Chiquita Considering Move of Corporate HQ to Charlotte
Chiquita Considering Move of Corporate HQ to Charlotte
Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Banana giant Chiquita Brands International Inc. is considering the city of Charlotte for a corporate headquarters relocation from Cincinnati, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The Cincinnati Business Courier reports that the company is seeking about 150,000 square feet of office space and has toured properties in the uptown and Ballantyne areas of Charlotte. Chiquita has about 330 employees based at its headquarters in Cincinnati.
The Charlotte Observer reported that Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have each decided to offer $1 million in incentives, with the state adding another $2 million. The newspaper says its information comes from several people familiar with the proposal after closed-door meetings this week of the city council and county commissioners.
Chiquita signed a 16-month lease extension at its headquarters building in downtown Cincinnati earlier this year, where it occupies 115,000 square feet. The renewal was designed to give the company time to negotiate a headquarters retention agreement with the state of Ohio or relocate to another state.
Chiquita also considered moving its headquarters from Cincinnati in 2005, but stayed in Ohio.
Chiquita spokesman Ed Loyd says the company is evaluating sites and is in talks with officials in Cincinnati, Charlotte, and other locations.
The newspaper reports the average salary of the roughly 400 headquarters jobs would be more than $100,000.
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