Posted on 01/10/2015 3:05:52 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
As usual “Coach” is only partially right. This is expansion, not “leaving Illinois”. The company’s HQ remains in Bloomington and the CEO says that will not change, but with 16,000 employees there already they need to expand backoffice processing to areas including Dallas, Phoenix and Atlanta.
Give Governor Rauner a little time to start to overcome the devastation of one-party rule in IL and things will look different.
Yeah but let me tell you, those property taxes are a bitch.
Dallas and FtWorth look like fascinating big cities but yes, we are more interested in getting out into the countryside (or a nice smaller city like maybe Denton or?)...
we will definitely email you if we are able to visit Texas for a look-see...
THANKS!
I have a relative who has worked at State Farm’s home office in Bloomington, IL for many years. They wanted to do expansion in that area, but the community’s infrastructure (housing, schools, travel routes) could not seemingly gear up quickly enough for all of the new jobs they were going to have there, so they elected to go with a second major operating base in TX. This is what he was told, and seems to believe. He’s possibly going to take retirement next year at 62, so not worried about it anyway. I would add that it seems like they have treated their employees well in the Bloomington area.
This article is wrong. While they have expanded their operational footprint into Atlanta, Texas, and Phoenix, State Farm is still headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, still directly employs 15,000+ people here ( and thousands more indirectly), and still owns millions of square feet and hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate here.
And unlike Decatur, which somehow landed ADM 40 years ago and didn’t know what to do with it, State Farm was founded here and is a homegrown company. They have helped Illinois State University in Normal become one of the nation’s leading actuarial studies programs, and they churn out scads of SF’ers every year. They aren’t going anywhere.
I apologize if I sound defensive, but the whole “Illinois sucks” narritive just pisses me off. Bloomington/Normal is two plus hours downstate from Chicago and is a reliably conservative area and a wonderful place to live. We really don’t like Chicago any more than the rest of you.
If your relative is a smart man he will GTF out of Illinois and move to Texas.
Will the last down state Illinois business left please turn the light off when you leave...
Be advised that Denton is liberal land. The anti-liberty leftists banned fracking there. Even worse, it's home to two commie colleges, one of which is known for it lesbians. In many ways, Denton is just Austin moved a few hundred miles north. It has more than its share of goofy hippie lunatics too.
Yep, Denton is the Berkeley of North Texas.
I heard a few stories.
Another line of work that is brutal and I know from personal experience is the electronics recycling world. A corporation ran by a bunch of psychos has a warehouse out here.
I wound up there since it was obvious the closet lesbo man hater boss I had in a my little state job had it in for me. I tried for every job after my year was up including grounds keeping, she wanted me out not around. I was at the end of my mental rope.
For several months I did ok and was fairly happy. Since I was the experienced and capable one with a tech cert or two, I wound up with more and more stuff and no money. I quit and went into contract work.
And unless Christian Conservatives take control of things there, it's only going to get worse. That "35 Denton" music festival has a goal of becoming a "South by Southwest". In short, Denton wants to be a leftist hippie mecca just like Austin. It really started going downhill just within the past 15 years. Back in the 80s and 90s, Denton was nice in spite of UNT and TWU. The banning of fracking shows just how far this once fine community has gone off the rails.
We can’t wait for 2ndDivisionVet’s response. He he he he he he.
stay away from Denton, nothing but liberal commie bastards
They are building a large complex in Tempe, Arizona, also. I think they are on the verge of abandoning Illinois for good.
Do you know what they call an attractive gal at TWU?
I’ll bet that stalwart FReeper 2ndDivisionVet, a genuine Patriot, is disgusted by how the commies have taken over Denton. As I posted upthread, Denton was once a fine community. The last time I was there, just a few months ago, I saw a hippie smoking dope in one of the parks. That’s sad and indicative of how far its fallen. But on a positive note, Denton can still be rescued if FReepers (and those of like mind) take control of the town and evict the leftist scum. Short of that, it’s going to become a smaller version of San Fagsicko.
A walking contradiction? :)
Might as well call her Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, because like those two, they don't exist.
We landed here because my wife took the first transfer that would get us back here and out of Mississippi. I’m hoping to get us to Mansfield, H-E-B or somewhere like that.
“Visitor.”
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