German-Based LKE Group Establishes U.S. Office in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (August 10, 2015) – Executives from LKE Group, a German-headquartered transportation solutions firm specializing in aviation, automotive, chemical, white goods, laundry & textile, pharmaceutical, and food logistics, announced today the company’s plans to establish its first North American office here.

Björn Riechers, Managing Director, LKE said “I appreciate the hospitality from the Indy Chamber and all of the local officials that assisted LKE Group in evaluating potential locations and the market for our products in the U.S. It proved to be a difficult decision among the many great regions around the country but LKE ultimately decided in favor of the Indianapolis region based on the cooperation of the region and its central location. We look forward to being part of the business community here and the exciting growth plans of our company.”

The expansion for LKE Group is a response to client demand outside of the European market. The company has plans to operate out of the Purdue Research Park of Indianapolis at Ameriplex.

“International firms are viewing Indy as the ideal place to capture the U.S. domestic market due to our location, workforce, and robust industry sectors,” said Brian Gildea, Indy Chamber vice president of economic development. “LKE’s expansion is not only a win for our city but is a great asset in the support systems for those large industry sectors like pharma, chemical, and aviation.”

The Indianapolis region is quickly making its mark within the international business community as an ideal market for growing business opportunities. In 2013, the Indy Chamber launched its Global Indy initiative to support the economic development activities related to international trade and investment. Since its launch, the Indy Chamber released its first metro export strategy to support the export activities of the region.

“LKE Group took over a year to evaluate the U.S. market’s potential for its products and examined several locations in the mid-west and south to establish its first presence. We found the greater Indianapolis region to be a perfect fit for LKE to launch. Being able to conveniently reach the highest number of target customers was a key factor in the decision,” said Benedikt Ibing, Managing Partner, Pegasus Partners.