Mitsubishi Motors Relocating U.S. HQ To Tennessee

Mitsubishi Motors North America will invest $18.25 million to move its U.S. headquarters to Tennessee, bringing 200 jobs to Franklin.

Mitsubishi Motors North America will invest $18.25 million to relocate its headquarters to Franklin, TN from Cypress, CA. The move will bring approximately 200 jobs to Williamson County.

Mitsubishi Motors
(Source: Mitsubishi Motors)

“Mitsubishi Motors is changing the way we go to market in the United States, and it is leading to a rebirth of the company,” said Fred Diaz, Mitsubishi Motors North America’s president and CEO. “This is an exciting time for us, with a refreshed leadership team, new-look dealerships and redesigned and all-new vehicles. As we drive toward the future, this is the perfect time for us to move to a new home. While we say farewell to the Golden State with a heavy heart, we’re excited to say hello to Music City.”

Since 1988, Mitsubishi Motors North America has been rooted in California. The relocation to Franklin will begin in August and be completed by the end of 2019. All departments will be relocating, including sales, marketing, IT, human resources, communications, parts and services, product planning, dealer operations, finance and legal.

Initially, Mitsubishi Motors will transfer operations to a temporary office in Franklin. The company is currently working with commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle to identify permanent offices.

The move is part of an ongoing plan to reinvent every aspect of Mitsubishi Motors in the U.S., from corporate leadership to dealer partners to every touchpoint in a customer’s relationship. It will sharpen the company’s focus on future growth and innovation.

The company’s move highlights efforts taken across the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to bring the companies closer together in key areas, including procurement, development and cost efficiencies. The choice of Franklin brings Mitsubishi Motors closer to its sister company, Nissan, which has its North American headquarters in Williamson County.

“The reputation of Tennessee’s business climate and skilled workforce has attracted countless world-class businesses to our state,” said Governor Bill Lee. “Over the years, Tennessee has become the epicenter of the Southeast’s thriving automotive sector, and I’m proud Mitsubishi Motors will call Franklin its U.S. home and bring 200 high-quality jobs to Middle Tennessee.”

Since 2013, headquarters jobs have grown by 37 percent in Tennessee, the fastest rate of growth among states in the Southeast.

“While traveling in Japan last week, Governor Lee and I met with Mitsubishi’s global executives to convince them why Tennessee is the ideal place for the company to conduct business,” said Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe. “Mitsubishi Motors’ decision to relocate its U.S. headquarters from California to Franklin underscores Tennessee’s growing profile as a hub for U.S. and international companies. Tennessee will continue to actively recruit quality headquarters jobs from higher-cost coastal states, and we are honored Mitsubishi will make this significant investment in Williamson County.”

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