Mercedes-Benz Moving U.S. Headquarters to Atlanta

German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has announced its plans to relocate its United States corporate headquarters to Atlanta by 2017, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports.

The Chronicle reports that the move solidifies the south as the nation’s new car industry hub, with companies seeing the region’s union-free labor and business-friendly tax structures as a refreshing change from the Midwest and the Rust Belt’s cost-prohibitive policies.

For Mercedes-Benz, Atlanta’s location between the company production plant in Alabama and the import facilities in Brunswick made it an ideal spot to relocate to from Montvale, NJ. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also weighed into the decision, along with the city’s reputation as a mecca for young, trendy professionals, the Chronicle reports.

Mercedes-Benz’s move will bring around 1,000 new jobs to the area and pump $100 million into the city’s economy. The company is still deciding on a location for its 200,000 sq. ft. headquarters, but the Chronicle reports sites in Alpharetta and the central perimeter area are the finalists.

The move of Mercedes-Benz to Atlanta, coupled with the upcoming debut of Porsche’s headquarters near Hartsfield-Jackson, may have rivals BMW and Audi eyeing a stronger presence in the Atlanta area, writes the Chronicle.