Phoenix to be new NOL home

Phoenix to be new NOL home NOL said Wednesday it has picked Phoenix as the new site for its Americas regional headquarters.
   The Singapore-based parent of container line APL had used Oakland as its regional headquarters since NOL acquired APL in 1997, and had been in Oakland for 35 years overall. The move is scheduled for the third quarter of 2009.
   “The greater Phoenix area will be a cost-effective base of operations for us and we're going to a state that is well known for its support and encouragement of business,” said John Bowe, NOL's regional president for the Americas.
   The move is one of several cost-saving measures implemented by NOL in recent months as global containerized trade conditions have continued to decline. The line has also rearranged its Asia regional offices, cut capacity, idled vessels and plans to lay off 1,000 staff, mostly in the United States. APL, in making its decision to move away from Oakland in November, cited the high cost of office space, residential real estate, labor and cost of living in the Bay Area as factors.
   The Americas headquarters coordinates NOL's shipping, terminals and logistics activities across North, Central and South America, including marine operations and intermodal transport of containers by rail and truck.