Mercedes-Benz is winding down its Long Beach research and design campus, with a slow-motion shutdown that starts this summer and runs through the end of 2026. The company plans to begin phased relocations and separations on July 6 and complete the closure of the 32,100‑square‑foot complex on Via Oro by December 31, 2026. At least 72 roles will be relocated or cut at a site that employs roughly 186 people, and workers say many of the affected jobs are engineering and technical positions tied to powertrain development, autonomous systems and in‑car software.
WARN notice maps out a slow exit
A May 7 WARN Act notice filed with the state’s employment department lays out a wave-by-wave schedule of relocations and separations between July and December 2026 and identifies 72 employees as impacted on specific dates. The filing also states that the company provided outplacement resources and contact information for a people‑business partner and local workforce centers. According to the May 7 WARN filing, some employees will be offered relocation while others will receive separation packages.
What the Long Beach lab did for nearly three decades
The Long Beach site, which opened in 1997, houses engineers, technicians, patent counsel, project managers and other specialists, and Long Beach Post reports the campus employs about 186 people. Workers told the outlet that many expect to relocate to Atlanta, where Mercedes is consolidating operations. Mercedes‑Benz’s North America R&D page notes that the operation has earned nearly 100 technology patents across areas ranging from powertrain development to autonomous driving and user‑interface features, and the company points to that work as part of the rationale for its R&D footprint.
Atlanta hub, $34 million price tag
As part of a broader shift, Mercedes-Benz plans to build a roughly $34 million research facility near its new North American headquarters in Sandy Springs, and the state says that hub is expected to be completed by August 2026. Officials have framed the consolidation as a way to shorten development cycles and tap Atlanta’s tech talent pool. The investment and timetable are detailed in the state’s announcement about the company’s North American headquarters plans.
Prime Long Beach real estate already on the market
The Long Beach complex has already been listed for sale this year. A commercial listing describes a single-tenant industrial building of roughly 32,103 square feet on a nearly two‑acre parcel. The broker brochure highlights heavy electrical service, a fenced yard, multiple ground‑level loading doors and a roof refurb in 2017, features that make the property appealing to other industrial or R&D users. For sale details are available through CBRE.
City tries to keep talent from leaving town
Long Beach Councilmember Tunua Thrash‑Ntuk said her office is working to connect affected employees with local openings and training resources. “We are fully committed to helping workers identify their next opportunity right here in Long Beach,” she wrote in a statement reported by the Long Beach Post. The company filing also directs employees to America’s Job Center resources and local workforce contacts for immediate support.
What workers are being offered
The WARN notice explains that impacted staff were presented with options to relocate to roles in Atlanta, Ann Arbor or San Jose or to accept separation packages, while “certain employees were offered severance packages without a relocation option based on business and operational needs.” The filing includes company contact information and points workers to outplacement services and local job centers as part of the transition process.
