Mitsubishi relocating HQ to Tennessee
Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. is relocating its headquarters to the Nashville area from California in a move that will strengthen the Japanese automaker’s financial ties to Nissan — and bolster Tennessee’s stature as a major U.S. auto hub.
The move, expected to be completed this year, will bring 200 jobs to Franklin, Tennessee, just south of Nashville, including positions in sales, marketing, IT, human resources, communications, parts and service, product planning, dealer operations, finance and legal. Mitsubishi expects to invest $18.25 million in its new site.
Mitsubishi cited Franklin’s “vibrant technology skillset” in its announcement, as well as its new proximity to Nissan among its reasons for relocating. Mitsubishi is part of a global alliance with Nissan and Renault that seeks to align the companies to boost development and facilitate cost saving, according to the company.
“Mitsubishi Motors is changing the way we go to market in the United States, and it is leading to a rebirth of the company,” said Fred Diaz, Mitsubishi president and chief executive officer. “As we drive toward the future, this is the perfect time for us to move to a new home. While we say farewell to the Golden State with a heavy heart, we’re excited to say hello to Music City.”
Mitsubishi, which will begin moving in August, has not determined a site for its offices but it will move operations to a temporary office in Franklin.
The automaker’s arrival further cements Tennessee as an automotive powerhouse, perhaps second only to Detroit in terms of industry significance. With $22.9 billion of foreign investment and 130,000 people employed, Tennessee’s automotive manufacturing cluster includes three major assembly plants and automotive operations in at least 86 of the state’s 95 counties.
Nissan North America, which has its headquarters in Franklin, employs more than 12,000 people in Middle Tennessee and General Motors in Spring Hill employs close to 3,400. General Motors unveiled a new vehicle this year at the plant and said it was investing $300 million in Tennessee. Volkswagen employs about 1,700 workers and 3,200 temporary workers at its Chattanooga plant.
“The reputation of Tennessee’s business climate and skilled workforce has attracted countless world-class businesses to our state,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Over the years, Tennessee has become the epicenter of the Southeast’s thriving automotive sector, and I’m proud Mitsubishi Motors will call Franklin its U.S. home and bring 200 high-quality jobs to Middle Tennessee.”
The announcement is the latest in a string of significant corporate relocations and expansions for the Middle Tennessee region. Last year, AllianceBernstein designated Nashville its new headquarters instead of New York and EY and Amazon chose Nashville for new operations. In March, SmileDirectClub also announced a major expansion for its Nashville headquarters and last week, publicly traded Harrow Health said it was moving to Nashville from California.
“While traveling in Japan last week, Governor Lee and I met with Mitsubishi’s global executives to convince them why Tennessee is the ideal place for the company to conduct business,” said Bob Rolfe, Tennessee’s commisioner for the Department of Ecnomic and Community Development. “Mitsubishi Motors’ decision to relocate its U.S. headquarters from California to Franklin underscores Tennessee’s growing profile as a hub for U.S. and international companies.”