Cummins Inc. celebrated the reopening of its technical center hub office tower in Indiana on Thursday.
The tower, on McKinley Avenue in Columbus, Ind., had been mainly untouched except for minor cosmetic improvements and flood restoration since 1968. It has been under renovation since 2021 and now has a new interior that allows for enhanced collaboration and innovation.
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"The reopening of the CTC office tower marks an important milestone for Cummins and our Destination Zero strategy," says Jennifer Rumsey, chair and CEO of Cummins. "Much of the research and development for our next-generation power solutions start right here in this very hub — driven by our mission to power a more prosperous world and executed by our talented employees."
The Cummins Technical Center was designed by Harry Weese and opened in 1968. Its completion added 88 test cells to Cummins' portfolio and provided engineers and scientists with a world-class development facility. The building also includes 72,000 square feet of office space and houses 500 employees primarily focused on research and development for Cummins HELM platforms and future technology for North America and global markets.
"I am grateful to our CTC employees for their patience and perserverance during this much-needed renovation," says Tim Frazier, vice president of research and technology. "We are so glad to have our Cummins HELM engineers, technical specialists and innovators together again under the same roof working as a coordinated team, close to the technology and testing being executed here."
Renovations focused primarily on the first through fifth floors to allow for improved circulation and collaboration. It includes a new staircase, two social hubs and amenities such as gender-neutral restrooms, nursing rooms and quiet spaces. There are eight treadmill desks, soft lab zones and expanded collaboration areas with 90 conference rooms of various sizes, including stadium seating. There are also upgraded lighting systems and functional window blinds.
The renovation was completed by HOK of St. Louis with construction completed by F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. of Indianapolis. The design includes the use of a plus symbol in featured spaces, a throwback to renowned graphic designer Paul Rand, who developed a variety of logo designs for Cummins, including the trademark C.
