A.P. Moller-Maersk announced that it has selected Charlotte as the new location for its North America headquarters.
The Copenhagen-based parent of container carrier Maersk said it will eventually add 500 jobs to bring its Charlotte workforce total to 1,300.
“North Carolina has been a key partner in our growth for more than two decades, “ said Charles van der Steene, president of North America Region at Maersk, in a release. “Designating Charlotte as our North American headquarters location reinforces our confidence in the state’s business climate and workforce. We’re investing in North Carolina’s future because it’s a place where innovation and opportunity come together.”
The move could also earn Maersk a state grant of almost $8 million spread over 12 years, contingent on its meeting job creation and investment targets, the office of Gov. Josh Stein said in a release.
The move comes just months after Maersk (MAERSK-B.CO) signed a lease extension on its offices in Florham Park, N.J., where it had been an anchor tenant since 2014. Previous to that it was based in neighboring Madison for the better part of three decades.
“While we strongly believe establishing a headquarters for our North American region is the right thing for our customers and our colleagues, we realize our decision to centralize the majority of our office-based roles in Charlotte presents a big personal decision for many of our colleagues,” a Maersk spokesperson said in an email to FreightWaves. “This is not a decision driven by a desire or with the expectation that we will reduce overall headcount. We are working directly with all impacted colleagues on what this means for them including relocation support. While we’re not in a position to share anticipated employee counts at our other offices or publicly comment on specific plans for individual colleagues or teams, we will continue to have branch offices across our network.”
Maersk said it has had a corporate presence in Charlotte for more than two decades; it purchased its current space in south Charlotte in 2006.
Maersk in the announcement said it chose Charlotte because of the market’s affordability, growing talent pool, and high quality of life. The headquarters will house key corporate functions including finance, human resources, commercial strategy, and technology.
Stein’s office said Maersk will invest $16 million in Mecklenburg County.
“Maersk’s decision to bring its North American headquarters to Charlotte speaks to North Carolina’s reputation as a top destination for global business,” said Stein. “We are home to a world-class workforce, and we’re proud to welcome Maersk to North Carolina, the top state for business in the country.”
The governor’s office said that the average annual salary is expected to be $100,962, higher than the Mecklenburg County average of $86,830. The new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $52.5 million to the local economy, it added.
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