NJ Officials Worry They Could Lose Subaru Headquarters

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Officials in Cherry Hill are working to try to keep Subaru of America from moving its headquarters out of the suburban city.

The company says its building on Route 70 does not have enough space for the 900 employees it would like to put at the headquarters.

Subaru now has about 300 workers in the Cherry Hill office building where it's had its United States base since 1986.

The fast-growing car company has been looking for a few months into consolidating the workers who are now located at two separate offices along Route 70, said company spokesman Michael McHale.

McHale added that even if the firm moves from Cherry Hill, it still plans remain in the state's Philadelphia suburbs.

Subaru topped sales of 300,000 vehicles for the first time last year and has roughly doubled its sales over the past five years.

"We are fairly tight here,'' McHale said. "Business is booming.''

McHale also cautioned that the company is not definitely planning to relocate.

"We're looking tentatively,'' he said. "As soon as you open the classified ads, everyone thinks you're leaving.''

The Japanese car company paid more than $6 million in local taxes last year, according to town officials.

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