TWO OF FRANKFURT, GERMANY’S TOP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS VISITED ATLANTA IN MID-DECEMBER TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH LOCAL COMPANIES INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THEIR OPERATIONS IN GERMANY OR EUROPE.
ALTHOUGH FRANKFURT ALREADY HAS SOME 750 AMERICAN COMPANIES LOCATED IN ITS GREATER METRO AREA, THERE APPARENTLY IS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MORE, ACCORDING TO HARTMUT SCHWESINGER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE CITY OF FRANKFURT’S BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.
EVEN COMPANIES SUCH AS IBM WHICH HAVE THEIR HEADQUARTERS ELSEWHERE IN GERMANY MAINTAIN THEIR DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES IN FRANKFURT BECAUSE IT HAS CONTINENTAL EUROPE’S LARGEST CARGO CAPACITY, HE SAID.
BUT DR. SCHWESINGER AND MICHAEL STURM, DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN AFFAIRS FOR THE CITY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM, WEREN’T HERE JUST TO MEET ATLANTA’S LARGEST CORPORATIONS. “WE WANT TO BUILD OUR NETWORK,” DR. SCHWESINGER ADDED, SAYING THAT HE EXPECTED MANY OF THE RELATIONS TO BE MAINTAINED WITH SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED LOCAL COMPANIES THROUGH THE INTERNET.
GERMANY’S BIGGEST BANKS AND SOME 277 FOREIGN BANKS ARE LOCATED IN FRANKFURT INCLUDING THE BUNDESBANK, GERMANY’S CENTRAL BANK. ITS STOCK EXCHANGE IS THE FOURTH-LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
AND TO ASSURE ITS POSITION AS A PRE-EMINENT BUSINESS CENTER IN EUROPE, IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF MODERNIZING ITS TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATIONS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (49-69) 212-38 764/-36 209; FAX, (49-69) 212-36230; EMAIL: INFO@BEDC.FRANKFURT.DE