The global derby to land the headquarters of an independent Experian Group Ltd. has taken a new twist.
Last year, Costa Mesa, home to Experian’s Americas headquarters, faced off with London for the global headquarters of the credit reporting company, which Britain’s GUS PLC spun off in 2006.
London soon won out, with most shareholders of the spinoff in Britain.
Not so fast.
Experian, which counts yearly sales of nearly $2 billion, now calls Dublin, Ireland, its “on the books” headquarters.
Irish tax incentives for foreign companies proved a big pull for Experian.
“Ireland’s government is particularly corporate friendly,” said Peg Smith, executive vice president for Experian in Costa Mesa. “It’s the country that’s most conducive to international tax planning.”
Experian had a low tax rate under GUS, which no longer exists after spinning off Experian and retailer Home Retail Group PLC.
As an independent company, Experian sought to sustain a low tax rate, Smith said.
Experian already had a small office in Dublin, which housed a consumer credit unit and marketing unit. The company’s headquarters and other operations are set to be housed in a new building sometime in the spring.
But London still wins out. The company’s power center will be in the city.
Chief Executive Don Robert, who’s run the company from Costa Mesa, is set to move from Orange County to London.
He’ll join Chief Financial Officer Paul Brooks, a London native, and other executives.
The Costa Mesa site continues to be a growth driver with about 1,200 employees.
“We’ve been in Orange County for decades, and we are extremely committed to the community and to creating jobs,” Smith said. “None of that changes simply because the corporate headquarters are in Dublin.”
For more on this story and for our annual foreign-owned companies list and story, see the Jan. 29 edition of the Business Journal.
