FDI-Ticker

In cooperation with the online database fDi Markets, we present current information about investments in the German business location. fDi Markets provides real-time monitoring of investment projects, capital investment and job creation to track and profile companies investing worldwide.

+++ FDI News February 2010 +++

The litigation law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges (USA) is set to open its second office in Europe in Mannheim.
The British fashion retailer C&A being part of the COFRA Holding (Switzerland) has opened a store in Hamburg. It is located in the southern section of the Hamburger Meile shopping center in the suburb of Barmbek. The northern section of the mall is set to open in April 2010.
The TJX Companies’ (USA) discount retailer TK Maxx has opened a store in Hamburg. It is located inside the Hamburger Meile shopping center.
The fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz (Sweden) has opened a store in Hamburg in the southern section of the Hamburger Meile shopping center.
The fashion retailer Jack & Jones, part of Bestseller (Denmark), has opened a store in the Hamburger Meile shopping center.

CHI Hotels & Resorts (Malta) has opened two regional sales offices in Germany as well as one in Cairo. It operates the Carinthia Hotels brand worldwide and the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Leading communications company Publicis Groupe (France) has opened an office in Frankfurt for its international platform Mundocom Worldwide. All German productions services will be bundled into the new hub. 30 new jobs have been created.
Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) (Vietnam) plans to open a representative office in Frankfurt in the second quarter of 2010 being the first Vietnamese bank expanding into the European market. Vietinbank also plans to open an office in Berlin at the same time.
InnoCentive (USA), which works with corporations and government organizations to solve complex problems, has announced the opening of a new office in Munich worth about 2.5 m Euro. 9 new employment opportunities will be created.

Innotech Solar (Norway), a leading photovoltaic manufacturer, has acquired land in Halle to construct a factory to increase the power of solar cells. The plant is estimated to create 80 new jobs which is expected to double in the future.
Facebook (USA), a social networking site, has opened its first sales office in Germany. The company aims to use its new office to offer more intensive support to the German market.
Sykes Enterprises (US), a global business outsource provider, is to open a call center in Berlin. It will acquire the former Quelle call center and operations are due to begin in March. The company currently has call centers in Bochum, Pasewalk and Wilhelmshaven.
The furniture giant IKEA (Sweden) is set to construct prefabricated houses in Germany. The first houses will be built in the Rhein-Main area. A detached house without basement but including land costs around 180.000 Euro.
41st Parameter (USA), which provides web solutions for detecting and preventing fraud, has announced the opening of a new office in Munich. The company provides institutions and e-commerce companies with protection from cyber-crime threats.

Catalent Pharma Solutions (USA), a global provider of outsourced dose form manufacturing and packaging for the pharmaceutical industry, has expanded its facilities in Shorndorf. The new site will contain a new potent handling and an over-encapsulation area.
BEE Medic (USA) has opened an office in Singen. It specializes in medical devices and has created one job.
J Colors’ (Italy) Arsonsisi, which is engaged in the production and distribution of industrial paints, has announced the opening of a new sales office in Bruchsal.
Kuraray Europe GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray (Japan), has expanded its polyvinyl butyral (PVB) capacity in Europe by 10,000 tonnes by investing about 26 Mio. Euro in a new line in Frankfurt. The new line will increase the company’s total annual capacity to 29,000 tonnes.

Terso Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Promega Corporation (USA), has opened a subsidiary called Terso in Mannheim. Terso will assemble RFID enabled refrigerators, freezers and cabinets.
Freudenberg-NOK’s (USA) Helix Medical, a global manufacturer for the medical device, health care, pharmaceutical, IVD, and biotech industries, has opened Helix Medical Europe in Kaiserslautern at an existing facility owned by Freudenberg. The new manufacturing facility measures 5,110 sq m.
Equinix (USA), a provider of global data center services, has opened a new international business exchange (IBX) data center in Düsseldorf. The company already owns a data center in Düsseldorf and the new one will add further 560 cabinets and 2,700 sq m of gross data center space.
Equinix (USA) is also planning to invest 18m US Dollar in its Frankfurt-2 (FR2) international business exchange (IBX) data center. The expansion will be completed by September 2010 and add 2,500 sq m of space and about 660 cabinets.

Plexus (USA), an electronic components supplier, has established a legal entity in Germany named Plexus Deutschland GmbH. The company is also expanding its European team in Germany, adding two new members.
General Electric Sensing and Inspection Technologies (USA) plans to invest 1m Dollar to expand its Odelzhausen facility in Germany. It designs and manufactures coriolis flow meters. The project will begin in the fourth quarter of 2010.
U & U Expo Team (China), which provides support to Chinese enterprises participating in international trade shows, has opened a branch in Erkath. The company has leased 2,000 sq m of office and exhibition space in the town. It already owns an office in Bonn.