November 10, 2005
Nissan North America says it will move its headquarters from Gardena, Calif., to Nashville next year. It will build a $70 million building in Franklin, Tenn, about 15 miles from downtown Nashville.
The move is described as driven by cost-saving, not a desire to change the company's design culture. In fact, the Nissan Design America design studio will remain in the San Diego area.
Nearly all automakers pay close attention to the Southern California market, which is traditionally where new consumer tastes take hold.
The announcement was made in Nashville by Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn and Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. Ghosn cited the lower cost of doing business in Tennessee as a key reason for the move.
Units to be transferred include sales and marketing, legal, human resources, communications, product planning, advance planning and advertising.
After the move, Nissan will still have a parts depot and regional sales and marketing office in the Los Angeles area, as well as its San Diego design operation.
