Nachdem nun beschlossen ist, dass die neue C Klasse von Daimler Benz in Alabama gefertigt wird, (so Dieter Zetsche der auch bei diesem Treffen mit Gov. Riley
sprechen wird), haben etwa 10 - 12 Auto Zulieferer zugesagt.
Unter anderem werden das Trainingsprogramm für Facharbeiter und auch positive Berichte von deutschen Firmen in Alabama vorgestellt.
Ausser Gov. Bob Riley werden u.a. Alabama Development Office Director Neal Wade sowie die Tuscaloosa Bürgermeister Walt Maddox and Hardy McCollum und Dara Longgrear, executive director der Tuscaloosa County Industrial
Development Authority anwesend sein.
gesamter Text: s.u.
Herr Gov. Riley, wenn Sie für ThyssenKrupp sogar ihre Verfassung geändert haben um ihrem Staat mit Arbeitsplätzen zu helfen, könnten Sie vielleicht einen letzten Schritt tun und die Todestrafe
abschaffen. Es ist für deutsche Unternehmer, Mitarbeiter und Arbeiter unzumutbar in einem Umfeld zu leben, dass nach wie vor die Todesstrafe praktiziert. Ebenso würde sich die Daimler Riege
freuen, wenn sie ihr Leben in Alabama in einem modernen demokratischen Land ohne die gestrige Todestrafe geniessen könnte.
Gov. Bob Riley is leading a delegation of Alabamians to Germany this week to court new auto suppliers for the state, a trip that's designed to capitalize on last
year's decision by Mercedes-Benz to bring production of the C-Class sedan to the company's Vance factory.
Riley and leaders from the Tuscaloosa area will put on a forum for representatives of supplier firms that are aiming to make parts for the new C-Class, which is set
to join the German automaker's Alabama assembly lines in time for a 2014 launch.
The one-day event, to be held Wednesday in Stuttgart, will include a session on Alabama's worker training programs, as well as testimonials from several
companies already doing business in the state, the governor said.
"We have a meeting with 10 to 12 of the suppliers that we hope will come to Alabama, and we're going to do everything we can to convince them to come to Alabama,"
Riley said in an interview. "This is one of those trips that you can't put off because the decisions are going to be made very soon."
Auto suppliers often want to be close to the vehicle they make parts for, as evidenced by the ring of businesses -- and thousands of jobs -- that have sprung up
around Mercedes' Vance factory since the automaker chose the site in 1993.
And while Mercedes hasn't awarded supplier contracts for the new C-Class yet, there are likely a number of opportunities for new supplier facilities locally, since
production of the sedan is moving in from Germany.
"We want to make sure these people come to Alabama, and not go to Mississippi or another state," Riley said.
This week's trip could be the last economic development mission for the governor, who leaves office in January.
Through two terms he has earned a reputation as a savvy business recruiter, counting German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp's new $5 billion plant near Mobile, as well as
numerous auto industry expansions and supplier projects across the state among the big economic victories of his tenure.
During his trip to Germany, Riley will have a private meeting with Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Mercedes parent company Daimler AG, and a man Riley said he considers
a good friend.
"This could be the last opportunity to visit with Dr. Z, and I want to express my appreciation for the relationship we've had over the years," he said.
The governor said he also wants to thank Zetsche for the decision to shift C-Class production to Alabama. Although the move ruffled feathers in Germany, it's widely
seen as a stabilizing factor for the Vance plant, which now makes SUVs and crossovers and is vulnerable to the ups and downs of the light-truck market. (Zetsche was a member of the Mercedes panel
that picked Alabama for the automaker's first North American auto plant in 1993.)
The C-Class, meanwhile, is a top seller for the automaker and often the first experience for newcomers to the brand. Its addition to the Vance lineup also is
expected to add about 1,000 jobs at the plant itself.
The supplier forum is a concept that the state has used before, putting on similar events for auto suppliers in Korea and other prospects in Europe, said Alabama
Development Office Director Neal Wade.
The idea is to talk to the companies about how to do business in Alabama, so they have a comfort level with the state as they start their site selection process, he
said.
Introducing the state
This week's supplier forum in Germany will introduce companies to Alabama and specifically the Tuscaloosa area, Wade said. It's the result of cooperation among the
state and the Tuscaloosa area, as well as Mercedes.
"Mercedes has been key to this, and having them involved really sends a message to these companies," Wade said.
Besides the governor, other speakers at the forum will include Ed Castile, director of Alabama Industrial Development Training.
Government leaders from the Tuscaloosa area also are making the trip, including Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and Hardy McCollum, head of the Tuscaloosa County
Commission.
Dara Longgrear, executive director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority, said the supplier forum shows that the community is an aggressive
player and intends to be a good partner to whoever decides to locate there.
"We're sort of taking the game to them right now," he said. "Our hope is that this will help streamline the process, and new players that haven't had investments in
Alabama before will be able to understand the process better."
Officials also are using the trip to call on other economic development prospects for the Tuscaloosa area, Longgrear said.
During his time as governor, Riley said he has enjoyed the ability to go out and sell the state, along with the merits of its work force, and it could be a part of
his life after he leaves office.
"That might be something that would be exciting to do, to see if I can help some of these smaller communities that can't afford to pay a professional recruiter and
go do it for free," he said.
Riley said it has been gratifying to meet people all over the world and also watch concepts turn into reality. He cited the ThyssenKrupp steel plant, which hit
another milestone last week with the start of stainless steel production.
"It's something that I will look back on very fondly," he said.
© 2010 al.com. All rights reserved.
Druckversion
Diese Seite weiterempfehlen