New North American headquarters includes the Innovation and Qualification Center with a state-of-the-art elevator test tower
The approximately $200 million investment supports TK Elevator’s market and innovation leadership while expanding its R&D capabilities
More than 900 employees will eventually work out of the three-building complex at The Battery Atlanta
TK Elevator celebrated the opening of its new North American headquarters yesterday as the elevator industry leader continues investing in R&D and innovative mobility solutions that will address the needs of current and future customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The three-building complex at The Battery Atlanta features 205,000 square feet of office space and includes the 420-foot-tall Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC) with the tallest elevator test tower in North America. General contractor on the IQC was Brasfield & Gorrie while Gensler served as architect. The IQC was built on land owned by Braves Development Company.
The new headquarters will eventually be home to approximately 10 percent of TKE’s workforce in North America.
“Our new headquarters with our one-of-a-kind IQC will allow us to better meet evolving customer and market requirements as we further pioneer the transformative products and technologies that are the foundation of our innovative solutions portfolio,” said Kevin Lavallee, President and CEO of TK Elevator North America, Group COO Field and member of the TK Elevator Management Board. “Today would not have been possible without the sacrifice and hard work of so many. We are eternally grateful to those who helped make today a reality, and we look forward to welcoming employees, customers, students and the community into our world.”
The cornerstone of the new headquarters is the IQC, which includes industry-leading R&D and software labs, a digital showroom, engineering offices and training facilities as well as event and meeting spaces located at the top of the building. Anchoring the North American research and development facility is a modern elevator test tower.
With 18 shafts, the test tower will be used to trial new concepts and product pilots, including high-speed elevators and TWIN, TK Elevator’s elevator system that features two cabins working independently in one shaft. In addition, the test tower will also conduct robust tests to ensure compliance with stringent safety requirements on standard elevators. The IQC will also be home to International Technical Services (ITS), TK Elevator’s exclusive network of experts who provide technical expertise and spare parts support for TKE and competitor units, as well as SEED Campus, TKE’s new North American training hub for all employees.
The IQC is currently being evaluated for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. In its pursuit of LEED Gold certification, TK Elevator recognized a 12-percent reduction in embodied carbon compared to typical construction through concrete mix optimization by using ground granulated blast furnace slag and fly ash which allows for a significant saving of carbon-dioxide emissions. Official LEED certification notification is expected in the coming weeks.
The IQC also features more than 11,000 square feet of LED mesh with 2.4-million-pixel virtual resolution that will illuminate the Atlanta skyline while also symbolizing TKE’s bright future in North America.
“North America continues to be one of our strongest regions globally, accounting for more than one-third of our global revenue. Our $200 million investment in our new North American headquarters is not only a major milestone reached in TKE’s first year as an independent company, but also reaffirms our commitment to this important market as we continue to drive innovation and develop sustainable mobility solutions that will help our growing customer base in the U.S. and Canada,” said Peter Walker, CEO of TK Elevator.
TK Elevator North America boasts more than 11,000 employees – approximately 9.000 in the U.S. – across over 160 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Those locations include the LEED Gold certified manufacturing facility in Middleton, Tennessee, as well as the ITS Centre in Toronto, Canada. In fiscal year 2020/21, TK Elevator North America generated more than USD $3 billion, accounting for more than one-third of TK Elevator’s total global revenue. In addition, TK Elevator achieved growth across its core business lines (new installation, modernization and service) in Canada and the U.S. as it continues to expand its sizable footprint across North America.
Since becoming a stand-alone company last year, TK Elevator has achieved numerous successes in North America. This includes expanding installations and increasing subscriptions for MAX, the industry’s first predictive maintenance IoT solution. TK Elevator launched AGILE mobile in February 2021, which allows tenants to operate an elevator via their smartphone or wearable device. AGILE mobile is installed in approximately 12 major cities across North America. TK Elevator also installed its environmentally friendly elevators at the Summit House at Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the time, it was the highest ongoing construction site in North America during its construction at more than 14,000 feet above sea level. More than 1,000 miles north of Colorado Springs, TK Elevator provided Telus Sky in Calgary, Alberta, with the fastest elevators in Western Canada. And as part of its congoing ESG commitment, TK Elevator incorporated the first electric vehicle into its North American service fleet in 2021.
For more information, go to www.tkelevator.com/us-en/.