Honoring 70 years of business, employee-owned KTA partners with JLL to develop new construction headquarters

PITTSBURGH – July 2, 2019 – KTA-Tator, Inc. broke ground on its new two-story, 48,000-square-foot headquarters today at 145 Enterprise Drive in RIDC West. Known for its expertise in corrosion engineering, coatings, and inspection services, KTA is a 100-percent employee-owned company celebrating 70 years of business in Pittsburgh.

The celebration included remarks from KTA’s CEO, Dan Adley, President, Ken Trimber, Chairman of the Board and former owner, Ken Tator, a champagne toast and official groundbreaking. All employees had shovels and were honored by ceremoniously participating in the first dig.

The new headquarters will feature unique amenities of the employees’ choosing, such as a commercial-grade kitchen for cooking classes and fundraiser competitions, a salon, exercise space, multi-function event hall, an outdoor patio and many more. Adley noted it was essential for the new building to support KTA’s cultural beliefs of co-owner engagement and teamwork.

“Every KTA co-owner will share value in our new home, whether they work here or in the field,” Adley said. “From its improved operational efficiencies to the amenities and perks, our headquarters will be a place everyone can be proud of and benefit from.”

KTA employees had significant influence on design and amenity decisions. The company’s progressive approach lent itself to implementing a “neighborhood layout” for the new space—one that groups employees together in communities based on their job roles and responsibilities.

“Neighborhood design is growing in popularity in modern workplaces, and we see it being a great fit for KTA’s culture,” said JLL Senior Project Manager Dan McNamara. “It gives the employees a sense of place, designed specifically for their needs. As a result, this increases efficiency, collaboration and ultimately, workplace satisfaction.”

KTA selected JLL’s Brokerage as its partner to assist in purchasing the land and then utilized JLL’s Project Development Services to bring its vision to life. A design-build approach is being implemented with Bear Construction and Cannon Design. “The iterative approach of this team, from concept to final design and construction has been most rewarding,” Adley said. “I can’t imagine taking on a project of this complexity and with the associated time and budget constraints in any other manner.” 

The employee-centric headquarters is set to be completed by the end of 2020.

“It’s an honor to work with a group like the one we have built here over the years,” Adley said. “This new space is well-deserved and will benefit generations of hard-working individuals for years to come. I’m really looking forward to the transition into our new home next year.”

Ken Tator stated, “The KTA company success is due to the work ethic and dedication of all employees since the founding of the company in 1949 by my father. We grew from a room in our home, to a small neighborhood house, to a 7,500-square-foot Technology Drive building, and a later 24,575-square-foot addition. We’ve now outgrown that facility and are constructing a 48,000-square-foot headquarters building, with room for future expansion. What a 70-year growth success! Thank you to everyone—past and present!”