Publications
Publications
- February 2018 (Revised August 2019)
- HBS Case Collection
Amazon's HQ2 (A)
By: Karen Mills and Jan W. Rivkin
Abstract
In September 2017, the Internet giant Amazon announced that it aimed to open a second headquarters in some city other than Seattle, its current home base. By 2032, the company projected, this “HQ2” would be home to as many as 50,000 high-paying tech jobs and up to $5 billion of investment. The company invited North American cities to submit proposals to be the site of HQ2. The announcement set off a flurry of activity across the continent as civic leaders scrambled to prepare proposals by Amazon’s deadline. The case allows students to debate what companies should ask of cities and what cities should ask of companies.
Keywords
Economic Development; Headquarters; Local Government; Incentives; Business Headquarters; Business and Government Relations; Development Economics
Citation
Mills, Karen, and Jan W. Rivkin. "Amazon's HQ2 (A)." Harvard Business School Case 718-494, February 2018. (Revised August 2019.)