Swedish Carmaker Saab Moving U.S. Headquarters to Detroit, Near Parent General Motors

DETROIT May 20, 2004; John Porretto writng for the AP reported that Swedish carmaker Saab is moving its U.S. headquarters to Detroit from outside Atlanta in a move that will place it in the same location as parent General Motors Corp.

Saab Cars USA, a subsidiary of GM-owned Saab Automobile AB, expects to be settled into GM's world headquarters at Detroit's Renaissance Center by Sept. 7, Saab said Thursday.

Saab Cars USA has 80 employees at its offices in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross, where it's now based.

Saab spokesman Kevin Smith said the company had offered positions in Detroit "to a good number" of the employees, but he declined to give an exact number.

Saab said the move will allow it to make better use of numerous GM resources such as employee benefits, dealer training, vehicle distribution and legal counsel.

Once the relocation takes place, all GM divisions -- Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac/GMC, Saab and Saturn -- will be in Detroit.

The Swedish company, which has posted an annual profit only twice since GM acquired a stake in 1990, is in the midst of an aggressive product expansion in the United States, where it offers only two models, the 9-3 sedan and bigger 9-5.

In addition to different versions of the 9-3 and 9-5, Saab is adding the 9-2X, an entry in the emerging premium small car segment. The 9-2X is scheduled to reach showrooms in the coming weeks.

Through April, Saab's U.S. sales were off 27.3 percent from the year-ago period, according to Autodata Corp.