Interns@AutoCom

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...