Returning home: Celebrating innovation at the Columbus Technical Center office tower reopening

Growing up in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.) I knew the 康明斯 Columbus Technical Center (Tech Center) office tower as the building that lit up like a Christmas tree during the holiday season. I later came to know it as my first home at Cummins.

I first started working in the Tech Center as an intern in 1992 and continued to intern for four summers while studying Mechanical Engineering at 美国普渡大学 . I returned full time in 2000. Having spent half of my 25-year Cummins career at the Tech Center, this was the place that set me on my journey to becoming an engineer. As I moved up in the company and through the Technical function, the people who occupied this facility helped build my technical and teamwork skills, helped teach me how to be a caring leader and ultimately played an important role in where I am today.

The Tech Center serves as a physical reminder of our deep-rooted history of pushing the boundaries through innovation to better serve our customers and communities – something that remains at our core today.

Construction on the Tech Center began in 1964, with the intention of building better and more advanced diesel engines through research and development. Under the work of mid-century modernist designer Harry Weese, the Tech Center was opened in 1967 as Cummins’ first and longest-standing technical center. The architecture and design have stood the test of time, so we were intentional in honoring its past and preserving key elements, while creating a more collaborative space for employees today to further innovation. The renovations have enhanced the building as a place to work and collaborate and have also enhanced what I believe to be the best views in the city – and we will continue the long-standing tradition of lighting it up like a Christmas tree each December.

Our history of innovation has led us to where we are today, on the verge of one of the most consequential energy transitions we’ve yet experienced. Inside the Tech Center, we are researching and developing new technologies in alignment with our Destination Zero strategy, including our HELM engine platforms and battery technologies. While the technology has shifted and advanced, what remains are the skilled and talented employees who come to work every day to apply their robust technical and market knowledge and expertise. They often ask, “How can we make Cummins better? How can we make this technology better for our customers?”

Just like returning to any home, I was welcomed back with excitement from many familiar faces and introduced to many new ones. Thank you, Tim Frazier , Jonathon White and Brett Merritt , for your leadership and presence to celebrate the milestone. Thank you to the elected officials and community partners who have continued to support Cummins and the Columbus community. And of course – thank you from the bottom of my heart to the employees for their remarkable work to keep the legacy of innovation alive.