ChamberBrief

February 2009

German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc - GACCoM

Content:

• Upcoming Events: 9th Annual Merlin Awards Gala 2009: Nominate a company today, Merlin Awards Gala Sponsorship Opportunities available now; Dykema Immigration Law Seminar Live Webcasts; WI Chapter: Rite-Hite Open House; HR Executive Circle on "Retooling for the Upturn"; Global Leaders Luncheon with SAP's Leo Apotheker; Transportation Seminar, MN Chapter: Annual Winetasting Gala  
• Green Corner: WindEnergy Business 2009, 1st German American Energy Conference 2009 in Berlin
• Career Services: Current Openings at Client Organizations
• Transatlantic Program 2009: Alumni Reunion at German Embassy in Washington D.C.
• Publications: GACC Subsidiary Directory Now Online; Last Chance to advertise in the GACC Subsidiary Directory 2009 and receive free print copy or access to online database
• News: Foreign Nationals must register for Travel Clearance ++ International Renewable Energy Agency Founded in Germany ++ Buy American Elements in Hous and Senate Stimulus Proposals Draw Criticism ++ International Protectionism Debate ++
• From the German American Business Community: GACC Economic Business Survey Results + Annual Economic Forum 2009 Report; Economic Outlook Interviews with Thomas Seifert, Optima; and Niels Schmidt, Richard Wolf Medical Instruments; GACCoM Members receive 25% discount on CAR Research Summit, German/English Tutoring Expert Available

UPCOMING EVENTS:

9th Annual Merlin Awards Gala 

This year we are dedicating our Gala in support of the 2016 Olympics. The highlight of the evening is the presentation of the Annual MERLIN Awards, given by the Chamber to honor those companies selected by a panel judges as exemplifying outstanding achievements in German-American business in three categories:

• Best Innovator Award: For outstanding work of a company in an innovative field or an innovative product.
• Best New Company/Start-Up Award: For a company, established in the Midwest in the past 2 years (founded in 2007 or 2008), that has introduced an exceptional new product offering or business model and that is on the path to demonstrating success in transatlantic trade.
• Best Service Provider Award: For a company that has shown ongoing excellence in supporting German American trade and in demonstrating outstanding assistance to their clients or customers in 2008.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Go for the gold and don’t miss this opportunity to receive special sponsor treatment, including your own exclusive table, company recognition and other benefits at the Gala.

For more information and to download our nomination forms as well as our sponsorship forms click here.

Dykema Immigration Law Seminar GACCoM and Dykema are pleased to present a Seminar on "What You Need to Know: Current U.S. Immigration Issues for German Companies"   Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009 Time: 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, A reception will follow the seminar Location: Dykema, 10 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 2300, Chicago, IL 60606 Who: Sonya Olds Som, Of Counsel, Dykema; Ken Jochum, Principal, The Archon Group, Human Resource Consultants, and Ellen Reese, Director of Human Resources, Robert Bosch Tool Corporation Costs: Admission is free. Registration is closed but sign up for our waiting list. For more information on the speakers and the topics, and to register for our Waiting List please, click here.   Due to the high demand for this seminar we set up a live webcast, so that you can join us online. Please click on the link below to get directly to the livestream. We will be streaming fron 4 pm-5:30 pm (CST) on February 25th: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/immigration-law-seminar.

WI Chapter: Member's Open House with Rite-Hite Corporation

Rite-Hite opens its doors to its customers, the members of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, and friends to visit their showroom in Milwaukee, WI.

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Rite-Hite Corp. 8900 N. Arbon Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53223 

For more information and to register, please click here.

HR Executive Circle

This GACCoM Round Table will feature Guy London, Director of Services at Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) – a training and workforce development agency.

Topic: “Retooling for the Upturn: Training and Workforce Solutions for Illinois Manufacturers” and Appointment of a Chairperson for GACCoM's HR Executive Circle  

Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Time: 7.30 am - 10.00 am

Location:

Jane Addams Resource Corporation

4222 N. Ravenswood, Chicago IL

For more information and to register, please click here.

This series is open exclusively to HR Managers and Executives from German subsidiaries to discuss the hot topics in human resources and recruiting and to facilitate exchange between members.

Global Leaders Luncheon with SAP's Leo Apotheker

Global Leaders Luncheon featuring Leo Apotheker, Co-Chief Executive Officer, SAP co-organized with the Executives’ Club of Chicago.

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Time: 11:45 Reception - 12:30 Luncheon

Location:

The Fairmont Chicago
200 North Columbus Drive

GACCoM Members receive the member price of $ 57.50 for the Luncheon. 

Download the Registration Form here or register online at www.executivesclub.org.

The 10th Annual Golden Spike Seminar

GACCoM is proud to support this 2-day seminar, which is held in support of the Midwest Regional Rail System and 21st Century passenger rail projects proposed for the 2016 International Olympic Games

Topic: For Business Travelers - "Shortening the Distance to your Market"
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009

Topic: For Legislators & Elected Officials - "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!"

Date: Friday, March 20, 2009

Location: Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, I-65 and US Hwy 30 in the Southeast Chicago suburb of Merrillville, IN

For more information on this event, please click here.

MN Chapter: Annual Winetasting Gala 

Date: Friday, April 17, 2009
Time: Social Hour and Silent Auction begins at 5:30 pm

Location:   Windows on Minnesota, IDS Center, Minneapolis

Admission:  Members: $85 per person Non-Members: $95 per person

Table Sponsor Price: $1,000 for a table of 10, $830 for a table of 8

For more information on this event, as well as sponsorship information, please click here.

WindEnergy Business 2009 Conference Live Webstream

With more than 250 participants registered, the WindEnergy Business 2009 Conference on Tuesday, February 24^th is fully booked. For those of you who were not able to register anymore or for those of you who won't be able to join us due to your geographic location, we set-up a live webstream so that you don't have to miss anything.

The live webcast will start at 8.30am (CST) on February 24th. Please click on the link below to get directly to the livestream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/windenergy-business-2009.

For any other information, including the schedule of the conference, please click on the banner below:

For questions concerning WindEnergy Business 2009, please contact Bernadett Steiner, Renewable Projects Manager at: steiner@gaccom.org or 312-494-2180, or Hans Royal, Consulting Services, at: royal@gaccom.org or 312-644-2662.

1st German American Energy Conference 2009 in Berlin

In order to inform German companies about the  general framework of the U.S. market and to give practical information on market entry into the U.S., the  German Energy Agency (dena) together with the  German American Chambers of Commerce (AHK USA) are hosting the first ever “German American Energy Conference,” with Renewable Energy as the theme. The four-day event is planned to take place biannually in rotation between Germany and the U.S. and is to be fitted to current political energy issues. With the title “Renewable Energy Boom USA,” the areas of solar, wind and bioenergy will be explored in depth in 2009.

Please click here to view the official homepage: www.gae-conference.com
 

Location: Ludwig-Erhard-Haus, Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin

Date: Monday, March 30, 2009 - Thursday, April 2, 2009

Time: all-day conference

GACCoM Career Services Current Openings at Client Organizations: General Manager North America Operations with 5+ years of managerial and business development experience. Industry: Windenergy sector. Location: Chicago area. Full-time Executive Assistant with a minimum of 2-3 years of work experience  Industry: Manufacturing. Location: Chicago suburb of Schaumburg.

Transatlantic Program 2009 – Alumni Reunion

On January 16, 2009, close to 40 TAP alumni came from all over the United States for a special reunion in Washington, D.C., which was highlighted by a reception at the residence of German Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Klaus Scharioth - the official patron of the Transatlantic Program, and also included a series of meetings, networking events, and social gatherings.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Ambassador Scharioth and his team for providing the TAP Alumni and GACCoM with such a warm welcome at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and for having extended the invitation to the Transatlantic Program Alumni to hold their annual reunion in this location that is so essential to German-American relations, which is what our program is all about.

Ambassador Scharioth became the patron of the Transatlantic Program in July 2008 and we are ever so excited to have received such an honorable recognition from the German government and its Ambassador to the United States. We are very much looking forward to continuing our work with the Transatlantic Program 2009 and will be sure to continue the relationship in the future, with an even bigger Alumni network, more stories to tell and more transatlantic relationships in place.

Please click here to read an article written by the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. about this event.

For more information please visit www.transatlanticprogram.org or contact Daniela Daus, Manager, Transatlantic Program at daus@gaccom.org or call (312) 494-2177.  

Publications

GACC Subsidiary Directory Now Online:

For over 30 years the German American Chambers of Commerce (AHK USA) with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco have been publishing the company directory “Subsidiaries of German Firms in the U.S.” on an annual basis. It has become a classical Who’s Who of German-American business relations. Now, three decades later, it is finally available online: www.germancompanies.us.

www.germancompanies.us lists over 3,500 HQs and branch offices of German firms in the United States, as well as their parent companies in Germany - with detailed information such as top executives, email-addresses, number of employees, turnover and NAICS classification.

German Subsidiaries: Your entry is free, so please visit www.germancompanies.us to ensure that your data is up-to-date. For only $179, you can upgrade to a Premium Profile, which includes your company logo, multiple contact people with photos, a detailed company description, and the possibility to upload a company presentation. For more information, please visit www.germancompanies.us or contact Janka Pieper at pieper@gaccom.org or (312) 494-2162.

Want access to www.germancompanies.us?

Basic Access: $149.00
Allows you to review the database for three months and download up to 500 company entries to Excel, and output of single company profiles to PDF.

Unlimited Access: $399.00
Grants you full and unlimited access to the database for 12 months. Download the entire database to Excel, output of single company profiles to PDF and receive the annual hardcopy/print version of "Subsidiaries of German Firms in the U.S." in the mail (latest edition will be published March 2009).
For any questions, please contact Janka Pieper at pieper@gaccom.org or (312) 494-2162.

Advertise in the GACC Subsidiary Directory 2009 - Don't miss your chance!

In just a few days, the GACC Directory of Subsidiaries of German Firms in the U.S. 2009 will go into print. Don't miss your chance! Make sure your advertisement will get into the directory. In these turbulent economic times it is more important than ever to be vsisible and stand out to those that matter in our community.

The Subsidiary Directory of German Firms is a must-have for executives and decision makers, and due to high demand, we will continue to put this important resource into print. Contact Janka Pieper, at pieper@gaccom.org (312-494-2162) to find out how you can make yourself visible and bring your company to those that make the decisions.

Note that with every advertisement you get a free print copy; and with every half page advertisement, you receive free access to our www.germancompanies.us database for an entire year. Don't miss out on this opportunity.

Print Copy Only: Subsidiaries of German Firms in the U.S. 2009

The latest print version will be available in March 2009. Make sure you get your copy of our 2009 edition and reserve it now at www.germancompanies.us.

If you have any questions, please contact Janka Pieper at pieper@gaccom.org or (312) 494-2162.

NEWS

-- February 2009

Guarded Optimism in German American Business Community -
Review of the Annual Economic Forum

-- February 2009
“Buy American” Elements in House and Senate Stimulus Proposals Draw Criticism - Comments from our liaison office RGIT
-- February 2009
International Protectionism Debate - DIHK Statement

-- January 2009
Foreign Nationals must register for Travel Clearance - Advance Authorization will be required for Visa Waiver Program Travelers

Voices from the German American Business Community

GACCoM Interview on the Economic Outlook 2009 with Thomas Seifert, President, Optima Machinery Corporation

GACCoM Interview on the Economic Outlook 2009 with Niels Schmidt, General Manager, Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corp. 

GACCoM Members receive 25% discount on Center for Automotive Research Summit 

The Center for Automotive Research’s conference “Roads to Renewal: A Summit on the Changing Automotive Industry-How Communities Can Thrive” will be held in Chicago on April 14-15, 2009. Through GACCoM’s partnership with CAR, members can receive a discount on registration.  More...

German/English Tutoring Expert

Alexandra Pradella-Ott, native German speaker, retired German teacher with 33 years experience and currently tutoring German executives and their families and American executives doing business in Germany, is available for additional services in Chicago and suburban area. Contact: alexaott@aol.com; Tel: 847-549-9453; Fax: 847-549-9610