(May 12, 2011) ATLANTA (PRNewswire) — Porsche today announced it will build a new headquarters in Atlanta, the city it has called home for 13 years.

The new complex will be located in the "Aerotropolis Atlanta" development site, near the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The site is the former home of the Ford Motor Company assembly plant that build the Taurus is the '80s and '90s. The Ford building was destroyed several years ago.

Six conceptual designs portraying how the new Porsche headquarters might look

The complex will be comprised of office facilities for a workforce that will eventually number 400 employees, including a Technical Service and Training Center, as well as a Customer Experience Center that will feature a handling road course to show-off the capabilities of Porsche's vehicles.

Groundbreaking is planned for this fall with the move-in date scheduled for the second half of 2013.

"The unparalleled nature of the Porsche ownership experience absolutely deserves an equally unique home. That is what we'll create with our new headquarters – a concept completely new to the U.S. automotive industry, and one that delivers our brand and product experience to our employees, dealers and customers alike," said Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America.

"Our new American headquarters will allow us to finally bring together all our major sales, after sales and financial services capacities, thus making us an even stronger organization. It also sends a strong message to our dealers and our customers that we believe in the strength of the U.S. market and its future growth," von Platen explained.

The decision to stay in Atlanta was the result of a thorough, more than one-year long search and evaluation process that spanned metropolitan Atlanta and several out-of-state sites.

The new headquarters will not only be home to PCNA, but also to Porsche Financial Services, Inc., and Porsche Business Services, Inc. which are both currently located in Lisle, Illinois. Other Porsche businesses will also be included, building a solid foundation for further expansion of Porsche's largest market worldwide.

With over 25,000 cars sold in 2010, Porsche finished last year up 33 percent over the previous year.