Large Norwalk Employer To Relocate Staff Out Of City

NORWALK, CT — Premium alcoholic beverage giant Diageo will move its 600 employees from its North American corporate headquarters in Norwalk to offices in New York City and another Fairfield County facility, the company announced this week.

The move, scheduled for January next year, is prompted by the expiration of the company's lease for office space on Main Avenue.

"With both Diageo Norwalk and New York office leases due to expire, we have taken the opportunity to review our future workplace locations," said Deirdre Mahlan, President Diageo North America, in a statement to Patch. "In January 2020 we will move our Diageo offices, to two new locations, one in Fairfield County (and one in New York). We are committed to continuing to operate in Connecticut. Our Fairfield County office will house a number of teams, including our innovation center of excellence. We share the governor’s optimism for the future of the state and look forward to helping deliver on that vision."

The site of the new Fairfield County location has not yet been disclosed, but the relocation out of Norwalk marks the city's largest corporate move in nearly a decade, writes The Hour.

Mayor Harry Rilling expressed disappointment at the news, reports News 12 Connecticut.

"At the start of 2020 we will move to two new offices. Our primary office location will be New York City – Lower Manhattan, and bring together our commercial and marketing businesses, with a second smaller office in Fairfield County, Connecticut," a Diageo spokesperson added.

"Ultimately, we want to ensure we have the best conditions for delivering performance, by improving ways of working, creating the best working environment for our people, while giving us greater access to key talent pools."

Image via Shutterstock

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