Hilti

[BKDotCom]

Hilti moving headquarters to Dallas

TULSA, Oklahoma - Hilti North America has announced that its Tulsa-based North America Corporate Headquarters will be moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The move will be complete in June of 2015, a news release states.

Hilti manufactures tools and fastening systems for construction professionals.

The company cited a broader base of customers and workers available in the metroplex as its motivation for the move. The 250 workers affected by the move will be offered relocation packages, the release states.

"Moving the Corporate Headquarters to the Dallas Metroplex puts us in the middle of a top five construction market and gives us greater access to a much larger talent pool as we expand our business over the next decade," said Cary Evert, Hilti North America President and CEO.

"With $26 billion in construction in Dallas, relocating our test lab, and repair service and distribution operations within the Metroplex strengthens our ability to enhance our coverage in this marketplace and throughout Texas," said Evert.

They will continue to provide some services in Tulsa including customer service, credit, accounting and training.

Sad Trombone

Edit as seen in the Fallin sucks political thread

[TheArtist]

Sucks to see them moving. They are a good company. But indeed, there is still a lot of construction going on in the Dallas area.  Last time I was there a few months ago I counted 22 skyscraper/high-rise cranes in the air, just on my route from my hotel back to Tulsa. 

[dbacksfan 2.0]

As I posted in a different thread about Failin and tax cuts, what are things that could have been done to increase the talent pool that Hilti refers to? What can increase the talent pool in Tulsa?

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45eegjl/introduction-51/

The comments from Hilti were that they were moving to DFW area because of a larger talent pool. Are they looking for more management, accounting, technical, production, testing, product development, and sales staff? It just seems rather sudden, and while it may sound small with only 250 positions, that doesn't include spouses and children, so the negative effect is close to 1000 people. (250 jobs, 250 spouses, and a guess of 2 children per household)

It's surprising (not really) that a major employer is moving the management of a company from Tulsa to a city in Texas, without any prior notice.

Looking at the cities referenced as top construction areas, it is apparent that the move is to cities that have been growing since the 70's. The cities with continuing growth and construction growth referred to in the other thread have been experiencing growth since the 70's. They have gone through expansion and contraction and have maintained constant growth for years. Yes they have had lean times, DFW/Houston during the oil fallout in 1984, Phoenix during the 2008 housing crash, Austin, Atlanta quietly growing and having their own 2008 issues. San Jose might as well be part of silicon valley and SF. These areas have survived the ebb and flow and continue to grow.

So as I asked, what would increase the talent pool in Tulsa? Hilti made it clear, the talent pool is better in DFW.

[TheArtist]

We can't currently compete with the rate of growth that those areas have, and imho we sure don't want a very much higher rate of growth with our current zoning and planning in place.  (representatives from Austin and others have warned us that we would currently experience the same headaches they have experienced... unless we learned from those mistakes and made the changes that are laid out in our new comprehensive plan,,, but we don't seem to be wanting to do that).

So we aren't going to attract simply by having the word go out that we are a progressive city or a "rapidly growing" city.

 Tulsa has lost a considerable amount of momentum per it's "buzz".   People seem less excited about our potential.  The one bright spot is The Gathering Place.  But one negative spot on top of that is that we are in Oklahoma and a lot of talented people around the county keep hearing the "strange news" that continues to emanate from our State leadership, and are quite turned off by it.

You can't just be OK and compete for talent, you have to be better in some way.

I know I sound like a broken record on the issue of good urban development.  But I really do believe that Tulsa, even being the small city that it is, actually in some part because it's the small city it is, could kick some serious butt in relation to creating some extremely attractive, lively, bustling, high quality, urban living.  We could blow Dallas out of the water on that front.  And it would be SO SIMPLE to do, especially compared to other issues we of course want to tackle like, crime, education, etc.

CHANGE the danged zoning laws and allow good urban development to happen.  We have such incredible potential with our downtown and some surrounding areas.  We could compete way above our size class on at least this issue.  So many talented young people want that lifestyle, whether to live in it themselves  or to be able to conveniently "visit it" whenever they want to.  It's low hanging fruit for Tulsa.  Why we aren't reaching up and grabbing it I do not know.  I am simply baffled why we aren't going for this one when it would be SO easy to do, and when our city has SO much potential in this area.

It could be the "killer app" that changes the perceptions about our city and begins to ramp up our growth and desirability.   And again, compared to just about anything else you could mention that could have as much impact, it's the EASIEST, and by far, least expensive, thing we could do.   

[Conan71]

I simply think those were words drafted by whomever handles PR for Hilti without much thought.  In other words, it's just an excuse which sounds logical in a 250 word press release.  I find it incomprehensible we don't have the talent pool they seek.  At least the way I read it, I don't believe they are moving and hiring 250 new people because they can't find that talent in Tulsa.  It sounds as if 250 Tulsans will be moving to Dallas.  Did they say how many more jobs they will add to the HQ in Dallas?

Certainly it's understandable you want a great presence in a large construction market, but I really fail to see what moving your HQ does for you.  It's not like contractors go to the "Hilti store" to purchase Hilti fasteners and it's not like you couldn't canvass the entire DFW market with 10-20 sales reps without picking up stakes and moving the HQ to Dallas.

I suspect it has to do with long term profitability objectives.  Either they are being paid greenmail to move there or the overall taxation situation is more favorable to them.

My contribution to creating a deeper talent pool, or the image of having one, is we need to quit getting screwed by the state board of regents.   We need a real four year public university program going instead of the cobbled-together system Tulsa has now. 

We are doing the right things in creating and promoting our amenities to make Tulsa more attractive like BOK Center, Guthrie Green, new museums, The Gathering Place/Turkey Mountain/Riverparks.  We have no shortage of options for dining and entertainment.  The two last pieces of the puzzle in my mind are a four year public university in the urban core with affordable student housing situated nearby and a pedestrian-friendly village on the east side of downtown.

[heironymouspasparagus]

It's all MBA BS...if they 'needed' a broader' base of workers, then why take 250 from here with them?  Wouldn't they have the pick of the crop down there?  (Answer would be yes if that were a real factor). 

They did just fine for many decades here, and the customer base is pretty much by definition nationwide - wherever construction occurs - so, Somewhere, North Dakota would be the place to move to if customer base were a real issue.

More likely scenario, the top executive(s) wanted the 'high life' of living in Dallas and concocted the 'business case' to prove it would benefit the company.  They most likely are from elsewhere to start with and got tired of the "hicks-from-the-sticks" lifestyle that Mary Failin' is the poster child and head cheerleader for!

[Conan71]

It's all MBA BS...if they 'needed' a broader' base of workers, then why take 250 from here with them?  Wouldn't they have the pick of the crop down there?  (Answer would be yes if that were a real factor). 

They did just fine for many decades here, and the customer base is pretty much by definition nationwide - wherever construction occurs - so, Somewhere, North Dakota would be the place to move to if customer base were a real issue.

More likely scenario, the top executive(s) wanted the 'high life' of living in Dallas and concocted the 'business case' to prove it would benefit the company.  They most likely are from elsewhere to start with and got tired of the "hicks-from-the-sticks" lifestyle that Mary Failin' is the poster child and head cheerleader for!

But why would anyone want to subject themselves to the daily traffic asspain that is Dallas?  The chemical company I used to work for is located about 1 mile WNW of the old Texas Stadium in Irving.  Once I was in management, I found myself there every 4-6 weeks for meetings or to teach a rep school.  They made repeated overtures about wanting to move me to DFW and I refused.  I simply do not like the pace of life there and cannot stand the traffic.

Tulsa is definitely more my speed if I have to live in a metro area.  If we could just get rid of the Sally Kerns, Mary Fallins, and Dewey Bartlets (sic) in the Oklahoma political landscape, Tulsa would be perfect!  It's a great size and we don't suffer from a lack of things to do.  Anyone who claims: "There's nothing to do in Tulsa" suffers from severe myopia.

[DTowner]

I simply think those were words drafted by whomever handles PR for Hilti without much thought.  In other words, it's just an excuse which sounds logical in a 250 word press release.  I find it incomprehensible we don't have the talent pool they seek.  At least the way I read it, I don't believe they are moving and hiring 250 new people because they can't find that talent in Tulsa.  It sounds as if 250 Tulsans will be moving to Dallas.  Did they say how many more jobs they will add to the HQ in Dallas?

Certainly it's understandable you want a great presence in a large construction market, but I really fail to see what moving your HQ does for you.  It's not like contractors go to the "Hilti store" to purchase Hilti fasteners and it's not like you couldn't canvass the entire DFW market with 10-20 sales reps without picking up stakes and moving the HQ to Dallas.

I suspect it has to do with long term profitability objectives.  Either they are being paid greenmail to move there or the overall taxation situation is more favorable to them.

I agree the stated reason seems pretty flimsy.  The North American headquarters of a tool company does not need to be next door to a construction project - is so, they need a lot of "headquarters" all over the country.

While the allure of Big-D probably played a role, don't underestimate the impact of Tulsa's limited number of direct flights out of the airport.  It is simply hard and a hassle to get to Tulsa from the coasts and, in Hilti's case, from an European headquarters.

[Townsend]

don't underestimate the impact of Tulsa's limited number of direct flights out of the airport.  It is simply hard and a hassle to get to Tulsa from the coasts and, in Hilti's case, from an European headquarters.

That is a really good point.  I've got some good friends that moved to Denver because of this.  Travel time and cost cut significantly.  (The mountains didn't hurt)

[heironymouspasparagus]

But why would anyone want to subject themselves to the daily traffic asspain that is Dallas?  The chemical company I used to work for is located about 1 mile WNW of the old Texas Stadium in Irving.  Once I was in management, I found myself there every 4-6 weeks for meetings or to teach a rep school.  They made repeated overtures about wanting to move me to DFW and I refused.  I simply do not like the pace of life there and cannot stand the traffic.

Tulsa is definitely more my speed if I have to live in a metro area.  If we could just get rid of the Sally Kerns, Mary Fallins, and Dewey Bartlets (sic) in the Oklahoma political landscape, Tulsa would be perfect!  It's a great size and we don't suffer from a lack of things to do.  Anyone who claims: "There's nothing to do in Tulsa" suffers from severe myopia.

I agree - I have been to Dallas way more than I really ever wanted, and would not like living there.  I also have friends who have been there for decades and cannot imagine life anywhere else...go figure!  Makes no sense to me, but hey, that's what it's all about - to each their own!  Got a couple friends that live in the Bronx, NY, and I just tell them flat out they are psychotic nutcases!!  These are the ones who are afraid to come visit, 'cause the Indians might have an uprising while they are here!  Seriously!!  Even after I have told them I would mediate a truce just for their visit, so they could travel worry free!  

I have an uncle who lived in Hawaii for almost 40 years!  Then about 12 years ago, moved to New York City (Manhattan) for the lower cost of living....  Geez...I gotta get closer to family!!  See if some will rub off on me!!


As for the 'nothing to do...' - well, there was a place in Dallas called Confetti's long, long, ago...and they had 'naughty nightie night' on Thursday's.  On Greenville, somewhere near Lover's Lane.  Never saw anything quite like that in Tulsa....

[heironymouspasparagus]

I agree the stated reason seems pretty flimsy.  The North American headquarters of a tool company does not need to be next door to a construction project - is so, they need a lot of "headquarters" all over the country.

While the allure of Big-D probably played a role, don't underestimate the impact of Tulsa's limited number of direct flights out of the airport.  It is simply hard and a hassle to get to Tulsa from the coasts and, in Hilti's case, from an European headquarters.

We have several companies locally that have been acquired in recent years by European companies like Siemens, ABB, Sercel and others.  Skycam went to Ft Worth.  Stanley already removed Bed Check....  I suspect some of them are possible candidates to move 'headquarters' to Texas, leaving branches here.

There are others - these just are near the surface since I have known and/or worked with people at each.

[Conan71]

Now NORDAM turns around and says they are creating 300 jobs for an engine program:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/aerospace/nordam-announces-contract-that-will-eventually-bring-jobs-to-tulsa/article_be9ce4ea-6575-548f-8451-4c3e90a9860e.html

Quick rebound.

[TheArtist]

I simply think those were words drafted by whomever handles PR for Hilti without much thought.  In other words, it's just an excuse which sounds logical in a 250 word press release.  I find it incomprehensible we don't have the talent pool they seek.  At least the way I read it, I don't believe they are moving and hiring 250 new people because they can't find that talent in Tulsa.  It sounds as if 250 Tulsans will be moving to Dallas.  Did they say how many more jobs they will add to the HQ in Dallas?

Certainly it's understandable you want a great presence in a large construction market, but I really fail to see what moving your HQ does for you.  It's not like contractors go to the "Hilti store" to purchase Hilti fasteners and it's not like you couldn't canvass the entire DFW market with 10-20 sales reps without picking up stakes and moving the HQ to Dallas.

I suspect it has to do with long term profitability objectives.  Either they are being paid greenmail to move there or the overall taxation situation is more favorable to them.

My contribution to creating a deeper talent pool, or the image of having one, is we need to quit getting screwed by the state board of regents.   We need a real four year public university program going instead of the cobbled-together system Tulsa has now.  

We are doing the right things in creating and promoting our amenities to make Tulsa more attractive like BOK Center, Guthrie Green, new museums, The Gathering Place/Turkey Mountain/Riverparks.  We have no shortage of options for dining and entertainment.  The two last pieces of the puzzle in my mind are a four year public university in the urban core with affordable student housing situated nearby and a pedestrian-friendly village on the east side of downtown.

I agree with you for the most part. One thing that I do find that is still a negative for Tulsa is it's still stagnant downtown.  Weekly, and I do mean weekly (and I am not really at the shop that often) I personally hear people who come into my shop from out of town say...

What's wrong with your downtown?  (oddly enough have heard that exact phrasing multiple times)

Where is everyone?

Are there any more shops open?  Where are the rest of the shops?  (per retail, I think that DECOPOLIS is the only shop open late Thurs, Friday, and Saturday, other than Home Depot)

I need to get.... is there any place within walking distance where I can get it?  (Usually the answer is no)

Person walks into the shop with a puzzled look on their face and says "Is there something going on? Where are all the people? I don't understand?"

Etc. etc. etc. over and over and over and over.  It really starts to get frustrating and make you feel awful. This can't be good for our city.  It can't be good for visiting business people, say in town to have a meeting with Hilti as an example.  This can't be good for business recruitment, etc.

Sure there are people who are only familiar with suburban style stuff and could care less.  But, for plenty of other people, the first and often only place they go is downtown, and they often of course go straight to the central core of it, and look around in utter puzzlement.  I have had people get downright cranky at me and my employees while we are behind the desk trying to make excuses and apologize.  You try and say things like "Things are getting better" "Well on Friday and Saturday nights in this and that district over in that part of downtown it is really busy" or "You should see First Fridays in the Brady Arts district, it get's so packed...".  They just give you this disgusted look and walk off.  Sometimes they say "Oh, great store by the way." "You should consider leaving and moving to____, you would do well there."

[BKDotCom]

Person walks into the shop with a puzzled look on their face and says "Is there something going on? Where are all the people? I don't understand?"

Reply by asking them how they got past all the barricades.   There's a zombie movie shoot going on and it's a closed set.   You'd like them to hurry up because it's disrupting your business.

[TheArtist]

Reply by asking them how they got past all the barricades.   There's a zombie movie shoot going on and it's a closed set.   You'd like them to hurry up because it's disrupting your business.

That could work, especially with the occasional mentally ill/drug addicted person stumbling by giving the story an air of authenticity.