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The moving industry is responding to the needs of modern business with comprehensive relocation services.
Intranets and the World Wide Web. Videoconferencing. Satellite-- directed telephone conversations. The modern business world does move at the speed of light. But even in this high-energy environment, a physical presence is needed to research and develop, manufacture or deploy, supervise, market, and sell and distribute as companies seek to extend their reach in new areas of our nation or globe. People are on the move to new assignments and responsibilities across town, to regional headquarters, and, increasingly, abroad. Companies are transferring in employees to live and work in the United States and moving Americans overseas. Within the Midwest and, specifically our home state of Michigan, we have seen these developments as auto suppliers from Asia and Europe establish research and development facilities here. Ford Motor Company's global reorganization and the recent Daimler Benz/Chrysler merger also set off a wave of relocations. The same forces drive corporate relocations elsewhere in financial services, pharmaceuticals, retailing, and the entertainment industry.
Corporate relocation benefits today fall under the broader umbrella of total benefits packages that executives and human resources managers must source and deliver to their employees. There are several important trends:
* Although larger corporations may have stabilized in terms of numbers of employees, moves remain an important part of business management and career progression, whereas growth companies continue to add new employees and relocate existing employees.
Corporate relocation benefits, like other benefits, are an important component of employee attraction and retention. In particular, a reputation for "good moves" within a company may encourage existing employees to accept a corporate move. In addition, a favorable move experience is important in the early days of working at the new location. Worrying about the logistics of the move or an uneasy family member only makes it more difficult to focus on the job.
In 1998, according to the Employee Relocation Council, the average cost for the relocation of a homeowner was in excess of $42,000. Accordingly, there has been an understandable push for cost control and efficiency in the selection of moving vendors. As a result, increased single sourcing (outsourcing) has allowed companies to offer and afford a wider range of relocation services...