16 replies to this topic

[Lady Celeste]

This year has been a brutal economic year for the country as a whole. Well there have been a few bits of wonderful news for the Atlanta area. We have gained two F500 companies so far this year. We have also added several major players to the Atlanta area. On top of all that good news, we have also gotten some interesting smaller relocations as well as some increased presence in major companies in the area.

Of course we are all aware of NCR's world headquarters move from its home of 125 years to Duluth. This relocation is expected to bring up to 1250 jobs to the area. NCR is a F500 company. NCR's relocation to the Atlanta area bolsters Atlanta's importance in the technology field. Clusters are very important. Luring a blue-chip firm such as NCR also gives economic developers a chance to market the region to suppliers and vendors. Georgia Tech was sited as a great talent pool for technology laden NCR.

NCR moves to Atlanta

Seattle-based biotechnology company Dendreon Corp. announced that it will build a manufacturing plant in Union City. The plant will create 300 jobs and make the cancer fighting drug Provenge. This is positive news because Atlanta is already home to another cancer drug producer, Theragenics Corp in Buford. Downtown Atlanta is also home to the American Cancer Society. This will help to attract more biomedical firms to the area as well as bolster the research capabilities for such research institutions like Atlanta's own Emory University.

Dendreon Corp in Atlanta

A very hush hushed move was announced last week. Doosan Infracore Inernational will move its North American corporate offices to Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as well as Atlanta's large Korean population was sited as reason for the move.

Noooooooooooow First Data has announced it's relocation from Denver to Atlanta. What great news this is because Atlanta lost First Data 8 years ago if I recall correctly. It will be bringing 250 corporate jobs with it. Atlanta has been a corporate town for many years now so any additional F500 is a nice feather in the cap. It's also good to know that this move did NOT involve incentives. First Data will be resting at the Glenridge Highlands complex where AT&T Wireless Corporate Center is also located.

First Data moves to Atlanta.

Atlanta has had its fair share of bad news so it's really pleasing to be able to report some great news. This post does not include all of the other wonderful new reports about jobs coming to Atlanta. Verizon brought 600 to Alpharetta earlier this year. Even the KIA plant in LaGrange should help with employment in the extreme southern suburbs. Oftentimes our airport, great talent pool and colleges and universities are sited as reasons for Atlanta being picked. I look forward to all of our corporate newcomers being valuable and involved corporate citizens.

[Lady Celeste]

I almost forgot....

The CDC....Atlanta based Center for Disease Control has announced a $400M expansion of its Chamblee location. Although this is not a coporation, this planned expansion will bolster Atlanta's biomedical importance in the industry. This could also have an amazing impact on peripheral medical related jobs. What a jewel we have in the CDC.

CDC plans $400 million expansion

[Lady Celeste]

Here's even better news on the First Data Corporate relocation.....

Instead of bringing 250 new jobs, they are now saying that the move will in fact bring 1000 new jobs over the course of three years. There were some incentives involved apparently...to the tune of $250,000. That's still wonderful news. As I said earlier and in the topic heading, this is Atlanta's second F500 relocation.

Read the story here:

First Data to create 1000 new jobs!

[Martinman]

I believe that First Data technically no longer qualifies as a F500 because it is now a private company.   Those jobs will still pay the same though.

[Lady Celeste]

Martinman, on Aug 17 2009, 09:59 PM, said:

I believe that First Data technically no longer qualifies as a F500 because it is now a private company.   Those jobs will still pay the same though.

Oh my! We may have to alert the AJC staff writers. CNNMoney.com has a list where it is listed at 295 on their 2009 F500 list. Their list may include private companies....I don't know.

First Data at 295

[Martinman]

Lady Celeste, on Aug 18 2009, 01:51 PM, said:

Oh my! We may have to alert the AJC staff writers. CNNMoney.com has a list where it is listed at 295 on their 2009 F500 list. Their list may include private companies....I don't know.

First Data at 295

If its on the 2009 list then I'm wrong.    I read that the company was taken private a few years ago and assumed that it was no longer publicly traded.

[atlrvr]

I believe a private company can make this list if they publically release audited finacials, regardless if their stock is publically traded.

Either way, Atlanta is on a roll, which is ironic.  During the boom years, they lost BellSouth and GP, and now they are gaining during down years.  Low cost of business I assume, and businesses that can afford to restructure are taking advantage of cheaper real estate and labor.  Good for Atlanta!

[Martinman]

^ Makes sense.  I figured someone who knew would come along and explain it sooner or later.


Its not a F500 but Chinamex locating here could potentially have a huge impact.

Quote

The company helps Chinese businesses with their overseas development and expansion. Atlanta would be Chinamex’s fourth headquarters. The organization also has large operations in Amsterdam, Dubai and Manchester, England.
Some 200 companies have reportedly applied to be a part of the Chinamex incubator in Atlanta, with some 100 approved.

Chinamex Picks Atlanta For US Headquarters

[krazeeboi]

atlrvr, on Aug 19 2009, 06:16 AM, said:

Either way, Atlanta is on a roll, which is ironic.  During the boom years, they lost BellSouth and GP, and now they are gaining during down years.

Atlanta lost Georgia-Pacific???

[Lady Celeste]

Thank you for the explanation atlrvr. It makes total sense.

Martinman, I totally forgot about Chinamex. I'm glad that you added this one as well because it is significant on so many levels. I remember reading elsewhere that Atlanta and the region was very bullish on increasing the presence of international businesses. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport should go a long way to helping achieve that goal. I can see Chinamex here...there is a rapidly growing Asian population in the Atlanta area with Chinese being a close second to Korean.

Krazeeboi...technically yes Atlanta lost GP and in a way it didn't. It lost GP as a F500 headquarters because it was bought by Koch Industries, a privately owned company. If I'm not mistaken they are based in Kansas or Nebraska. I could easily look it up but I think I remember one or the other. When GP was acquired, it became a subsidiary of this private equity firm. GP as an entity stayed in Atlanta where it is still housed in the GP building but they coveted F500 designation disappeared.

Edited by Lady Celeste, 19 August 2009 - 06:23 PM.

[Martinman]

AGL Resources, parent company of Atlanta Gas Light is merging with Ill based Nicor which will nearly double the size of the company and create another Fortune 500 company for Atlanta.

AGL Resources combining with Nicor

Edited by Martinman, 07 December 2010 - 11:10 PM.

[ironchapman]

Martinman, on 07 December 2010 - 08:01 PM, said:

AGL Resources, parent company of Atlanta Gas Light is merging with Ill based Nicor which will nearly double the size of the company and create another Fortune 500 company for Atlanta.

AGL Resources combining with Nicor

That's pretty amazing, and definitely good news to hear.

[Lady Celeste]

Norcross based Rock-Tenn is acquiring Chicago-based Smurfit-Stone Container Corp for $3.5 billion. With $9 billion in revenue, I'm almost sure that this will make metro Atlanta's 13th Fortune 500 company. The second to be created through acquisition in less than three months. There was no news was giving on any additional job creations/hirings. It is nice to gain another Fortune 500 in the metro however.

Read more on Rock-Tenn acquisition here.

[Martinman]

Lady Celeste, on 24 January 2011 - 12:45 PM, said:

Norcross based Rock-Tenn is acquiring Chicago-based Smurfit-Stone Container Corp for $3.5 billion. With $9 billion in revenue, I'm almost sure that this will make metro Atlanta's 13th Fortune 500 company. The second to be created through acquisition in less than three months. There was no news was giving on any additional job creations/hirings. It is nice to gain another Fortune 500 in the metro however.

Read more on Rock-Tenn acquisition here.

I didn't realize Rock-Tenn was that large a company.  But wouldn't that make 14? Or did we lose someone?

GA F-500

[Lady Celeste]

Martinman, on 02 February 2011 - 10:04 PM, said:

I didn't realize Rock-Tenn was that large a company.  But wouldn't that make 14? Or did we lose someone?

GA F-500

Mohawk and AFLAC are Georgia based, yes...but certainly not Atlanta (metro Atlanta) based. That would bring us up to 13 per that list.

Edited by Lady Celeste, 03 February 2011 - 06:56 PM.

[Martinman]

Lady Celeste, on 03 February 2011 - 06:53 PM, said:

Mohawk and AFLAC are Georgia based, yes...but certainly not Atlanta (metro Atlanta) based. That would bring us up to 13 per that list.

Excluding Mohawk and AFLAC, there are twelve metro-based companies on that 2010 list.  Adding two more, AGL and Rock-Tenn, makes 14.  The bottom of the 500 companies were in the low $4 billion range so Rock-Tenn would easily make the list post merger.  

As a side note, Asbury Automotive is in an expansion and acquisition mode and could also grow their way back into the 500 after falling off of it just last year.

[Lady Celeste]

Martinman, on 03 February 2011 - 10:56 PM, said:

Excluding Mohawk and AFLAC, there are twelve metro-based companies on that 2010 list.  Adding two more, AGL and Rock-Tenn, makes 14.  The bottom of the 500 companies were in the low $4 billion range so Rock-Tenn would easily make the list post merger.  

As a side note, Asbury Automotive is in an expansion and acquisition mode and could also grow their way back into the 500 after falling off of it just last year.

Martinman you are so correct. I totally forgot about AGL's acquisition and move into the F500 category even though I allude to it in my post but a few weeks ago. That would make 14 as of this post.

That's great considering Fortune 2010's list showed 14 in the entire state. There are more announcements in the pipeline...maybe not of the F500 level but great news all the same. Since I don't like dealing in too much speculation, I suppose it's best to wait until the information is finalized. This is news potentially regarding either Sandy Springs, Duluth or Atlanta proper.

I do know that the Cobb County's gain of a new HQ is finalized but I don't know which company. I don't think it's  F500 level but great news for the metro nonetheless.