The mass migration of businesses moving to the Lone Star State continues as Chevron announced its plan to relocate to Houston.
Chevron Corporation will be moving its headquarters from San Ramon, California, to Houston, per a company press release issued this month.
Mike Wirth, chairman and CEO of Chevron, and Mark Nelson, vice chairman, plan to move to Houston before the end of the year to “co-locate with other senior leaders and enable better collaboration and engagement with executives, employees, and business partners,” per the press release.
Despite the quick move of its leadership, Chevron’s corporate functions will slowly move to Houston over a five-year period, with minimal immediate relocation for employees based in San Ramon.
The company already has approximately 7,000 employees in Houston and currently employs about 2,000 in San Ramon.
After relocating to a new building in San Ramon two years ago, Chevron announced it would be downsizing and covering costs for those willing to move to Houston, which amounted to about 200 employees moving to the Lone Star State, per the Dallas Business Journal.
Chevron’s move from California to Texas follows a lawsuit issued by the state of California against the energy company and other oil companies, which have been “downplaying the effects of climate change for decades,” per The New York Times.
In addition to the relocation effort, Chevron announced changes in its leadership for several roles.
According to the Chevron press release, Nigel Hearne, executive vice president of Oil, Products & Gas, will be succeeded by Nelson, effective October 1, 2024. Hearne worked for Chevron for 35 years.
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Rhonda Morris will also retire after 31 years of service. Morris’ role will be taken over by Michelle Green, who is currently serving as vice president, Human Resources, Oil, Product & Gas. The change will be effective January 1, 2025.
Colin Parfitt will retire after serving as Chevron’s vice president, Midstream, for 29 years. His successor, Andy Walz, will be in charge of the company’s lubricants, chemicals, and additives business, marketing, and worldwide manufacturing, as well as Chevron’s shipping, pipeline, power, and trading units.
Walz currently serves as president of America’s Products and will assume his new role as president of Downstream, Midstream & Chemicals on October 1, 2024.
Chevron will be the second major oil company to move its operations to the Houston area, following Exxon Mobil, which recently moved its headquarters from Irving to Spring, Texas, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Vehicle Accessory Group also recently celebrated its move from California and New York to Mesquite, seeking lower taxes and less expensive property.
Elon Musk also announced relocation efforts for SpaceX and X to move from California to Texas.
Musk stated that the move was related to political disagreements and the desire for a healthier business environment.