Toyota Moved To Texas Because It Is Delivering What California No Longer Does

Toyota sent shock waves through Southern California when it announced this past week that it’s moving its North American sales headquarters from Torrance, south of Los Angeles, to Plano, Texas, north of Dallas. The move, which is part of a broader headquarters consolidation, will cost the city of Torrance about $1.2 million in annual tax revenue and affects about 3,000 employees.

Employees who relocate are in for a surprise. Contrary to the image promulgated by both critics and boosters, Texas is not an alien planet populated by barbarians with big hair.

With its cheap suburban housing and good public schools, Plano in fact offers a 21st-century version of the middle-class California dream that built towns like Torrance. It’s just been updated, with more immigrants, better restaurants and a lot more marble countertops.

In contrasting Texas and California, politicians and pundits tend to emphasize taxes and business regulation. But for most people on a day-to-day basis, the biggest difference between the two is the cost of housing.

skytop - 5/5/2014 1:35:54 PM

+4 Boost

The leftist dream is now collapsing in California. It always fails.

Terry989 - 5/5/2014 3:00:04 PM

-4 Boost

Another 009 propaganda piece with less to do about cars and more to justify his own personal decisions.

Agent009 - 5/5/2014 3:30:39 PM

+4 Boost

LOL... Right now California isn't doing the best to keep business. Too many regulations, too high of a cost of living, and more red tape than you would care to dream about.

Ever wonder why California was shocked? They were never in consideration for Toyota to stay. The bags were already packed.

If you want an eye opener compare Torrance to Plano and see.

Forbes did and interesting article where the average Toyota employee making $75K in California will net an additional $13K bottom line on taxes alone simply based on the move. An additional $250 a week.

Also a quick Zillow search of a $400K home in Torrance pulls up homes built in the 60's @ 1,000 sqft.

In Plano $400K snags a house built in the last 10 years or newer with 4,500 sqft and a pool. MacMansions

If you move just north (2 miles from the new corp location) into Frisco everything just gets better. Newer homes and better values. Those in apartments in Torrance now afford a 4 bedroom home.

Quick references show both have exceptional schools

MorePower - 5/5/2014 6:19:14 PM

-4 Boost

@ 009

Lower home prices neither proves or guarantees a better standard of living nor a stronger middle class.

Your argument falls apart for several reasons.

Texas is a bigger state with a smaller population, in terms of density and individuals, than California. More space + less people = lower home prices.

Newer, bigger home does not equate to a better home.

MorePower - 5/5/2014 6:23:05 PM

-3 Boost

Toyota's move was not an indictment of California, but simply Toyota wanting to consolidate parts of their business and a state giving them large sums of money and tax breaks to do so.

I doubt many top level executives at Toyota would want to leave Southern California for Texas.

CrunchyCajun - 5/5/2014 10:18:55 PM

+4 Boost

Leftist ideology = 100% failure. Give it time, it fails. Should they get a pass because they have "good intentions?" Not a chance, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Tritonx - 5/6/2014 2:35:16 PM

-1 Boost

@BobM here's the article: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/lbnp/final-li-ion-battery-lca-report.pdf Your first paragraph is accurate since it contains the word "potential". However, your second paragraph deletes the term and no longer becomes accurate, unless you actually survey the battery factory to see if they implemented any of the potential-reducing activities the paper specifies when working with nickel and cobalt. Don't do what the fool does and turn "potentials" into "actuals". The article never concludes that any of the batteries they study are actually causing the environmental hazards they "could".