Another corporate headquarters is leaving Augusta.
Electrolux today announced it will consolidate several of its American corporate office operations and support functions into a single location.
The appliance maker is still selecting that location.
It will announce its decision before the end of the year.
Electrolux employs 350 people in its Major Appliances North American headquarters on Bobby Jones Expressway, said company spokesman Tony Evans.
Consolidation will begin in summer 2010.
“Our current locations are grounded primarily in our growth through acquisitions, not on strategic business decisions. I’m excited that our different business sectors and support functions will work under one roof,” Hans Straberg, president and CEO of Electrolux Group, said in a statement.
Electrolux is consolidating its international sales office in Pittsburgh, American sales office in Huntersville, N.C., the holding company office in Cleveland, financial support offices in Columbus, Ohio, and Springfield, Tenn., and a design center in Anderson, S.C.
Mr. Evans said the new office should employ 700 people.
Mr. Evans said other Electrolux entities in the U.S. will move their corporate office operations and support functions to the new headquarters, but the timing of additional moves hasn’t been determined.
Even if the headquarters moves from Augusta, there will still be 215 people employed here in the company’s customer care call center, Mr. Evans said.
Electrolux located in Augusta in 1987.
Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc., which was a spinoff from Electrolux, announced in August that it was moving its headquarters out of Augusta to Charlotte. That relocation, and loss of 100 jobs, should be complete by the summer of 2010.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What is "consididate"?
How about short for considering consolidation?
bet it SUCKS to work there!
Do the math. Huntersville, N.C., where Electrolux has a sales office, is a Charlotte suburb + Husqvarna is slinking off to Charlotte = Electrolux is moving to Charlotte.
Well, "consididating" the fact that the local paper can't even proofread, I don't really blame them.
Does Augusta have a consolidated group that tries to keep businesses like this? Not having a real airport make's it hard to compete with Charlotte, but there are other cities that have manged to overcome this deficiency and attract and keep corporate jobs. it must be a lot harder to recruit a new company headquarters than to try to keep one that is already here. From my experience, when this happens in other cities there is swift action at the state and local level to come up with what it takes to at least be a contender. Does that happen here - or is this considered a done deal and they just give up? This town gets excited when another same old chain supermarket or fast food outlet opens. Will anyone get excited enough to keep the US headquarters of an international business?
Augusta just cannot compete with Charlotte.. that's the plain truth.
As the song goes... "Augusta, GA is just no place to be."
They're all too busy fighting each other to care if the company moves it's headquarters to Charlotte.
I love that song. Who sang that?
They in Columbia County not Richmond so look at Evans not Augusta for this one.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Westinghouse and Plant Vogtle are the only overall primary good wagers in this area, unfortunate they are not located in Augusta, Burke County gets the tax benefit of Vogtle while probably Aiken gets the tax benefit of Westinhouse. Bottom line, Augusta doesn't have potential for growth due to those factors. (only two companies), no other competion.. High wage companies are not going to locate or relocate to Augusta...There is a trend of call centers that come to this area with average salaries..
Thank god we have the minimum wage call center jobs left. Now I wonder if I can still afford that single wide I have had my eye on? What in the HE!! are we doing in this town? Who is in charge and who is responsble? Surely not our dearly elected representatives, Can't be my guy so it has to be all the rest of them. Oh well I hope this is all cleared up by masters week so we can have our annual week of celebration.
see you wouldn,t want to be youall
The way hotels are popping up all over around Augusta, business ain't too bad. Construction in the area ranks higher than most places in the country.
Augusta leaders cannot get past the entitlement syndrome that has plaqued certain members for many many years. Same problem, different faces.
I think this is hillarious, I know people that still work there that may be out.....what comes around goes around...and it is coming back around........thank god I got out when I did.
There are many I hate to see this happen to, to lose their jobs...but let me tell you there are quite a few that need to be brought down to reality and realize that they were not all they were cracked up to be. It is amazing at how certain ppl can remain ....but then again it is like they always say....it is not who you know it is who you blow.
A truly discouraging company to work for. The atmosphere is dog eat dog and no sense of corporate family. I worked for them in SC. Glad I was laid off it pushed me to find a worthwhile job. Never any funds to accomplish anything.
This type of "business bleeding" won't be able to be stopped until the silly county charter is straightened out. Without leadership, Augusta is a "wannabe" city.
can't blame columbia county for this one.....aug-rc has claimed and listed electrolux as one of their businesses/assets for years.....they totally get the blame
Well, we still have -----hold on I'm thinking--------well-----we have-----oh well!
It is a good thing that some of those high and mighty people are getting theirs. The same thing is going on in the grocery industry right now. I am just waiting for the trigger to be pulled on the current grocery deal going on in the Augusta area right now so I can start celebrating. Does anyone on Furys Ferry Road need help in cleaning out their district office?
Electrolux had to leave because they couldn't stand the competition from the Commissioners. They are sucking the life out of the hard working tax paying citizens, and continue to increase taxes on businesses. Why wouldn't companies look elsewhere, with less taxes, and a larger workforce to choose from, to set up shop?
You mean a larger "qualified" workforce.
The way hotels are popping up all over around Augusta, business ain't too bad.---Even Thomson, Ga. has a 4 story motel.
There is only so much the city can do to entice businesses to stay. They cannot rebuild Augusta overnight and make it a better city with a better airport, etc.
the 10 "mental midgets" on the 8th floor plus their tax raising lackey" have NOTHING...BUPKUS, ZIP..NODDA..ZILCH!!! why is it aiken can attract major industries to consider relocating there(2 in the last 4 yrs) and make to the final selction process but augusta just sits and wait with their thumb up their butts pinning their hope on the TEE CENTER, but mind you doesn't have any up to date marketing data to show it will be a success. augusta's idea of growth is to rely on ft gordon's NSA center to spur construction of cheaply built homes and subdivision as a way to increase it's tax base. there should be a business omnibusman to seek out corporations/industries looking to relocate..so between ms. venus screeching "for the children and the out-going commissioner holland ranting "you can cut crime by building more parks or playgrounds" it's no wonder augusta and the school system combined are over 40 million dollars in the red....
Forget hotels, what about supermarkets and drug stores? There's a new one of each going up on every corner. How many grocery stores do people need? And most are empty much of the time. The quality of food they carry is sub par as well, compared to any other city I've lived in. Too few people patronizing any of them to turn the food over often enough I guess, coupled with lack of demand for higher quality items. And don't get me started on the number fast food outlets. No wonder we have obesity issues. "Upscale" center just completed on Furys Ferry at Evans to Lochs and they anchor with Food Lion (sorry but they are the worst). The only other announced tenant is Little Caesars. Please. I find it hard to believe that the population in that area can't support something more upscale than Little Caesars and Food Lion.