Samsung ditches New Jersey for Texas costing Garden State 1,000 jobs

Samsung is pulling up stakes in New Jersey and heading to Texas, a move that could leave roughly 1,000 Garden State workers facing a stark choice: relocate or risk losing their jobs.The South Korean tech giant confirmed this week that it will move its US headquarters from Englewood Cliffs, NJ, to its existing campus in Plano, Texas, marking a stunning reversal less than a year after it celebrated the opening of a new headquarters in Bergen County.The relocation, which was reported by NJ.com, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to company statements.The move will end a headquarters presence in Bergen County that dates back more than three decades.Samsung established a foothold in the area in the 1980s and operated its Ridgefield Park headquarters from the early 1990s before relocating to Englewood Cliffs last year.“Samsung Electronics America Inc.is undergoing a business transformation designed to better position our organization for long-term growth and future success,” the company told local media in Seoul.“As part of this effort, we are relocating our US headquarters from New Jersey to our existing campus in Plano, Texas, building on our 30-year presence in the state.”Samsung held a grand opening for its new Englewood Cliffs campus less than a year ago, drawing state and local officials who praised the facility and the jobs it supported.State and local officials hailed the September opening of Samsung’s Englewood Cliffs headquarters, which was described at the time as home to roughly 1,200 employees.The company has not said whether it will completely abandon the 321,000-square-foot New Jersey facility once the headquarters relocation is complete.The announcement sparked fresh criticism of New Jersey’s business environment after another major corporate departure from the state.The New Jersey Business & Industry Association told News 12 New Jersey in a statement that Samsung’s exit reflects longstanding concerns about the...