Norfolk
Southern to close Roanoke office building, relocate
employees
ROANOKE,
Va., January 27, 2015 – Norfolk Southern today announced that it will close its
Roanoke office building at 110 Franklin Road SE later this year and relocate the
functions currently housed there to Atlanta or Norfolk.
Approximately
500 people currently work in the building in marketing, accounting, information
technology, and other departments. Affected employees will have the option of
relocating with their positions.
The
action is being taken to foster departmental synergies and to make better use of
the company’s real estate assets and support the company’s goal of streamlining
its management workforce. Norfolk Southern is in the final process of evaluating
which positions will be relocated to its corporate headquarters in Norfolk, Va.,
or its operational headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. Some regionally oriented
positions will remain in Roanoke but will move to other work locations in the
area.
“This
will not involve any involuntary force reductions, and we will provide
substantial relocation packages for those who choose to relocate,” said James A.
Squires, Norfolk Southern president. “Norfolk Southern has been a proud
corporate citizen of Roanoke for more than 130 years, and that will not change.
While our profile may be reduced, Roanoke will remain a key location in our
network, and we will remain engaged in the community.”
Roanoke
will remain the headquarters for Norfolk Southern’s Virginia Division, and the
company will continue operating a local switching yard and locomotive and car
maintenance facilities at Shaffer’s Crossing, and a locomotive overhaul and
rebuilding facility in its East End Shops. In total, about 1,700 people
currently work for Norfolk Southern in Roanoke.
The
Roanoke office building was built in 1992 and consists of more than 203,000
square feet of office space. Disposition of the building will be determined at a
later time.
About
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern
Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk
Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000
route
miles
in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in
the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail
carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the
East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial
products.
Media
Inquiries:
Robin Chapman, 757-650-0138 (robin.chapman@nscorp.com)