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The Week in Germany: Business, Technology and the Environment February 1, 2008 German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) Reopens Office in Houston, Texas
German businesses have a new partner in Houston. The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States has reopened its branch in the city, which is the nexus of the US energy industry. According to managing director Jan Wiedemann, Texas is an interesting market for Germany even beyond the petrochemical industry. His office will place a special focus on renewable energies. “German utilities are investing in the renewable energy market worldwide”, Wiedemann says. For one, Texas’ burgeoning wind power market has caught the attention of German investors. Installed wind power capacity surged 59 percent in 2007 to 4356 megawatts, according to the American Wind Energy Association. With the state's strong steady winds and a grid that is well-suited to distributing wind power, the state could even overtake Germany in a few years as the world's leading wind energy producer. Germany currently has over 22,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity, and German firms such as Siemens and Enercon are leaders in the design and manufacture of wind turbines. In February, the chamber is teaming up with the state of Texas and US and German wind power trade groups to host a conference in Berlin that will educate German industry leaders about the market for wind power in Texas. The weak dollar has made investing in the US even more attractive to German firms recently, and Wiedemann says the GACC office in Houston will help firms find lawyers, accountants, and other partners that will ease their entry into the US market. Through the GACC network and external human resources partners, it can also aid in talent searches. "We think it is very important that we have a presence in Houston with a full-time professional staff," said GACC South CEO Kristian Wolf. Wolf also said that part of the decision to locate the office in Houston was based on the proximity to Germany's general consulate there. "General Consul Rainer Münzel was instrumental in lobbying to reopen the Houston office, and we think that working closely with the consulate will result in a lot of synergies." Together with the chapter in Dallas, the Houston office will also focus on strengthening membership numbers in Texas and recruiting new corporate members and sponsors, said Wiedemann. Links:
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