GERMAN OFFICIAL SAYS ALL FIRMS MUST GO GLOBAL

THE GERMAN STATE OF BADEN-W‹RTTEMBERG’S SMALL-TO MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES MUST FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LARGER COMPANIES SUCH AS DAIMLER-BENZ AND EXPLORE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN THE U.S., SAID WALTER DORING, THE STATE’S MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND VICE MINISTER-PRESIDENT, IN ATLANTA OCT. 7.

SPEAKING AT A RECEPTION HELD AT THE BUCKHEAD RESIDENCE OF KLAUS ZEHENTNER, GERMANY’S CONSUL GENERAL FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S., DR. DORING SAID, “WE ARE AWARE THAT THE FUTURE OF OUR MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES CAN ONLY BE ASSURED, EXISTING JOBS CAN ONLY BE SAFEGUARDED AND NEW JOBS CAN ONLY BE CREATED IF THESE ENTERPRISES BECOME GLOBAL PLAYERS.”

HE ALSO CALLED “A GREAT FALLACY” THE ARGUMENT THAT INVESTMENT ABROAD ONLY SERVES TO DESTROY DOMESTIC LABOR MARKETS.

THE RECEPTION WAS HELD FOR A 51-MEMBER TRADE MISSION FROM THE STATE OF BADEN-W‹RTTEMBERG WHICH MR. ZEHENTNER CALLED “THE LARGEST DELEGATION TO COME TO ATLANTA DURING MY TENURE,” WHICH BEGAN IN 1991.

MARIETTA AND GERMAN FIRMS REACH DISTRIBUTION PACT. A GERMAN TRADE MISSION TO ATLANTA FROM BADEN-W‹RTTEMBERG OCT. 6-12 ALREADY HAS PROMPTED A DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN A VISITING COMPANY AND MARIETTA-BASED MSK COVERTECH INC., GLOBALFAX HAS LEARNED.  AND ANOTHER PARTICIPANT IN THE MISSION, HOZSCHUH GMBH & CO., IS CONSIDERING WHETHER TO LOCATE A NEW FACILITY IN GEORGIA, ALABAMA, OR THE CAROLINAS.

MSK IS TO DISTRIBUTE MANUAL SHRINK-WRAP MACHINERY, CALLED HAVOPLAST, ON BEHALF OF HAWO GERATEBAU GMBH OF OBRIGHEIM, GERMANY, ACCORDING TO FRANK REINTGES, A SERVICE PROJECT MANAGER AT MSK.

FRANK HOZSCHUH, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HOZSCHUH GMBH & CO., TOLD GLOBALFAX THAT HIS COMPANY, WHICH MANUFACTURES COMPONENTS OF HEATING UNITS IN AUTOMOBILES, WILL DECIDE ON THE LOCATION FOR A U.S. FACILITY IN THE NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.  HE SAID THAT THE COMPANY WANTS TO SUPPLY BMW, MERCEDES AND U.S. CARMAKERS IN THE REGION.

MSK IS A SUBSIDIARY OF MSK VERPACKUNGS-SYSTEME GMBH, A GERMAN COMPANY, AND SELLS AUTOMATED SHRINK-WRAP MACHINERY TO COVER PALLETS OF GOODS BOUND FOR SHIPMENT. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DELEGATION, CALL KILIAN LENARD AT THE GERMAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT (404) 239-9494; FAX, (404) 264-1761.

BY MARK PIERSON