Greater Greenville Economic Developments

[vicupstate]

I don't know how many employees Michelin has in Greenville, but there can't be 6200 people in their campus here.

BMW is manufacturing, so that simply proves Krazeeboi's point.

Sears is probably using SC as leverage, and won't move from Chicago. Only the Charlotte suburbs would have a sufficient level of white-collar employment, and that is probably a stretch.

[gs3]

I don't know how many employees Michelin has in Greenville, but there can't be 6200 people in their campus here.

BMW is manufacturing, so that simply proves Krazeeboi's point.

Sears is probably using SC as leverage, and won't move from Chicago. Only the Charlotte suburbs would have a sufficient level of white-collar employment, and that is probably a stretch.

Ummmm.....hmmmmm

My post said "Caliber" = Michelin. "Capacity" = BMW. Capacity has nothing to do with hedaquarters or manufacturing. If anything, manufacturing needs GREATER capacity in most all areas.

Again, I know Sears isn't coming here.....I have no illusions. But, could Greenville support that level? Yes, we already do.

Edited May 13, 2011 by gsupstate

[gman430]

You just gotta laugh.

Greenville is the North American Headquarters to the world's largest tire/rubber company, but yet for some reason can't be the headquarters for a faltering national retailer??????? I think some hope Sears isn't looking at Greenville. Some would just curl up and die in a pool of envy if Sears moved their headquarters to Greenville.

Don't forget about Fluor either which is one of the largest construction companies in the world.

[vicupstate]

The Caliber has to match the capacity.

BMW has thousands of manufacturing jobs that are not of the caliber of skilled white-collar positions. Michelin has the caliber, but not at THAT level of capacity (6200). If the Sears HQ moved,they would lose some of their staff and there is not sufficient capacity in the white collar employment base to cover the staff they would lose.

If these were engineering jobs, it might be a different story, given the strength of that industry here, but retail management? That's a different story.

Just being realistic.

[B&R]

If Sears moves I doubt they will employ as many at their new HQ. They are struggling after all. Part of the point might be to shed employees through natural attrition of the folks who don't want to move. Their top execs would come along and some of the lower level management could be filled in any of the places they go.

[gs3]

The Caliber has to match the capacity.

BMW has thousands of manufacturing jobs that are not of the caliber of skilled white-collar positions. Michelin has the caliber, but not at THAT level of capacity (6200). If the Sears HQ moved,they would lose some of their staff and there is not sufficient capacity in the white collar employment base to cover the staff they would lose.

If these were engineering jobs, it might be a different story, given the strength of that industry here, but retail management? That's a different story.

Just being realistic.

Vic, we must be on TOTALLY different wavelengths.

Caliber in my mind is the level of prestige / worldwide level of respect / professional white collar status of the company....we have that with Michelin. Michelin is probably of a higher caliber than Sears.

Capacity is my mind is what the area roads, housing, airport, utilities, services can handle......we handle the same capacity or more than Sears by having 7,000 plus employees at BMW.

Caliber does not have to match capacity.

If Sears were to move here, their retail management would move. They would be hiring locally for clerical and admin mainly. Besides, it would be more general operational jobs....the retail buying moved out of Chicago to the old Mervyns offices in California some time ago. Read up on it. I'm just being realistic......Greenville very much could handle that type of headquarters. Sears isn't moving here though, so moot point.

Edited May 13, 2011 by gsupstate

[vicupstate]

The capacity that I am referring to has nothing to do with roads, schools, utilities etc. it is size of the qualified WORKFORCE.

6,200 people are not all going to move from Chicago to SC.

If your company told you they were moving to Chicago, would you move or would you find a different employer in Greenville? A significant percentage would stay put and not move.

The people that don't move have to be replaced. Some could be recruited come from all over, but many would need to be found locally. To do so, they would need to out-bid the companies already here. That would raise salary costs. Plus there is not a base of that type of industry here to begin with.

If a giant bank was moving it's HQ, it would go to a city with a base of qualified employees, like Charlotte, as opposed to a city with few white-collar jobs, like Charleston.

[gs3]

With Sear's retail buying already in California, they would be moving operations, accounting, supply chain, logistics, procurement, marketing type jobs. Top and most middle management would move and Greenville definitely has plenty of qualified people for mid to lower jobs in operational issues. In retail, the only truely specialized areas are buying and store design. Buying is in CA and store design, who knows what they would do. Recruit possibly.

Again, they aren't moving here, but if they wanted to, Greenville has the workforce capacity for these type jobs. Now if Merck wanted to move here and needed 1,000 pharmaceutical researchers, that would a problem, but Sears. Not a biggie.

[krazeeboi]

The Michelin NA HQ's probably doesn't even employ a tenth of the people that the Sears HQ does. I already said that SC can handle large manufacturing outfits like BMW, but that's not what Sears is. Again, Sears is on a totally different level.

No envy here (I don't understand what there's to be envious of, considering the metro area in which I reside), but just a dose of reality.

Thanks vicupstate. Homerism has its place, but let's be realistic.

[gman430]

Not to get away from this whole Sears thing, but the USC medical school planned for Greenville Hospital System has cleared a major hurdle. Check out the news story here: http://www.thestate.com/2011/05/14/1818736/usc-med-school-clears-hurdle.html

[goodbye]

Another blog confirms the Sears HQ rumor:

Source: http://www.unconflictedsc.com/2011/05/more-reasons-to-oppose-amazon-sales-tax.html

(W)hen the potential impact on the recruitment of Sears was offered as evidence, one of Sears’ representatives stated “Sears Holdings Corporation strongly supports the decision by the South Carolina House to stand up for local businesses and not give in to pressure from Amazon who consistently puts protecting its unfair competitive advantage before investing and creating jobs in communities around the country. Any comments that suggest anything other than full support for this effort to level the sales tax collection playing field, regardless of the context, are patently inaccurate.” Clearly, the House denying this special deal has had no adverse impact on recruitment efforts.

[B&R]

Staying in Illinois still seems the most likely result of this, and Texas or Atlanta seems more likely a new destination, but if they put most of their employees in a York or Lancaster County suburban office park and put the "official" headquarters in a Charlotte skyscraper Sears might be able to extract financial incentives from two states.

[Birdbrain]

Stop and fantasize a bit here, folks. Sears is looking to move, South Carolina is on the list, and Greenville is getting a "signature tower." Let the rumors begin!

My work here is done.

[gs3]

Stop and fantasize a bit here, folks. Sears is looking to move, South Carolina is on the list, and Greenville is getting a "signature tower." Let the rumors begin!

My work here is done.

LMAO!

[goodbye]

Stop and fantasize a bit here, folks. Sears is looking to move, South Carolina is on the list, and Greenville is getting a "signature tower." Let the rumors begin!

My work here is done.

Honestly, it is very difficult to avoid imagining such a fantasy. If this project is as large as it potentially is (two 11-12 story towers + a "signature tower" at approximately 20 stories), then either a sizable corporation will be involved, or several smaller businesses will be relocating to downtown. I would be surprised to learn that most of the space is residential. Other possibilities include municipal offices and/or educational facilities.

[StrangeCock]

Stop and fantasize a bit here, folks. Sears is looking to move, South Carolina is on the list, and Greenville is getting a "signature tower." Let the rumors begin!

My work here is done.

The Sears Tower?

[Birdbrain]

The Sears Tower?

Heyyyyy, that has a familiar ring to it!

[krazeeboi]

Stop and fantasize a bit here, folks. Sears is looking to move, South Carolina is on the list, and Greenville is getting a "signature tower." Let the rumors begin!

My work here is done.

LOL. Even though I'm convinced that Sears isn't going anywhere, I seriously doubt they're going to build a new highrise if they do. They would opt for another suburban campus like the one they currently occupy.

[gman430]

Well, I see Perceptis isn't wasting any time with a possible expansion. 350 jobs is a lot more than the original 200 jobs announced back in January-

Perceptis is still hiring, and company officials said it is going so well, there is already talk of expansion.

Bradfield said he hopes to hire about 350 people for the Greenville headquarters.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com...l#ixzz1NJCQg3mU

Edited May 24, 2011 by citylife

[GvilleSC]

Well, I see Perceptis isn't wasting any time with a possible expansion. 350 jobs is a lot more than the original 200 jobs announced back in January-

Perceptis is still hiring, and company officials said it is going so well, there is already talk of expansion.

Bradfield said he hopes to hire about 350 people for the Greenville headquarters.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com...l#ixzz1NJCQg3mU

That's so great to hear for a downtown economic development!

[gman430]

BMW planning another large expansion at their Greer plant? Article from Spartanburg Herald-Journal: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20110613/ARTICLES/106131003/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Expansion-engines-revving-at-automaker-while-BMW-officials-stay-mum-on-details

[gman430]

DialAmerica plans to re-open a Greenville office next month and hire more than 120 people.

Based in New Jersey, DialAmerica is one of the nation’s largest privately held teleservices companies.

Its Greenville contact center will locate at 440 Roper Mountain Road and support fundraising programs for the company’s non-profit clients.

More info: DialAmerica to re-open Greenville office, hire 120 {sodEmoji.|} greenvilleonline.com {sodEmoji.|} The Greenville News

[vicupstate]

GRTS LLC, a manufacturer of automobile radiators, has acquired the Estes Plant, a 336,500-square-foot former textile manufacturing plant located in Piedmont. The seller was an affiliate of GIbbs International. Dave Reeves of NAI Earle Furman represented the seller in the deal. The asking price was $1,500,000.

Yet another abandoned plant being bought, and apparently yet another Automotive employer. Good news.

[vicupstate]

Speculation is mounting that BMW Manufacturing Co. could announce a new round of hiring for production workers.

The automaker has called a Wednesday morning press conference for what it called a “special announcement regarding new workforce programs,” with Gov. Nikki Haley expected to attend, her office said. Also expected is Harald Krueger, BMW board member responsible for human resources, according to Steve Wilson, BMW Manufacturing spokesman.

Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing, hinted at new hiring in an interview in June with GreenvilleOnline.com. He said the plant would go to a new shift schedule to meet worldwide demand for sports activity vehicles it produces and that revamping the shift model would create new positions, but that it was too early to speculate on the number of jobs that would be added.

Under the new shift schedule, the plant would operate six days a week and in some areas 24 hours a day, he said. Currently it operates 5 to 5 ½ days a week.

BMW Group, in announcing Tuesday record revenues and earnings for the second quarter, said that strong demand for its X models is one reason it “now expects that its full-year performance will be

From the Gville News. Anyone hearing what the numbers might be?

[GvilleSC]

From the Gville News. Anyone hearing what the numbers might be?

That's exciting news! BMW, for the past several years have been announcing things left and right, it seems.