Interns@AutoCom

Hi everyone! Last night we went to the PRSA Detroit Chapter’s annual meeting. During the meeting was a ceremony for Jack Harned’s induction into the Hall of Fame. The meeting was downtown at the beautiful DTE Energy building. We had a great time networking with fellow colleagues in the PR industry and catching up with previous AutoCom employees. After dinner, Marty gave a great introduction to Jack. Jack’s speech was absolutely wonderful! Every one loved it! He talked about some of his past experiences from his hometown newspaper to working with GM and NASA. It seemed that everyone loved hearing his stories as much as we do at our Friday lunches! It’s great to know that Jack’s peers recognize all of his hard work. He has accomplished and seen so much, he truly deserves this award. From all of us at AutoCom: Congrats, Jack! We are all so proud of you! Leave some comments for Jack and keep an eye out for pictures, coming soon, at AutoCom's Facebook page! Until next time, Julia, Kerry

Hello Everyone! Now it’s my turn to introduce myself! My name is Julia Kattau and I am the second new intern at AutoCom Associates. Like many former interns, I am also from Germany . I grew up near Bremen and I have lived in Bavaria for the past few years, which is a great contrast to my northern home. I am studying “International Cultural and Business Studies” at the University of Passau and will finish the program next spring! This is my first trip to Michigan , although not my first time in the US , because I have already spent some time here for vacations. Obtaining a six-month internship is a much better opportunity than I ever thought I would encounter and I feel very fortunate. Prior to joining AutoCom, I interned at an advertising agency near Munich and in two film production companies in Hamburg and Bremen . So this is my first glimpse within the PR-business and after my first two weeks I can definitely say that I am really looking forward to learning mo

My name is Kerry and I am one of two new interns at AutoCom Associates. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to be here. Today marks the beginning of my second week and I am already learning so much. I am 23 years old and grew up in Novi, Mich., where I now live. I attended Michigan State University, where I received a bachelor’s degree in communication with a focus on public relations. I am very thrilled to be learning the ins and outs here at AutoCom Associates. Everyone here is extremely helpful and nice. I look forward to updating everyone on the blog with my experience over the next few months.

One more hour and my internship with AutoCom will officially end. I returned my office keys to Lynn, handed over my assignments to Tedi and Sara and tidied up my desk. Though holding it off as long as possible, I guess the time has finally arrived to say good-bye to everyone! Needless to say, I had an awesome time with AutoCom Associates and in the United States, in general. As I write, I realize there will be plenty of things I will miss when I go back to Germany. There are the obvious ones like not being able to shop 24/7, drawing money from a drive-through ATM, taking a Michigan U-turn when turning left and driving on roads spreading over four lanes. Owning a car and living five minutes walking distance from downtown Royal Oak is something else I won’t have in Germany! And my fabulous American/German housemates, of course! I am so used to coming to the office every morning that it will feel weird not to come in next Monday and working on my media analytic reports, tweeting about cl

Squeezed in a Jeep between dozens of boxes filled with flash-drives, key chains, pens and pencils, part of our staff headed to Northern Michigan last week for the annual Management Briefing Seminars (MBS). The MBS is one of the highlights in the automotive events calendar with the “who’s who” attending from the global auto industry. It has become tradition over the years that AutoCom hosts several special events for its clients during that week. This year’s AutoCom team was Larry, Jim, Craig, Jack, Tedi, Eleanor and me. Arriving in Traverse City on Monday afternoon, we started decorating the suite that AutoCom rents during that time at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The suite was open from 7am until 9pm, Monday until Friday, and provided a place for our clients as well as for journalists to work and relax in a nice and quiet atmosphere. To say that Eleanor, Tedi and I weren’t exactly dressed in business clothes would be an understatement. Somehow we had a different schedule in mind

Hey everyone! As you know, Tech Crawl, one of AutoCom’s most exciting events, takes place every year in July. This year, the program was held on July 16th and featured companies included Behr America, Dassault Systemes, Eberspacher, GKN Driveline, Icom North America, Intermap Technologies, and NextEnergy. As Tech Crawl was themed as “Going Green,” journalists learned about exciting technologies such as new environmentally friendly materials and alternative fuel and mapping systems. Click here ( http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=136682&id=89438790952 ) to see more photos from the event! Merrill

Last Friday, Annika and I headed “up north” towards Traverse City with a bunch of German interns. After being woken up by a tremendous, earthshaking thunderstorm, we left Royal Oak around 8.30 a.m. With no traffic jams or accidents on the streets, we arrived at Silver Lake around lunch time. Following a tour through the house (which, by the way, was beautiful), the rooms needed to be allocated. Finding a spot to sleep for all 18 people wasn’t easy, but in the end, everybody had some sort of a bed. We spent Friday exploring the lake behind our house, barbecuing, playing sports, dancing and having a good time. I am still surprised that none of the neighbors called the police, seeing as they had enough reason to. Having a bonfire, using the outdoor bar, swimming in the lake, having music turned up and using outdoor loudspeakers - all of this until 4.30 a.m. - should be enough to get neighbors annoyed. As you can imagine, the next day didn’t start too early. When we finally did wake up, w

Hello Everyone! Just thought I would briefly introduce myself. I am the newest intern here at AutoCom and today is my first day! My name is Eleanor Widdett and I just completed my second year at Swansea University in Wales. I plan to graduate next year with a B.A. in Business Management. I am originally from Coventry, England, however I moved to Lippstadt, Germany with my parents and siblings at the age of ten. We then moved to Bloomfield Hills, MI in 2005 where I attended the International Academy for my final two years of high school. I enjoyed my time in both Germany and the U.S. tremendously and am glad to be back in the States for the summer! Similar to Merrill this internship is also my first experience in the business world and I look forward to learning as much as I can between now and September when I head back to school. Having taken classes from Accounting and Finance to Human Resource Management and done all the book work I now feel ready to put my knowledge to the test and

Yesterday I took a look at all our former blog entries and I noticed that the content is about nearly every city in the United States except Detroit. Because of this I don’t write about my last New York trip but about all the things you can do in the Detroit area. Every time somebody asks me where I come from and I respond “I live in Detroit”, the answer is: Ohh! Poor girl! Then my first thought was: “You don’t know anything about Detroit!” Detroit is a vibrant area with many fun and exciting things to do and places to visit. The view from the GM-Tower over the Detroit River and Windsor is spectacular. No matter if you go there at day- or nighttime. If you are interested in culture you can visit one of the numerous museums, like the Ford Museum, or discover one of the largest and most significant Institutes of Arts the DIA. I really like the Native American landscape paintings. Another exciting experience is the Eastern Market. Besides flowers and Detroit souvenirs, you have an impress

Hi Everyone! I am a new intern, and I am so excited to be a part of the family here at AutoCom! My name is Merrill Hendrickson, and I am 19 years old. Even though today is only my second day here, I can already tell that this internship will be an extremely rewarding experience for me. I immediately felt a part of the team yesterday after receiving such a warm welcome from everyone. Although I call Bloomfield Hills my home, I attend Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, and am really looking forward to heading back to Music City in the fall for my sophomore year! I have not declared a major yet, however, I am planning on majoring in Communications, and minoring in Managerial Studies with a focus on Corporate Strategy. This internship at AutoCom is my first foray into the business world, and I am grateful for all of the guidance I have received already from Tedi and Sara, and especially Larry, for letting me join the team! Thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity! I

Detroit News, June 4, 2009: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090604/BIZ/906040361/1001/bizOakland m/article/20090604/BIZ/906040361/1001/bizOakland Oakland Press, May 28, 2009:

In my bedroom at my parents’ house in Germany, I have a framed poster of New York City on my wall. Literally every night before I fell asleep, I would look at it thinking one day I will make it to NYC. Turned out, this “one day” was May 21, 2009. When we got on the plane towards New York, I was scared to death. Just in case I haven’t mentioned it before, I am afraid of heights, and going on a plane is the worst. Luckily, I sat next to a chatty Indian guy who kept me distracted from the fact that I was thousands of feet above the ground. I am pretty sure I would not have appreciated his company as much if we had been on a bus together… After arriving to the famous John F. Kennedy airport, my friend (a German intern at Porsche) and I went straight (and in New York this means two hours) to our hotel. By the time we got there it was 1:00 a.m. and we were quite exhausted. We went right to bed, not even noticing that we had a room with view on the Chrysler Building until the next morning! W

Hey AutoComers, here is a little summary of my journey to California and Costa Rica. Hope you enjoy it and don’t get too envious! :-P Three days after my last day @AutoCom I started my big trip, which I was looking forward to for such a long time. My first destination was Los Angeles, where I spent four nights in a very nice hostel. I met so many people from all over the world there and we took tours arranged by the hostel (for example to the Getty Museum). Besides that I saw walls, fences and (sometimes) houses of celebrities during a so-called “LA city tour.” But luckily, the bus also stopped at the famous spots, such as the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame and Universal Studios. By the end of the week I got a rental car and headed south towards the Mexican border with stopovers at beautiful beaches like Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach. After taking tons of pictures and videos I finally reached my destination, San Diego. I spent a whole week there doing activities l

It took us a while...but better late than never! BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – Miriam Czichon and Annika Schlueter have been awarded six-month internships as account assistants at AutoCom Associates, a global public relations agency providing communications support to automotive and high-technology businesses. Czichon and Schlueter will support AutoCom clients with international event planning, editorial services and media relations. A native of Landshut, Germany, Czichon will work with various AutoCom clients, including GKN Driveline, Gibbs Technologies, Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan. Czichon is currently studying international cultural and business studies with a focus on Anglo-American culture at the University of Passau in Germany. Prior to joining AutoCom, she interned at the regional office of Bavaria in Brussels, Belgium, an organization that consults and supports the Bavarian government on European Union (EU) politics. A native of

Dear AutoComers, To keep you all updated, I wanted to let you all know that I am no longer Bianca Bischoff, the crazy German anymore. Now I am Bianca Clark, the crazy Germarican. On April 16th 2009 I married my fiancé and best friend Jason at Heritage Gardens, Shelby Township. For all those who don't know me and the history…I did my internship in spring/summer 2006 with AutoCom and had one of the best times and experiences in my life. During that time I met my (now) husband who worked with one of my roommates. As destiny wanted it to be he speaks some German, loves Germany and works for Mercedes Benz Engines at Detroit Diesel. So we had the opportunity to spend some time together in Germany (as I am from Stuttgart, the Mercedes headquarter). After two years of traveling back and forth between the States and Germany, Jason proposed me last year in September during my visit. And after another 6 months of waiting for my visa and getting ready for the big step across the ocean, I am he

After completing my third year at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula, it feels good to be back home and in the office again. Larry was very gracious in allowing me to come back to AutoCom. For those of you that do not know me, my name is Tedi Falvo. Last summer I did an internship with AutoCom, and learned a lot about public relations outside of the classroom. Books can only teach you so much- the real learning comes when you go out on your own and put everything you have learned to the test. Last summer was a great experience, and I was thankful to work with such a great staff that was willing to help me succeed. While I was in Marquette, Mich. continuing my studies in public relations, and sociology, I remained in contact with AutoCom. When I had a question regarding an aspect of my studies, I always knew where to turn! It is nice to have wonderful people surrounding and filling you with all of their knowledge. That is one aspect I love about working here-everyone wo

Have you always wondered what Larry, Marty, Jan, Andi, Holly, Sara and the interns are doing in the office each day? Now you have the chance to find out! All you need to do is become a fan of AutoCom Associates on Facebookor follow us on Twitter (@AutoComDetroit). This way you will always be updated on what is going on at AutoCom. Looking forward to seeing you! Miriam