Delegation from Alabama Sees Growth Potential in Economic Cooperation with Bremen
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(© WFB)
A delegation from the state of Alabama with well-known representatives from politics and industry led by the state’s Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield recently paid a visit to the Hanseatic City of Bremen at the invitation of the Bremen Economic Development Agency (WFB). The main areas of interest for the 18 visitors were the automobile industry, logictics, aerospace industry, and wind energy.
A cooperation agreement between WFB and the State of Alabama was signed during a visit of a delegation from Bremen in November 2011. The return visit this year was designed to broaden the insights into cooperation opportunities for Alabama companies in the Bremen area and to further deepen the connections between the two economic development agencies.
The visit to Mercedes took center stage during the delegation's stay since the productions facilities of the auto manufacturer in Tuscaloosa and Bremen play a key role in the economic cooperation between the Hanseatic City and Alabama. Starting in 2014, the plant in Bremen will be leading the way for the production of the new C-Class model world-wide and provide valuable guidance for the C-Class production in Tuscaloosa.
The delegation’s agenda also included a visit to BLG, combined with a tour of the automobile and container terminals in Bremerhaven. The participants were particularly impressed by the dimensions of the terminals. BLG’s positive development in Alabama has met with a very positive response there. With over 500 employees, BLG performs extensive logistics services for Mercedes in Tuscaloosa.
