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Mercedes- Benz to the Triangle?

RaleighHeelsfan

By RaleighHeelsfan
in The NC Triangle

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RaleighHeelsfan Hamlet

RaleighHeelsfan

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If it's not downtown, I wouldn't be excited. I can see it going in the Edison tower - wonder why that wasn't mentioned as a contender. It's "shovel ready" too.

 

 

Because the leaders of this town do not act like they care about downtown. It's always North Hills...uggg. You are like me, I would not be excited about this unless we get a tower downtown. New tallest would be great

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RALNATIVE Burg

RALNATIVE

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Yes, MB could choose to go anywhere they want, but...as part of the economic development focus that the city keeps harping on I'm sure that they will try to lure MB downtown if they can. Afterall that's how downtown landed Red Hat and Citrix.


The fact that RDU has been aggressively pushing for a new nonstop to/from Frankfurt leads me to believe that the Triangle has been in serious discussions with MB about landing here. If MB does move its HQ to Raleigh, a nonstop to Germany will be critical.

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ctl Hamlet

ctl

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Times change. Meeker and Mitch are gone. OTB developers and business interests want their fair share of the pie after 10 years of the City's pushing projects downtown. Let's wait and see. The company sells cars to wealthy people who live in places like north Raleigh and Cary. If the deal happens, MB will relocate from New Jersey where their building is adjacent to the Garden State Parkway... not exactly downtown-centric. 

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Jones_ City

Jones_

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My gut says Kane has been on this for some time. My perfect world would pair this with a hotel on the N&O block like already mentioned in the N&O thread. I'd rather the hotel face Salisbury St for quiet's sake (McDowell is loud) and have the big gleaming tower, literally tower over Nash Square. It'd be quite a sight from the south and west. Anyhow, I guess we'll see...

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RALNATIVE Burg

RALNATIVE

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Needless to say that the next 3-4 years will be exciting times in Raleigh while all of the planned and envisioned developments come to fruition. I can also pretty much guarantee that if the MB headquarters does land here we'll see 1 or 2 new high end hotels pop up. MB execs from Germany and elsewhere are not exactly the Days Inn types.

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Jones_ City

Jones_

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Indeed. I was staying at the Westin on Thomas Circle in DC once and a group of Germans clad in the best suits I've ever seen came into the lobby and sort of unintentionally commanded the attention of the entire building. I have no idea who they were with, but when a bunch of 6'4" dudes in 5,000 dollar suits evokes such a laid back confidence its easy to see how they get what they want and might expect the best in everything. 

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MAJIKMAN Hamlet

MAJIKMAN

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I travel to Germany quite often and I know how the Germans live and what they expect. Germans are the epitome of high class and that's also what they're looking for in a city for the MB USA operations.

 

 

It's really not that serious. I'm here in Greenville(SC) and we have alot, let me stress alot, of Germans in the area. And they do have their ways, but all they want is for things to be done right. By in large they are happy with their U.S. Operations. That is why BMW has a huge presence here as well as alot of their suppliers. Yes, there are those types that were mentioned earlier. But they're far and few.

 

Oh yeah, as far as MB not thinking of downtown Raleigh. Think about this. BMW has office space here in downtown Greenville. So you'll never know what they'll do. That's even if they move. Matter of factly, BMW announced a few years back they were moving, I think from 

New Jersey also. But pulled back from all that when New Jersey offered them a sweet deal to stay. I think New Jersey is at it again. The drama continues........ 

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ctl Hamlet

ctl

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United discontinued their Newark-Stuttgart nonstop just a few months ago. You think it's any coincidence that now M-B wants to leave New Jersey? I don't.

 

Delta now has the only nonstop from the U.S. to Stuttgart. No airline would fly RDU-Stuttgart nonstop. Some airline might be willing to fly RDU-Frankfurt nonstop, but the M-B guys would have to take a 75-minute train from Stuttgart to get to FRA (or fight some hellacious traffic on the expressways). The Stuttgart airport is relatively quiet and easy to reach, only 8 miles from the center of Stuttgart and even closer for the M-B people who live on the south side of Stuttgart. Advantage Atlanta.

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DPK Hamlet

DPK

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Airport connectivity is one metric-one could throw up schools, safety, affordability etc. etc. This will be a matter of incentives plain and simple. 

 

I see your point, but at the end of the day the business is what brings in money.  Connectivity is a huge part of that.

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ctl Hamlet

ctl

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That's true. But we're talking U.S. headquarters for M-B, not an R&D or software development operation. IBM, Nortel, and most of the other companies that drove RTP in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s didn't have their U.S. headquarters here. Burroughs Wellcome did, but along came the RDU-London nonstop. At that time Rhone Poulenc in RTP could still fly RDU-Paris nonstop, too. The U.S. HQ for BASF and Eisai are in New Jersey. Credit Suisse U.S. HQ is in New York. 

 

The situation has loosened up somewhat, and the alliance between American Airlines and British Airways has simplified the process of connecting at Heathrow to reach the European continent. But RTP is still hot to get a nonstop to Paris or Frankfurt. 

 

Incentives do play a role, but often times it comes down to a personal preference on the part of the CEO of the relocating company. For M-B USA, I believe the guy's name is Steve Cannon. He is a West Point grad but I know nothing else about his background.

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ERJ170 Whistle-Stop

ERJ170

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Regardless of MB moving to Atlanta or the Triangle, Delta could easily be the airline of choice to offer nonstop to FRA or Stuttgard.. I don't think it matters to them. And Delta is, from what I heard, highly interested in whatever corporate contracts they can get from RDU. And there are 767 lines painted at their gates now.... From what I heard... I also remember reading an article that Lufthansa was interested in RDU service.. So who knows....

I can see MB getting a nice building in downtown Raleigh or Durham.. Or even RTP as they are pushing for more companies and a more urban feel...

Just me thoughts..

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