Mercedes-Benz USA, based in Montvale, New Jersey
since 1972, will move its headquarters to the Atlanta area.
A move south will put the luxury car maker’s
U.S. headquarters much closer to its Tuscaloosa, Ala., assembly plant, which
will reach an annual output of 300,000 vehicles by 2016.
Its executives will have quick access to
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport
in terms of passengers.
The location of the new headquarters will be
Sandy Springs, a northern suburb of Atlanta.
The move reflects a continuing shift of U.S.
auto industry operations and corporate headquarters to the South. Companies are
attracted by low union membership, low corporate taxes, state and local
incentives to relocate and easy access to relatively well-maintained highways,
rail lines, ports and airports.
South Korea’s Kia Motors Corp. opened a plant near Columbus, Ga., in
2010. A year later Volksvagen AG opened a plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. Other operations include BMW AG plant in South Carolina and Hyundai Motor Co.
plant in Alabama. The Georgia Ports Authority’s port at Brunswick, Ga., is one
of the nation’s leading importers of new automobiles.
