Mercedes-Benz is consolidating key corporate operations to Sandy Springs, Georgia, which will now serve as its North American headquarters, the company announced May 22.
While the move will bring up to 500 additional jobs to the 800 already employed by the automaker in Sandy Springs, it will lead to the closure of the company’s Farmington Hills, Michigan office, where many corporate functions and financial services roles are currently based, Melinda Mernovage, a spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz said in an email to Automotive Dive. The company, however, will maintain 180 research and development roles in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which eventually will grow to up to 200 jobs, she said.
Some of the financial roles based in Farmington Hills will also be moved to Fort Worth, Texas, Mernovage said. Technical teams from various U.S. locations will move to a new R&D hub near Sandy Springs, where Mercedes-Benz will make a multi-million-dollar investment in a future research and development facility, according to a release from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
The automaker said consolidating corporate functions to metro Atlanta strengthens its position for growth and reinforces its commitment to the U.S.
“Bringing our teams closer together will enable us to be more agile, increase speed to market and ensure the best customer experience,” Jason Hoff, CEO, Mercedes-Benz North America said in a statement. The company, which opened its Sandy Springs office in 2018, expects the job transfers to be completed by August 2026.
Mercedes-Benz also said bringing R&D functions to the Atlanta area will allow it to leverage the region’s engineering and talent pool from institutions including the Georgia Institute of Technology. It also could help create additional opportunities to collaborate with the area’s thriving startup ecosystem and established tech sectors, per the release.
