NORTH ANDOVER — There has been talk around town for some time that Converse plans to move its corporate headquarters out of North Andover.
The famous sneaker-manufacturing company has acknowledged it’s looking for a larger headquarters in Greater Boston, but said no decision to leave town has been made.
“Converse is currently headquartered in North Andover, Mass., where it has enjoyed more than 10 years of being a part of the local community. Converse is exploring options for an expanded company headquarters location in the Greater Boston metropolitan area in the future. No decision has been made at this time,” Converse spokeswoman Melissa Garbayo told The Eagle-Tribune in an e-mailed statement.
However, two local officials, Town Moderator Mark DiSalvo and veteran Selectman Donald Stewart, said very reliable sources have told them Converse will move out of town.
DiSalvo, a consultant in the venture and private equity community, said it’s his “understanding from sources associated with the company that the firm has already made the judgment to move all or most of its staff to the South Boston Waterfront Innovation District.”
“I believe the information is accurate,” DiSalvo added, stressing his knowledge of the move is not in any way related to his position of town moderator.
Stewart said he has heard from “reliable sources” – including people who work for Converse – that the company plans to move its operations from North Andover to Boston within a couple of years.
“That would devastate those restaurants,” he said, referring to Jaime’s Restaurant and the Good Day Cafe, located on High Street across from Converse and Schnieder Electric.
Town Manager Andrew Maylor and other local leaders said they have heard the talk about Converse leaving, but pointed out the company has not said anything official about it.
“The only thing I have heard is rumors,” selectmen Chairman William Gordon said. “That’s been going on for a while.”
“We’re certainly interested in keeping them here,” Gordon said.
Selectman Tracy Watson said she has also heard the rumors about Converse heading elsewhere.
“I’d hate to see them go,” she said.
Converse is located in a rehabilitated mill building at 1 High St. The company leases the site from Schneider Electric, which is at the other side of the complex.
The entire property, valued at $24.6 million by the assessors office, is owned by Mansur Investments of Indianapolis. Robert Bell, a corporate attorney employed by Schneider, told The Eagle-Tribune his company’s lease with Mansur will expire next August. He couldn’t discuss the matter beyond that, he said.
The buildings now used by Schneider Electric and Converse were originally built for the Davis Furber textile company. Converse relocated its headquarters there from North Reading in 2011.