VOITAS announces that Knoxville will serve as its North American headquarters
With operations in Germany and Poland, VOITAS serves the automotive industry with engineering expertise and also manufactures electric vehicle charging equipment.
Being in the right place at the right time can have an impact, as attendees at a Knoxville Chamber event yesterday morning learned.
According to Doug Lawyer, the Chamber’s Vice President of Economic Development, then staffer Caleb Knight convinced the Chamber to send him to the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC South) e-mobility event in the Fall of 2022 where he met Armin Hager, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VOITAS. Seventeen months later, that now five-year-old company that has nearly 90 employees in Germany and Poland announced that its North American headquarters will be located in Knoxville’s Riverview Tower.
VOITAS will create at least 30 jobs in the engineering industry as it ramps up operations in Knoxville, although David Vaughn, the company’s Knoxville-based Director of Business Development, said he and Hager hope it will be more like 55 in the next five years. The company currently has openings for a design release engineer, office coordinator, and project manager to join the five local employees.
With operations in Germany and Poland, VOITAS serves the automotive industry with engineering expertise in electronics, wiring systems, software development, and consulting. It is also a trailblazer in sustainability and electrification, manufacturing electric vehicle charging equipment. The most recent addition to the product lineup is the world’s first electric vehicle charger with a cable retraction system.
Hager told us ahead of the announcement that Knoxville and the city of Poznan, Poland were very similar with a major university, an airport, and a similar vibe.
“Knoxville is the perfect location to start our U.S. operations,” said Hager. “We have a success story behind us in Europe and are already looking forward to embarking on the next success story. Knoxville delivers highly trained employees from Pellissippi State Community College and The University of Tennessee, and our centralized location allows us to reach many clients via McGhee Tyson Airport. We can announce today that we have won the largest automotive project in our company’s history since locating in Knoxville. We are very grateful for the tremendous support from the Chamber.”
He added that VOITAS has experienced 100 percent annual growth since its founding in 2019, and the Knoxville operation will help it support a new original equipment manufacturer that has set-up shop in the Southeast.
The announcement aligns with the Knoxville Chamber’s efforts to transition Knoxville’s economy in anticipation of the next industrial revolution. VOITAS is an example of an innovative company with high-growth potential bringing imaginative talent to the community.
“It is a big win for all of Knoxville when a company decides to expand to our region,” said Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon. “It’s an extra boon when they bring new, high-tech jobs to our downtown. Companies like VOITAS help Knoxville attract and retain bright young professionals.”
Hager, who Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs described as a huge wrestling fan, knew of the Mayor’s alternate “ego” known as Kane, a member of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame, and asked Knight to make an introduction. Did that have anything to do with the decision?
“VOITAS has operated in Germany, Poland and now, they’ve traveled overseas to operate in Tennessee, and not just anywhere in Tennessee but here in Knox County where they – like everyone else who moves here come to realize: Our area is the best place to work, live and raise a family,” said Jacobs. “Knox County has a supportive business climate, and attracting more engineering jobs to the area will only contribute to our already-skilled labor force. Knox County is making a name for itself in the global innovation economy, and we are thrilled to add VOITAS to the list of outstanding technology-driven companies calling Knox County home.”
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