By Jay Fitzgerald – A blog about Boston, Hub of the Universe, and everything else.


Hasbro’s HQ decision: Let’s hope it turns out better than GE’s move to Boston

It feels like we’ve been here before. A nationally known corporation decides to relocate its headquarters to Boston from another New England state, picking the Seaport area as its new home and nabbing millions in economic incentives from the state etc. But it didn’t work out so well for General Electric. … Now we have Hasbro announcing its own HQ move to Boston, establishing its base in Seaport, nabbing millions in promises from the state and citing similar reasons for the move that GE touted nine years ago (tapping into the local innovative economy and talent pool),  … And, oh, both were struggling companies when they announced they were moving to Boston. In the case of Hasbro, until recently it was in the “midst of a yearslong turnaround effort that has involved cutting $600 million in costs and over two-thirds of its individual products,” as the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year. … There are key difference between GE then and Hasbro now, I know. And I’m glad Hasbro is going to be here. But I’m not about to get overly excited about this move. As they say, fool me once, shame on … blah, blah, blah.

Published by