A Pair of Pioneers: BLG Logistics Partners with Brookwood High

About a month ago, BLG Logistics, Inc. welcomed members of its board of directors and executives in Vance, Alabama for the graduation of its first class of the BLG Logistics Training Program.

Pre-ceremony tour of the BLG Logistics Vance Facility

The ceremony, which was held at the NorthRiver Yatch Club, not only honored a group of eight students from Brookwood High School, but also displayed the long term relationship between BLG and the community, which was symbolized by the event’s attendees.

Notable guest included Bremen Senator Martin Guenthner, Vance Mayor Keith Mahaffey, Brookwood High School Principal Laura McBride, Logistics Trainer Rolf Benglan, and the now former BLG Logistics Group’s President and Chairman Detthold Aden – each who committed time, leadership, and vision in creating a program that had not been offered before in the state.

Based out of the need to find the workforce to meet the needs of expansion, BLG decided to bring the style of German dual-apprenticeship stateside with help of the GACC South. Upon ensuring the program met targeted requirements, our very own Stefanie Jehlitschka awarded an Urkunde for BLG’s efforts to the students.

Following the semester long course, all eight students will become full-time employees at BLG

Due to the program’s success and appeal, the Fall 2013 program will start again but with more students and an in-depth two-semester term.

GACC South Vice President Stefanie Jehlitschka awards the program’s inaugural class following their successful semester with BLG

We hope that our member’s investment in our region will add momentum to the work other organizations are doing to promote the need of workforce development through vocational training.

For now, it is a big step in the right direction.

 

 

Celebrating 25 and 50 Years

Relationships are commonly defined by dates and this year marks 25th and 50th anniversaries of the Representative of German Industry and Trade (RGIT) and our sister chamber in Chicago, the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACC Midwest).

In celebrating the significant milestones, GACC South President Martina Stegmeier and Vice President Stefanie Jehlitschka travelled to Washington, D.C. and Chicago to attend a series of business conferences while concluding their visit at the renowned Annual MERLIN Awards Gala.

A combined seventy-five years of representing German industry provides for some truly rewarding highlights and while a number of things change in growing older – one thing has remained constant. The transatlantic trade relationship between Germany and the United States is still atop in terms of global importance. Both countries play a vital role in each other’s economy by creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in a wide spectrum of industries.

As a network, we are proud of the success and longevity of our efforts and look forward to supporting German business and trade for years to come.

Champions come in blue and yellow

A dramatic late goal two minutes into stoppage time lifted Eintracht Braunschweig past Ingolstadt and secured The Lions’ place in Bundesliga for next season.

Damir Vrancic provided the timely heroics by curling the free kick over the wall and into the top corner to send members of the GACC South wild and his team to the top league since they were relegated in 1985.

Welcoming Braunschweig to League 1

Our very own Stefanie Jehlitschka and Silke Miehlke have ties to Lower Saxony and the town, Stefanie grew up and graduated in Braunschweig while Silke studied at the local TU.

Stefanie Jehlitschka and Silke Miehlke represent Lower Saxony after a thrilling win by Braunschweig

2013 GACC South Travels to Germany: Part 1

Written by: Stefanie Jehlitschka

Going to Germany is a pretty routine order of business for me at the GACC South.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that there is always something to learn while overseas, and my latest venture proved to be no exception.

Earlier this month, I joined 9 members from Florida’s business, education, and political communities on a five-day trip to assist in their study of the Germany’s “dual vocational training system”.

While in Germany we visited two vocational training colleges and five companies to identify and gain an authentic account of the best practices to build a sustainable workforce that is best suited to meet businesses’ needs.

Students refine their technical skills at the training college.

Through the close contacts of the GACC South, the list of companies the delegation was hosted by included: Bauer AG, BMW AG, Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH, Seidenander Maschinenbau GmbH, and Siemens AG.

This visit was my first occasion to accompany an American delegation to Germany but despite a pretty set business agenda, I was able to make the visit feel a bit more like home by translating dinner menus and showing off German culture through visiting a monastery in Scheyern.

Experiencing Germany’s vocational training system and climate.

As we explored opportunities to expand German-American cooperation in workforce development, the delegation also experienced five days’ worth of snow – which must have been somewhat unusual for our Florida guests.

Sweet Home Alabama: How to drive a thousand miles in three days

Post written by Megan Urry

With the GACC South’s Atlanta office being closed last Friday (we had to give ourselves a rest day after a very successful 16^th Annual Gala the Saturday previous), our very own fearless VP of the Atlanta Office and Marketing Services, Stefanie Jehlitschka, took advantage of the three-day weekend and went to Alabama to visit a few friends of the chamber.