MERLIN Awards Gala of GACC Midwest Honors Outstanding Germa

Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence in German-American Business
By: www.gaccmidwest.org
 
CHICAGO - July 11, 2013 - PRLog -- Chicago, IL, May 14, 2013 -- As part of its 50th anniversary, the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACC Midwest) celebrated its 13th annual MERLIN Awards Gala on May 3. At a time of continually increasing trade and investment between Germany and the US, the MERLIN Awards honored companies who have excelled in German-American business. The 2013 MERLIN Awards Gala featured high-ranking guests from both sides of the Atlantic, including State Secretary Anne Ruth Herkes from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and Dr. Martin Wansleben, CEO of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). The Awards ceremony recognized the following companies for their exceptional achievements in four categories: Torqeedo Inc. as Outstanding Innovator; PM Firefighters Project Management LLC as Outstanding Service Provider; Bekum America Corporation for Excellence in Workforce Development; and UTC Aerospace Systems, Electric Systems for Outstanding US Investment in Germany.

The 2013 MERLIN Award for Outstanding Innovator honored Torqeedo Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of electric outboard motors. Torqeedo GmbH is the leading innovator of e-marine technology since introducing the world’s most efficient electric outboard motor in 2005. Torqeedo Inc., was launched in 2006 to bring the technology to the US market and since then has become a large player in the US marine industry, largely due to the unique and innovative engineering that Torqeedo provides in both electric motor design and lithium battery technology. In 2013, Torqeedo launched the first ever industrially produced 80 HP equivalent electric outboard system for the marine market, which is unique in that it offers a complete end-to-end solution. Torqeedo’s 80 HP Deep Blue motor is the first introduction of a serial automotive battery to the marine environment and has received two of the most coveted awards in the marine industry.

PM Firefighters Project Management LLC was honored with the 2013 MERLIN Award for Outstanding Service Provider. PM Firefighters specializes in providing operative project management services to facilitate the conclusion of complex projects even in critical situations. PM Firefighters’ project managers see themselves as facilitators exclusively in the role of enabling companies to finish complex projects swiftly and efficiently. A key requirement for this is to act according to their core value, “Solution-centric straightforwardness.” With offices in Hamburg and Chicago, PM Firefighters combines German ingenuity and discipline with American style service. "We are very proud to receive the Merlin Award this year," says Hauke Thun, founder and CEO of PM FIREFIGHTERS. "The award is confirming that the strategy for global PM services is right and it is assuring that our customers are receiving outstanding PM management services. Our customers in both countries benefit from these international experiences."


The 2013 MERLIN Award for Excellence in Workforce Development was awarded to Bekum America Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Bekum Maschinenfabriken GmbH, a global leader in the design and manufacture of ‘extrusion blow molding’ machinery. Its longstanding core value “Grow Your Own” has been successfully extended to its manufacturing workforce by developing and implementing a structured Apprenticeship Program based on the German model. This 4-year workforce development program encompasses 8,000 hours of hands-on training at the Bekum facility under the direct oversight of experienced ‘Mentors’ combined with 60 credit hours of relevant academic instruction at a partnering community college. At successful completion of the program, graduating participants receive a nationally-recognized Journeyman’s card and a strong potential for a position within Bekum. The company’s successful implementation of a German-style Apprenticeship Program in the US has attracted considerable attention within Michigan and beyond and the company was recently invited to assist in structuring a statewide apprenticeship program by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Bekum refers to its highly acclaimed Apprenticeship Program as the “Other Four Year Degree” wherein graduates secure a career position but also obtain a “debt free” education, Bekum believes “People make the difference.”

The 2013 MERLIN Award for Outstanding US Investment in Germany, presented together with Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), was awarded to UTC Aerospace Systems, Electric Systems. “UTC Aerospace Systems’ Electric Systems is honored to be selected as an example of transatlantic trade between Germany and the Midwest region of the U.S.,” said Robert Hupfer, General Manager for the international business of Electric Systems. “Our HS Elektronik Systeme GmbH business in Nördlingen, Germany specializes in advanced aircraft electric power distribution products, which is a sophisticated and growing product line within Electric Systems. In the second quarter of this year, we will move this business into a new LEED-certified facility in Nördlingen, which features a larger, upgraded production area to serve our customers for decades to come.” The Electric Systems strategic business unit of UTC Aerospace Systems is a global market leader for electric power generation and power distribution systems for use in commercial and military aerospace applications. In 1997, the company completed a strategic acquisition of HS Elektronik Systeme GmbH of Nördlingen that at the time concentrated on producing component-level Thick-Film Hybrid technologies. UTC Aerospace Systems, Electric Systems has continuously invested in capacity building at this German subsidiary and created synergies through closely-linked product design and production capabilities.

The MERLIN Awards Gala takes place annually and is organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc. If you would like more information regarding the event or if you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Jasmin Welter, Manager, PR and Communications, at (312) 494-2162 or welter@gaccmidwest.org.

About the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest:

Founded in 1963, the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest’s (GACC Midwest) mission is to further, promote and assist in the expansion of bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States. The GACC Midwest is part of the German American Chamber network with offices located in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. We are an integral part of the network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK) with more than 120 offices in 80 countries around the globe.
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Source:www.gaccmidwest.org
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