Haas Automation, one of California's largest manufacturers, is relocating 73 jobs from its Oxnard headquarters to a new facility in Henderson, Nevada. The move is part of the company's expansion plans and its desire to operate in a more business-friendly environment.
The new Nevada facility spans 2.4 million square feet and has been under development for six years. It is equipped with a lobby, demonstration room, event center, and full production areas, including a machine shop. The company stated the relocation is intended to "enable future growth" and that employees moving to Henderson will find "everything the community offers."
The workers being relocated include assemblers, operators, and machinists. The company has indicated that this move does not involve layoffs and that the affected employees' employment is expected to continue without interruption.
Haas Automation employs approximately 1,700 people at its Oxnard headquarters, making it a significant employer in Ventura County. The company, which began as a small machine shop, has grown into one of the world's largest machine tool builders by volume.
This relocation follows a pattern of California businesses moving to states like Nevada, which does not impose personal or corporate state income taxes. Nevada previously approved incentives for Haas to potentially bring as many as 2,500 jobs to the state over a decade. A company representative, Peter Zierhut, Vice President of Outside Operations, previously described the process of establishing the Nevada facility as "easy and wonderful" and noted that Nevada is "just so much more business-friendly than other parts of the country."
Last year, Haas had assured local communities in Ventura County of its continued commitment to the area despite the construction of the new Nevada facility.