Development News

ADB Safegate: Lighting the Way for the Future

By Dan Pearlman

Rising majestically above the corner of Science Boulevard and Tech Center Drive sits the new North American headquarters of ADB Safegate – one of the latest businesses that has chosen to grow in Gahanna.

ADB Safegate is a leader in the aerospace industry. Founded and based in Belgium, the company makes the lights, signage, power equipment and many more technologies that can be found at nearly every airport across the United States and around the world. Approximately 150 employees currently work out of the North American headquarters in Gahanna, which now has ample room to expand both personnel and production.

“I take great pride in this,” said Joe Pokoj, ADB Safegate’s Local CEO and Global COO. “I feel like every time somebody lands at John Glenn International Airport, we’re part of that journey to bring them home. I think that's neat to know that somebody in this community is actually helping your family, friends and loved ones get home every night.”

ADB Safegate has been based in Gahanna since the 1980s, with its previous office located on Gahanna Parkway and a separate warehouse located nearby. Now, both are co-located in the new and modern state-of-the-art facility that opened in March 2023. The facility was intentionally designed to bring teams together in spaces meant for collaboration. It includes a fitness facility and a quiet room for employees who may need to step away from their work. The breakroom has free coffee and a café along with several seating areas for midday breaks. The building also includes second and third floor patios where employees can enjoy beautiful views of Gahanna and downtown Columbus while at the office.

“We went through three expansions on Gahanna Parkway, so we’ve gotten to know the City pretty well,” explained Mike Morrow, the company’s Director of Special Projects. “When we were looking to further expand, they specifically pointed out this property to us. It was at the top of our list right away, just given the proximity to the airport, the view of downtown, and being in a developing area here.”

According to Morrow, the City’s Department of Economic Development also identified incentives and grant opportunities to help with the project. Construction began in late 2021, with an official groundbreaking ceremony held in December 2021.

“We’re trying to attract more talent,” Pokoj said. “The quicker we got into this building, the better we were going to be in attracting that talent.”

The new North American headquarters has already begun attracting more talent, as Pokoj and Nick Haines, ADB Safegate’s Vice President, Americas, both have their sights set on future expansion of their business.

“If you look at the aerospace industry altogether, we’re seeing continued growth coming out of COVID,” Haines said. “It’s caught back up faster than expected, so we look forward to capitalizing not only on that growth, but also driving innovation in the industry.”

As the company works to contribute to the ongoing advancements in the aerospace industry, their ideas and initiatives are being formed in The Joe Pokoj Center of Innovation – the new office space that is named after Pokoj for his many contributions to ADB Safegate and the aerospace industry as a whole. But the local CEO is not content to simply focus on industry initiatives, as he also is focused on contributing and giving back to both Gahanna and the Columbus Region. About a year ago, the company formed an employee engagement team to concentrate on getting employees more involved in the community.

“I feel really good about what we’re doing now,” said Pokoj. “We’ve got a nice facility. We’ve got a good team, and we’re augmenting that team with more talent. With what Nick is doing on the sales side – growing the business – I think the future is very bright for this organization, and I think this is a great place to be located here in Gahanna.”

By Dan Pearlman