New Cummins Building Design Focuses On Future

INDIANAPOLIS – Cummins Inc. has opened a new distribution business headquarters on East Market Street committed to architecture and the revitalization of the east side of downtown Indianapolis.

Gov.-elect Eric Holcomb and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett spoke and participated in the ribbon cutting of the new $30 million building Thursday.

“Today is obviously only possible because of Cummins’ decades-long commitment not just to our community, but to communities all around the world,” Holcomb said.

The new building, which sits on the former site of Market Square Arena, will provide workspace for more than 300 employees and showcases environmentally-friendly features such as stormwater retention systems.

Deborah Berke, the main designer of the center, said engineers accounted for how the sun moves to allow maximum sunlight into the building without too much heat gain or glare.

“Every employee has access to natural light and city views because Cummins understands that a healthy work environment is good for their employees and, therefore, good for the company,” said Berke.

Cummins has long supported world class architecture in its hometown of Columbus, Indiana. As the city grew in the aftermath of World War II, then-CEO J. Irwin Miller proposed what would later be known as the Cummins Foundation Architecture Program. Cummins paid for top architects to design some of the buildings in the city.

In the distribution business headquarters new home of Indianapolis, Tony Satterthwaite, Cummins president of distribution business, said that one of the goals of the new building was creating a bridge from the downtown area to the east side while also aiding in the revitalization of the area.

“We firmly believe that healthy communities contribute to strong business which is why Cummins is focused on a neighborhood approach, concentrating our engagement and investment to the near east side of Indianapolis in an effort to allow us to make the biggest impact that we can,” said Satterthwaite.

Cummins partners with organizations such as the Bonner Center for Service and Learning, Immigrant Welcome Center, Washington Irving School 14 and Growing Places Indy.

Hogsett marked the opening Thursday as a beginning with more to come for the city of Indianapolis.

“Together with the men and the women of Cummins, I know that we will continue to sow seeds of our own for future generations, future residents, future employees of this great company in the city of Indianapolis,” Hogsett said.

Abrahm Hurt is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.