Troy, MI, October 1--Kmart Holdings Corp. is considering moving its headquarters from Michigan, the state's economic development agency said on Thursday.
"We understand that the company is considering leaving its Troy (Mich.) headquarters," said Paul Krepps, managing director of communications at the Michigan Economic Development Council, which seeks to lure companies to the state. "My understanding is that they've been working with a site consultant and are exploring different opportunities."
A spokesman for Kmart declined to comment on a possible headquarters move. Kmart had slightly more than 2,000 headquarters workers as of February, and said it was cutting 10 percent of its headquarters staff in August.
Possible relocation sites include cities within and outside of Michigan, Krepps said. A report by the Detroit News on Thursday said one of the cities Kmart was considering is Atlanta. The Georgia governor's office declined to comment.
Krepps said the third-largest U.S. discount chain has said it does not need as much space as it has at its current facility, which is just outside Detroit.
"We're going to work closely with the company to understand what their needs are and to try to see that those needs are satisfied here within the state of Michigan," Krepps added.
Kmart has been selling stores and piling up cash following its emergence from bankruptcy protection last year.
