Senior Management from Philips Electronics North America, a unit of Royal Philips Electronics, together with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick have announced that Andover, MA will serve as the company's new North American Headquarters. As a result of this move from New York, Massachusetts now has the largest Philips presence in North America, with nearly 5,000 employees, six major work sites and significant manufacturing facilities.

DOTmed News talked to Ian Race, Corporate Communications, Philips Electronics, who stated that business in the U.S. was quite solid, and that moving the office from New York City to Massachusetts made sense because that is where most of their manufacturing takes place. Aside from lighting solutions -- which is a major growth sector for the company -- Philips also manufactures cardiac defibrillators, ACS patient monitors, ECGs, and ultrasound transducers in Massachusetts. Philips' main U.S.-based MRI facility is located near Albany, NY, and their CT manufacturing unit is located in Cleveland, OH.

Philips estimates that its presence in Massachusetts will inject more than $266 million dollars in payroll into the Massachusetts economy annually, when taking into account the various Philips facilities including executive and administrative offices, innovation centers, R&D, warehousing and manufacturing.
"There are many compelling reasons for choosing Massachusetts as the place to relocate our regional headquarters," said Scott Weisenhoff, Chief Executive Officer for Philips Electronics North America. "Massachusetts is the global headquarters for our healthcare business, and our Solid State Lighting business, which drives our leadership in energy efficient lighting solutions. These are important growth engines for our company, making it imperative that our corporate office work closely with these business units to ensure growth. As Philips grows, so too will our investment in Massachusetts and North America."

"I am delighted to welcome Philips Electronics to Massachusetts," said Governor Deval Patrick. "Company investments like these speak to the unique benefits the Commonwealth offers employers: a highly educated and trained workforce, world-class research and educational institutions, and a state government committed to creating a business climate where companies and their employees can prosper."

During the last twelve months alone, Philips has grown from approximately 20,000 to more than 30,000 employees in the U.S., with offices and operations at 50 major facilities in 22 states. Sales for North America are now greater than $12 billion annually, making it the biggest single market for Philips globally. Last week, the company reported second quarter sales had increased to $10.3 billion globally, up seven percent compared to the same period in 2007. Sales for North America were $3.24 billion, an increase of 23 percent compared to the second quarter of 2007, and representing more than 30 percent of Philips' global sales.

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