Another major company is abandoning California and moving to a red state. Yamaha Motor Corp. has been in Cypress, California, for 50 years, but is now relocating to Kennesaw, Georgia.
Interestingly, this article from the New York Post mentions the Trump tariffs, but not California Governor Gavin Newsom:
Yamaha pulling out of California after nearly half a century: HQ headed to GeorgiaAfter nearly 50 years in Orange County, Yamaha Motor Corp. USA is packing up its headquarters — trading Cypress, California for Kennesaw, Georgia in a sweeping corporate shift that will impact about 250 workers.The motorcycle and motorsports giant says the move is part of major “structural reforms” meant to boost profits as costs climb — including pressure from tariffs imposed during the administration of President Donald Trump and shifting market conditions.The relocation won’t happen overnight. Yamaha plans to start the exit in late 2026, with the transition stretching into 2028.Company spokesman Bob Starr said consolidating operations in Georgia simply makes business sense.“In terms of efficiency, to have us all together in Georgia — all the functions of the business — it makes a lot of sense,” Starr said.The departure marks another corporate blow for Cypress.Back in 2019, Mitsubishi Motors North America ditched its longtime HQ in the city after 31 years, moving roughly 200 jobs to Franklin, Tennessee to cut costs.Yamaha’s Japan-based parent, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., says it will also unload the company’s sprawling 25-acre Katella Avenue campus — a major administrative hub handling finance and corporate operations tied to its motorsports lineup, including ATVs, golf carts, motorcycles and boats. The site doesn’t manufacture products.
The California Globe is more to the point:
Yamaha Leaving California for Business-Friendly, Crime-Free Kennesaw GeorgiaAnother large business is leaving California. Yamaha says Sayonara to Governor Gavin Newsom after 50 years in the once-Golden State…This is going to hurt Gov. Newsom who has had a lot of success chasing out hundreds to thousands of California businesses or subsidiaries, which fled to business-friendly red states including Jelly Belly, Chevron, X/Twitter, Space X, Oracle, Hewlett Packard, Charles Schwab, and Toyota Motor North America. After 77 Years in California, In-N-Out moved its headquarters to Tennessee. And Valero is closing its refinery. Marathon Petroleum is warning they could leave as well.
So, in addition to losing population for the first time in history, companies are fleeing California taxes and regulations on Governor Gavin Newsom’s watch.
Meanwhile, Newsom is doing podcasts and talking trash about Israel.
Over at CBS News, they include a quote from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who is happy to gain the jobs and tax revenue:
The company’s headquarters in Cypress, California, had been its home since 1979 after Yamaha acquired the land the year before.The manufacturer of ATVs, boat engines, personal watercraft, and other motorized products had already moved its marine business to Kennesaw in 1999 and its motorsports business in 2019.”After many years of great partnership, we are honored and proud to welcome Yamaha’s American headquarters to the No. 1 state for business,” Kemp said in a statement. “This is another loud and clear testament to what we offer job creators from around the world. To any other California-based companies looking for a better home, we’ll give you plenty of reasons to keep Georgia on your mind.”
We’ve seen this movie before.
This is more than an image problem, and Newsom is going to have to answer for it eventually.
Featured image via YouTube.
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