The NAIOP NC Awards are presented annually to the most distinguished commercial real estate projects across the state. Industrial Project of the Year is awarded to a facility that demonstrates outstanding functionality, innovation, and economic value to its community—and Ziehl-Abegg’s headquarters was chosen for exemplifying all three.
Completed in 2024 after a 22-month build, the 500,000-square-foot facility marks the company’s largest global investment to date and now serves as the center of manufacturing, logistics, engineering, and administration for the North and South American markets. The €100 million investment consolidates Ziehl-Abegg’s Americas operations under one roof and significantly expands capacity to serve customers across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, and across South America.
The facility was made possible through a collaborative effort that brought together key development partners including Front Street Capital, Landmark Builders, Triad Design Group, Storr Office Environments and STITCH Design Shop. Their shared vision resulted in a state-of-the-art space that blends precision manufacturing needs with modern office functionality, sustainable design elements, and room for future expansion. The new building houses advanced equipment for production and testing, a dedicated Research and Development wing, and a customer experience center designed to support tours, demos, and training.
“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from NAIOP North Carolina,” said Jimmy Mitchell, Managing Director of Ziehl-Abegg Inc. “This project was about more than bricks and steel—it was about building a foundation for future growth in North and South America. Every square foot of this facility was designed with purpose, and we’re proud that it’s already helping us deliver on our promises to customers, employees, and partners.”
The building’s construction also delivered significant benefits to the Winston-Salem area, creating jobs during development and opening up long-term employment opportunities across operations, engineering, and support services. As part of its local investment, Ziehl-Abegg committed to adding 500 new jobs over the next five years, with the support of incentives from state and local agencies.
Beyond economic value, the facility has set new standards in sustainable industrial development. Design elements include energy-efficient systems, smart lighting and ventilation controls, and the integration of Ziehl-Abegg’s own airflow technology to demonstrate innovation in action.
This recognition from NAIOP North Carolina underlines Ziehl-Abegg’s growth strategy and exemplifies its commitment to excellence in both infrastructure and innovation. With its North American headquarters now fully operational, the company is well-positioned to lead the market in high-efficiency ventilation and drive solutions for years to come.
About Ziehl-Abegg Inc.:
Ziehl-Abegg, Inc is the North American subsidiary of Ziehl-Abegg based in Künzelsau, Germany. It is headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC with over 350 employees. Additionally, it has 9 sales offices in the US, 3 sales offices in Canada and 1 sales office in Monterrey, Mexico.
Ziehl-Abegg is one of the leading global companies in the field of ventilation, control and drive technology. In the 1950s, Ziehl-Abegg established the basis for modern fan drives: external rotor motors which even today are still seen as state-of-the-art worldwide. Another area of business is electric motors which provide the power, for example, for elevators or medical applications (computer tomography equipment).
The high-tech company has an impressive innovative capability. The company has a global workforce of 5,000 spread between 17 production plants, 30 companies and 117 sales locations. The products, approx. 30,000 in all, are sold in more than 100 countries. Turnover totals 955 million euros.
Emil Ziehl founded the company in Berlin in 1910 as a manufacturer of electric motors. After World War II the company’s headquarters were relocated to southern Germany. Ziehl-Abegg SE is not a listed company but instead is family-owned.
For more information go to https://www.ziehl-abegg.com/en-us
