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Arbitron HQ Leaves NYC for Maryland
Arbitron is moving its corporate headquarters from New York City to Columbia, Maryland, where its research and engineering operations are already based. The NYC location will continue as a sales office. President and CEO Michael Skarzynski says he wants 'to live and work where the operational core of the business resides'.
'Columbia is home to Arbitron's state-of-the-art research campus' said Skarzynski, 'and it's important for me and our executives to work in the same location as the teams who are creating new solutions for our current customers and new services for our expanding markets.'
State Governor Martin O'Malley welcomed the move saying: 'Maryland is continuing to outperform the nation in many key economic indicators, which when combined with our highly educated workforce, gives Arbitron a unique competitive advantage to grow in today's ever-changing business climate.' Skarzynski said the efforts of the State of Maryland and Howard County to foster a positive environment for local businesses were important factors in the decision.
The new headquarters office is in one of six Arbitron buildings located at 9705 Patuxent Woods Drive in Howard County, Columbia. Arbitron's survey research, engineering and data collection / production operations have been base in Columbia since 1994, and 71% of its 1084 full-time employees and more than half its 484 part-time employees are based in Maryland. Other Arbitron locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Birmingham, Alabama and Kochi, India are not affected by the relocation of the HQ.
Arbitron reached an agreement with the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland regarding its Portable People Meter (PPM) services in Washington D.C. and Baltimore a month ago, having earlier
settled suits with the Attorneys General of New York and New Jersey. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was perhaps the most outspoken in his criticisms of the PPM's representation of ethnic minority audiences, calling the decision for an early PPM launch in October 'an affront to racial and ethnic minorities in New York and around the country'.
Last week, the firm confirmed that it will be extending methodological enhancements from New Jersey, New York and Maryland to all PPM markets. Web site: www.arbitron.com .
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