Morton Salt has joined the growing list of major companies to ditch Chicago for safer and more business-friendly cities ahead of the Democratic National Convention’s kickoff on Monday.
The company, easily recognizable by its iconic umbrella girl logo, started in Chicago nearly 180 years ago and grew to become the biggest salt producer in North America.
In 2021, the company had to slash 40 percent of workers at its headquarters in order “help meet our business goals,” ABC 7 Chicago reported.
Morton is now set to relocate to Overland Park, Kansas, according to Illinois Policy.
According to CNBC, Illinois is ranked at 33 in the U.S. for business friendliness.
“Morton Salt moving its headquarters from Chicago to Kansas makes sense,” reacted one X user:
Morton Salt moving its headquarters from Chicago to Kansas makes sense. Not only has Morton Salt been mined and refined in Kansas for more than 125 years, but Chicago has a terrible economic climate due to democrat policies. Plus, less crime in Kansas!https://t.co/b7ugt8xtRh
— 🇺🇸 (@FreeStateWill) August 17, 2024
“Not only has Morton Salt been mined and refined in Kansas for more than 125 years, but Chicago has a terrible economic climate due to democrat policies. Plus, less crime in Kansas!”
The DNC convention, slated to begin on Monday morning, has prompted multiple businesses to board up their windows in anticipation of out-of-control protests, Breitbart News reported.
Before Morton Salt, several other household-name companies left Chicago for greener pastures:
Boeing
Aerospace manufacturer Boeing announced in May 2022 that it would move its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia in order to repair soured relationships with lawmakers and regulators in Washington, DC, after two deadly 737 Max crashes, CNBC reported.
“The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent,” Boeing President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun said at the time.
Then-House of Representatives Transportation Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D) blasted Boeing’s decision, saying “failures of management” led to the crashes that killed 346 people.
“Moving their headquarters to Chicago and away from their roots in the Pacific Northwest was a tragic mistake,” DeFazio said. “Moving their headquarters again, this time to be closer to the federal regulators and policymakers in Washington, D.C. is another step in the wrong direction. Boeing’s problem isn’t a lack of access to government, but rather its ongoing production problems and the failures of management and the board that led to the fatal crashes of the 737 Max.”
Caterpillar Tractor Company (CAT)
Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar announced in June 2022 that it would relocate its headquarters from its longtime home state of Illinois to Texas, the Associated Press reported.
After spending over 90 years in Peoria and about five in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, CAT said it would transfer its global base to the Dallas suburb of Irving.
“We believe it’s in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move,” CEO Jim Umpleby said at the time.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the move, calling his state a “perfect fit for this international brand” in a post on X:
Today, Texas widened its lead as the #1 state in America for Fortune 500 company headquarters.
We are proud that Catapillar now calls Texas home.
We are a perfect fit for this international brand. https://t.co/qrK06SnWrR
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 14, 2022
Citadel
Billionaire Ken Griffin moved his hedge fund, Citadel, from Chicago to Miami, Florida after one colleague was robbed at gunpoint and another was approached by “some random lunatic just trying to punch him in the head,” he told Bloomberg.
Griffin, a Florida native with a net worth of over $38 billion according to Forbes, made the announcement in September 2022 after he could no longer stand Chicago’s soaring crime rate.
He also told Bloomberg that he “will definitely be involved in the [2024] presidential race” and that he would consider moving to Washington, DC, if a Republican president asked him to.
Despite criticizing the former president in the past, Griffin met with Donald Trump in July to discuss donating to his campaign, Fortune reported.
He also gave over $20 million to Republican fundraising committees, according to the Financial Times.
TTX
Rail car company TTX declared it was leaving Chicago for Charlotte, North Carolina in a July 2023 joint statement with Gov. Roy Cooper (D).
The move created 150 new jobs in North Carolina and the company pledged to invest $14.5 million in Mecklenburg County, the press release stated.
“We believe Charlotte presents a unique opportunity for TTX that provides for strategic partnerships to strengthen our business,” said TTX president and CEO Thomas F. Wells. “Our company is positioned to provide strong rail and freight car management services from the Charlotte metro area – as such, we are excited to partner with local innovators, business leaders, and academic institutions to drive value for the North American rail industry and the local economy. We also look forward to welcoming new local talent to join our existing workforce to continue to drive our long-term success.”
“Designated as the number one state in the nation to do business for the second year in a row, our quality of life, infrastructure and talented, well-educated workforce lets companies know they will find success in North Carolina,” Gov. Cooper added. “Charlotte’s stellar reputation as a place to do business makes TTX’s decision to move its headquarters to the Queen City no surprise.”
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, the world’s second-largest processor of chicken, beef, and pork, became the sixth company in 2022 to leave Illinois, with 500 corporate jobs in its Chicago and Downers Grove offices moving to Arkansas.
The company also closed their office in South Dakota in order to consolidate manpower at their global headquarters in Springdale, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
“Bringing our talented corporate team members and businesses together under one roof unlocks greater opportunities to share perspectives and ideas, while also enabling us to act quickly to solve problems and provide the innovative products solutions that our customers deserve and value,” said CEO Donnie King.