My Key Experiences as German Consul General in Atlanta

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German Consul General Lutz Hermann Görgens Ph.D.

(© German Consulate General Atlanta)

My key experience as German Consul General in the Southeast of the United States has been amazement about the stark contrast between economic worries in both Europe and America, and solid sustained growth in transatlantic business.

At the groundbreaking for the ThyssenKrupp steel plant in Mobile, Alabama (a German 3 billion dollar investment) in November 2007 and at the impressive big dig for the future Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee (a provider of thousands of new jobs in the automotive industry) in September 2008, the message is that transatlantic business continues to create prosperity for citizens of Germany and America alike.

While we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 1948 Berlin Airlift which secured Germany's freedom and democracy, we see our transatlantic friendship supplemented by solid economic partnership. The American Southeast has become the engine of this partnership.

Education

Excellent education is a key factor of transatlantic economic success.  International business, economic negotiations and applied engineering require both practical and linguistic knowledge. In most years of the last decade, German investment has topped the activities of any other country in many of the Southeastern states.

This is the main reason that Elon University and NC State University, to name just two examples in North Carolina, have started new academic programs in German Studies in 2007 and 2008. It is also the reason that other projects such as the conference on "German Studies the 21st Century" organized by UGA in Athens in March 2008, and Emory University’s annual meetings on "German Studies in the Southeast" have been  so successful.

However, I am disappointed to see that too few parents realize the opportunity to empower their children for the transatlantic job market by enrolling them in German language programs through Middle and High School.

Transportation and Logistics

For every transportation mode, the partnership between Germany and the American Southeast is strong. Every day, about 32 million dollars worth of cargo arrive from Germany at the seaports of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. There are 12 daily direct flights between Germany and Atlanta, and 2 between Germany and Charlotte. On average, 4000 people commute between Germany and these two American hubs by air every day.

The automotive industry is a "driving force" for transatlantic business. BMW is presently expanding their large factory in Greer, North Carolina even further. Mercedes Benz USA has brought some 20.000 direct and indirect new jobs to Vance/Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In 2008,  Volkswagen started building a new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee and PorscheCars North America have their headquarters in Atlanta.

As increasing traffic and rising gasoline prices make rail transportation ever more attractive, Charlotte, North Caroline made headlines in 2007 with “Lynx”, a new inner city light rail built by Siemens. Smart and fast rail technologies, like the German Maglev, could cut the travel time between cities and airports like Atlanta and Chattanooga in half. UPS in Atlanta and FedEx in Memphis respectively expand and prepare their European hub at the Köln/Bonn airport in Germany.

All these developments enhance the attractiveness of the Southeast as a business location, and further the mobility of its citizens.