Black & White boosts Frankfurt staff amid data centre growth

Black & White Engineering has appointed Timm Weis as Country Manager to oversee its Frankfurt office and expand its operations within the German market.

Timm Weis joins Black & White Engineering with more than ten years of experience in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design for mission-critical infrastructure. Throughout his career, Weis has managed complex data centre projects for international clients throughout Germany. In his role as Country Manager, he will be responsible for leading a growing local team and supporting development projects that range from 30MW to 800MW in IT capacity.

The Frankfurt office has established itself as a key presence within Germany's digital infrastructure sector since opening in late 2023. According to Black & White Engineering, the office is expected to add between 30 and 50 engineers over the next three years. The team operates as a lead designer on large, complex projects, handling both full design processes and coordination with local authorities.

Growth in a critical market

The expansion in Frankfurt is seen by the company as part of a wider strategy to strengthen its foothold within one of Europe's central data centre hubs. The firm has built a robust pipeline of projects and aims to further develop its client base by taking on critical roles in data centre design and supporting retrofits of legacy sites.

Timm Weis said: "Germany's data centre market is developing rapidly and our role is to help clients stay ahead, whether that's navigating local planning processes, improving energy performance or delivering complex builds at scale. We're building a team in Frankfurt with the technical expertise and local understanding needed to support that growth with precision and purpose. My immediate focus is on attracting the right talent and ensuring Black & White continues to meet the high standards expected by clients in this market. We've already established strong foundations here and the potential for further growth, especially in taking on lead design roles and supporting the retrofit of legacy data centres, is huge."

The Frankfurt team's remit includes efforts to optimise older data centres to help them achieve energy efficiency targets defined in Germany's 2023 Energy Efficiency Act. With a significant proportion of Germany's legacy data centre infrastructure based in Frankfurt, the company anticipates a steady increase in retrofit and redesign projects.

Leadership perspective

With Weis's appointment, Black & White Engineering aims to build on its existing momentum and respond to rising demand within the sector. Steven Horn, UK and Europe Director at Black & White Engineering, commented on the strategic importance of the Frankfurt office to their operations in Europe.

"Timm's appointment marks the next step in scaling our operations and delivering the best of Black & White to clients in one of Europe's most dynamic data centre markets. "Frankfurt sits at the heart of Germany's digital infrastructure ecosystem and our growth here reflects both demand from clients and our strategy to be where the projects are, with the right people on the ground," Steven Horn, UK and Europe Director at Black & White Engineering, said.

Black & White Engineering currently employs more than 800 staff across several locations, including the UK, EU, Asia, and the UAE. The company states that 93% of its workforce is dedicated to data centre design projects. The strengthening of its German presence is expected to support both new build developments and upgrade work on existing data centre sites, contributing to the country's broader energy and digital infrastructure objectives.