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.
Augusta Commissioners: Wake up, get off your high horses and take a look around. No business is going to invest in this area until there is some solid leadership, stability and credibility in the local government.
So where are the government reps (I believe the building is actually in Columbia Cty near Tire Kingdom) who should be trying to entice Electrolux to move a consolidated facility here?
This area has the appeal of low overhead. Land is cheap, you can pay employees less since they have lower bills to pay, but they may decide to be closer to a major city with more of a traveling hub (larger airport). There is not really room for Electrolux to expand at its current Martinez location, and I believe though they own the building, they rent the land it is on. So if they are going to have to change their address and build again from scratch, they may find nothing to entice them to stay here.
CarlA...the augusta commissioners have NOTHING to do with this...the company is located in MARTINEZ NOT AUGUSTA!...different county and different town!...the mayor of augusta and the commissioners are too busy taking care of themselves and their friends tot ake on another county and city...eventhough deke has plenty of cronies in his home county/town, he has enough to worry about with the mess in augusta!
*deke* but hey guys we have a goodwill training store opening on washington road!
this has nothing to do with columbia county....augusta-richmond county has claimed electrolux as a business and asset under their umbrella for years....if they claim it then it is up to them to keep it