Editor’s note: SelectCobb earlier this year led a trade mission to Düsseldorf, Germany, the hometown of TKE, the elevator giant that punctuated the skyline at The Battery with its 420-foot test tower and its corporate offices for the Americas.  

With Germany being one of its strategic focus countries, SelectCobb was building on existing ties with Düsseldorf that have warmed considerably in recent months, thanks in part to TKE’s bridging role and the resumption of nonstop flights between Atlanta and the German city. 

Dusseldorf also sits within the state of North-Rhine Westphalia, the only German state that has a trade and investment office in Georgia via NRW.Global Business.

In May, just before the Cobb delegation set off, Dusseldorf Mayor Stephan Keller led a group of city leaders and economic development officials to Atlanta. 

Fittingly, they convened in the meeting space at the top of the TKE tower for a discussion on the promise of the new flight and possible collaborations between the metros. 

TKE Americas CEO Jeremy Rainwater presided over the meeting. Global Atlanta caught up with Mr. Rainwater on behalf of our partners at SelectCobb to discuss why its location made sense for the company and how it is both advancing and benefiting from the county’s strong global business ecosystem. The article is published through SelectCobb’s annual partnership with Global Atlanta. 

Global Atlanta: Which other locations around the U.S. did TKE consider before selecting Cobb County for its investment? Why did you choose Cobb?

Jeremy Rainwater

Jeremy Rainwater: We have had a presence in metro Atlanta for decades with both corporate and service office locations to serve our customers. Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina were all considered in TK Elevator’s search for the perfect place to consolidate our corporate functions and build a state-of-the-art elevator test tower and R&D center. 

Atlanta quickly became our primary focus based on the immense STEM-based talent pool, particularly engineers, as well as the thriving business community. 

The final decision to land at The Battery in Cobb County was based on its unique and vibrant location as a showcase for our brand and home for employees relocating from locations in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Utah and Tennessee. 

Our metro Atlanta presence allows us to market and showcase the diversity of our business from manufacturing and engineering our products to modernizing and servicing buildings all over the city.

TK Elevator’s three-building North American Regional Business Support Center campus was an investment of approximately $200 million. At 420 feet tall, our Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC) is the tallest building in Cobb County and features the tallest elevator test tower in North America. The site’s visitor showroom includes the most impressive educational tool in the elevator industry. Not only does it showcase our company culture, groundbreaking innovations and products, but visitors can learn about the important ways modern digital elevator systems are changing how people move in cities and create a sustainable path in response to the impact of future urbanization. 

Global Atlanta: Do you find Cobb County’s workforce to be well-prepared in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills suitable for roles at TKE?

Mr. Rainwater: Yes, the region offers a friendly and competitive business climate with access to extensive and diverse engineering and STEM-focused talent (HBCUs, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, technical colleges, etc.). 

The metro Atlanta area’s support and collaboration between corporations, universities and entrepreneurs has created a remarkable ecosystem where innovators push one another to achieve more and bring creative solutions.

Global Atlanta: How does TK Elevator plan to help build the local workforce pipeline in STEM? 

Mr. Rainwater:We are passionate about STEM education, which is evidenced by our local Partners in Education commitments. Through our IQC, we are introducing our industry to students at a younger age, educators and parents. 

In a little over one year, we have welcomed more than 1,500 students, teachers and community members on STEM-based tours at our IQC. These tours include hands-on lectures with our engineers, immersive learning in our visitor showroom and visits to our International Technical Services (ITS) center, where the industry’s foremost elevator and escalator experts guide technicians from around the world through troubleshooting our own products and our competitors’. 

Each year, we welcome two classes of sales trainees for our Sales Training for Elevator Professionals (STEP) program. The 18-week, on-the-job and instructor-led training, is guided by leaders and subject matter experts who help participants acquire the skills, tools and resources needed to become responsive and knowledgeable salespeople. 

We also hosted our second annual Elevator Pitch contest with 24 Kennesaw State University students from the Michael J. Coles College of Business. TK Elevator leaders judged each student as they gave their sales pitch while traveling up 26 floors in one of our tower’s panoramic elevators. 

Global Atlanta: Why is metro Atlanta in general a great hub for German firms?

Mr. Rainwater: Metro Atlanta has access to some of the most diverse talent in the Southeast. Having Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — the busiest in the world — nearby acts as a gateway to collaborate with our global business units, as well as domestic markets. 

Additionally,thousands of foreign-owned enterprises have expanded into Georgia to be part of the thriving business community.

The Cobb Chamber is very interested in encouraging German investment in Cobb County and in helping its members export to Germany. In fact, they are on a trade mission to Dusseldorf this week. How has the Cobb Chamber helped with your company’s transition and with growing your business here?

Mr. Rainwater: The Cobb Chamber has proven to be a trusted and resourceful partner for us. Our partnership has helped TK Elevator to engage with the metro Atlanta business community. 

Several of our executive team members have shared the story about TK Elevator’s North American Regional Support Center and test tower at various Cobb Chamber events, including the Cumberland Area Council. The Cobb Chamber also helped us organize our ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration. And, once we launched our hiring process, we met with a small team at the Cobb Chamber to help develop a plan to promote positions locally.

Global Atlanta: Has your company’s presence in Cobb encouraged other German investments? Do you see a German business cluster forming in Cobb?

Mr. Rainwater: TK Elevator joined roughly 25 other German companies operating within Cobb County. In 2023, our Americas Business Unit accounted for more than half of TKE’s global sales. To join these companies that represent the manufacturing, professional services, logistics and wholesale industries — and are located chiefly in the Cumberland and Town Center submarkets — only bolsters metro Atlanta’s standing as a place to do business. 

TK Elevator is originally from Düsseldorf. Has North Rhine-Westphalia’s NRW Global Business office here in Atlanta been important for TKE? 

Mr. Rainwater: The recent support by the local NRW in Atlanta was instrumental in bringing our executive team together with the Mayor of Dusseldorf. This was an excellent example of our partnership.