Business Delegation Visits the Carolinas and Georgia
A business delegation from Upper Austria, led by State Minister Markus Achleitner, visited North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia from June 20 - 24, 2023. The delegation was accompanied by the Austrian Ambassador to the United States Petra Schneebauer. For the Austrian Embassy this trip was an important step forward under the umbrella of the “ReFocus Austria” initiative aimed at supporting Austrian companies abroad and securing foreign investment in Austria.
Highlights of the trip in the Carolinas included a groundbreaking ceremony for a new production facility for STIWA US, Inc - an Austrian high performance automation firm, that recently invested 36 Mio. Euro in the Rock Hill, SC facility and is looking to further expand the engagement in the US. Brent Parton, Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, attended the opening ceremony and participated in a high-level panel discussion on U.S.-Austrian cooperation in the area of apprenticeships.
The next stop was a visit to Greiner Bio-One North America, Inc, another leading Austrian company producing high-quality products for medicine and research, as well as a BMW manufacturing tour in Greer, SC. The automation technology at the BMW Spartanburg plant, one of the biggest in the world, uses engines made in Austria at the BMW plant in Steyr as well as automation technology from Siemens in Linz, Upper Austria. The last stop in South Carolina was a visit to Kostwein Corporation in Greenville, SC, an Austrian high-tech machine manufacturer, who recently established operations there in 2022.
The State of Upper Austria is looking to further strengthen its relationship with the region. The first sign of this deepening partnership was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Economic Development between UPSTATE South Carolina and the State of Upper Austria. The MoU aims to promote economic development, foster apprenticeship programs and strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two regions.
In Georgia, the group was briefed on the planned Centennial Yards project in downtown Atlanta before visiting Next Generation Recycling Machines, Inc, an Austrian company dedicated to recycling plastic waste, and B&R Industrial Automation Corp, which provides complete automation solutions to a variety of industries.
In addition, the delegates had several networking opportunities, including with representatives of the Upstate Carolina Alliance, the Carolinas Austrian Business Circle, as well as a reception at the home of the Austrian Honorary Consul in Atlanta, Paul Seefried.
A reoccurring topic in all the meetings was the need to expand the apprenticeships model in the United States, which is key to creating high quality jobs in new and emerging industries. The cooperation between Austria and the U.S. in the field of workforce development had its kick-off last year when both countries signed a bilateral MoU to expand registered apprenticeship programs based on the successful Austrian model.
Furthermore, delegates were also able to connect with local universities and academics to discuss industry and higher education collaborations. Partners included Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research, and the Center for Manufacturing Innovation at Greenville Technical College.