Cuts unlikely in Georgia, NCR says

By Dan Chapman

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The NCR Corp., which is moving its corporate headquarters to Gwinnett County, brought a bit more good news Thursday to Georgia.

Spokesmen for the Fortune 500 company said Georgia likely will remain immune from NCR’s worldwide job cuts.

“NCR is confident we will be able to meet the commitments made to the state of Georgia,” said NCR’s Cameron Smith without providing Georgia-specific details.

NCR announced last summer the relocation of its headquarters from Dayton, Ohio, to Duluth —the economic-development coup of the recession-wracked year for Georgia. The company, which makes ATM machines, checkout scanners and self-serve kiosks, said Gwinnett County would gain an additional 1,250 jobs.

But the recession, and an 81 percent third-quarter drop-off in profits, hammered NCR. It announced last month the layoff of as many as 10 percent of its 22,000 employees.

Yet NCR is contractually tied, via nearly $110 million in grants, loans and tax credits, to create or retain 3,036 Georgia jobs.

Within three years, according to Smith, NCR expects to employ 1,850 people in Gwinnett, 916 in Peachtree City and 870 in Columbus, where the company makes ATMs.

CEO discussion

NCR CEO Bill Nuti met the local business community over breakfast ?at the Gwinnett Center. Nuti, during the Gwinnett Chamber-sponsored event, expounded on NCR’s selection of Georgia, the company’s future and the global economy:

On the economy: “My major concern today, at least as it relates to the United States, remains the consumer. We all need to be mindful that consumers today generate about 70 percent of GDP growth and most consumers have balance sheets underwater vs. three or five years ago.”

On the future: “We are planning for an uncertain world in 2010. But the flip side of that is, a year ago I would’ve told you I don’t know how far down is down. A year later I can tell you how far up is up. I suspect there will be a slow recovery for another year or two years. My hope is we get back to 3 [percent or] 4 percent growth in the United States.”

On NCR in Georgia: “We’re committed in a very big way ?to the state of Georgia, Gwinnett, Peachtree City and Columbus.”