HOUSTON – Top Japanese machinery maker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has moved its Americas headquarters from Manhattan to Houston, resulting in the transfer of around 40 employees.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is attending a ceremony at the company's new Houston office on Tuesday. Spokesman John Wittman said no state funds were given to facilitate the move.
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“Texas is home to around 1,200 MHI Group employees and we are honored that they have chosen Houston for their new U.S. headquarters,” said Governor Abbott. “In Texas, free enterprise flourishes thanks to our low taxes, reasonable regulations and right-to-work laws, and I look forward to Texas’ continued growth as a North American hub for global trade and investment.”
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries spokesman Daniel Lochmann said the company had maintained its Americas headquarters in New York since 1988, but began operations in Houston last month.
He said "the headquarters move isn't so large" since Mitsubishi Heavy Industries employs about 6,600 people in 100-plus locations across 30 states — including 1,200 employees in several Texas locales.
Lochmann said the company wanted to be closer to America's oil and gas hub, and to its customers throughout the country.
“I am delighted that we have been able to set up a new base in Houston to better serve our customers and oversee our Group operations in North America," said MHI President & CEO Shunichi Miyanaga. "As a city with a heavy concentration of cutting-edge industries, Houston holds great promise as a key driver of America’s economic development long into the future."