“U.S. Bank is committed to supporting the communities in which we do business,” Mike Prescott, Cincinnati market president at U.S. Bank, said in a news release. “Given our 150-year history and 3,000-plus employees right here in Cincinnati, we have a vested interest in this region’s economic health and vibrancy.”

Last year, U.S. Bank funded a renovation of three historic buildings for mixed use in downtown Hamilton and distributed school supplies to all 160 students at St. Aloysius’ back to school kickoff. In addition, U.S. Bank has committed more than $11.4 million of financing for the renovation of the school’s existing facility in Bond Hill.

Continue reading via the Business Courier.

Dominic Franchini, Account Executive

Dominic Franchini of HORAN strives to help employers maximize employee benefits, minimize cost and improve employee health. As a healthcare advisor, Dominic helps employers navigate the healthcare and retirement landscapes, which can be complex and expensive. Like most others, European companies place high importance on offering benefits to their employees, but struggle to manage the high cost. Specializing in health benefits, wealth management and life & disability, HORAN has been helping clients for more than 60 years.

Dominic was encouraged by a personal friend to become more involved in the organization. In turn, the EACC has been helpful in connecting HORAN with dedicated employers who value their employees. With an understanding that the EACC is an important organization to their clients, HORAN volunteered to be the Presenting Sponsor for the Annual Gala Dinner, which is a celebration of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s international business community.

“HORAN is thrilled to support our partnership with the EACC and be a part of the organization’s success this year,” says Dominic. “The EACC fosters quality interaction between Europe and Cincinnati and places a great deal of emphasis on creating value for their member companies.”

HORAN has formed a strong relationship with the EACC over the years, which continues to thrive from a collective effort to improve the Greater Cincinnati region. As many of HORAN’s clients are EACC member companies, this partnership is mutually beneficial.

The EACC is extremely grateful to Dominic and to HORAN for their continual support of our organization.

HORAN’s Background

• Founded 65 years ago, HORAN’s Corporate Headquarters are in Cincinnati and its regional office is in Dayton
• HORAN has been named a finalist for four years in a row, 2009-2012, in the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Best Places to Work program and won in 2009
• In 2012, HORAN was named first place winner in the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Healthiest Employers of Greater Cincinnati, and honored for its commitment to creating a healthy workplace
•  The Goering Center for Family and Private Business at the University of Cincinnati named HORAN as a 2010 Family & Private Business Honoree in the 50+ years in business category

Brian Foster
EACC Board President

With the arrival of long awaited spring weather and record highs in the stock market, there are many reasons for celebration. On Monday, May 13, the EACC will host its Annual Gala Dinner, commemorating another successful year for the international business community in the Greater Cincinnati region.

The Gala has been planned to coincide with the celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Elysee Treaty signed by French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in 1963, paying tribute to freedom and global responsibility that facilitated the unification of Europe.

We are excited to host our event at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which is an appropriate venue to honor the theme of the Gala as it celebrates freedom throughout history. The distinguished guests of honor are Mr. Frederic Dore, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of France and Mr. Jens Hanefeld, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Germany.

The EACC is very thankful to Dominic Franchini, the May Member Spotlight and HORAN, the Presenting Sponsor for their support and dedication to the Gala dinner and our organization. Although registration for the Gala Dinner is now closed, feel free to visit our Upcoming Events page to learn about future programming.

This month, we are pleased to welcome VonLehman & Company, Partner; ZF Steering Systems, Partner; Ancra Inernational, Corporate Large; Cincinnati Art Museum, Corporate Large. Not yet a member? Please contact Anne Cappel.

Sincerely,

Brian Foster
EACC Board President

Under the supervision of former US Ambassador to Germany and Ohio industrialist Mr. Tim Timken the students have been researching the implications of TAFTA on select economic sectors.  “The working assumption is that the “glue” that holds the US and Germany together is economic glue.”   Says Professor Emery,  “These students are tomorrow’s leaders.  The extent to which this “TAFTA project” is a success in the students’ eyes will certainly influence their future choices in life.”

The EACC is pleased to suport the education of our future global leaders and partner with universities.

Thanks to the support of Luxottica COO Carlo Privitera, twenty-seven students from the Carl H. Lindner Honors-PLUS Program at the University Of Cincinnati Lindner College Of Business, were welcomed to Luxottica world headquarters in Milan and Luxottica manufacturing facility in Agordo.  On April 4 in Milan, the group had the opportunity to meet with four senior managers: Nicola Pela, Group Human Resources Director, Alessandra Senici, Group Investor Relations Director, Erika Ferszt, Group Media, Advertising and Digital Director, and Stefano Tarascio, STARS Director.  The following day, the students met with Massimo Vian, COO at the manufacturing plant in Agordo, where they heard about the production facility and toured the plant.  The students were able to see how frames are manufactured, from the creative design to the finished product.

“We are most grateful to the European-American Chamber of Commerce and Luxottica in Mason for connecting us with Luxottica in Italy and providing us with such a valuable learning experience” says Dr. Susan Sadlier leading the student delegation.

Harvey Cohen, a partner in Dinsmore & Shohl’s Cincinnati office, was appointed to serve on three different Committees by the International Bar Association(IBA). Cohen is now a member of the IBA’s worldwide governing Council as well as the Bar Issues Commission. Additionally, in recognition of his organizational, thought leadership and awareness-building efforts, Cohen has been appointed Membership Officer for the IBA’s Closely Held and Growing Business Enterprises Committee.

At Dinsmore, Cohen practices corporate law encompassing nearly every facet of domestic and international business. He routinely represents outbound U.S. businesses and inbound non-U.S.-owned entities. He chairs the firm’s International Business Practice Group and is the Co-Chair Emeritus of ALFA® International’s International Law Practice Group.

About the IBA Committees

Their program in Cincinnati included a  presentation on the City of Cincinnati’s Sustainable Programs by Larry Falkin, Director of the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environmental Quality; a meeting with P&G’s Global Purchases Leader and Director for Environmental and Social Sustainability and a visit to Emery Oleochemicals.  The purpose of the meetings was to explore opportunities for European-American collaboration with cluster companies specialized in innovative materials and processes.  The program concluded with the ANTEC conference at the Duke Energy Center before moving on to Columbus, Ohio and Hattiesburg, Mississippi for the rest of their U.S. visit.

The EACC was delighted to partner with organizers UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Agency to plan the Cincinnati visit and look forward to welcoming future delegations from UBIFRANCE and other European Trade partners.

This year’s EACC Gala dinner celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty which is a tribute to freedom and global responsibility that lead the way for European unification.  The idea and opportunity for Cincinnati to become one of the signature celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty in the U.S. came during the joint meeting of Honorary Consuls of France and Germany this past October in Chicago attended by Anne Cappel, Honorary Consul of France and Martin Wilhelmy, Honorary Consul of Germany.

Frederic Dore

Jens Hanefeld

The Consular meeting opened with the news that the EU was the recipient of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize and went on to present the French and German Embassies plans to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Elysee treaty throughout the USA in 2013.  Quickly envisioning the opportunities presented by this historical event, Anne and Martin returned to their respective organizations (EACC and WAC) and reached out to FPLC and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center to organize a series of events for the Greater Cincinnati community.

On May 13^th, French Minister Frederic Dore and German Minister Jens Hanefeld will lead the 50^th anniversary celebration at the Freedom Center and discover Greater Cincinnati. Upon arrival at CVG airport, Minister Dore will visit French company Messier Bugatti US headquarters in Walton KY, while Minister Hanefeld will meet with leaders of the Jewish community. The Ministers are meeting the press upon arrival at the Freedom Center and will be the guests of honors educational program hosted by the World Affairs Council.  Later in the afternoon they will meet Vice-Mayor Roxanne Qualls and meet with business and community leaders for a discussion on transatlantic relations.  The day culminates with the EACC Gala dinner where both Ministers will present a keynote speech.

The Gala dinner is sold out!  The EACC thanks the many sponsors and individuals for their support.

Presenting Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Marylin Seastrom, Vice President
EyeMed Vision Care – Strategic Projects, Luxottica

As Vice President of Strategic Projects for EyeMed Vision Care, Marylin Seastrom focuses on implementing business and technical solutions to support the EyeMed business. EyeMed is a vision insurance company owned by Luxottica, a leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and sales of premium, luxury and sports eyewear, which has been a foundational member of the EACC for many years.

For the past two years, Seastrom has served as the Executive Sponsor of the European Employee Resource Group (EERG) of Luxottica, one of six Employee Resource Groups sponsored by Luxottica to engage employees in European culture and interests. Luxottica is an Italian owned, global company and an active member company of the EACC.

As a Board member of the EACC, Seastrom began to realize just how broadly engaged and important European companies are in Cincinnati. She found that many companies in Greater Cincinnati face internationally-focused challenges, similar to Luxottica. She also found that the EACC takes tremendous pride in its ability to welcome new companies into the established Cincinnati community in order to attract and retain business in the region.

“Making connections between new and existing Cincinnati businesses and people will facilitate community growth and evolution,” said Seastrom. “New opportunities combined with Cincinnati’s rich European history will maintain open interaction.”

The EACC is grateful to Marylin and to Luxottica, which continually contributes their rich European history and experience to the EACC’s business network.

Luxottica’s Background:

• Founded in 1961 by Leonardo Del Vecchio in Agordo, Italy.
• Luxottica is a vertically integrated organization, producing and distributing prescription frames and sunglasses of high technical quality and style.
• House brands include Ray-Ban, Oakley, Vogue, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Arnette and REVO.
• Licensed brands include Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Prada, Stella McCartney, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Versace and Coach.

Brian Foster
EACC Board President

The EACC community in Greater Cincinnati is comprised of 160 member companies and 850 active members, which is constantly expanding to support interaction between businesses in Europe and in the Cincinnati area. With member companies across manufacturing, service, education, government and non-profit categories of business, many would agree that diversity is a key strength of the EACC.

The Board of Directors is composed of a group of individuals who represent member companies of varied sizes and industries, which is a critical aspect for maintaining a sense of community. Each member of our board has cultivated unique experiences, bringing different perspectives and ideas to meetings. As a leading change organization, the EACC relies heavily upon our dynamic Board of Directors to lead our effort to expand trade and investment opportunities between Europe and Cincinnati. This year, the EACC has added four new board members who will help support the organization’s key development initiatives.

The EACC is very thankful to Marylin Seastrom, the April Member Spotlight and retiring board member for all of her hard work and dedication to our organization. We wish you well in your future endeavors.

The EACC is always looking for internationally-minded individuals and companies who can contribute to our mission of facilitating connections between Europe and the Cincinnati region. Those interested in becoming involved with the EACC should contact Executive Director, Anne Cappel.

This month, we are pleased to announce the following new member(s): AssureRx Health, Sustaining Partner and member upgrades: City of Mason, Sustaining Partner; Givaudan, Partner.
Not yet a member? Please contact Ilona Lonneman.

Sincerely,

Brian Foster
EACC Board President

On March 8^th 2013, the international EACC Network gathered in New York for a productive network meeting.   The European American Chamber of Commerce is a Trademark of our network that was successfully renewed both in Europe and in the United States and that has become a respected name among business and community leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

All EACC chapters are actively engaged with the EU Delegation and EU Commission, welcoming EU VIP guests and delegations on a regular basis.  EACC Cincinnati welcomed EU Ambassador Angelos Pangratis as its gala dinner guest of honor in 2008, and Ambassador Vale de Almeida delivered the welcome remarks at the 2012 EACC Conference on Skilled Labor Workforce.  EACC New York hosts a early Economic Outlook Summit with Ambassador Vale de Almeida and last May welcomed EU Commission Vice President Tajani and a business delegation at the New York Stock Exchange.  EACC New Jersey, in collaboration with Rutgers University is the recipient of a “Getting to Know Europe” EU Grant for programs and exchange.  EACC France welcomes regularly high level EU officials at the European American Press Club in Paris.

The network meeting reinforced the existing collaborative approach among chapters Directors and Presidents by planning future chapter development, joint programs, and shared member benefits.

National Inter-professional Agreement (NIA) On January 1, 2013, local authorities announced the National Inter-professional Agreement (NIA) which goes one step further and provides a “right to health” as of January 1, 2016 for all employees. Employers previously not providing a medical plan for employees must now do so as of January 1, 2016.

Click here for detailed implementation steps for compliance with NIA and recommendations from AON Risk Solutions– you will find the full article in the Healthcare section of the International Business Resource Page.

Presenting Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

The EACC is delighted to welcome the following Silver Sponsors who are actively engaged in our region’s transatlantic business development:

We invite corporations to join this historical celebration and support the EACC.  Please see details for [corporate tables and sponsorship] and contact [Anne Cappel] to reserve your table.

The EACC Annual Gala Dinner and fundraiser is a significant source of funding for the EACC. The EACC is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that is 100% member funded. This model allows EACC to focus 100% on the needs of its members and community. Through initiatives and programs that encourage development, collaboration, networking and education, every year we assist Greater Cincinnati companies expand their business in Europe, support European companies establish and grow their U.S. presence in our region, inspire students and young professionals to become our future global leaders.

International trade and business is essential to the Greater Cincinnati economy and Europe is an essential economic partner.  Of the 400 international companies employing more than 40,000 locally, 250 are Europeans employing 30,000.   In 2011 exports generated $18.7 billion for our local economy.

We look forward to your enthusiastic support and to celebrate Greater Cincinnati’s dynamic transatlantic business in your company on Monday, May 13, 2013.

Monti’s newly-formed political party won only about a tenth of the popular vote, the smallest of any major political group. Italian voters’ rejection of Monti reflects the difficulty of running as an incumbent during a bad economy, the unpopularity of the austerity measures and reduced labor protections passed by his administration, as well as the lack of a strong political organization backing Monti (a career civil servant with no experience in electoral politics) during the campaign. By contrast, Italy’s other newly-formed political movement, the “Five Star Movement,” (Movimento 5 Stelle or “M5S”) received roughly a quarter of votes and was arguably the biggest winner of this election cycle.

“I am very pleased that just one month after the announcement by the EU and the U.S. to go for this ‘game-changing’ trade deal, the European Commission is ready with a proposed mandate for the future negotiations,” said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. “We can now roll up our sleeves up and get down to the business of preparing negotiations.”

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso welcomed the “important progress on what I believe is a game changer, not only in transatlantic terms, but for the world in terms of trade.”

According to a new study, a comprehensive agreement could bring significant economic gains to the EU (119 billion euros a year) and the U.S. (95 billion euros a year) once it is fully implemented.

Full article via [euintheus.org].

What if, on a yearly basis, we could engage in a productive dialogue and independent primary research with international companies of our region to identify opportunities and impediments to company’s international business developments? To learn about the reasons why European companies select CincinnatiUSA for their U.S. location or expansion?  To provide a gap analysis of what companies need to grow internationally they do not have, or cannot find here.  To inform policy makers at the State and local levels how our region measures up to competing regions and state?

EACC and Clark, Schaefer & Hackett have partnered to equip our region with such a powerful tool that will be unveiled at the January 2014 EACC Transatlantic Economic Summit.  In the next 9 months, EACC and Clark, Schaefer & Hackett will develop the Greater Cincinnati Transatlantic Economic survey.  Participation by international companies both inbound and outbound early Fall 2013 will be essential to provide a solid baseline analysis and valuable yearly updates to measure our region’s success in attracting European investments and growing our region’s company thanks to international opportunities.

In the coming months, we will regularly share updates on the development of this project and inform our members when and how to participate.  We are looking forward to and counting on the Greater Cincinnati international business community for their enthusiastic participation in developing the Greater Cincinnati Transatlantic Economic Report.

On 13 February 2013, the EU and US have agreed to initiate the internal procedures necessary to launch negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. This follows a recommendation by the “High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth”, created in November 2011, and chaired by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Unites States Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

When negotiations are completed, this EU-US agreement would be the biggest bilateral trade deal ever negotiated – and it could add around 0.5% to the EU’s annual economic output.

Given the low average tariffs (under 3%), the key to unlocking this potential lies in the tackling of non-tariff barriers. These consist mainly of customs procedures and behind the border regulatory restrictions.

The non-tariff barriers come from diverging regulatory systems (standards definitions notably), but also other non-tariff measures, such as those related to certain aspects of security or consumer protection.

The Transatlantic Economic Council was set up in 2007 to guide and stimulate the work on transatlantic economic convergence. The TEC is currently the only EU-US high level forum in which economic issues can be discussed in a coherent and coordinated manner. It brings together a wide range of ongoing economic cooperation activities in issues of mutual interest and provides for a platform to give political guidance and direction to this work.

Full Article via europa.eu

The EACC is proud to build strong partnership between the Greater Cincinnati Region and Finland as both regions are powerful players in global economic vitality.

On February 12th 2013, Ohio Governor John Kasich visited Clermont County to officially announce the investment of Finnish company Huhtamaki, Inc., whose U.S. headquarters is located in Desoto, Kansas.  Hutamaki provides specialty packaging that includes some of the world’s most recognizable consumer goods and food service containers as well as retail line of Chinet tableware.

From this Greater Cincinnati location Huhtamaki will produce high quality paper cups and distribute other company products such as Chinet. Huhtamaki plans to use the facility to serve customers like Nestle, Hershey and Starbucks. They will be the third of four tenants in the former Ford plant located in Batavia Township. The company has secured more than 900,000ft² for development.

Huhtamaki’s dedication to serve the evolving needs of foodservice and their retail customers brings them to the region. They have demonstrated a true investment in Greater Cincinnati and are committed to creating 237 jobs, while investing over $60 million in capital improvements.  The Scandinavians are keen on high quality and conscientious about their economic impact both for business and the community.

The EACC welcomes Huhtamaki to the region and with its new partner the AmCham Finland, will pursue opportunities to assist new Finnish companies on successfully establishing their U.S. presence in the Greater Cincinnati region.

The February installment of the Company Visit & Networking series found us at the Omya Americas headquarters, a global leader in industrial minerals. Michael Phillips, Omya’s Chief Financial Officer gave an inspiring presentation on Omya’s growth from modest origins in Switzerland.

Phillips related to the EACC audience that Greater Cincinnati and the City of Blue Ash had the community assets they were looking for, leading to the successful relocation of Omya in 2008.  Future growth of Omya in the Greater Cincinnati region has recently been announced – please read more in the Member News section.  Omya’s presentation was followed by a networking reception where all participants were actively engaged in business development and discussions.

We thank Michael for the whole Omya team for their hospitality and Michael for a stimulating presentation of Omya and powerful testimony on our region’s assets to successfully attract and grow European companies.

Mark Evans, General Manager
JPB Systeme America

Mark Evans is the General Manager of JPB Systeme America, LLC, the North American subsidiary of JPB Systeme headquartered in Brie-Comte-Robert, France, which is 30 kilometers south of Paris. As a business development executive for a company new to the United States market, becoming a member of the EACC has been a critical move for Evans in terms of building the right approach and the right business model.

JPB Systeme specializes in the manufacturing of ready-to-use Lockwireless Anti-Rotational Devices, a technology that replace lockwires typically used in turbines that power aircrafts (for the aeronautic and aerospace industries). Because Lockwireless Anti-Rotational Devices can withstand intense conditions generated by vibrations, extreme temperatures and chemical effects, the technology has applications across other business industries including the automotive, railway, marine and nuclear industries. Overall, the simplicity of use, longevity and quality of these products increases cost effectiveness and safety. Evans is committed to ensuring that although the company operates in a different market from its parent company, it strives to continue a tradition of providing locking ease and simplicity to customers by working honestly with an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.

In 2009, the CEO of JPB Systeme, Damien Marc, met Anne Cappel and Neil Hensley at the Paris Air Show, which led to a subsequent visit to Cincinnati. Based on JPB Systeme’s relationship with General Electric, Marc decided to establish their U.S. presence in Cincinnati to help further develop business with GE and other similar companies in North America. Anne and the EACC helped to foster relationships with key member companies who could provide professional services that would benefit the new company’s needs.

“I find the EACC to be a very dynamic organization with many members who are willing to help one another,” said Evans. “The networking aspect of the organization is invaluable to making connections and maintaining local business relationships”.

JPB Systeme’s Background:

• Started in 1993, JPB Systeme is headquartered in Brie-Comte-Robert, France.
• JPB Systeme America, LLC, was started in 2010 and is located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• JPB Systeme has developed an elite set of ready to use Lockwireless Anti-Rotational Devices, which benefit the aeronautic and aerospace industries.