German American Business Circle
20th Anniversary in Pittsburgh...1990 - 2010 and beyond!
German Business Presence Today in Western Pennsylvania:
• Largest foreign investor in the region with 81 German companies employing 11,000
people.
Left to right: WPXI-TV host Bill Flanagan, executive VP of the Allegheny Conference, interviews GABC officials Jeffrey Deane of Malin Bergquist, Draeger Safety CEO Ralf Drews and Ardex America s CEO Stephan Liozu about
the impact of German companies on Western PA.
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• Region’s 5th largest trading partner - $500 million in exports.
• Popular destination for German businesses to establish North American headquarters.
• 12 German Global 500 firms maintain a presence here -Bayer USA is the largest
– others range from safety , manufacturing , law enforcement & building /construction
• German manufacturers bring vendors and suppliers from the home country due to
specialty needs, creating additional jobs.
• Since 2007, German companies have opened 14 new facilities here, acquired 5 regional
firms and expanded five existing operations.
• German companies typically make sophisticated products that are highly engineered
and generally require employee expertise of a higher caliber, with an associated
higher pay scale.
• German immigrants first arrived in Pittsburgh in the early 1800s. Germany represents
most common ancestral links for Pittsburgh residents, with 25% claiming some German
ancestry.
Why Pittsburgh?
• A location of choice - one of the largest metropolitan areas in the USA -
pool of talented labor, high quality raw materials, leading universities
and quality public schools.
• Within 500 miles of nearly half of all U.S. and Canadian citizens; 18 railroad
systems; 1,000+ motor carrier service providers; 200 river terminals; and
the 2nd-busiest U.S. inland port.
• Ranked the #1 “Most Livable City” by Places Rated Almanac – for rivers, parks, and low cost of living
GABC Background:
• Founded in 1990 – Informal group of executives representing companies with
a German interest.
• Sponsors: ARDEX Americas, Malin Bergquist CPA firm, Cohen & Grigsby law firm
• Developed more prominence during the G-20 Summit – news coverage in Associated Press,
“Our Region’s Business” (WPXI-TV), Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
Deutsche Welle TV, WDUQ-FM.
• Malin Bergquist created website in German –
“Deutsche Firmen beeinflussen die Wirtschaft in Pittsburgh”
Future Plans – Supporting Infrastructure and Public Advocacy:
• Build upon the G-20 Summit momentum - expand advocacy for both German
companies operating here and for the region as “go-to” business locale
• Create a German Executive Group and grow GABC as a support infrastructure
• Create and launch a new website
• Support the Allegheny Conference and Pittsburgh Regional Alliance to raise
awareness in Germany
• Expand relationship-building with visiting German delegations
Upcoming Events
- March 3 presentation at the Pittsburgh Rotary Club
- May 4 GABC event at Hofbrauhaus, SouthSide Works
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