Denmark-based water and heat meter company Kamstrup is putting its North American headquarters and a light assembly plant in Roswell, a move that will mean 52 new jobs for Fulton County.
The company, based near the city of Skanderborg and employing 1,200 around the world, is entering the U.S. market with a physical presence after steadily building up sales here.
Fulton County was the “natural choice” for such a beachhead, said Kamstrup CEO Lars Bo Kristensen in a news release.
Metro Atlanta is already home to a number of smart-grid companies, like Swiss-based Landis and Gyr and others. GE Power has a strong presence in the city, and German giant Siemens has an energy and automation factory in Alpharetta.
Kamstrup had $250 million in worldwide sales last year and said in its annual report that it would focus on expanding internationally and deploying advanced technology to reach a forecasted $293 million this year. Kamstrup has a smartphone app that enables mobile meter reading, as well as technology that helps customers and utilities forecast demand.
The Trade Commission of Denmark, a longtime actor in Atlanta’s international tech scene, helped bring the company to Atlanta, working with Nico Wijnberg, head of foreign investment at the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“Kamstrup is another great example on how well-differentiated and advanced Danish technology faces a huge potential in the USA,” said Trade Commissioner Carsten Rosendahl in a statement.
Christopher Smith, Denmark’s honorary consul in Georgia who tracks the activities of Danish companies around the state, said Kamstrup’s solutions have been “well received in the American market” since it first began targeting the U.S. in 2013.
“Establishing this new facility is the next logical and exciting step in their growth,” Mr. Smith told Global Atlanta. “It’s another fabulous addition to the many Danish companies with operations in Georgia.”
Denmark, a nation of 5 million people, punches above its weight from a technology perspective. It’s especially strong in alternative energies and is one of the world’s leaders in wind-energy generation.
Atlanta is aiming to position itself as a smart-city capital, recently having unveiled a smart corridor focused on transportation technologies like self-driving cars and advanced traffic signals along North Avenue.
Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, said in a statement that Kamstrup represents “how our region is attracting and supporting high-tech industries on a global scale.”
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