Porsche to build new US headquarters in Atlanta

The new Porsche NA headquarters will be built in the “Aerotropolis Atlanta” site, which lies near the newest terminal at the massive Atlanta airport. Ground breaking is set to begin this fall and the company plans to move into their new digs during the second half of 2013. Once the various divisions have moved into the new facility, the site will employee over 400 corporate Porsche employees including a Technical Service and Training Center and the incredible new Customer Experience Center. This unique Customer Experience Center will offer a road course (a similar setup to what is found in their facility in Silverstone, England) to allow owners the chance to experience the capabilities of their Porsche in the safety of a closed circuit.

The current Porsche North American Headquarters are located in the Atlanta area, technically in Sandy Springs – a northern suburb of Atlanta just outside of the 285 beltway. The Porsche Business Services and Porsche Financial Services are currently operating out of Lisle, Illinois so while some of those employees may relocate to the Atlanta area to work at the new facility, the new HQ could also bring new jobs to the area.

Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, offered the following comments with the announcement of the new Porsche North American HQ in southwestern Atlanta:
“The unparalleled nature of the Porsche ownership experience absolutely deserves an equally unique home. That is what we’ll create with our new headquarters - a concept completely new to the U.S. automotive industry, and one that delivers our brand and product experience to our employees, dealers and customers alike.

Our new American headquarters will allow us to finally bring together all our major sales, after sales and financial services capacities, thus making us an even stronger organization. It also sends a strong message to our dealers and our customers that we believe in the strength of the U.S. market and its future growth. At the same time, this decision demonstrates our commitment to the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta to remain a vital part of this vibrant region.”

The auto industry is not new to this area, as the location where the new Porsche NA headquarters will be built is the former setting of a Ford production facility. When Ford briefly killed off the Taurus in 2007, the Atlanta production facility came to an end and the plant was demolished. Once the building was out of the way, all of the land maintenance was done so Porsche has a clean slate on which to build their new state-of-the-art headquarters.