Mercedes-Benz to lose talent in Atlanta HQ move, says CEO
Ryan Joseph Ramos January 20, 2015It’s still a bit of time before Mercedes-Benz USA actually packs its bags from its current Montvale, NJ headquarters on to the greener pastures of Atlanta, but there’s already one harsh reality that the automaker has to face: the talent that will be lost because of the move.
MB USA CEO Steve Cannon said that offers had already been made to Montvale personnel and that the company would be waiting for responses on who will be amicable to a relocation. It was not said how many of the 1,053 employees had been given offers, but Mr. Cannon did say that he expects only 40 percent of the employees would be moving to the new Atlanta HQ, which is due to be completed by 2017.
“We will lose talent, and that is an unfortunate byproduct of a move like this,” said Cannon, who added that the move “will be painful for people who have helped our company.” Of course, he knows this is a solid opportunity for the company, and a necessary move especially in the increasingly competitive luxury automobile market.
Cannon went on to add that MB USA sees this as a 50-year move, having outlived its current headquarters. The move is seen as a way to move away from the state of New Jersey and its not-so-business-friendly tax system. Even with a consolidated effort to reach out to try and keep Mercedes-Benz HQ in Montvale, the allure of the business environment, along with fresh incentive offers from the development authority in Atlanta, proved enough to push MB USA to move.
