[Heel n Toe]

Here's the story from the Atlanta end... my SIL works for the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and they are lovin' this.

EXCLUSIVE: Mercedes USA chief says Atlanta HQ relo will help company stay 'competitive for the next 50 years.' - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Excerpt:

Mercedes move to Atlanta is likely to have a domino effect in northern New Jersey, home to BMW and Volvo U.S. headquarters.

"The next conversation will be at BMW," Boyd said. "The clock is now ticking."

The Southern migration of foreign automaker headquarters is driven by a maturing industry.

When these companies first entered the U,.S. decades ago, they had just sales and marketing outposts, noted Karl Brauer, senior analyst with Kelly Blue Book. That meant the automakers could put their headquarters in glamorous metros such as New York and Los Angeles," .

As these foreign automakers ramp up domestic manufacturing with new plants, logistics require them to relocate their headquarters closer to their manufacturing hubs, Brauer said.

He cites Toyota leaving California for Texas, and rumors of Honda considering bailing on Southern California for Ohio, where it has a large plant.

"I would not be surprised if BMW, Volvo or Subaru (Mercedes' North Jersey neighbors) relocate to the Southeast, if not in Atlanta." Brauer said.

Beyond the demographics (the Southeast has younger, growing populations) and the market realities (auto manufacturing especially for the imports have coalesced in the union-free South), is the issue of soaring taxes in the Northeast hubs.