Aetna Headquarters Leaving Hartford For The Big Apple

HARTFORD, CT — After several years of speculation, insurance industry giant Aetna announced Thursday it will relocate its corporate headquarters to New York City next year, after being based in Hartford since 1853.

An announcement on the corporation's website stated the move to 61 Ninth Ave. in Manhattan will take place in late 2018 and "is a meaningful investment in Aetna’s future, and a key step in evolving from an insurer to a health company focused on consumers and their communities."

The website post indicates the headquarters move "will have minimal impact on Aetna’s Connecticut-based associates. The company remains committed to its Hartford campus and the thousands of associates based there, in addition to other established locations throughout the country and around the globe. Several of Aetna’s key businesses will remain primarily based in Hartford, and the Consumer Health & Services team will continue to operate out of Wellesley, Massachusetts."

“Aetna’s decision to call New York home is another testament to the Empire State’s extraordinary economic momentum,” New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said. “New York has a deep, diverse talent pool and pro-growth environment that businesses need to succeed, and today more companies are choosing New York to grow and diversify their business. By relocating to New York and bringing another 250 jobs to the state, Aetna is sending a clear signal that New York is open for business.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio added, “New York City is where talent and technology come together. We’ve never been stronger, and that’s why companies like Aetna and their workers want to be here. We’re proud to support its move to the city.”

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy's office issued the following statement:

Malloy today released the following statement regarding Aetna:

“While Aetna has decided to move 250 jobs to New York City, the vast majority of their nearly 6,000 employees in Connecticut will stay here. At the same time, this is an important reminder that to be competitive, Connecticut state government must immediately take the necessary steps to produce a balanced biennial budget with recurring measures to reduce spending and structural solutions to our long-term problems. We must also continue to invest in the revitalization of our cities.

“My budget proposal this year is focused on not just protecting our cities, but in growing them, and making them even more dynamic and exciting places to work and to live. Make no mistake – Hartford is experiencing a transformation with hundreds of new housing units, a major university campus moving downtown, and an arts and culture scene that grows more vibrant each and every day. It is imperative that we act expeditiously in taking the necessary steps to address our long-term challenges head-on so that we are able to provide predictability for business and taxpayers alike.”

Photo credit: Aetna