Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. announced this morning that it will move its corporate headquarters to Chicago in the third quarter of 2013.
The company, which had been located in downtown Coeur d'Alene since 1985, had disclosed late last December that it was considering the move.
Coeur spokeswoman Stefany Bales says about 60 people work in the corporate headquarters, and all of those employees have been offered the opportunity to transfer with the company. Roughly a third of them have opted to move to Chicago. Bales says most of the other employees will continue to work for the company in the Coeur d'Alene office until final separation on Sept. 30.
In a press release issued in conjunction with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's office, Coeur said it expects to employ at least 60 people in Chicago. The company, which bills itself as the largest U.S.-based primary silver producer and a growing gold producer, employs nearly 2,000 people worldwide.
Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeur's president and CEO, said in the press release, "Relocating our headquarters to Illinois will improve our access to key stakeholders and to our operations. Chicago is a global, pro-business city, an international transportation hub, and provides access to a broad and deep talent pool."
The company plans to change its name to Coeur Mining in mid-May.
Bales says the company owns its corporate headquarters building at 505 Front in downtown Coeur d'Alene but hasn't decided yet what it will do with the structure.