MONTVALE, NJ—Mercedes-Benz USA is ditching New Jersey for the warmer climate in Atlanta, where it plans to build a new "state-of-the-art" headquarters by 2017. The company says the move will better serve the company by  bringing its US headquarters closer to manufacturing and port facilities in the South.

MBUSA executives and staff will relocate from Montvale, NJ, where the company has had its headquarters since 1973, to a temporary facility in Atlanta's Central Perimeter on an interim basis.  MBUSA plans to begin moving employees starting in July 2015.  The move, which will affect approximately 1,000 employees, will be phased to help minimize any disruption to business operations.  Several operational areas will remain in both Montvale and Robbinsville, NJ. 

“New Jersey has been a wonderful home to our U.S. operations for our first 50 years, and still is today,” says MBUSA president and CEO Stephen Cannon.  “The state has worked tirelessly with us as we evaluated our options.  Ultimately, though, it became apparent that to achieve the sustained, profitable growth and efficiencies we require for the decades ahead, our headquarters would have to be located elsewhere.  That brought us to Atlanta.  Atlanta is a premier city which places us closer to our ever-growing Southeast customer base, our port in Brunswick, Georgia, and to Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, our Alabama manufacturing facility, which accounts for half of the vehicles we sell here in the U.S.  For our employees, Atlanta offers a strong quality of life, terrific schools and wonderful cultural and recreational opportunities.”

Gov. Christie's and State Senate President Stephen Sweeney's offices did not respond to requests for comment last night. GlobeSt.com will update this story as information becomes available,.