Every Company Leaving California: 2020-2023

Arguably since the first agricultural revolution 10,000+ years ago, work has been tied a fixed location. That location-based work – first a farm, then a manufacturing plant, then an office – created opportunity. Opportunity attracted workers (or new citizens).

Therefore, we always formed cities, countries, and societies primarily through location-based opportunity. Go where the work is, as they say. For the first time in thousands of years, that trend is reversing. With the internet (and remote work layered on top), you now have the ability to bring your work (your livelihood, really) with you to any location.

This remote work revolution is starting to drive astounding second- and third-order consequences.

If you can bring your work wherever you want, where should you live?
If you no longer need to live near the office, what happens to our cities?
If a company no longer has a physical headquarters, could it reside in a state or country with a more favorable environment?

First, the employees start to work from home. Then, the companies go fully remote. Then, the company itself moves to a better jurisdiction.

In this article, we’re talking about the third-order effect of the remote work revolution: companies leaving states. In the United States, the biggest trend has been with companies leaving California.

Below, you’ll find all of the companies leaving California since 2020. Whenever a company announces its plans to leave the state, we’ll update the list.

Companies Leaving California: Every Announcement Since 2020

Here is the list of companies with over 100 employees:

Company	Destination	Jobs	Story
Garcia Hand Picked	(Multiple locations)		January 29, 2023 "The Garcia Hand Picked brand, launched by the deceased musician’s family in 2020, has pulled out of the state, a spokesperson confirmed to SFGATE. Garcia’s exit comes as cannabis insiders predict a “mass extinction event” for California’s pot industry, with thousands of companies expected to go out of business this year."
McAfee	Texas	Search McAfee jobs	January 20, 2023 "The San Jose-based cybersecurity company McAfee announced it’ll be Frisco’s newest addition by moving its headquarters to The Star in 2023."
Bluevine	New Jersey	Search Bluevine jobs	January 9, 2023 "Bluevine, the leading provider of small business banking solutions, today announced its official new company headquarters in Jersey City. As a fintech leader, Bluevine continues to expand to meet growing demand."
Boingo Wireless	Texas		December 20, 2022 "Boingo Wireless, a total connectivity provider of distributed antenna systems (DAS), Wi-Fi and private networks, is building a new office in Frisco, with plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to the rapidly expanding north Texas city, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday."
Lucas Oil Products	Indiana		November 1, 2022 "After 33 years in business in Southern California, Lucas Oil Products is closing its corporate headquarters and West Coast production facility located in Corona and consolidating operations at its facilities in Indiana, according to an October 17 article in the Press Enterprise newspaper. Lucas Oil Products is also relocating its wholly owned MAVTV cable network from Corona, California to Indiana."
Allspring Global Investments	North Carolina		October 20, 2022 "We are thrilled to announce the official opening of our corporate headquarters in Charlotte, which we believe is an important step in Allspring’s journey to elevate investing to be worth more," said Joe Sullivan, CEO of Allspring, in a statement issued on Thursday.
Trimble	Colorado		October 6, 2022 "Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today that the company has changed its headquarters from Sunnyvale, California to Westminster, Colorado. 'Sunnyvale will continue to be the center for technology development across a range of areas critical to Trimble's success going forward,' said Rob Painter, president and CEO."
Virta Health Corp	Colorado	Search Virta jobs	October 3, 2022 "The technology and healthcare talent we have already assembled in Colorado provides a clear picture of the exciting growth potential we have in the region,” Sami Inkinen, Virta Health co-founder and CEO, said in a written statement. “Colorado is a great place to live, with a spirit of innovation and people who are willing to tackle big challenges to change the world for the better. It’s an ideal setup for a mission-oriented company like Virta Health.
Obagi Cosmeceuticals	Texas	Search Obagi jobs	September 21, 2022 "Some of the primary drivers are the favorable tax rate for businesses and residents and cost of living implications. Housing is simply unaffordable for many in Southern California, and our folks see the possibility of home ownership in their near future in Texas. We are very excited about the upcoming move and the opportunities it affords our relocating employees," said Jaime Castle, President & CEO of Obagi Cosmeceuticals.
American Airlines (*Flight Attendant Base, only)	(Multiple locations)	Search American Airlines jobs	September 15, 2022 "American Airlines announced that they are relocating more than 400 flight attendants who were based out of San Francisco International Airport, to other parts of the country."
Belong	Florida	Search Belong jobs	September 6, 2022 "Belong CEO, Ale Resnik, emphasized the cultural fit between Miami and Belong: "'Miami represents a glimpse at a possible future of the USA. One that's multicultural, more pragmatic, and less ideological. This is an ecosystem where consumer tech can blossom.'"
Chevron	Texas	Search Chevron jobs	June 29, 2022 "Chevron says it's willing to pay its employees who are willing to relocate to Houston. The U.S. oil company is planning to sell its headquarters located at Chevron Park in San Ramon, California, so it can move to a more modern space."
Aviatrix	Texas	Search Aviatrix jobs	May 5, 2022 "A technology unicorn has shifted its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Dallas. The company is now operating out of a co-working space in Dallas - but will lease about 25,000 feet for a more permanent locale."
Sendoso	Arizona	Search Sendoso jobs	April 12, 2022 "Business software developer Sendoso is relocating its headquarters from San Francisco to Phoenix later this year, bringing nearly 1,000 jobs to the Valley, the company announced Tuesday."
Ovation Fertility	Tennessee	Search Ovation Fertility jobs	February 15, 2022 As Ovation has grown to become a diversified, coast-to-coast fertility care services company, it just makes sense to reduce travel distance and time zone challenges by placing our home office in the middle of the country,” says Paul Kappelman, Ovation’s chief executive officer. “Nashville is also a talent-rich environment and home to many industry-leading healthcare companies, so it’s an ideal place for Ovation to establish a home base."
Hyperion	Ohio	Search Hyperion jobs	February 2, 2022 "Orange-based hydrogen fuel cell and transportation company Hyperion Companies said Tuesday it will move its global headquarters to Columbus, Ohio. Hyperion said in a news release that it will create 680 new jobs over six years and invest about $300 million in a headquarters, research and development center and manufacturing operations in the city."
Marrone Bio Innovations	North Carolina	Search Marrone Bio jobs	January 6, 2022 "The company noted in its statement that the decision to relocate its corporate headquarters location was made “to support the company’s growing presence in markets outside the United States.” The company’s research and development operations, and some support functions, will remain based in Davis, Ca., the company noted."
Review Wave	Texas	Search Review Wave jobs	January 5, 2022
Science 37	North Carolina	Search Science 37 jobs	December 22, 2021 “Establishing our headquarters in the Research Triangle, a magnet for biopharmaceutical innovation, will enable Science 37 to continue to grow, attracting and retaining top talent dedicated to accelerating research and enabling access for patients and providers, anywhere.”
FICO	Montana	Search FICO jobs	November 1, 2021 According to Wayback Machine, FICO changed its corporate headquarters from San Jose, CA to Bozeman, MT some time between Oct 29, 2021 and Nov 24, 2021. There was no press release.
Nexen Tire	Ohio	Search Nexen Tire jobs	October 28, 2021 "Nexen Tire’s road to growth is running straight through the middle of the country into Richfield, Ohio, and we’re ecstatic to be reuniting with an already incredible and established team at our North American technical center,” said Brian YoonSeok Han, CEO of Nexen Tire America.
Tesla	Texas	Search Tesla jobs	October 7, 2021 “To be clear we will be continuing to expand our activities in California,” Musk said. “Our intention is to increase output from Fremont and Giga Nevada by 50%. If you go to our Fremont factory it’s jammed.” But, he added, “It’s tough for people to afford houses, and people have to come in from far away....There’s a limit to how big you can scale in the Bay Area.”
First Foundation Bank	Texas	Search First Foundation jobs	September 26, 2021 "The Dallas-Fort Worth area today reminds me of what Southern California was like 30 years ago, where First Foundation started, and for me personally, it is nice to return to Texas as my roots are in the South,” Scott F. Kavanaugh, CEO of First Foundation Inc. said recently. “Texas has such a business-friendly environment which gives us confidence in being able to serve the communities of Dallas with our high standard of exceptional client care."
GlobalFoundries	New York	Search GlobalFoundries jobs	August 26, 2021 “The original vision for this site was a billion dollar investment from New York State, Global Foundries would put $3.2 billion in and create 1,200 jobs. We stand here today, the state put their dollars in, global foundries put $15 billion in, and there are now 3,000 jobs here and growing.” CEO Caulfield said.
HomeLight	Arizona	Search HomeLight jobs	August 24, 2021 "HomeLight CEO Drew Uher said that it made sense for his fast-growing real estate company to move its HQ from San Francisco to the city that is its largest employment center. HomeLight has hiring and more in store as it continues to expand."
NinjaOne	Texas	Search NinjaOne jobs	August 17, 2021 "One of the things that I saw is that a lot of my friends and family and employees that are moving here from the Bay Area can actually be homeowners, which in the Bay Area is virtually impossible," he said. "So I think it's actually the hidden retention tool, and a great recruiting tool."
AECOM	Texas	Search AECOM jobs	August 17, 2021 "AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, today announced it will relocate its global headquarters from Los Angeles, CA, to Dallas, TX, effective Oct. 1, 2021."
MD7	Texas	Search MD7 jobs	August 11, 2021 "We believe the friendly business climate and exceptional work environment for our team members will be a competitive advantage as we continue to grow to serve our customers.”
Kaiser Aluminum	Tennessee	Search Kaiser jobs	July 29, 2021 "Williamson County provides the benefit of a corporate friendly business environment and access to a highly talented workforce that fits well with Kaiser Aluminum’s corporate value of being a preferred employer and a great place to work."
Smart Wires, Inc.	North Carolina	Search Smart Wires jobs	July 27, 2021 “Not only is North Carolina a strong hub for smart grid businesses, it also provides significant access to talent, R&D partnerships, manufacturing know-how, and exceptional infrastructure that is continuously growing and improving,” CEO Peter Wells said.
Wiley X	Texas	Search Wiley X jobs	June 29, 2021 “Wiley X is committed to piloting smart and sustained growth for many years to come, and a central location like Texas is a prime place to call home for our brand,” Dan Freeman, co-owner of Wiley X, was quoted saying.
Edelbrock Group	Mississippi	Search Edelbrock jobs	June 15, 2021 “Mississippi is a strong manufacturing state with a prominent presence in the automotive industry, and Edelbrock’s decision to relocate its corporate headquarters from southern California and create new jobs in northwest Mississippi highlights our great state as a top destination for companies in the automotive sector,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director John Rounsaville.
Landing	Alabama	Search Landing jobs	June 10, 2021 “As a Birmingham native, relocating our headquarters and expanding our Alabama team was a natural transition,” said Bill Smith, founder and CEO of Landing. “I’m excited by the opportunity to continue to scale Landing and bring new jobs and economic opportunities to my community. As we continue to expand across the country, we’re committed to the vibrant cities we operate in and will strive to have a positive impact on all of Landing’s communities.”
Snowflake	Montana/ Remote	Search Snowflake jobs	May 26, 2021 “We are a Delaware corporation with a globally distributed workforce and no corporate headquarters. Under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules, we are required to designate a ‘principal executive office.’ For purposes of this report, we have designated our office in Bozeman, Montana as our principal executive office, as that is where our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are based.”
Wedgewood LLC	Texas	Search Wedgewood jos	May 18, 2021 "We think that Dallas has a regulatory environment that's beneficial to our business. It allows us to get things done. It was mainly driven by regulations to multifamily ownership in California, a state that's very focused on tenant's rights and not focused at all on ownership."
Green Dot Corporation	Texas	Search Green Dot jobs	May 7, 2021 "“I want the best and brightest people we can find to join our team to help us be successful, and you can live anywhere you want,” Henry said. “I’m not Jamie Dimon, I’m not going to force you to take the train three hours a day.” "The CEO called Texas a very 'business friendly state' relative to California, where local rules could dictate how the company chooses board members, for instance."
Education Media Foundation (EMF)	Tennessee	Search EMF jobs	March 24, 2021 CEO Bill Reeves said, “This move will enable us to better serve our audiences and deepen our relationships with faith-focused artists, content creators and the recording, film and publishing industries as we continue to broaden our media offerings through radio, film, streaming, live events, books and more.”
Viavi Solutions	Arizona	Search Viavi jobs	February 10, 2021 "In seeking to locate a new facility, the company found that Arizona provided the ideal conditions of being business-friendly, offering a high quality of life at reasonable cost, and providing a strong base of talent."
Align Technology	Arizona	Search Align jobs	January 22, 2021 "This change will afford many new opportunities for Align to expand its industry-leading digital capabilities through innovation in San Jose while achieving greater, long-term operating efficiencies in Arizona,” said Joe Hogan, Align’s chief executive officer.
Digital Realty	Texas	Search Digital Realty jobs	January 14, 2021 Said Digital Realty CEO William Stein, "The central location, affordable cost of living, highly educated workforce and supportive business climate have helped make Texas an epicenter for business activity and technology growth."
Lion Real Estate Group	Texas	Search Lion Real Estate jobs	January 7, 2021 "The decision to relocate our corporate headquarters to Dallas aligns with our strategy of acquiring desirable multifamily assets outside of the urban core, both here in Texas and in other high-growth cities across the Sunbelt and Southeast,"
OPSWAT	Florida	Search OPSWAT jobs	January 4, 2021 “While San Francisco will continue to be a strategic office location given its proximity to Silicon Valley and our West Coast partners and customers, we are excited to strengthen our East Coast presence and join Tampa’s emerging technology and cybersecurity ecosystem.”
Charles Schwab	Texas	Search Charles Schwab jobs	January 1, 2021 "The financial services firm announced a $26 billion merger with TD Ameritrade in October 2020. As part of the merger, the combined company’s headquarters would relocate from San Francisco to North Texas (Westlake)."
Oracle	Texas	Search Oracle jobs	December 11, 2020 “Oracle is implementing a more flexible employee work location policy and has changed its Corporate Headquarters from Redwood City, California to Austin, Texas. We believe these moves best position Oracle for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work,” a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC."
Tanium	Washington	Search Tanium jobs	December 2, 2020 "The CEO and co-founder of a billion-dollar cybersecurity company has moved its headquarters out of San Francisco because it's "not the city it was. He added that there were "some asymmetries in the way that the Bay Area works that just didn’t really work well for us.”
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)	Texas	Search HPE jobs	December 1, 2020 "As we look to the future, our business needs, opportunities for cost savings, and team members’ preferences about the future of work, we have made the decision to relocate HPE’s headquarters to the new campus under construction in Spring, Texas, just outside of Houston."
CBRE Group	Texas	Search CBRE jobs	October 29, 2020 "CBRE Group, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, is moving its headquarters from Los Angeles to Dallas."
Arctic Wolf	Minnesota	Search Arctic Wolf jobs	October 22, 2020 "Last summer, the company significantly expanded its office footprint in Minnesota. But the “most critical reason” for the relocation is access to the wide pool of tech talent in the Twin Cities area, Schneider said."
Pabst Brewing	Texas	Search Pabst jobs	October 7, 2020 "San Antonio is filled with opportunity and creativity, it has a great talent pool, high quality of life, and is experiencing a cultural boom that we’d really like to be a part of,” he said. “The affordability of the city does make it attractive to business(es) and employees.”
O. W. Lee	Texas	Search O. W. Lee jobs	September 23, 2020 "An outdoor furniture maker is planning to move its headquarters and manufacturing operations from California to Texas Hill County."
Incora	Texas	Search Incora jobs	September 15, 2020 “Texas has cultivated a strong economic climate with low taxes, reasonable regulations and a high-caliber workforce, which allows companies like Wesco to innovate and prosper,” said a statement from Abbott. “As a thriving aviation and aerospace hub, Fort Worth is the ideal location for Wesco to continue to grow its operations and serve its customers.”
Palantir	Colorado	Search Palantir jobs	August 19, 2020 "Chief Executive Officer Alex Karp has been open in the past about a potential move. In an interview with Axios on HBO in May, Karp said he was against the “increasing intolerance and monoculture of Silicon Valley” and was nearing a decision on whether or not to move. Karp said at the time Colorado was under consideration."
DZS (Dasan Zhone Solutions)	Texas	Search DZS jobs	August 3, 2020 "In addition to the strong pool of communications and software engineering talent in the Dallas area, officials said the move would lower the company’s fixed costs and provide good access to customers throughout the Americas."
Varo Bank	Utah	Search Varo jobs	July 25, 2020 “Salt Lake City is a more sustainable place to do business,” Colin Walsh, co-founder and CEO of Varo Money, told the San Francisco Business Times."
XO (XO Jets)	Florida	Search XO jobs	January 27, 2020 “There will be a significant number of the existing employees relocating to South Florida in the coming weeks,” said Michelle Bauman, chief human resources officer. “We’ll be hiring an additional 150 positions. We are very excited to become a Florida-based employer, which will afford us access to a deep pool of aviation talent from aviation universities and training centers located both locally in Florida and along the eastern seaboard.”
ASGN Incorporated	Virginia	Search ASGN jobs	January 26, 2020 "Governor Ralph Northam today announced that ASGN Incorporated (NYSE:ASGN) will invest a total of $12.4 million to move its corporate headquarters from Calabasas, California to Henrico County and grow operations across the Commonwealth, creating a total of 700 new jobs and advancing Virginia’s economic recovery strategy."
QuestionPro	Texas	Search QuestionPro jobs	January 21, 2020 "Bhaskaran said Austin’s cost of living makes it easier to scale up and hire talent. Austin’s talent pool, and the ability to attract people who live outside of Texas were also factors, he said. (The Bay Area) was not sustainable for us,” Bhaskaran said. ““For the same price we can find really amazing people in other areas.”
NortonLifeLock (Symantec)	Arizona	Search NortonLifeLock jobs	January 14, 2020 "The tech company wants to find a buyer for 10 buildings in Mountain View that together total 707,000 square feet. By early November 2019, the company’s headquarters were listed as being in Tempe, Ariz., an SEC filing disclosed. Also in early November, NortonLifeLock became the official name of the company.

Here is the list of companies with under 100 employees:

SignEasy: Texas, 2020
Finical: Texas, 2020
Arcturus Aerospace: Arkansas, 2020
KVP International: Texas, 2020
FileTrail: Texas, 2020
AgencyKPI: Texas, 2020
The Joe Rogan Experience: Texas, 2020
ShiftPixy: Florida, 2020
The Daily Wire: Tennessee, 2020
Titans of CNC, Inc.:Texas, 2020
Saleen Performance Parts: Texas, 2020
Amazing Magnets: Texas, 2021
Alpha Paw: Texas, 2021
Moov Technologies: Arizona, 2021
Huckleberry Insurance: New York, 2021
ProfitPay Technologies: Nevada, 2021
Nissei America, Inc.: Texas, 2021
Markaaz: Texas, 2021
Flannery Trim: Texas, 2021
SmartAction: Texas, 2021
Darvis: Tennesse, 2021
AHV Communities: Texas, 2021
Andamiro USA Corp.: Texas, 2021
AFC Finishing Systems, Inc.: Idaho, 2021
Precision Swiss Products: North Carolina, 2021
Ocean Aero Inc.: Mississippi, 2021
Cangshan Cutlery Company: Texas, 2021
OrangeGrid: Texas, 2021
Old Gringo Boots: Texas, 2021
The 360 Electrician, Inc.: Montana, 2021
Gordon Ramsay North America: Texas, 2021
The Rubin Report: Florida, 2021
American Technologies Network, Corp. (ATN): Florida, 2022
Noodoe: Texas, 2022
Shelter Distilling: Colorado, 2022 (source)
Sovereign Flavors: Texas, March 21, 2022 (source)
HackEDU: Pennsylvania, April 18, 2022 (source)
828 Productions: New Mexico, August 19, 2022 (source)
Cellipont Bioservices: Texas, August 30, 2022 (source)
Runa Capital: Luxembourg, September 13, 2022 (source)
Confer Inc: Texas, September 15, 2022 (source)
Integrated Defense Products: September 19, 2022 (source)
Pasta Piccinini: December 8, 2022 (source)
Informative (formerly Credit Bureau Connection): January 19, 2023 (source)
Autoslide: January 24, 2023 (source)

Sources:

News stories linked to from within the table
The California Book of Exoduses compiled by California Policy Center
Hoover Institution at Stanford

Why are companies leaving California?

I’ve pulled out notable phrases that company leaders mentioned when explaining their decision to leave California. Here are some samples to give you an idea:

Finding a place that is “easier to hire talent“
In search of a “great talent pool” (in the new city and state)
Seeking a “more sustainable place to do business“
There is an “increasing intolerance and monoculture of Silicon Valley“
Seeking “a strong economic climate with low taxes, reasonable regulations and a high-caliber workforce”
Moving for “our business needs, opportunities for cost savings, and team members”
There were “some symmetries in the way that the Bay Area works that just didn’t really work well for us”
“Arizona provided the ideal conditions of being business-friendly, offering a high quality of life at reasonable cost”
Employees can be homeowners in Texas, “which in the Bay Area is virtually impossible”
“In California, local rules could dictate how the company chooses board members, for instance”

How many businesses are leaving California?

The Hoover Institution at Stanford published an analysis in 2022. According to the analysis…

352 companies moved their headquarters to other states just in the period from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2021. In 2021, California business headquarters left the state at twice their rate in both 2020 and 2019, and at three times their rate in 2018.

Here are the company departures by year:

2021: 153
2020: 75
2019: 78
2018: 46

Where are they going? Primarily, Texas.

In my list current list, there are 54 companies leaving California between 2020 – 2022 with more than 100 employees. They’ve moved to 16 different states. Of those states, here are the biggest beneficiaries:

Texas: 24 (44%)
Arizona: 5 (9%)
North Carolina: 4 (7%)
Tennessee: 3 (6%)
Florida: 3 (6%)
Colorado: 3 (6%)
Ohio: 2 (4%)
9 states: 1
Multiple locations: 1

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Every Company Leaving California: 2020-2023

Companies Leaving California: Every Announcement Since 2020

Why are companies leaving California?

How many businesses are leaving California?

Where are they going? Primarily, Texas.

Did I miss a company? Submit an announcement here.

About the author

Henry O'Loughlin

2 comments

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Companies Leaving California: Every Announcement Since 2020

Why are companies leaving California?

How many businesses are leaving California?

Where are they going? Primarily, Texas.

Did I miss a company? Submit an announcement here.

About the author

Henry O'Loughlin

2 comments

Cancel reply

Read more

Remote Operating System

Get Featured

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