In a Company’s Hometown, the Emptiness Echoes

[MotownSpartan]

Great article in the NYTimes about a company that decided to move its headquarters from Dayton to suburban Atlanta. Although the situation is different, it has tones of Comerica's decision to leave Detroit.

The article also discusses the new CEO's [[a New Yorker) disdain for the midwest and refusal to relocate to Dayton once given the position. For the time being, it looks like Ed Whitacre and Sergio are spending a fair amount of time in Detroit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/us...agewanted=1&hp

[Chuck_MI]

Interesting article. Thanks for the link.

As far as I know, Comerica's exit from Detroit was more about decreasing operating costs, and less about a disdain for the region. I think that the move to Texas, or where ever it was that they moved, was more a function of them trying to remain competitive in an era of consolidation of banking empires. I think that Comerica was [[is) fighting to stay alive as a non-public corporation. It was [[is) cheaper to do that in Texas, or where ever, than here.

Just my musings. I'm maybe wrong. I've been monitoring Detroit from afar. I'll be back though.

[hudkina]

That guy is a ~~~~~~~~~ if there ever was one. Is it time for the Great Lakes states to break away from the U.S. or what?

[Hermod]

"I spent a month in Dayton one week"

[HazenPingree]

Interesting article. Thanks for the link.

As far as I know, Comerica's exit from Detroit was more about decreasing operating costs, and less about a disdain for the region. I think that the move to Texas, or where ever it was that they moved, was more a function of them trying to remain competitive in an era of consolidation of banking empires.

I don't know how much of a role it played, but the president of Comerica at the time was a Dallas native.

[MotownSpartan]

Ed Whitacre has officially been named the new GM CEO, it appears that he's decided to live in downtown Detroit.

"But Whitacre did take other steps that suggested he was staying for a while. He moved out of the Marriott Hotel at the Renaissance Center and into a downtown Detroit apartment." http://detnews.com/article/20100125/...-permanent-CEO

[DetroitPlanner]

MS... Wow talk about culture shock for the rest of the GM lemmings! Don't know if this is a good thing [[that he is living here) or a bad thing [[renting instead of buying). Either way, I hope he is a resident and pays his 2.5 percent!

[Detroitej72]

"But Whitacre did take other steps that suggested he was staying for a while. He moved out of the Marriott Hotel at the Renaissance Center and into a downtown Detroit apartment." http://detnews.com/article/20100125/...-permanent-CEO

The fact that a CEO of a major corporation chooses to live in Downtown Detroit should be put on the cover of the Chamber of Commerce's newsletter, for all the Detroit bashes to read and weep.