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SolarWorld makes €1-billion Opel bid

German solar energy company SolarWorld has prepared an offer for the four German auto factories owned by Opel, a division of US giant General Motors, worth €1 billion ($1.26 billion).

Published: 19 November 2008 13:08 CET

SolarWorld makes €1-billion Opel bid

Will the Opel bolt soon mean electric cars? Photo: DPA

The solar panel maker, which aims to “turn Opel into the first ‘green’ European auto company,” said on Wednesday it would offer €250 million in cash and €750 million in the form of a bank credit under certain condition.

SolarWorld expects Opel to split completely from GM, which is threatened with bankruptcy, and wants compensation payments of €40,000 per Opel worker, which would total roughly €1 billion, the statement added. It did not say who it expected to pay the compensation.

Opel was not in a position to immediately give a reaction, a spokeswoman told AFP. SolarWorld said it would continue to produce Opel cars in the plants, and would develop “a new generation of low-emission and energy-saving automobiles.” SolarWorld employs 2,000 workers, while Opel’s German staff numbers around 26,000.

“The European development centre in Rüsselsheim is already working on solutions for electric cars like the Volt,” SolarWorld said. “By restructuring the product range, the storied German carmaker would in the future offer in particular electric and hybrid cars, as well as new types of technologies.”

Shares in the solar panel maker plunged by 15.22 percent to €13.6 in midday trading on Frankfurt’s TecDax index of high-technology issues.

The German automaker has been hit by slumping sales and financial problems at its parent company, and has asked the German government for loan guarantees in the event it can no longer obtain financing from GM.

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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