Chiquita to close Charlotte headquarters, after moving there in 2011

[thelakelander]

Charlotte Chamber CEO Bob Morgan says in a statement that Chiquita's two-year stay in Charlotte has been beneficial to the city.
"We appreciate that since 2011 Chiquita provided several hundred good jobs, bringing many new families here from elsewhere and employing many locally," Morgan wrote in the email.

Chiquita moved to Charlotte from Cincinnati in 2012 building its local staff to 320. After Cutrale-Safra bought the company last month in a $1.3 billion deal, speculation began about what will happen to the promise that Chiquita had made to keep the headquarters in Charlotte for 10 years.

Chiquita agreed to move to Charlotte in exchange for approximately $23 million in local and state incentives.

Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2015/01/chiquita-to-close-charlotte-headquarters.html

[vicupstate]

It didn't say it in the article, but I think the incentives are being paid back, at least those paid by the city and county.  That is, the portion of incentives that were actually paid out in the first place.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is in the same building, has been a disappointment as well.  A $13mm loan from BofA was recently written off because revenues have been insufficient to pay to both pay expenses and service the debt.  A cautionary tale for the proponents of an Aquarium for Jax.

[fsquid]

Was pretty close to taking a job with them this time last year.  Glad I didn't now.

[TheCat]

So, the banana splits.

[Jason]

It didn't say it in the article, but I think the incentives are being paid back, at least those paid by the city and county.  That is, the portion of incentives that were actually paid out in the first place.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is in the same building, has been a disappointment as well.  A $13mm loan from BofA was recently written off because revenues have been insufficient to pay to both pay expenses and service the debt.  A cautionary tale for the proponents of an Aquarium for Jax.

I still firmly believe that the Hall of Fame should have been built in Daytona...  Charlotte is not a tourist town.

[I-10east]

^^^I totally agree. I'm still surprised that the theme park Carowinds is gonna get the tallest rollercoaster with a lifthill for 2015 (Fury 325). It's a decent park, but it's never packed, like a Cedar Point, or a Kings Island (sister Cedar Fair parks).

[KenFSU]

So, the banana splits.

TREMENDOUS