc-tions to your office) or to transferto an employee or department(sales, customer service, interna-tional office, etc.) Depending onyour business needs, automatedattendants can greet callers 24x7,replacing the need to have areceptionist, or can pick up callswhen the receptionist cannot(lunch time, after hours, etc.)The key is to keep your menushort, casual, and even witty. Thevoice on your menu should


Connect with your Communications


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reflect the personality of yourbusiness, not sound like a com-puter trying to speak.

Web Conferencing

Participants from anywhere inthe world are able to conduct vir-tual meetings and shareinformation with each otherfrom their computers. Tradition-al conference calls involve only aphone and allow groups of indi-viduals to talk together. Withweb conferencing features, thoseusers can also share presentations,discuss documents while lookingat them together, and evenbroadcast their computer screento the meeting allowing others totake control as if they were sittingnext to each other with the samekeyboard and mouse.

Video Conferencing

Providing the ability to conductinteractive, high-touch meetingsacross distances. Although webconferencing services often pro-vide the ability to see thespeaker’s materials, video confer-encing emphasizes this visual andallows the participants to speakwith each other as if they were inthe same room.

Voicemail

Having been around for over 20years, voicemail is the oldest tech-nology in this list and these days isoften seen as the obsolete in favorof email or text messaging. Howev-er, voicemail can be a powerful toolbecause it uses the power of yourvoice to convey the emotion and

tone that can be lost or misunder-stood in a written communication.And because voicemail is a non-realtime communications method, itcombines the advantages of a liveconversation with the convenienceof an email. As it is especially thecase with global companies, timedifferences often make it hard tohave a live conversation but manytimes a topic requires more nuanceand personal attention than writ-ten correspondence can offer. Inthese times, a properly constructedvoicemail is the perfect vehicle toconvey your message.

Voice Messaging

Organizations stay connected as ateam even when they work fromdifferent offices or countries. VoiceMessaging builds on the advan-tages of voicemail by providing theability to send a single messageout to groups of interested par-ties. Inspiring leaders find ithard to have personal conver-sations with every person intheir organization yet stillneed a way to keep everyonemotivated and focused oncommon goals. Also, as organi-zations grow it often becomes evenharder to retain the excitementthat drove them to success whenthey started. Good organizationsgather all employees together every

month or every quarter to spreadthe company message. However,consider the power of a weeklyvoice message from the Presidentdirectly to all employees.

It is important to take time toevaluate the way your organiza-tion communicates. With theproliferation of communicationstechnology available to us, it’seasy to fall into the trap of usingthese technologies as a barrierbetween colleagues and cus-tomers rather than as a link tostay connected.

Intelliverse has been solvingcomplex and ever-changing com-munications problems forbusinesses of all sizes since 1986.With solid foundations in VoiceMessaging, Integrated VoiceResponse (IVR), Conferencing,and IP Telephony, we help ourcustomers communicate moreeffectively with their customersand employees. GAT

Intelliverse5900 Windward Parkway, Suite 500

Atlanta, GA 30005Tel. 888.INTELLI (468.3554)

www.Intelliverse.com


4 0


May 6

Annual MERLIN Awards Gala 2011

Held by GACCoMChicago, ILwww.gaccom.org

May 11

“Make Business a Walk in the Park” - A Union of International Business and Soccer

Held by GACC PHLChester, PAwww.gaccphiladelphia.com

May 12-13

3rd German American Energy Conference

Held by GACC USA & denaSupported by the Federal Ministryof Economics & TechnologyBerlin, Germanywww.gae-conference.com

May 16

Business Luncheon: Rheinland-Pfalz

Held by GACC SFSan Francisco, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com

May 19

European Chambers SpringNetworking Event 2011: Central Park Boat House

Held by GACCNYNew York, NYwww.gaccny.com

May 19

“A Taste of Germany” Spargel Gourmet Dinner

Held by GACC HOUHouston, TXwww.gaccsouth.com

May 19

“A Taste of Germany” Spargel Gourmet Dinner

Held by GACC SouthAtlanta, GAwww.gaccsouth.com

May 18

YEC Monthly Stammtisch


Jun 28

SolarEnergy Business Conferenceand Delegation 2011

Held by GACCoMDenver, COwww.gaccom.org

Jun 23

Business Seminar with The McCart Group & Atlantic Capital Bank


Jun 28

Wind Export Initiative: 3rd German American Wind Energy Conference

Held by GACC HOUHouston, TXwww.gaccsouth.com

Jun 21

4th Energy Efficiency Symposium

Held by GACC SFSan Francisco, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com u

Jun 22

Mid-Summer Golf Outing

Held by GACC PHLPhiladelphia, PAwww.gaccphiladelphia.com

Jun 8

Business Breakfast: “Smart Solutions - Business Opportunities in Eastern Germany”

Held by GACC SF with GTAISeattle, WAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com u

Jun 7

FOCUS: Export Controls


Jun 9

Evening Reception: “Smart Solutions - Business Opportunities in Eastern Germany“

Held by GACC SF with GTAISan Francisco, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.comt

Jun 15

YEC Monthly Stammtisch


Jun 16

Breakfast w/... Derrick Duckworth, Atlanta Beltline Chamber of Commerce


May 23

German Business Lunch Panel @ WINDPOWER 2011

Held by GACC SFAnaheim, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com u

May 23

German Business Lunch Panel @ WINDPOWER 2011

Held by GACC SFAnaheim, CAwww.gaccsanfrancisco.com

May 24

Factory Tour @ Hansgrohe, Inc.


May 25

YEC-Event: Manhattan Boat Cruise Party

Held by GACCNYNew York, NYwww.gaccny.com u

May 26

Asparagus Gala Dinner 2011


Jun 2

Annual Spargelfest @ The City Tavern

Held by GACC PHLPhiladelphia, PAwww.gaccphiladelphia.com

E V E N TC A L E N D A RMay 6 - June 28, 2011

u

74712_GACC_40_41_crx_ACG_Layout 1 4/29/11 2:32 PM Page 2

T here are times when a mutebutton would be quitelovely. When there is a

baby screaming in the seatbehind you on a transatlanticflight. When you have a dead-line in seven minutes but yourcoworkers have the Friday after-noon giggles. When you’ve takena very important client out tolunch and the table next to youhas erupted into a tipsy bout of‘wooo-hooos’ and jokes withincoherent punch lines.

We’ve all been there, and withoutany access to a mute button.Instead, we either have to dealwith it in silence or, the moreproactive route, we actually haveto talk to each other (because astern glare normally falls unseen).Let us just point out, “I’m havinga meeting, please be quiet,” willnot work on the ‘wooo-hooo-ers.’

Unclear as to who the ‘wooo-hooo-ers’ are? We’ll give anexample. Picture yourself at thelocal restaurant and bar thatmoonlights as a great place forbusiness lunches. While normallya perfect place to bring potentialclients, today, the highly-coiffedex-cheerleaders just walked intothe venue. They recognize eachother, shriek with delight, and

they spend the next hour down-ing wine and yelping at the latestunbelievable story about theprinciple of their child’s school.

All the while, you are about tosign the contract of your life witha German CEO who only joinsin this kind of revelry on threeoccasions: the World Cup,Karneval and Oktoberfest. He’sannoyed and you need thesewomen to be quiet.

The best way to get them to stop?Join them. Crazy idea, we know.But these kinds of people, rootedin patriotism and apple pie, live bytheir own rules and they’re not like-ly to take heed of a stern talking-to.Americans want everyone to betheir friends and the best way togain a little loyalty is to act like one,even if you’ve never met the people.

“So you’re telling me that I haveto be NICE to the people whoare single-handedly RUIN-ING my business luncheon.No, thanks.” Yes, that iswhat we are saying. You don’thave to be best buddies, but

as southern Americans say,“you catch more flies with hon-

ey than vinegar.” Essentially, youwill get much further with anAmerican if you request some-thing nicely than to demandsomething bluntly.

In this case, commiserating isbetter than demanding them tosee your viewpoint. The way youphrase what you want is absolute-ly key. As an example, what youmay want to say is “FOR THELOVE OF EVERYTHING, BEQUIET!” However, “Hey there!Hey! Yeaaaa! Whooo! You ladieslook like you’re having fun! Yousee the guy I’m sitting with? Yea,yea, he looks a little stuffy, buthe’s nice. I am working SOHARD to get him to sign thiscontract but he just needs aslightly quieter environment tothink about it. Do you think youcan tone it down a little?” willwork exponentially better. Thetime investment is a bit longer,but the return will be worth it.Remember: honey. GAT

Navigating cultural differences to keep your business afloat

By Pamela Jackson and Morgan Moretz

http://howwesink.wordpress.com

4 1


H O W W E S I N K

Playing the Quiet Game

74712_GACC_40_41_crx_ACG_Layout 1 4/28/11 2:45 PM Page 3

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,

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Office of publication: New York

Publication date of this issue: May/Jun 2011

© Copyright 2011 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]

Eva Krause GACC [email protected]

Jayne Riemer-Chisty GACC [email protected]

Thomas Zielke RGIT [email protected]

Julia Zimmermann GACC South, Texas [email protected]

Sabine Zimmermann GACC NY, Office for the Western [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.321 North Clark, Suite 1425

Chicago, IL 60654

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.Philadelphia BranchOne 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.Office for the Western United StatesOne Embarcadero Center

Suite 1060

San Francisco, CA 94111

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

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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

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