Eaton Corp's Big Move
October 21, 2008
Last month I voiced my criticism to the leaders of Cleveland for failing to keep Eaton Corporation in the city and instead allowing them to slip into the suburbs. Newly released documents, as reported by the Plain Dealer, indicate that it may have actually been Eaton who made demands that simply couldn’t be met. I still stand behind the contention that Eaton’s move to Cleveland’s suburbs is neither good for the city nor the region as a whole; but I also wonder whether the move is even in Eaton's own self-interest?
If my theory on demographic shift is correct, Eaton will have an increasingly difficult time attracting high quality young talent to its new corporate headquarters. First because talented young people are more apt to leave the NE Ohio region if exciting urban opportunities become sparse in Cleveland, and also because those who do stay in Cleveland will be more likely to opt for a similarly challenging and rewarding career in the city than they are in the suburbs.
Plus, what about Eaton’s out of town clients and visitors? Instead of being a quick RTA ride from the airport to downtown, visitors will either have to spend time at the Cleveland Airport’s wonderful rental car terminal or pony up for a cab ride to the new headquarters almost 20 miles away. Instead of dining at impressive restaurants like Lola, Johnny’s or Hyde Park, they will have the choice of Olive Garden, Maggiano’s or Bahama Breeze. Instead of staying at the Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton or Hyatt, visitors will get to choose between the Courtyard-Marriott, Hampton Inn or Embassy Suites. Instead of a view of the city and the lakefront, visitors will get a view of the intersection of two interstate highways. Instead of entertaining visitors at Playhouse Square, Hilarities Comedy Club, an Indians, Cavs or Browns game, or being a short ride on the new RTA line from Severance Hall and world famous museums, visitors will be entertained by whatever fun event might be happening out in the suburbs.
While I admit the examples above are somewhat exaggerated, they still demonstrate the distinction between working in the city and the suburbs. If the movie Office Space showed us anything, it is how soulless, depressing and mind-numbing it can be to work in a suburban office campus. The thought of having to get in a car and drive miles to get to corporate chain restaurants and fast-food places during a lunch hour makes me cringe; the inability to easily meet a friend from another company during the day makes me sad; and the idea of having to drive to an out-of-the way bar for an after-work happy hour makes me frustrated.
I don’t know every detail that went into Eaton’s decision to move to the suburbs. They obviously believe the move is in the best interest of the company; and at this point, I can really only express disappointment for myself and similarly minded people.
If my theory on demographic shift is correct, Eaton will have an increasingly difficult time attracting high quality young talent to its new corporate headquarters. First because talented young people are more apt to leave the NE Ohio region if exciting urban opportunities become sparse in Cleveland, and also because those who do stay in Cleveland will be more likely to opt for a similarly challenging and rewarding career in the city than they are in the suburbs.
Plus, what about Eaton’s out of town clients and visitors? Instead of being a quick RTA ride from the airport to downtown, visitors will either have to spend time at the Cleveland Airport’s wonderful rental car terminal or pony up for a cab ride to the new headquarters almost 20 miles away. Instead of dining at impressive restaurants like Lola, Johnny’s or Hyde Park, they will have the choice of Olive Garden, Maggiano’s or Bahama Breeze. Instead of staying at the Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton or Hyatt, visitors will get to choose between the Courtyard-Marriott, Hampton Inn or Embassy Suites. Instead of a view of the city and the lakefront, visitors will get a view of the intersection of two interstate highways. Instead of entertaining visitors at Playhouse Square, Hilarities Comedy Club, an Indians, Cavs or Browns game, or being a short ride on the new RTA line from Severance Hall and world famous museums, visitors will be entertained by whatever fun event might be happening out in the suburbs.
While I admit the examples above are somewhat exaggerated, they still demonstrate the distinction between working in the city and the suburbs. If the movie Office Space showed us anything, it is how soulless, depressing and mind-numbing it can be to work in a suburban office campus. The thought of having to get in a car and drive miles to get to corporate chain restaurants and fast-food places during a lunch hour makes me cringe; the inability to easily meet a friend from another company during the day makes me sad; and the idea of having to drive to an out-of-the way bar for an after-work happy hour makes me frustrated.
I don’t know every detail that went into Eaton’s decision to move to the suburbs. They obviously believe the move is in the best interest of the company; and at this point, I can really only express disappointment for myself and similarly minded people.
Found your blog through Andrew Sullivan's post. This post is very interesting as I am an urban planner for an inner ring suburb of Detroit AND my father worked for Eaton Corp. for 30 years here in Michigan. I don't understand why companies leave their respective cities-- in this case, I know *they* have their reasons, but you'd think Eaton's pride and loyalty towards "The Cleve" would outweigh anything else. I can say that my boss is the city planner AND business development manager, and it's often hard to wear both hats when trying to retain businesses. Interesting piece though-- thanks for your insight.
Girl Land, thank you for clicking through from The Daily Dish and leaving your feedback. I am truly torn over whether Eaton's move to the suburbs was truly inevitable or whether they really had an interest in staying in the city. Don't get me wrong, I am not singling out Eaton for any particular reason other than that their news is most recent, but I think they are a microcosm of a very concerning trend in Cleveland. The Flats East Bank development, where Eaton’s new headquarters was originally to be constructed, has been placed on hold. I fear that any delay in development will only continue to hurt Cleveland relative to other cities.