We are pleased to welcome, once again, The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States (GACC South) as a member of the Presenting Committee of the Environmental Trade Mission™ 2010.  The GACC was founded in 1978 to promote and support bilateral trade between Germany and the U.S. GACC South is a private, non-profit organization and serves as the official representative of German trade in the Southeastern US.
 
Germany has been at the forefront in developing clean technologies over the last forty years. It is a critical sector of the country's manufacturing sector, and the GACC actively promotes Clean Technology by regularly organizing and participating in events which help German companies access the North American market for green products and services.  
 
Recently, this spring, there were three highly successful events. One took place in Germany in Berlin, and two in the USA, one in Atlanta and another in Austin, Texas. In March, in Berlin, at a two day conference called German American Energy Days, presenters shared information on current trends and support frameworks within the U.S. energy market and how renewable-energy companies could benefit from them.  In April, in Austin, Texas the focus was wind.  Wind Boom in Texas - The 2nd German American Wind Energy Conference.  This April event brought German and American businesses together to exchange ideas and experiences, and to learn more about the latest technologies and developments related to harnessing the power of wind.  Also in April in Atlanta, the GACC hosted an expert luncheon on bio-energy, featuring the managing director of the Renewables Energy Agency in Berlin and political and economic decision makers from the Southeastern United States. This event promoted bioenergy technologies that are "Made in Germany" and promoted the advanced state of the German bioenergy industry. The event was sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).  The business building efforts of the GACC continued well after these conferences as the GACC organized one-on-one meetings between American and German companies who were interested in doing business in both sustainable energy sectors. >> Read More
 

The Environmental Trade mission is pleased to announce the sponsorship of CB Richard Ellis Group, a commercial real estate company with a proven dedication to sustainability.   Also known as CBRE, the company was ranked by Newsweek in 2009 as "No. 45 in its 2009 Green Rankings.  The company said in a September 22, 2009 press release that the list "measures the environmental performance of the 500 largest U.S.-based publicly traded companies. The ranking is based on each company's actual resource use and emission levels, its environmental policies and strategies, and its reputation among its peers.  CBRE is the highest ranked commercial real estate company."   
 
CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2009 revenue).  The Company has approximately 29,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CB Richard Ellis offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. CB Richard Ellis has been named a BusinessWeek 50 "best in class" company for three years in a row. Please visit their Web site at www.cbre.com. 
 
According to Managing Director, Marcy H. Moneypenny, "as the largest provider of services to commercial real estate markets, innovation is a core component of our culture, Green Tech is a critical component to achieving success for our clients and community. We look forward to the Environmental Trade Mission and to hosting these cutting edge firms."  Many representatives from CB Richard Ellis Group will be attending a variety of the programs during the Environmental Trade Mission™.  Please be sure to introduce yourselves and discover how CRBE can help you.  

 

Do you realize how wasteful conventional street lights can be?  As cities and states seek more and more ways to help the environment and help their budgets an alternative may be in order.  The innovators at LED Roadway Lighting have a solution.  Their Satellite™ family of LED street lights that creates Energy savings of 50-80% and virtually eliminates the cost associated with routine maintenance such as lamp, ballast & photocell replacement.
 
We are proud to announce they are bringing their innovation to the Southeast for the first time. They will be showcasing their systems this year's at the Environmental Trade Mission™ 2010, November 17 - 19.   According to Jeff Brassard, Director of Business Development, "LED Roadway Lighting is delighted to participate in the ETM 2010™ in Atlanta. We are looking forward to introducing our company and products to the businesses that are looking to reduce the energy costs and environmental impact, along with government officials in the City of Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. The ETM 2010™ will provide us an excellent opportunity to establish lasting contacts that will help us grow our business." More information about  LED Roadway Lighting can be found at their website, www.ledroadwaylighting.com.

 

Over the past few weeks there has been tremendous activity in the sustainability sector of the Southeastern economy.  Each state in our region has seen significant capital investment of late in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.  The ETM 2010™ will highlight the activities of six states in the Southeastern, U.S. including: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and North and South Carolina.  Here is a highlight of recent economic news related to sustainability in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.
 
In Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, DeKalb County in Metro Atlanta, "gave the first approval (July*) for Green Energy Partners, LLC to move forward with building a $50 million biomass plant in Lithonia.  In the same article entitled "DeKalb Looks to Turn Yard waste into Energy" it was explained that "the 10 megawatt plant is expected to generate about $220,000 a year for DeKalb for the next 20 years."

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that a Korean manufacturer is considering Metro Atlanta for a roughly $100 million plant that would produce a key component used in solar panels. SKC Inc., part of Seoul-based SKC Co. Ltd., plans to construct a photovoltaic films production plant where it will employ about 120 people. The city of Atlanta has just about reached the half-way mark in progress on its project to preserve and protect water.  According to www.atlantaga.gov/Government/Watershed  "Led by Commissioner Rob Hunter, Department of Watershed Management, has responsibility for the Atlanta's drinking water and wastewater systems. It is currently midway into the $4 billion Clean Water Atlanta Program, a complete overhaul of the City's water and sewer infrastructure".
 
Outside of  Metro-Atlanta, the Savannah Morning News reported that the "Georgia Ports Authority is going greener with re-powered gantry cranes that will increase fuel efficiency, burn cleaner and reduce air emissions."
 
Protecting the environment continues to stimulate business in Alabama. The Huntsville Times reported that a local "entrepreneur is working to raise $3 million to turn an abandoned brick factory near the Tennessee River into one of Alabama's first glass recycling businesses."  "He said he is "aggressively" seeking about $3 million in start-up funding. The money would be used to convert the former General Shale brick plant on South Memorial Parkway into a glass recycling business."  

Elsewhere in the state, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has continued to headline news with The Birmingham Business Journalreporting that "A $15 million project to protect Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound from a spreading oil spill is awaiting approval from the Coast Guard, said Gov. Bob Riley. Riley is awaiting word to begin filling in a 1.3-mile gap known as Katrina Cut on the west end of Dauphin Island that would protect sensitive estuaries, marshland and oyster beds from oil that is spreading through the Gulf of Mexico from an uncapped oil leak at an offshore BP-owned oil rig." 
 
>> Read More Southeast Highlights