LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10(Xinhuanet)-- Nissan Motor Co. announced Thursday its plan to move the company's North American headquarters, and 1,300 jobs, from Southern California to Tennessee as a cost-cutting measure.

"Nissan is no stranger to Tennessee,'' Nissan president and chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn said in a statement."Our understanding of its business climate has been formed by 25 years of experience."

"We made a strategic decision to relocate our corporate headquarters here because of the long-term benefits associated with overall investment and operational costs," said the statement released in Nashville, the state captial.

Tennessee is home to Nissan's North American manufacturing center, where the company has some 1,5000 workers.

Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen joined Ghosn for Thursday morning's announcement, saying the announcement was another historic step forward in the relationship between Nissan and Tennessee.

"Nissan's decision in 1980 to manufacture vehicles in Tennesseewas a watershed moment for our state," the governor said."The auto industry today employs more than 125,000 Tennesseans working for more than 1,000 companies pumping more than 3.5 billion dollars in wages into the state annually."

Officials estimate the headquarters facility will contribute more than 500 million dollars to the state's economy every year.

Nissan currently employs about 1,300 people in Gardena and Carson, two California cities near Los Angeles, where its top North American management, marketing, advertising, sales distribution and development staffs work. Enditem