Kickoff Event for GACC South, Florida Chapter, a Rousing Success

Sept. 20, 2012 - PRLog -- TAMPA, FL (September 20, 2012) – More than 200 guests filled the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) for the initial celebration and kickoff event for the newly created Florida Chapter for the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., Inc. (GACC South), to be headquartered in Tampa.

Amongst the many officials and dignitaries in attendance were Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham, President and CEO of Enterprise Florida Gray Swoope, Honorary German Consul Norma Henning, German Consul General Eva Alexandra Countess Kendeffy, Head of Economics at the German Embassy in Washington DC Peter Fischer, President and CEO of GACC South Martina Stegmeier, CEO of Bauer Foundation and GACC South Florida Chapter Director Charles Puccini, President of the Max Planck Florida Foundation Dr. Claudia Hillinger, City Council Member Yvonne Yolie Capin, Honorary German Consul J. Brock McClane, President of MOSI Wit Ostrenko, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano, Republican Candidate for Pasco County Commissioner District 3 Kathryn Starkey, and Paul Wahnish, Pres/CEO CTEF.

Florida has always been an important hub for foreign investment and trade and there are over 260 German companies located within the state. It is our goal, with the help of our affiliate in Miami, the German American Business Chamber, to develop a great network to advance German and American Business. Together, we plan to collaborate educational institutions with German industries, initiate foreign delegations and host many member roundtables and receptions. Over the next year, our endeavors in Florida will not go unnoticed.

Media Contact:
Norma Henning
Membership & Events
FL Chapter Leadership Committee
Phone: (727) 584-5719
E-mail: gaccfl(at)gaccsouth.com


About the GACC South:
The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., Inc. (GACC South) was founded in 1978 to promote and support bilateral trade between Germany and the U.S. The GACC South is located in Atlanta, Georgia and serves the 11 Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Five local chapters have been established in Charlotte, NC, Greenville, SC, Tampa, FL, Dallas, TX, Nashville, TN, as well as a branch office in Houston, TX, with a focus on the energy sector.

The GACC South is a private, non-profit organization and serves as the official representative of German trade in the Southeastern U.S. It is part of an international network composed of 120 German foreign chambers of commerce and government offices in 80 countries. The GACC South is one of the largest bi-national chambers in the United States.

Visit http://www.gaccsouth.com for more information about the chamber.
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