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SABC Newsletter Summer 2015

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Dear SABC Members & Friends,

The Swiss American Business Council is proud to present its Summer 2015 newsletter for its members and friends. SABC members can submit contributions for future newsletters to: events@sabcnow.com

In this issue: welcome to new board member and new SABC members. Contributions from Haag-Streit USA, Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg, LLP, Greater Zurich Area, GF Machining Solutions, UBS Financial Services, and Fracht Group.

See past newsletters or visit our website.

SABC is looking for a motivated intern

Dear SABC Members,

We are looking for a motivated intern to help us to prepare the new edition of the SABC Business Directory of the US Midwest. The main task of the intern will be to update contact information of the listed companies mainly through internet research. We estimate that this will take a maximum of 160 hours.

I am reaching out to you if you be able to support us with this and have a few questions for you:
- Do you have an intern whom you would like to assign to this project?
- Can you recommend an intern to us?
- Would you be able to offer a space and the use of a computer with internet connection to an intern for the duration of the project?

We have a limited budget available for this.

I think this could be an interesting experience for a motivated intern and would be a major contribution in the preparation of a wonderful resource. Thank you for getting back to us on this by June 26 at sutha.heck@sabcnow.com

Welcome New SABC Board Member Walter Wegmueller

The SABC welcomes Mr. Walter Wegmueller (pictured left), Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Detroit, as ex officio board member.

Welcome New SABC Individual Member Claudio Loretz

We welcome Claudio Loretz, Director International Desk from YER USA Inc. as our new SABC Individual Member. YER is an international recruitment agency that focuses on candidates with bachelors and advanced degrees for permanent and temporary positions at the mid to senior level, including but not limited to engineers, sales professionals, project managers, executives and directors. YER has offices in the United States, The Netherlands and Spain.

Welcome New SABC Corporate Member LLS Team

We welcome LLS Team as our new SABC Corporate Member. Oliver Brand (pictured left) is VP of Operations at LLS Team and provided the following information about LLS Team:

"Different origins but same passion for shipping with Swiss precision and customer service : You most likely already know the drill when it comes to what a freight forwarder is, we are all that and do it too.

So why are we better ? Well do NOT sell you a product and you adapt to it nor do we sell promises. Instead you tell us what you need and we will tailor our solution and prices to your need.

This is how most of our customers for the Midwest ask for pick-ups in the EU and Switzerland on Friday’s with deliveries on Monday morning. How is that possible ? Own trucks on the east side of the Atlantic and a Chicago office that works on week-ends in order to clear goods as they land and update delivery schedule before anyone is done ordering their first coffee Monday morning.

What do our names mean? LLS = Luft Land & Sea // ATM = Air Terre & Mer or in English for both Air Land & Sea.

What is our history?

1976 ATM Transports SA is founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, located in Jura mountains which is part of the watch and micro-precision valley of Switzerland.
1998 LLS Team Germany is founded in Pforzheim “the Golden City” due to its historic ties to the jewelry industry. Today one of the main industrial centers of Germany.
As 2004 Strategical partnerships between ATM and LLS in Bangkok and other Asians countries (Singapore, Hong Kong, China).
2012 Founding of LLS Team Chicago in the USA.
2014 early: LLS Team employs close to 10 people in Chicago.
2015: Strong promotion of the Swiss and Asian lanes, you may have heard of John Beck based here from Switzerland, Joe Friend or Oliver Brand
2015, June: Relocation to a new facility a new warehousing and increasing staff.

LLS Team relocates let’s have a promotion

LLS Team relocates to 800 Dillon Drive Woo Dale, Illinois as the 1st of June.

The new facilities will have office space and a warehouse of 15’000 Square feet. This will enable us to better accommodate our customers’ requirement for safe, clean and efficient storage and transit of cargo.

We are excited of the development we have had over the last three years and as such have decided to celebrate this by offering pick-ups/deliveries in Switzerland with a 30% discount (based on the official Swiss trucking association rates www.astag.ch) and ANOTHER 30% discount on all deliveries/pick-ups in the Midwest. Also valid on our Friday pick-up in Switzerland and delivery Monday morning in most of the Midwest. The US promotion also valid on other trade lanes.

You can also see this as a slight compensation to the high Swiss franc !
We are looking forward in giving you picture of our new home in the next newsletter as we are currently moving!

Haag-Streit and Reliance Medical Products Sales School 2015

As part of our continuing commitment to our authorized dealers and in an attempt to provide them with important sales and product information, the Haag-Streit Group is pleased to announce the successful completion of our joint Sales Seminar at the Haag-Streit USA and Reliance Medical Products facility in Mason, Ohio.

With the introduction of several new products this year by Reliance and Haag-Streit, this sales seminar presented an excellent opportunity for the familiarization of these new products and the expansion of knowledge for more specialized products.

The sales school was held for 3 days at our facilities on May 12-14th. Dr. Ernest Cavin gave a warm introduction to our 13 distributor partners from around the country. In addition to our educational classroom experiences, we had hands-on demonstrations of the latest technology, an awards dinner at the famous Montgomery Inn as well as a fantastic time at the Reds vs Braves game on May 13th.

DEVELOPING A CYBERSECURITY AGENDA

In the wake of the highly publicized cyber attacks on large U.S. corporations and numerous banks throughout the country, attention to cybersecurity issues has increased dramatically. Cyber attacks are occurring more frequently and are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Smaller companies may be seen as easy targets.
Cyber Risks
Cyber attacks can, among other things:

expose company secrets and proprietary information
disclose personally identifiable information
disrupt operations or
trigger regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits.

The reality is that many companies — perhaps you? — are vulnerable. But identifying and addressing your vulnerabilities can help minimize your cyber risk and mitigate the damage to your organization should you become the victim of a cyber attack.
Assess & Manage Your Cybersecurity
Government agencies and industry expects are urging executives and boards of directors to become more involved — to proactively engage in managing cybersecurity — and with cybersecurity in the spotlight, the time to act is now. To effectively oversee cybersecurity issues, executives and boards of directors should consider the following actions:

Assess your cybersecurity risks and network vulnerabilities, then allocate resources to those vulnerabilities to strengthen your defense
Determine what cybersecurity threats exist with respect to your third-party service providers
Test your existing cybersecurity controls
Review all major data breaches and data breach attempts
Examine current risks, issues, strategies and roadblocks for cybersecurity periodically with your information security officer and chief risk officer
Verify insurance coverage for cyber incidents is sufficient
Designate an executive as the point person to report, monitor and review your cybersecurity information and risks
Consult with legal, compliance, human resources and communications departments for contributions to your cybersecurity risk management
Update your cybersecurity policies and procedures
Implement a cyber-attack response plan

For guidance for your executives or board regarding their roles in monitoring cybersecurity risks, please contact one of our attorneys.

William E. Turner II                             John M. Geiringer
T. 312.629.7337                                  T. 312.984.3217
will.turner@bfkn.com                          john.geiringer@bfkn.com

This information was prepared by the law firm of Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP, 200 West Madison Street, Suite 3900, Chicago, Illinois 60606, T. 312.984.3100, as a general source of information and does not constitute an opinion or legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with readers. This information may constitute attorney advertising material in some jurisdictions.

Douglas Karl Ebert
Executive Director Americas, Greater Zurich Area

Greater Zurich Area AG is the official Investment Promotion Agency for the economic region of Zurich, Switzerland. We provide a confidential and free advisory service, assisting foreign companies in evaluating our region for their expansion / relocation projects. Our services include advice on taxes and corporate structures, labor laws, recruitment, infrastructure and real estate. In addition, we facilitate contacts with government officials, business networks and service providers in the Greater Zurich Area.

GF Machining Solutions to Spotlight Latest Technologies,

Host Manufacturing Workshops at June Event

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., April 24, 2015 – GF Machining Solutions is planning a special, three-day technology and education event called Solutions Days at its Competence Center in Lincolnshire, Illinois. During the event, scheduled for June 17-19, the company will feature advanced part-processing demonstrations and run a series of manufacturing-based workshops.

According to Gisbert Ledvon, director of business development for GF Machining Solutions, the company intends for Solutions Days to be the year’s foremost event for manufacturers that specialize in precision part production for industries that include aerospace, automotive, medical and moldmaking.

Event attendees can expect to see the company’s latest milling, EDM, laser texturing and automation technologies in action as well as have the opportunity to discuss these different forms of part processing with the company’s applications experts.

For those attendees interested in learning about new metalworking trends and techniques, GF Machining Solutions will run a series of technology and applications-focused workshops during Solutions Days.

Topics covered in these workshops will include revolutions in high-speed 5-axis machining, how 3DS die-sinking technology can improve tool life and cycle times in mold machining, new developments in laser texturing technology, as well as the latest workholding and automation solutions for the company’s System 3R.

Additionally, with the skilled labor shortage still being an issue in the manufacturing industry, GF Machining Solutions will discuss ways to overcome this challenge through advanced machine tool technology.

“Solutions Days represents our dedication to helping customers stay ahead of the manufacturing curve,” said Ledvon. “Not only will attendees get to see our latest technologies in action, they will leave the event highly informed on ways to improve their operations in today’s competitive global marketplace.”

Solutions Days will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17 and from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19. Registration for this event is now open at www.gfms.com/us/openhouse2015.

About GF Machining Solutions
GF Machining Solutions is the world’s leading provider of machines, automation solutions and services to the tool and mold making industry and to manufacturers of precision components. The products range from electric discharge machines, high-speed and high-performance milling machines, including clamping and palletization systems, and 3D laser surface texturing machines, to services, spare parts and expendable parts, consumables and automation solutions. GF Machining Solutions is a globally acting division of the Georg Fischer Group (Switzerland) and maintains a presence on 50 sites worldwide within its own organization. Its 3,008 employees generated sales of CHF 905 million in 2014. More information can be found at www.gfms.com/us.

CONTACTS:

Gisbert Ledvon
Director of Business Development
GF Machining Solutions LLC
847.913.5300 | gisbert.ledvon@georgfischer.com
or
Chuck Bates
Director of Public Relations
dgs Marketing Engineers^®
317.813.2230 | bates@dgsmarketing.com

^{Be prepared for long-term care without sacrificing your long-term goals.}

^{Provided By:}
^{Allen Carter}
^{UBS Financial Services}

More clients than ever are telling us that long-term care is their number one personal concern, surpassing even retirement. Add to that concern increasing life expectancies and rising healthcare costs, and it’s clear that no ﬁnancial plan is complete without a strategy to fund long-term care. We know starting the conversation can be difﬁcult, but not nearly as difﬁcult as being unprepared.

Defining your future
Many of our clients have a clear idea of how they want to age. According to a recent UBS Investor Watch report, 44% of investors said maintaining self- reliance is most important to them, with two-thirds preferring to remain in their own homes.¹ While this may be the ideal option, it can also be the most expensive, when you consider the cost of possible home remodeling to accommodate senior citizen living and, if needed, round-the-clock home health aides.

Often, the goal of aging on their own terms is just as important to clients as protecting family from having to assume the costs associated with their care. If you’re concerned that your long-term care costs may become a financial burden to your spouse and other loved ones, we should discuss how we might prevent that from happening.

Longer lives, bigger bills
The average 65-year old is now expected to have a much longer life-span, which means retirement could last 30 years or more.² The average life expectancy of women is about five years longer than for men, and 40% of all women 65 and older live alone. Without proper planning, many women who help spouses through prolonged illness or incapacitation could end up with funding shortfalls of their own. For this reason, having a plan for long-term care is especially important for women, and for men who want to protect their wives.

The average cost of long-term care can easily approach $92,345 per year and is typically not covered by Medicare.³ The average length of a nursing home stay for someone older than 65 is three years.³ Fortunately, there are many strategies available to help you fund these expenses ahead of time, but they should align with your goals and be considered in the context of your overall financial plan. For example, do you envision an assisted living arrangement or moving into a professional facility? Or would you prefer to “age in place” with professional or family assistance?

Funding the need
There are different ways to pay for long-term care. Below are the options to help inform your thinking and drive our conversation.

• Paying out of pocket: Investors with sizeable assets sometimes prefer to “self-insure” by paying all their long-term care costs out of pocket, or by combining out-of-pocket payments with other funding strategies. If you’re considering this option, we should assess whether you have enough liquid assets to meet your long-term care needs and those of your spouse. Actual costs could exceed expectations, given the inflationary nature of healthcare. Also, if you liquidate assets to pay for long-term care during a market downturn, we need to consider how selling at a loss could affect your financial plan.

• Long-term care insurance: Long-term care insurance can be a more cost-effective alternative to paying out of pocket. Premiums, however, increase with age and are impacted by pre-diagnosed conditions, so the sooner we start exploring this option, the better. We should talk about what you want your coverage to pay for. Services that are commonly covered include nursing, social and rehabilitative services needed in the home or at a facility. Besides age and health, premiums will depend on what kind of services you want covered, how long you want coverage to last, and whether you want inflation protection. Keep in mind, however, that premiums are typically not refunded if you end up not needing long-term care.

• Life insurance with long-term care benefits: An alternative to long-term care insurance is a universal life insurance policy with an optional long-term care benefit rider.⁴ A long-term care benefit rider is an amendment that provides additional coverage for long-term care costs if needed. These policies typically
offer a death benefit to beneficiaries and may offer a refund-of-premium feature, which reimburses a percentage of premiums if you end up not needing long-term care or should you decide to forfeit the policy.

Let’s have a conversation
In many ways, it matters less which option you choose, as much as it does choosing one. Long-term care can be a difficult topic to discuss, but it’s vital to find solutions now. We’d like to help.

The FRACHT GROUP “Your Swiss Freight Forwarder” was entrusted with the importation and exportation of the precious costumes and instruments for the “Noggeler Guggenmusig” who participated in the St.Patrick’s day parades and other local functions. Some of you might have seen them on TV or experienced them during their special appearance downtown. Their experience with Fracht is best described by the below “Thank you note” which we proudly received.

Thank you for your effort and support to make our trip to Chicago an amazing, unforgettable, dazzling, fantastic, adventurous, incredible, marvelous and just insanely great experience for all of us!

NOW, JUST IMAGINE WHAT THE FRACHT GROUP
CAN DO FOR “YOUR PRECIOUS CARGO”!!!

For more information about the Fracht Group please visit us at www.fracht.com or simply call our Chicago office at (224 / 361 0086) or reach out to Walter Groeli (C 630 / 363 9919) and allow us to introduce ourselves.

Wandfluh of America has a comprehensive selection of hydraulic components with many different designs and functionality. The company is well-known for products that can be used in demanding hydraulic applications. The main focus is on spool valves, pppet valves, proportional valves, electronic components, miniature hydraulics and cartridge valve technology. The company’s considerable experience in component and system design and a well thought- out modular construction system result in individual solutions that are adapted to customer requirements in the optimum way.

The range of Wandfluh product applications is extremely extensive as a result of customer oriented, flexible market cultivation. There is hardly an industry that does not benefit from the advantages of the hydraulics and electronics of Wandfluh. The range of possible use s is continuously expanding because of market development and specific customer requirements. The products can be used in the following areas:
- Machine, paper, textile and plastics industries

Construction industry
Robotics and handling systems
Energy production
Offshore technology and shipbuilding
Underwater applications
Chemicals

Motivated staff and cutting edge technology safeguard the proverbial quality of Wandfluh services. In 1992 Wandfluh was the first Swiss hydraulics manufacturer to be awarded the QA certificate, and the company is now ISO 001:2000 certified.

More information:

Wandfluh Corporate Profile
Wandfluh Valves with inductive switching position
Wandfluh PD@ Amplifier family

Contact information:
Wandfluh of America, Inc.
909 High Street, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.wandfluh-us.com/oem
Tel: 847-566-5700
oemoffhighway@wandfluh-us.com

Upcoming Events of the SABC

June 17 to 19 - SABC Member event: GF Machining Solutions to Spotlight Latest Technologies, Host Manufacturing Workshops at June Event

June 18 to 21 SABC Member event: You are invited to the 41st Saengerfest – The North American Swiss Singing Alliance will hold their try annual singing festival and competition the weekend of June 18 – 21, 2015.

July 1st - An Executive Roundtable Luncheon: Status Report: Where Does the Renaissance of American Manufacturing Stand Today?”
Featuring

July 30th - Swiss National Day – An Evening of Swiss Innovation scheduled for Thursday, July 30 at the MidAmerica Club in Chicago.

Past Events in 2015 of the SABC

June 5 - SABC Member event: Barack Ferrazzano Corporate & Securities Group LIVE Webcast, Mandatory Reporting Requirements For Certain New Foreign Direct Investments in the U.S. in 2015 Hosted by THE KNOWLEDGE GROUP LLC

March 13 - Exclusive Meeting with Stephan Roth, Mayor of the City of Lucerne, Switzerland. UBS and SABC co-hosted event with key Chicago contacts (photo above).

March 4 - Exclusive CEO/CFO meeting with Andreas Hofefert, Chief Global Economist UBSExclusive CEO/CFO meeting with Andreas Hofefert, Chief Global Economist UBS

March 3 – SABC Annual Meeting 2015 (photo above)
Pictures of the SABC Annual Meeting 2015

January 21 – Global Outlook 2015: Economic Trends, Critical Business Issues and Survival Strategies

Copyright © 2015 SABC, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Swiss-American Business Council (SABC), P.O. Box 64975, Chicago, IL 60601 U.S.A.
E-Mail: events@sabcnow.com

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