Prospects for further German investment in Georgia have been strengthened by an announcement in October that DaimlerChrysler AG has chosen Savannah as the location for a new $700 million auto manufacturing plant, said Thomas Beck.
Mr. Beck, president and CEO of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States Inc., told GlobalFax he is confident that, in addition to auto suppliers, companies in other industries will consider investing in Georgia since the Daimler decision.
“When such a big company makes such a choice, [small- or and medium-sized German firms] think that it must be a good place,” he said, noting that it is not uncommon for smaller German companies to follow larger ones into new markets, even if they are in different industries.
The Daimler plant will be the first significant German investment in Savannah, Mr. Beck noted. Most German investment, particularly in the auto industry, is concentrated in South Carolina, so the decision is somewhat surprising, he added.
He said he had been told that Daimler chose Georgia because the site set aside for the project was better suited to the company’s specifications than locations in Charleston, S.C., or Jacksonville, Fla., that were also considered.
Mr. Beck praised the efforts of the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism and Munich-based GDITT representative Antje Abshoff, in particular, for their efforts in attracting DaimlerChrysler.
Contact the German chamber at (404) 239-0275 or visit www.gaccsouth.com