Staff Photo by Angela Lewis
County Mayor Claude Ramsey, center, speaks during a news conference about economic development and building ties between German business and Chattanooga. Dr. Lutz Görgens, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kristian Wolf, CEO and president of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Ron Littlefield, Tom Ed Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber, and Matt Kisber, Tennessee Economic and Community Development commissioner, from left, also participate.

The Atlanta-based German consul general appeared in Chattanooga today with local leaders to discuss ways to build better partnerships between German businesses and officials here.

Dr. Lutz Gorgens, the Consul General in Atlanta, said he met earlier this week with Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey and School Superintendent Jim Scales to discuss ways area schools could improve and benefit German children who may be relocating here because of the Volkswagen plant coming to Enterprise South.

There is not enough emphasis placed on the study of European languages, particularly German, in U.S. high schools and middle schools, he said.

There also needs to be more technical training in schools, Dr. Gorgens said.

“There is a lack of realization on the part of the parents how big this business is,” he said. “They neglect that Germany is the strongest business investment partner here.”

See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for complete coverage.

Comments