Yamaha pulling out of California after half a century: HQ headed to Georgia

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Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Headquarters Moving from California to Georgia

After nearly five decades in Orange County, Yamaha Motor Corp. USA is relocating its headquarters from Cypress, California to Kennesaw, Georgia. This strategic move, affecting around 250 employees, is part of significant structural reforms aimed at improving profitability amidst rising costs, including tariffs and changing market dynamics.

The transition is expected to begin in late 2026 and continue through 2028. Yamaha’s decision to consolidate operations in Georgia is driven by efficiency and business logic, according to company spokesman Bob Starr.

This move marks another corporate shift for Cypress, following Mitsubishi Motors North America’s relocation to Tennessee in 2019. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., the parent company based in Japan, will also sell its expansive 25-acre Katella Avenue campus in Cypress, which serves as a key administrative center for the company’s motorsports division.

Avison Young has been appointed to market the property, which offers a substantial industrial redevelopment opportunity in Southern California.

City officials in Cypress say they’re disappointed but thankful for the company’s decades-long presence. Getty Images

Yamaha’s History in Georgia

Georgia is not unfamiliar territory for Yamaha, having moved its marine division there in 1999 and its motorsports operations in 2019. The headquarters relocation to Georgia represents the final step in this strategic transition.

City officials in Cypress express gratitude for Yamaha’s longstanding partnership and look forward to assisting in the site’s transition to new ownership.