thyssenkrupp Elevator celebrated the groundbreaking of its Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC), which will be part of its new North American headquarters located near The Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia. The SelectCobb team attended the groundbreaking ceremony with Atlanta Braves executives plus prominent members of the local business community, including Metro Atlanta Chamber President and CEO, Hala Modellmog, and Cobb County Commission Chairman, Mike Boyce.
Representatives from building architect Gensler as well as the general contractor and SelectCobb investor, Brasfield & Gorrie, were also on-hand for the historic event. When completed in 2021, the 420-foot-tall elevator qualification and test tower will be the tallest building in Cobb County and the tallest elevator test tower in the U.S.
“The Innovation and Qualification Center is going to be a true differentiator in our industry thanks in part to its prominent, high-visibility location and its state-of-the-art design,” said Steve Wedge, Interim CEO and CFO of thyssenkrupp Elevator North America. “And our new North American headquarters for thyssenkrupp Elevator will enable us to further foster partnerships within the local business community, while expanding on our valuable relationships with the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Tech University, to name a few.”
With 18 shafts, the elevator test tower will be used to trial new concepts and product pilots, including high-speed elevators and TWIN, thyssenkrupp’s unique elevator system that features two cabins working independently in one shaft. The IQC will also test MULTI, the revolutionary rope-less and sideways-moving elevator system. In addition, the test tower will also conduct robust tests to ensure compliance with stringent safety requirements on standard elevators.
The thyssenkrupp Elevator North American headquarters will be home to more than 900 full-time employees across three facilities. Last month, employees started moving into the Business Headquarters (BHQ) in nearby Pennant Park, and a Corporate Headquarters (CHQ) will be built adjacent to the IQC. Both the IQC and CHQ will be built on property owned by the Atlanta Braves Development Company.
“Today marks an exciting step towards changing the Cobb County skyline and welcoming our wonderful new neighbor, thyssenkrupp, into the state of Georgia,” said Mike Plant, President and CEO of the Braves Development Company.
General contractor Brasfield & Gorrie is no stranger to the area, having also constructed the Omni Hotel at the Battery Atlanta as well as One Ballpark Center, a nine-story, 250,000-square-foot office building that serves as Comcast’s Central Division headquarters. The general contractor also served as the managing partner of American Builders 2017, the joint venture that built SunTrust Park.
“Brasfield & Gorrie has completed more than $760 million worth of construction within a half-mile radius of this project’s site, and since 2009 we have successfully completed 182 contract projects with thyssenkrupp,” said Brasfield & Gorrie Regional Vice President and Division Manager Chris Britton. “Our three decades in the Atlanta area have led to extensive relationships with partners including Collins Project Management and Gensler, and those will be an asset to this project.”
thyssenkrupp Elevator
thyssenkrupp Elevator brings together the Group’s global activities in passenger transportation systems. With sales of €7.6 billion in fiscal 2017/2018 and customers in 150 countries, thyssenkrupp Elevator built its position as one of the world’s leading elevator companies from scratch in a mere 40 years’ time applying thyssenkrupp unique engineering capabilities. With more than 50,000 highly skilled employees, the company offers smart and innovative products and services designed to meet customers’ individual requirements. The portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. Over 1,000 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers.