Christopher Tiessen is the President and CEO of KLAUS Multiparking America, the U.S. operations of a 118-year-old German engineering company specializing in mechanical and automated parking solutions. Born in Germany, Christopher moved to the United States in 2004 to complete high school, then returned to Germany for university studies. After beginning his career in retail, he was recruited to KLAUS as a sales manager, leveraging his unique knowledge of American markets. In 2022, he was appointed President/CEO of the American operations, where he has advocated strategic infrastructure decisions that transform parking from a development constraint into a competitive advantage for commercial real estate projects across major U.S. metropolitan markets.

We’re not just providing parking systems – we’re delivering engineered solutions that unlock development potential, enhance project viability, and create long-term value for developers, architects, and city planners.

Under Christopher’s leadership, KLAUS has completed notable projects, including The Mather in Tysons Corner, Virginia (390 parking spaces with their SingleUp 3015 stacker systems), Swift & Co. in Jersey City (a nine-story mixed-use development), and numerous installations across New Jersey, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami markets.

What brought you from Germany to leading a century-old company’s U.S. expansion?

I came to the United States from Germany in 2004 as a kid with my father. After finishing high school here, I returned to Germany for university and began my career in retail with a major outlet. An old colleague later reached out about an opening at KLAUS—someone who understood both the U.S. market and German operations. I joined as a sales manager and, over time, grew into the role of President & CEO in 2022.

What drew me to KLAUS was the practicality of the product. In development, the challenge is almost always space—can this project work on this site, and can it pencil? KLAUS systems, engineered and manufactured in Germany, address that challenge head-on. They create efficient parking solutions that use less area, enabling better site plans, more program flexibility, and stronger project outcomes.

KLAUS has been in business for 118 years. What makes the company’s approach unique in the American market?

We’re one of the only companies in the United States that’s family-owned by a legacy manufacturer in Germany. The KLAUS family remains actively involved—Mrs. Klaus still serves on the board of directors in Germany—and that connection continues to shape how we operate today.

KLAUS has been engineering parking stackers since 1964, and this October marks our 35th anniversary in the United States. Longevity and reliability define who we are. Over the past 35 years, we’ve weathered numerous economic cycles and industry changes, but our focus has never shifted: we stand for exceptional customer service and uncompromising build quality.

We may not be the loudest in the industry—but we’ve built our reputation by being the most consistent, the most trusted, and the most dedicated to our clients’ success.

How do you approach the unique challenges of urban development in high-cost American markets?

Our philosophy is about transforming parking from a cost center into a value creator. In markets like New York, San Francisco, Jersey City and Miami, where land costs can exceed development budgets, traditional parking approaches often make projects financially unviable. We’re seeing developers understand that by building car parking vertically instead of horizontally, they can preserve valuable space for revenue-generating amenities and increase design flexibility.

For example, at The Mather in Tysons Corner, our vertical solution significantly reduced the parking footprint, allowing the developer to prioritize additional living space, green areas, and luxury amenities. The system eliminated the need for ramps, extensive excavation, or long circulation paths, all while improving sustainability, which is a growing priority for municipalities and developers.

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Your title mentions “partnership-based business development.” What does that mean in practice?

We don’t just sell parking systems; we become partners in unlocking project potential. We engage early with architects, developers, and planners from the entitlement phase forward. This allows our parking solutions to directly influence building layout, unlock density bonuses, reduce excavation costs, and simplify municipal approvals.

At Swift & Co. in Jersey City, we partnered with SILVERMAN from the early design phase to create a parking solution tailored to the project’s unique mixed-use needs. By engaging early, we seamlessly integrated the system into the building’s architectural plans, helping the developer optimize site use, streamline approvals, and deliver an exceptional parking experience for residents and tenants – all while maintaining the project’s design and operational goals.

How have recent economic challenges – tariffs, supply chain issues – affected your business strategy?

We’ve certainly felt the impact of steel and aluminum tariffs—our clients have too. That’s exactly why we stay disciplined about healthy, sustainable growth in the U.S. Rather than overextending—like competitors who scaled too fast and created dissatisfaction—we operate with a Customers First mindset: deliver reliably, support proactively, and earn repeat business.

When a major provider exited the market in 2021 and left clients stranded, we stepped in where we could—but we were also clear about capacity. If we take on more than we can deliver, it isn’t Customers First. That discipline has paid off. KLAUS is trusted because we commit only to what we can execute exceptionally well—responsive service, uncompromising build quality, and long-term client success.

What role does sustainability play in modern parking infrastructure?

Sustainability isn’t an add-on for us—it’s embedded in every solution. The reality is that “cruising” for parking drives unnecessary CO₂. With KLAUS systems, vehicles are “off” and unoccupied during the parking process and are stacked immediately, which cuts out that search loop and the emissions that come with it.

There’s also a broader planning benefit. By dramatically condensing the parking footprint, we free up area for green space, rain gardens, and public realm improvements that wouldn’t exist with conventional surface lots. Those choices support biodiversity, better stormwater management, and deliver real health and wellness benefits for residents and employees. In short, efficient parking enables more sustainable places—and that’s the outcome we design for.

How is the demand for EV charging infrastructure changing your product offerings?

Electric vehicle adoption is transforming parking requirements dramatically. At a luxury condominium project in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood, we delivered our MasterVario R3C fully automatic parking system with integrated EV charging capability. Our E-Parking system enables electric vehicles to charge directly on the movable parking platforms. The charging equipment moves seamlessly with the platform as vehicles are automatically stored and retrieved. This provides residents with maximum convenience and advanced sustainability in the heart of Manhattan.

Where do you see opportunities beyond dense urban cores?

We’re seeing exciting developments in areas where there isn’t much density. As an example, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Ketchum, Idaho. Developers are understanding what they can do with this product even in areas where there’s a lot of space. It’s not just about solving space constraints anymore – it’s about creating premium amenities and improving the user experience.

What’s your leadership philosophy, particularly as you navigate between German engineering culture and American business practices?

My leadership philosophy blends German discipline with American entrepreneurial agility. We set clear outcomes and high standards, and we also care deeply about the process that gets us there—safe, repeatable, and scalable.

I’m explicit about direction, constraints, and quality expectations; then I give teams the autonomy to execute. That combination—clarity plus trust—creates accountability and room for creativity. We run on facts and feedback: short cycles, measurable milestones, and candid retrospectives so we keep improving.

Culturally, I aim for psychological safety with high accountability. People are encouraged to challenge assumptions, bring ideas, and test better ways of working. When there’s pushback, I don’t force it—I step back, ask sharper questions, and we co-navigate to a stronger solution. That’s how KLAUS delivers consistent results while staying innovative.

If you could start a movement in commercial real estate, what would it be?

The future of cities depends on how wisely we use every square foot. Smarter infrastructure isn’t just a design choice – it’s a responsibility to the generations that will inherit the cities we build today.

For decades, we’ve designed cities around vehicles, sacrificing enormous amounts of valuable space for traditional parking structures and surface lots – space that could have been used for housing, green space, education, healthcare, or cultural enrichment. This is especially urgent in the United States, where many cities face an escalating crisis around housing affordability.

Every developer, architect, and planner who embraces smarter, more efficient design contributes to building urban and suburban environments that serve both current and future generations far better than the models of the past. If we have the technology to build smarter, more human-centered cities, we should use it. And we should do it now.

What’s your vision for KLAUS Multiparking America’s future?

Our goal is that the synonym for mechanical parking becomes “It’s KLAUS.” And I think we’re on a good road to do that. We’re not just providing parking systems – we’re delivering engineered solutions that unlock development potential, enhance project viability, and create long-term value for developers, architects, and city planners. We’re proud to be redefining how parking is designed and integrated into the next generation of urban and suburban development – one project at a time.

How can developers and architects connect with KLAUS Multiparking America?

We’re headquartered in Plainsboro, New Jersey, with projects across the United States. Interested parties can reach us through our website at us.multiparking.com or connect with me directly on LinkedIn. We offer AIA-approved continuing education sessions for architects and planners, demonstrating how automated and mechanical parking systems can create opportunities to meet zoning requirements while increasing buildable area.

For more information about KLAUS Multiparking America and their innovative parking solutions, visit us.multiparking.com.

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