About us
The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, Inc. (GACC South) was founded in 1978 to promote and support bilateral trade between Germany and the US. The Chamber is a private, non-profit organization and serves as the official representative of German industry and trade in the southeastern US. Our organization is part of an international network composed of 120 German foreign chambers of commerce and government offices in 80 countries.
These organizations are under the direction of the central German Chamber of Industry and Trade in Berlin. (DIHK) The GACC South is located in Atlanta, Georgia with a branch office in Houston, Texas, serves the eleven southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Five local chapters have been established in Charlotte, NC, Greenville, SC, Tampa, FL, Dallas, TX and Nashville, TN. These chapters create a networking platform for German and American businesses and lend additional support to these regions.
Furthermore the GACC South has two affiliates: The German American Business Chamber of Florida (GABC) in Miami and the AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) in Birmingham. Through our services and activities we have built an extensive membership network, which currently consists of over 700 members located in the southern US. Other German American Chambers of Commerce are located in New York and Chicago.
AHK – well connected world-wide
At 120 locations in 80 countries around the world, the members of the German Chamber Network (AHKs) offer their experience, connections and services to German and foreign companies. AHKs are located in all countries which are of special interest for German companies.
Close Connection to Germany
AHKs are closely connected to the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHKs) in Germany. Together, they support German companies with building up and extending their business relations to foreign countries.
The umbrella organization of the IHKs is the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), which also coordinates and supports the AHKs.
Furthermore, the cooperation with various German trade associations strengthens the link from AHKs to business and markets. The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern US is partially funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.
Three Tasks
AHKs fulfill three main tasks on their locations. That is:
- Official Representation of German Companies
AHKs are the key players of German foreign business development on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. They represent German business interests in their countries and they inform about and promote Germany as business location. - Member Organizations
AHKs are member organizations for companies actively involved in the bilateral business relations. These members give them the authority needed when interacting with politics, business and administration in terms of promoting the bilateral business relations. - Service Providers to Companies
Under the brand “DEinternational” AHKs provide services to companies both from Germany and their host countries in order to support their foreign business activities.
