Mercedes-Benz USA held the official grand opening of its new headquarters in Sandy Springs, 14 miles outside of the heart of Atlanta. Among the distinguished guests joining Dietmar Exler, MBUSA president and CEO, were Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia; Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor of Atlanta; Axel Harries, Daimler vice president sales Mercedes-Benz Cars and product management Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars; and Rusty Paul, Mayor of Sandy Springs.

“All the stars are aligned. Our new Atlanta headquarters marks a highpoint for Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. market,” said Dietmar Exler, president and CEO of MBUSA. “Not just in terms of being the leading luxury brand in the U.S. for the past two years, but also in terms of this building which is designed from the inside out to enable a creative, innovative and empowered workforce more representative of a start-up than a conventional corporation.”

Building designed from the inside out

The 200,000 square-foot building, located on a 12-acre campus near Georgia 400, at the intersection of Mercedes-Benz Drive (formerly Barfield Road) and Abernathy Road, is made entirely of glass that is supported by a steel structure. Glass, which runs the full length of the building, was chosen as the exterior material because of the sleek, modern aesthetic and transparency enabling employees to enjoy natural daylight anywhere in the building.

The building was designed from the inside out and entirely purpose-built around the way employees utilize the space. As an environment oriented around encouraging interaction and creativity, the workplace has a 1:1 ratio of collaborative seating and individual workstations.

The building itself is divided into North and South Work Bars that are joined by a spacious indoor Atrium, which is the heart of the building. On the second and third floor, the Work Bars are joined by corridors called Bridges. The building also includes a conference center, a coffee bar with its own barista, a restaurant-quality café that emphasizes locally sourced ingredients, a 5,000 square foot fitness center with trainers, an on-site child care facility with four classrooms and an outdoor playground and a furnished roof deck for outdoor collaboration space.

The headquarters building incorporates environmentally-friendly features such as water reduction using drip irrigation and energy efficient mechanical systems to target LEED Silver Certification. In the interest of eliminating food waste, the company is partnering with Second Helpings Atlanta Inc. , which rescues surplus food from Metro Atlanta organizations and delivers to those in need. To align with the company’s commitment to sustainability, MBUSA is implementing several alternative transportation initiatives including flex scheduling to reduce the traffic impact, a dedicated MARTA shuttle for employees, bike racks, as well as electric vehicle charging stations.

Construction of the new headquarters took 425,000 man hours and more than 1,000 workers. The building consists of 14,000 cubic yards of concrete, 1,500 tons of steel and 1.6 acres of glass. More than 780 trees have been planted, and a nature trail encircles the building to provide an outdoor campus feel.

“What a beautiful building this is! It’s hard to top the seal of approval from the world to have Mercedes-Benz choose Georgia as its headquarters,” said Governor Nathan Deal. “Your service projects in the community have made you great neighbors, and we appreciate the Southern hospitality.”

Lab1886 Atlanta

During the ceremony, Axel Harries announced Daimler’s intention to establish a global incubator-type entity called Lab1886 in Atlanta. Lab1886 will help drive innovation by combining a big corporation’s expertise and know-how with the spirit of a startup. The Atlanta entity will open in the summer of 2018 and joins three existing locations in Beijing, Berlin and Stuttgart.

“In the last few years, we have watched Atlanta carefully: excellent colleges and universities are offering highly skilled and motivated graduates, and more and more innovative technology and digital companies make their home here. Atlanta is a true city of the future – a perfect match for Mercedes-Benz,” said Harries. “We will build the fourth Lab1886 opening here in Atlanta this summer.”

Unwavering commitment to innovation and community

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms expressed excitement about the new headquarters as well as the Lab1886 announcement saying, “We are excited about what’s coming to Atlanta very, very soon.” She expressed enthusiasm for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta and the company’s investments on the Westside, adding, “The partnerships between the corporation, nonprofits and government here in the city are incomparable.”

Aside from its impact on the economy of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, the company has made itself well known in the community for its efforts to educate and empower the next generation. MBUSA is involved with over 50 organizations in its effort to address local needs in the community, including Atlanta’s Westside, the fast-developing area surrounding the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “It’s an exciting day for us,” said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. “You’ve been great partners to our community already.”