TKE Debuts North American HQ With IQC And Test Tower In Atlanta

TK Elevator (TKE) formally opened its new North American headquarters at The Battery (home of Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves) on February 9 with facility tours, speeches by dignitaries including Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and a gala cocktail reception. The event drew more than 200 attendees and was hosted by TKE officers such as CEO North America Kevin Lavallee, TKE CEO Peter Walker and TKE North America Chief Financial Officer Steven Wedge. The US$200-million headquarters (HQ) includes a high-tech showroom and demonstration area for both customers and trainees, a cavernous, state-of-the-art testing laboratory, 105,000 ft2 of office space for roughly 900 TKE employees and the 420-ft-tall test tower, the tallest in North America with 18 shafts. TKE observed the cornerstone of the new HQ is the Innovation and Qualification Center, or IQC, which includes “not only industry-leading R&D capabilities and software labs but also a digital showroom, engineering offices and training facilities.” The test tower is particularly important, TKE states, as it facilitates exploration of the newest concepts and products and helps ensure compliance with the highest safety requirements. Among products tested are high-speed elevators and TWIN, the unique elevator system that features two cabins working independently in one shaft. The IQC will also be home to a network of experts who make up International Technical Services that provides expertise maintenance service for both TKE and competitor units.