News

Nissan moves North American HQ to Nashville area

Aug. 31, 2006 — Nissan North America has completed the first stage of its move from California to Middle Tennessee. The company now occupies 12 stories in the BellSouth Tower in downtown Nashville.

Nissan will remain in its temporary location for about two years. Its new $100 million, nine-story headquarters is being built in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, about 15 miles south of the city.

Approximately 550 employees, or 42 percent of the company’s workforce, chose to move to the Nashville area when Nissan decided to relocate its headquarters from Los Angeles.

”Nissan is no stranger to Tennessee,” said CEO Carlos Ghosn at the ceremony announcing the move earlier this year. ”Our understanding of its business climate has been formed by 25 years of experience.”

Nissan has a 5.4-million-square-foot production facility in Smyrna, Tennessee, where the Altima, Xterra, and other models are made. It ranks among the most productive auto plants in North America, according to the Harbour Report benchmark study. Nissan also has an engine and transmission manufacturing plant in Decherd, Tennessee. Together the two plants employ more than 8,000 workers.

"We made a strategic decision to relocate our corporate headquarters here because of the long-term benefits associated with overall investment and operational costs,” Ghosn stated. One factor in the company’s decision was the reliable, affordable power provided by TVA.

The corporate jobs Nissan brings to Tennessee have an average salary in excess of $80,000 annually. Economic analysis by the University of Tennessee's Center for Business and Economic Research estimates the headquarters facility will have an economic impact of more than $500 million annually on the Tennessee economy.