American Investors Highlight Successes in Eastern Germany

CHICAGO, June 12 /PRNewswire/ — Germany remains an attractive investment
location for North American companies, driven by the eastern federal states.
This is in large part due to the robust high-tech industries and continuing
growth potential despite the economic crisis. American investor interest in
Germany remains steady, as confirmed by recent studies. Minneapolis-based
Despatch Industries and Nordex AG shared their success stories at the “How
Far East? Eastern Germany: The No. 1 Business Location for US Investment
Success” road show organized by Germany Trade & Invest in Chicago last night.

There are around 6,000 American companies with over 700,000 employees
located in Germany. These companies are active in all major industries.
Investor interest has concentrated heavily on growth sectors that are based
primarily in Eastern Germany. These include the robust IT, healthcare, and
renewable energies branches. The recent Ernst & Young European Attractiveness
Survey supports this: Germany was again the number one investment location in
Europe for international managers.

Patrick J. Peyton, Chairman/CEO of Despatch Industries, outlined his
company’s success, highlighting the benefits of doing business in Eastern
Germany. Despatch is a leading thermal processing equipment supplier. A
driver for the company’s achievements, Peyton argued, was the competitive
advantage obtained by the region’s cutting edge high-tech industries.

Peyton said: “Europe and the Middle East represent growing and strategic
markets for our business activities and Berlin as a central location in
Europe, with close proximity to our global partners and major customer
centers, was the best decision.”

Jorg Scholle, Head of Global Production for Nordex AG, a global leader in
the wind energy industry, also detailed the company’s successes in Germany.
Driven by the eastern federal states, Germany is a global leader in renewable
energy production, including the photovoltaic, wind, and biofuels sectors.
The American economy has also seen significant growth in its renewable
energies industry in recent years, further boosted by President Obama’s
commitment to oil independence.

Based in the Baltic Coast city of Rostock, Nordex profits from Germany’s
advanced R&D framework, state-of-the-art infrastructure, skilled labor pool,
and generous aid incentives.

The event was put on to meet with potential American investors looking to
invest in Eastern Germany. Germany Trade & Invest in partnership with the
German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc (GACCoM). The Chicago
stop also included keynote speeches by Roland Herrmann, Deputy Consul General
of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Simone Pohl, President & CEO of
GACCoM. The road show was preceded by a similar event in Toronto on June 9.
Further events have been announced for the fall, including stops on the US
West Coast this October.

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment
promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises
foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German
market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that
seek to enter foreign markets.

    Media contact:
    Eva Henkel
    Phone: +49-30-200099-173
    Fax:   +49-30-200099-111
    Eva.Henkel@gtai.com

SOURCE Germany Trade and Invest