  Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2309 Registered: 06-2006 |
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/a pps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007 1001/SUB/70930005/-/-/eds-to-m ove-2300-workers-to-pontiac | ||
Kid_dynamite Member Username: Kid_dynamite Post Number: 270 Registered: 06-2007 |
good news for Pontiac | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 185 Registered: 09-2007 |
What about the offices Downtown? (if there are any) Will they be affected | ||
Kid_dynamite Member Username: Kid_dynamite Post Number: 273 Registered: 06-2007 |
it doesnt appear that they are moving any from downtown, only from Troy | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2310 Registered: 06-2006 |
^sounds like they are consolidating all of their SE MI offices, so yes | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4189 Registered: 10-2004 |
Where might the other 500 workers be coming from? | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10391 Registered: 10-2003 |
A few things to consider: 1. OC will be losing a lot of GM employees in the very near future. GM will be moving their employees out of that campus to the Tech Center in Warren. 2. Will people complain about the 0.5% city income tax in Pontiac. The detractors on this board always complain about new downtown employees taking an income tax hit. I expect the same to cry their crocodile tears for these people. 3. EDS will not leave the Ren Cen (some but certainly not all or the majority) as they will need to keep a fair number of people near GM. The GM account is now more competetive and EDS will not leave the Ren Cen and give up the strong position they have next to GM. They may move some but it will be nowhere near the majority. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2889 Registered: 06-2004 |
EDS has a lot of telecommuters, too - maybe some are being called back to the office. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5461 Registered: 08-2004 |
Hmmm.... don't they have offices that take up an entire smaller tower at RenCen (500 or 600)?? (Message edited by Gistok on October 04, 2007) | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5462 Registered: 08-2004 |
Gee... Troy is getting hit pretty hard with office workers moving elsewhere... KMART, EDS, and maybe Bank of America. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10393 Registered: 10-2003 |
The southern part of that campus will be impossible to fill when GM moves out. | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 236 Registered: 02-2006 |
Excellent news, thanks for the link! Pontiac could use a little boost! Troy will manage somehow, they have plenty of office drones. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2312 Registered: 06-2006 |
I don't know Jt1...sounds like wishful thinking... those 500 employees have to come from somewhere...I don't know how many employees EDS has spread over SE MI aside from those in Troy and Detroit... Your point about keeping some people in close proximity to GM is valid, but that's not the only interest they have to consider...sounds like the whole point of this is to consolidate all their people into one location...they'll have to balance those interests hopefully there will be another story in the news soon that will shed more light | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10397 Registered: 10-2003 |
Probably a combination of having some understanding of the situation between the two and wishful thinking. The ideal situation would be that they decide to bring in EDS employees from outside of the State to that campus as well but I don't see any chance of that. We'll see how it plays out eventually since I doubt anyone but EDS brass really know. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4211 Registered: 10-2004 |
EDS is also right next to GM in the RenCen. EDS, once wholly owned by GM, had its 10-year sweetheart contract expire not too terribly long ago, and now GM spreads its IT bucks around. But EDS seems to be coalescing awfully close to Chrysler country? And EDS isn't jumping in joy about losing the GM biz. Some even go so far as saying that EDS may not want much of GM's business due to profit considerations. Anyway, as some actor might say, "What's my (EDS) motivation?" | ||
Granmontrules Member Username: Granmontrules Post Number: 192 Registered: 01-2007 |
There really isn't much of anything special in Troy other than an over priced mall. | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 1023 Registered: 06-2004 |
I work in Troy and I can say that it is a soul-less suburban hellhole. A citidal of mediocrity and pretension. An outdoor prision of ugly, dehumanizing 1970s-1980s architecture surrounded by over-sized, half empty parking lots with fading paint and cracking pavement. | ||
Unclefrank Member Username: Unclefrank Post Number: 103 Registered: 03-2006 |
I worked in Troy for EDS and it was nothing special. Only good thing was no income tax. I really don't see anything great about Pontiac either. When it comes right down to it, an office is an office. Now many EDSers have longer drives, a pay cut, and more crime. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1204 Registered: 12-2005 |
quote: Either you are just exercising a little bit of hyperbole or you must really hate your job. If it's the former, have you tried doing anything to make that place any better? Or are you just content to be a part of the problem for forty hours every week while you adopt that pretentious attitude you fail to see in yourself? If it's the latter, you better find another job before you go postal! | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 246 Registered: 10-2006 |
That village is filling in the Kmart HQ Condo's shoppes eating | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 291 Registered: 04-2006 |
Really, I think too much is being made of the difference between Opdyke and South Boulevard and Long Lake and Crooks. They're both soulless suburban hellholes, to borrow a phrase from Ray. This is the very fringe of Pontiac, distinguished from Auburn Hills only by the zip code and the black-on-white street signs. The only difference is that now any city taxes paid by EDS will go to cash-strapped Pontiac instead of Troy, which is already fairly well-off, and in my mind, that's a good thing, but it's not like EDS is suddenly embracing urbanity and moving to some historic building in downtown Pontiac. (Message edited by BearInABox on October 07, 2007) | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3437 Registered: 12-2005 |
So what's it like working at EDS? What kind of projects do they typically handle? | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 1328 Registered: 08-2006 |
I won't deny it, I don't think Troy is that bad a place. I've only been there three times but I didn't hate it. The traffic was horrible and it was a city based upon huge roads but that doesn't mean that it is hell on earth. It had an impressive collection of hotels and high rise office towers. The neighborhoods were nice and had a lot of nice old trees. There was this mall called like Sommerset collection which I thought was very nice. Yeah its new and its suburban but I would rather live there than in Del-Ray for example. I mean good schools; nice, safe neighborhoods; stores and shops. Its not as bad as you all seem to make it out to be. Sorry | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 292 Registered: 04-2006 |
Depends what you like, I guess. Troy offers me absolutely none of the things I need and want in a place of residence, so I have decided that I will never live there, because that's not the kind of life I want for myself. I can see why it's a good fit for some people, but I also recognize that it is not a good fit for me. I don't even like to spend five minutes there at a time. It's a matter of opinion, and yours is different from mine. Sorry. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 1329 Registered: 08-2006 |
Well no, I'm not saying that I would want to live there, I'm just saying that it is far more attractive to most than Detroit. I love Detroit. I love old cities, and great architecture. But if I had a family, who I wanted to be safe and to be able to go to great public schools, then I would move to Troy. I'm not saying what I would do myself, just what most people believe as you can see just looking at census figures from Detroit. Troy loses to Detroit in many catagories but it trounces the city in many other more important standings. | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 135 Registered: 07-2006 |
From reading the article, I think this building is on the north side of South Boulevard, just west of the intersection w/ Centerpointe Parkway. It's a fairly new building. This is really great news. The Centerpointe campus is nice-Centerpointe Parkway itself is very nicely landscaped. I believe GM pays for it. The Mariott at the corner of Opdyke & Centerpointe is nice, and a popular hotel, and the neighboring strip mall is one of the classier strip malls around. The area just needs more tenants. The building that I think EDS is moving into really needs to be occupied, as it looks really bad to have a newer building like that empty, and with weeds growing up through the parking lot. There is a new soccer facility also going in on South Boulevard in this area. Pontiac is a great city with a lot of life in it, and positive investment like this just keeps it moving forward. | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 238 Registered: 02-2006 |
Dustin, you are correct. It is the relatively new building on the north side of South Blvd. It was built several years ago and is impressive inside. Unfortunately, it has been vacant for a couple of years since GM decided to play musical chairs with the employees. The Centerpointe campus is beautiful and was a great use of brownfield redevelopment. I think however that GM may be consolidating some of those jobs to Warren, could be wrong on that. Anyway, welcome EDS to Pontiac! | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 136 Registered: 07-2006 |
Yaktown-I seem to remember, when driving west on South Boulevard a few months back, a sign just west of MLK that mentioned a new strip mall of some sort. Would that be going in on that vacant lot on the north side of South Blvd., west of the party store, or somewhere in the area? I remember seeing the sign, but have never heard a word about it. | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 239 Registered: 02-2006 |
I too have seen that sign for the past few years, go figure. I assume the proposed strip mall would be on that vacant lot. I'll try to drive by it tomorrow and snap a pic. | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 137 Registered: 07-2006 |
Yaktown-I ought to tell you, I live up in Brandon Twp., but have gotten involved in the Pontiac area-the Summit Place redevelopment meetings, I attend quite a few Pontiac City Council meetings, the planning/futuring sessions the Pontiac Planning Dept. is holding, etc. I started taking an interest when I became a citizen advisor to the Oakland Press Editorial Board; the meetings are twice a month @ the OP, and there are six or seven of us on the board. I've always spent a lot of time in Pontiac and had a lot of affection for the city. It's great that there are some others on the board such as you that share that interest. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 249 Registered: 01-2007 |
I used to work at EDS in Troy & Pontiac (and later, Lansing 3 days a week). When I lived in Rochester, Troy was OK but traffic was a bitch. Now I live in Waterford, I liked Pontiac better. More convenient. Faster commutes. Yeah 0.5% is a bite. But so is $3/gallon. And Ottawa Towers was nicer than the Pontiac Admin. complex, cause you had covered parking winter & summer. Sweet!  Commuting to Lansing for 3 days a week for a special project was OK. Meals, hotel, gas & mileage. So what? We combined a GMC & Pontiac service system for a year. Very large and important mainframe computer dis-similar databases. The infamous Rose Law Firm of Shitlary Clinton used to sue us constantly for info. So did the gov't and other "slip & fall" lawyers. It always ended up being ALE's (A$$ Leaping Events). 2 things about Lansing I'll never forget... waiting in line at the Taco Bell on the way back to the Holiday Inn on (Cedar? Pennsylvania?) A guy walks up to the car at the speaker where they take the order, and does a crack "deal" right in front of me. The other was the Saturday or Sunday in 1997(?). The Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 40 years and the neighborhood erupted in cheers as I pulled into my driveway! James | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 283 Registered: 07-2007 |
right on Jrvass. you said it all | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 240 Registered: 02-2006 |
Wow Dustin! For a non-resident you sure get involved. Way to make me feel inadequate, LOL! I've worked in Pontiac for over 11 years and lived here for the past 4. Jrvass - That 0.5% tax isn't too bad but it's 1% for us residents. Also, the Ottawa towers are once again vacant and looking for tenants. Anyway, I'll talk to the boss tomorrow about EDS. It has to be good for business, right?! | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 251 Registered: 01-2007 |
The OT & OC were cool. I was there when John Rock and (I forget his name... It'll come to me in a few minutes... Roy Roberts! were the GM's there). God-damn strokes. Making me forget stuff! James I can remember Mighty Mouse episodes from 40 years ago easier than I can remember my boss's name from a couple years ago! Damn! | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1207 Registered: 12-2005 |
quote: I had to miss all of the Stanley Cup Finals games against the Flyers that year since the games were not televised live in Australia where I had been sent on a short-term work assignment by my employer. My wife would leave me a voice mail message with the final score of each game so I could know the results as soon as possible. Darren McCarty's series-clinching goal in Game 4 of the Finals was the "play of the day" on Australia's equivalent of ESPN. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1982 Registered: 11-2003 |
2300 people from EDS moving into Pontiac, and now the local tv news tells us last night that the Pontiac City Council is thinking of laying off about a third of its already depleted police department because of budget restraints. Somethings gotta give. | ||
Amy_p Member Username: Amy_p Post Number: 859 Registered: 10-2003 |
Does anyone have a positive experience with or for EDS at GM in the past year? In both areas I've been with in that time (OnStar, GM), the new contract has resulted in wasted time, incompetence, and loss of quality. Projects months behind deadline due to EDS not providing resources (probably because of low pay and a Rube Goldberg application process) and processes that add weeks to each task. The EDS folks I have worked with were miserable in the situation, but tied by their executive management to follow procedures that do not allow them to factor in the client's best interest, or logic. A trainwreck, really. I thought it was just one area, but I've moved and it's the same over here. I hope there are some good stories out there for balance... | ||
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl Post Number: 65 Registered: 04-2007 |
Back in 1973, when I moved to Troy, Bette Midler stayed at the Northfield Hilton, near her appearance at (then) Pine Knob Music Theater. She referred to Troy as "the tennis elbow of mid-America" and that "you can't even get an envelope to open after 10 p.m. in Troy." Luckily, that's changed. Envelopes will now open up to 10:30 p.m. ;-} | ||
Sirrealone Member Username: Sirrealone Post Number: 36 Registered: 01-2007 |
I worked for EDS for a time (not on the GM account) and have also worked at GM and saw the other side of EDS. Basically, EDS isn't any different than any other large corporation that does outsourcing. I don't think they're any better or any worse than some of the other players. Basically, when any company gets that big, they get bogged down with management, constant change in leadership leading to lack of consistent direction, and communication breakdowns. It amazes me that decisions are made to give companies like this business versus keeping IT in house. | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 138 Registered: 07-2006 |
Yaktown-may I ask what area of Pontiac you live in? | ||
Civilprotectionunit4346 Member Username: Civilprotectionunit4346 Post Number: 521 Registered: 06-2007 |
It's actually not EDS...Its going to be Convergys. They announced they are moving offices here to an office in Pontiac. We do have some EDS employee's but they do not number in the 100 range. The person who stated about this building prior is correct...this building sucks...it's in horrible shape, they can never get the inside temp' right, the wallpaper on the walls is peeling, the bathrooms are nasty ass hell hole, wonderfull stained carpeting that they are to cheap to replace. We also have GM employee's that work here. EDS used to be the contractor for OnStar here....now it's convergys. I can feel my soul being sucked dry by this building as we speak. | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 241 Registered: 02-2006 |
Dustin, I live on the northside. Josyln/Columbia area snuggled in betweeen the Powertrain HQ and the Metal Fab. BTW, I did see that sign today, the one advertising an upcoming strip mall. It's due west of that party store on South Blvd. Like I said before, it seems that sign has been there forever. |
