Is Mercedes-Benz seriously snooping around Atlanta and other Southern cities for a site for its U.S. headquarters, or is it more a ploy for incentives from New Jersey?
Two Atlanta publications reported early Tuesday, citing unnamed people, that the German luxury carmaker had its eyes on metro Atlanta for a new home for its U.S division. The Wall Street Journal and others chimed in hours later, with the Journal saying Georgia was in the running with North Carolina for the prize.
Georgia and company officials aren’t talking. But one senior state official suggested Mercedes-Benz’ interest is more of a tire-kicking exercise and a move to try to win more incentives from New Jersey, where Mercedes-Benz USA is currently based.
“There’s a lot of rumor and speculation out there — none of it’s coming from us,” Mercedes-Benz USA spokeswoman Donna Boland said in an e-mail to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
People in the commercial real estate world with knowledge of the situation told the AJC Mercedes-Benz representatives have scoped out metro Atlanta sites.
Coincidentally – or not – Georgia has a trade mission in Germany right now.
Chris Carr, the state’s top executive in the recruitment game, met with Volkswagen officials about prospects of wooing suppliers to VW’s new plant in Chattanooga. He even posted a photo of himself outside of a VW factory on his Facebook page.
Reached by the AJC in Germany, Carr wouldn’t bite on any questions about Mercedes-Benz. He did say the trip across the Atlantic Ocean had long been planned.
“One initiative we’ve been pushing is a VW supplier initiative,” Carr said in an interview. “We’re partnering to bring suppliers to Georgia for the VW plant just across the state line (in Tennessee).
“If you look at geographically, where we sit, we’re at the perfect location,” he said “Suppliers have great opportunities to be in Georgia.”
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