http://jacksonville.com/business/2011-03-22/story/battery-maker-saft-moving-north-american-headquarters-jacksonville
"Saft will move its North American headquarters to Jacksonville where the company is building a $200 million high-tech battery plant that will start production in July.
The plant is expected to employ about 300 people when it is operating at full capacity. The headquarters will have a smaller job impact of seven to 10 employees, but it would bring some of Saft's corporate decision-makers to Jacksonville. Saft, which has six other locations in the U.S., has its corporate headquarters in Valdosta, Ga.
This part was interesting.
"He said Saft decided to make Jacksonville the North American headquarters for the same reasons that it chose the city for the plant.
The city has some "international style" that will help when Saft brings customers from around the world to the battery plant, Alcide said. He said Saft also views Jacksonville's lifestyle and amenities as assets for attracting talented engineers and others with advanced training for the work Saft does.
"It's very important to be able to recruit highly technical people to places where they want to live," he said."
International style????
I guess that is compared to Valdosta.
Case in point that the quality of life issue is important.
Quote from: Lunican on March 23, 2011, 10:45:26 AM
Case in point that the quality of life issue is important.
As far down on the rung as Jacksonville is... there are many other places that are further behind.
Obviously, but it's a little embarrassing competing with Palatka and Valdosta.
Quote from: Lunican on March 23, 2011, 02:06:20 PM
Obviously, but it's a little embarrassing competing with Palatka and Valdosta.
I guess so when were talking about competition between the 3 regarding 'international style'.
But really it's not really a big surprise... Jax may not be the big city we all pretend it is from time to time.
Quote from: copperfiend on March 23, 2011, 10:39:35 AM
International style????
Yeah, we have bilingual signs now down at social services... Take that Valdosta! So is this is the "REALLY BIG" earth shattering move Scott and Peyton worked out? WOW. OCKLAWAHA
I was thinking the same thing Ock. I really hope not!
No, it is definitely not. It is a coda to the battery factory announcement.
Quote from: Lunican on March 23, 2011, 02:06:20 PM
Obviously, but it's a little embarrassing competing with Palatka and Valdosta.
But we have a Bahama Breeze and Pottery Barn. Sooooo....
Quote from: Lunican on March 23, 2011, 02:06:20 PM
Obviously, but it's a little embarrassing competing with Palatka and Valdosta.
Strongly agreed that the quality of life issue is important, but I think it's a bit misleading and overly self-deprecating to say those cities were the competition in this case. Didn't Saft have operations in other much larger cities such as Baltimore that were under consideration for the HQ?
There is most likely a "hometown" connection between Jax and one or more of the owners.
Nonetheless, this is another little tidbit of good news. I've been wondering if the plant was moving forward.
QuoteNonetheless, this is another little tidbit of good news.
Moving 7 people from Valdosta to Jacksonville is a little tidbit of news? Wow, our metro area population just increased .000064%. Now that is a tidbit.
Perhaps an MJ feature about the Saft factory called "Elements of Industrialism" is in store for the readers.
Being a French company, I wonder if Saft checked out what our Tea Party governor and possible future mayor think of immigrants coming to our shores?
Quote from: mtraininjax on March 23, 2011, 06:27:34 PM
QuoteNonetheless, this is another little tidbit of good news.
Moving 7 people from Valdosta to Jacksonville is a little tidbit of news? Wow, our metro area population just increased .000064%. Now that is a tidbit.
This city is a "metro"....umm...it has not coffe shops....can it be a metro without one?
Thanks president Obama for the stimulus funds to get Jacksonville Jobs..... THAT THE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED!!!!
with kudos to angie @ jacksonville.com
Quote from: hillary supporter on March 24, 2011, 12:07:25 AM
Thanks president Obama for the stimulus funds to get Jacksonville Jobs..... THAT THE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED!!!!
with kudos to angie @ jacksonville.com
But... isnt that corporate welfare?
Quote from: riverside_mail on March 23, 2011, 06:40:30 PM
Quote from: copperfiend on March 23, 2011, 10:39:35 AM
International style????
code word for third world.
::)
Cheap, illegal immigrant work force.
I suppose I could learn to pour acid into batteries. :)
Quote from: BridgeTroll on March 24, 2011, 06:56:14 AM
Quote from: hillary supporter on March 24, 2011, 12:07:25 AM
Thanks president Obama for the stimulus funds to get Jacksonville Jobs..... THAT THE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED!!!!
with kudos to angie @ jacksonville.com
But... isnt that corporate welfare?
No..corporate welfare are all of the tax breaks they recieve....the republicans oppose anything to do with a black man making the decisions and don't say oh we don't think that...i've sat in on about 8 tea party gatherings at private home in some big clubs here in jax and i tell you what...if president obama were a white man...we would'nt be were we are.....these peopel have freaked out because of his color...it's a fact and there's nothing anyone can say because i've seen it in person.
That settles it.
Tea Partiers are racists.
Quote from: buckethead on March 24, 2011, 07:43:24 AM
That settles it.
Tea Partiers are racists.
NOT ALL...but many.
Quote from: Garden guy on March 24, 2011, 07:53:44 AM
Quote from: buckethead on March 24, 2011, 07:43:24 AM
That settles it.
Tea Partiers are racists.
NOT ALL...but many.
Alot...most... many...more than a few... but less than all... you know... racist...um...
Saft about why they chose Jacksonville
http://bit.ly/hRAR2O
Quote from: BridgeTroll on March 24, 2011, 06:56:14 AM
Quote from: hillary supporter on March 24, 2011, 12:07:25 AM
Thanks president Obama for the stimulus funds to get Jacksonville Jobs..... THAT THE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED!!!!
with kudos to angie @ jacksonville.com
But... isnt that corporate welfare?
Its jobs for Jacksonville. For the future. Action instead of words!
Quote from: hillary supporter on March 24, 2011, 09:05:20 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on March 24, 2011, 06:56:14 AM
Quote from: hillary supporter on March 24, 2011, 12:07:25 AM
Thanks president Obama for the stimulus funds to get Jacksonville Jobs..... THAT THE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED!!!!
with kudos to angie @ jacksonville.com
But... isnt that corporate welfare?
Its jobs for Jacksonville. For the future. Action instead of words!
I agree... so some corporate welfare is ok... right?
right
BridgeTroll, its jobs. we really need these the most. Perhaps i could go back to Roosevelts New Deal in reference to the previous depression. Its far from ideal, leaning to Keynesian economic policy,but it has been proven to get us more jobs. And head us towards recovery. And specifically Jacksonville.
The lithium ion battery industry is one for the future. This is good news for Jax.
I hear your argument on principle. I'm just speaking on reality.
Absolutely Hillary... and I agree with you. I am also not arguing against it... per se. What I object to is the constant use of "bumper stickers" like corporate welfare and shipping jobs overseas. I hear few complaints in this country when Japan, Germany, France, and virtually any and every country has shipped some of their jobs to the US. Additionally... we have, as a country, state, county, or city provided incentives or welfare to lure companies to our prospective jurisdictions in the name of jobs and expanding a tax base.
Quote from: BridgeTroll on March 24, 2011, 07:11:27 PM
Absolutely Hillary... and I agree with you. I am also not arguing against it... per se. What I object to is the constant use of "bumper stickers" like corporate welfare and shipping jobs overseas. I hear few complaints in this country when Japan, Germany, France, and virtually any and every country has shipped some of their jobs to the US. Additionally... we have, as a country, state, county, or city provided incentives or welfare to lure companies to our prospective jurisdictions in the name of jobs and expanding a tax base.
This is true. Ideally, such should be done in times of economic depression, like now. But as soon as recovery is substantial, govt should pull back and recover. But many times, they dont and they endure a "welfare state", Which Margaret Thatcher corrected (in the minds of many economists that credited her for Britains recovery in the 80s
Quote from: Ocklawaha on March 23, 2011, 03:23:34 PM
Quote from: copperfiend on March 23, 2011, 10:39:35 AM
International style????
Yeah, we have bilingual signs now down at social services... Take that Valdosta! So is this is the "REALLY BIG" earth shattering move Scott and Peyton worked out? WOW.
OCKLAWAHA
This was annouced last year. This is nothing new.