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Press release

10.09.2020

thyssenkrupp Elevator reaches topping-out milestone on exterior structure of 420-foot-tall test tower in Atlanta

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  • With the exterior structure of the Innovation and Qualification Center completed, attention will now turn to the interior as the tallest elevator test tower in the Western Hemisphere remains on target for completion in 2021
  • thyssenkrupp Elevator’s new North American headquarters at The Battery Atlanta will eventually be home to more than 900 employees

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ATLANTA (October 9, 2020) – thyssenkrupp Elevator has completed construction on the exterior of its 420-foot-tall Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC), which will be home to the tallest elevator test tower in the Western Hemisphere, as the building reached its toppingout point today at The Battery Atlanta.

The milestone brings the vertical transportation leader one step closer to completion of its new North American headquarters. The three-building headquarters will also include the adjacent Corporate Headquarters (CHQ) and the Business Headquarters (BHQ) located in nearby Pennant Park. The CHQ is on track for completion in 2021. Meanwhile, thyssenkrupp Elevator employees began moving into the BHQ in March 2019.

“The topping-out of the IQC represents a significant milestone not only for our organization, but for the industry and community as we are now one step closer to completing our engineering and innovation hub and officially calling Atlanta home,” says Kevin Lavallee,

President and CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator North America.

In July 2018, thyssenkrupp Elevator announced it would be establishing its new North American headquarters at The Battery Atlanta in an event held at the former SunTrust Park and attended by many of the top business leaders in the community, including now former Governor Nathan Deal.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the IQC was held in April 2019, while slip-form construction on the IQC began in January 2020 and was completed in only 56 days by general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie.

“We are grateful to thyssenkrupp Elevator for the opportunity to work on the unique Innovation and Qualification Center project,” says Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President and Division Manager Ben Norton. “thyssenkrupp Elevator is making a significant investment that will impact our Cobb County community’s future economy, and Brasfield & Gorrie is committed to supporting our client’s vision with the successful completion of this iconic project.”

With 18 shafts, the test tower will be used to trial new concepts and product pilots, including high-speed elevators as well as the two-cabins-per-shaft elevator system, TWIN. The test tower will also conduct robust tests to ensure compliance with stringent safety requirements on standard elevators.

To showcase the elevators at the test tower, the IQC will feature a complete glass exterior façade facing The Battery Atlanta, allowing millions of visitors annually to view operations that are normally hidden behind concrete walls in rural locations. In addition to the elevator test tower, the IQC will also feature event and meeting spaces located at the top of the building – providing breathtaking views of the region – as well as a digital showroom, software lab, engineering offices and training facilities.

In August 2019, thyssenkrupp Elevator announced it would pursue LEED v4 certification for the IQC.

The IQC and CHQ are on schedule for completion in 2021 with final move-in by 2022. Both the IQC and CHQ are being built on property owned by Braves Development Company. While thyssenkrupp Elevator owns the IQC building, it will lease space for its CHQ in the Three Ballpark Center building, which is owned by Braves Development Company.

“Another milestone completed for this innovative project which will change and enhance the skyline in Cobb County,” says Mike Plant, President and CEO of Braves Development Company. “We are looking forward to having this beautiful complex completed and come alive with thyssenkrupp Elevator staff and visitors from around the world as we continue our plans of reinvigorating this part of the county.”

To view time-lapse video of the IQC and elevator test tower, go to https://www.thyssenkruppelevator.com/About-Us/atlanta-headquarters

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TK Elevator (formerly: thyssenkrupp Elevator)

With customers in over 100 countries served by 50,000 employees, TK Elevator achieved sales of €8.5 billion in the fiscal year 2019/2020. Over 1,000 locations around the world provide an extensive network that guarantees closeness to customers. Over the past decades, TK Elevator has established itself as one of the world’s leading elevator companies and became independent since its sale by thyssenkrupp AG in August 2020. The company’s most important business line is the service business represented by over 24,000 service technicians. The product portfolio covers commodity elevators for residential and commercial buildings to cutting-edge, highly customized solutions for state-of-the-art skyscrapers. In addition, it also consists of escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts. Integrated cloud-based service solutions, such as the MAX platform, are gaining in importance. With these digital offerings, there are no limits to urban mobility anymore. TKE – move beyond.

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