German Software Company Opens First U.S. Office in Atlanta

MUNICH, GERMANY, June 27, 2007,  – Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that German software company Mangold International is establishing a U.S. subsidiary in Atlanta. Governor Perdue met with officials from the company today as part of his European mission.
'Landing a high-tech company such as Mangold strengthens Georgia's reputation as a center for technology,' said Governor Sonny Perdue. 'The continuing cooperation between Germany and Georgia will make us a leader in the 21st century economy.'

The company plans to open the Atlanta office this summer and start with a base of five employees. That number is expected to triple or even quadruple within the next five years, with an estimated investment of $3 million. Most positions will be for technical support and sales engineers.

Mangold chose Atlanta because it is uniquely situated. Not only is there a developing center for usability engineering, but there are also major clients such as Georgia State University and Emory University. Locating in Atlanta will allow Mangold to serve their existing customer base and further grow their business.

Being in Atlanta will also enable Mangold to expand from the academic realm into industry, government and military technology markets.

'The Atlanta office will offer even better access to service and support issues to an already impressive list of clients in the U.S., South America and Canada,' said Tom Darcy, president and CEO of Mangold's U.S. subsidiary. 'A team of sales engineers will focus on the needs of future clients in the sectors of science, industry and government and help to build on the success story started by Pascal Mangold.'

'During our meetings in Munich we have found that the German high tech industry has great interest in growing in Georgia,' said Senator Eric Johnson, President Pro Tempore of the Georgia Senate, who is traveling with Governor Perdue as a part of his official delegation. 'Our skilled workforce, research universities and unique location allow Georgia to be the hub of the IT sector in the Southeast U.S.'

Officials from the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce also traveling with the Governor welcomed Mangold to the city.

'This is another example of metro Atlanta's growing strength as a high-tech leader,' said Hans Gant, senior vice president of Economic Development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. 'We were able to attract Mangold because we have what they need – potential clients for their research software among the region's many research centers and easy access to their U.S. and international clients through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.'

Updates on the ongoing trade mission can be found at www.stateofgeorgiamissions.com .

Mangold International GmbH is a world leader in software and hardware solutions used to analyze and do research with qualitative and quantitative data in the fields of child development, animal behavior, psychology, usability engineering, aerospace design and training, as well as military simulation and training analysis. The company was founded in 1991 in Arnstorf, Germany, and is located in the vicinity of the world's largest BMW production plant with a cluster of high-tech supplier companies.