Americans in Kaiserslautern
Relations between Kaiserslautern and the United States have roots that reach far back into the past. Today, around 50.000 Americans live and work in the Kaiserslautern region. The West Palatinate is home to the largest American military community outside of the United States. The name "K-Town", coined by the Americans as a synonym for Kaiserslautern, suggests this. The reason is the NATO airport "Ramstein Airbase" in Ramstein (district), 20 kilometers away, the largest US military facility abroad. With around 5.000 civilian employees from the city and district of Kaiserslautern, the US military community is also one of the most important employers in the region. Conversely, many Americans are also active in the civilian sector in the Kaiserslautern area. Entrepreneurs can easily establish contacts with the US economy through these business people. In addition, the city has lively town twinning links with Columbia (South Carolina) and Davenport (Iowa).
Series of events “Brown Bag Luncheon”
One of the main tasks of the business development agency is traditionally to advise, accompany and support start-ups. In recent years, more and more Americans have made use of this advisory service from the WFK. Often, however, the very good range of lectures on the subject of starting a business in the Kaiserslautern region can only be used to a limited extent due to the language barrier. In order to counteract this deficiency, the WFK and numerous cooperation partners deliberately developed a new event format - the "Brown Bag Luncheon series“. The concept envisages holding events in English on topics relevant to start-ups at regular intervals. Between three and four Brown Bag Luncheon events take place every year - mostly on the premises of the Atlantic Academy.
German-American networks in KL and region
The American-German Business Club (AGBC) Kaiserslautern department promotes contacts and cooperation between German and American companies. The German-American Community Office (GACO) offers American newcomers an all-round service for a smooth start in their new environment. As an international meeting place, GACO is to accommodate all German-American institutions in the future. The Atlantic Academy offers lectures and courses that promote the understanding of Americans and Germans for the other country and for the peculiarities of its economic system.
American-based companies and institutions
- Accenture (CAS)
- Adam Opel AG (PSA / General Motors)
- Adient Components GmbH (Johnson Controls / Keiper Recaro)
- AECOM (URS)
- ALSCO Professional Clothing Service GmbH
- AVID Technologies
- Celstran GmbH – A business of Celanese
- Central Texas College
- Coca Cola Soft Drinks (CCE) Ltd
- Coherent (Lumera Laser)
- Corning Ltd
- MarketPrint
- General Dynamics European
- Land Systems Germany GmbH
- ITW Fastener Products
- John Deere
- Trimble Kaiserslautern GmbH
- University of Maryland
- University of Phoenix
The organizers of the Brown Bag Luncheon series are:
- American German Business Club (AGBC)
- American consulate
- Atlantic Academy
- Kaiserslautern Economic Development Corporation
- Founding office of the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University and the Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences
Dealings with the US Government
The US Air Force Procurement Office at Kapaun Air Station, Kaiserslautern-Vogelweh contracts with host country suppliers for US facilities and is interested in continually expanding the pool of suppliers of goods and services. Certain requirements must be met for this, for example registration in the "System for Award Management" (SAM), a central company database. More information below www.sam.gov. If the bidding volume exceeds USD 15.000, a worldwide bidding process will be conducted by the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) office. This institution is over www.fbo.gov to reach. A total contract value of approximately USD 130 million is managed by this office. Further information is also available from the e-Business team: 700cons.ebusiness@us.af.mil Internships in American military institutions are arranged through the USAREUR Internship Program.