MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — It’s bittersweet news for local businesses like Austin’s Steakhouse after learning about Progressive Insurance’s decision to close their main headquarters on Wilson Mills Road in Mayfield Village.
“I’ve known a lot of people at Progressive over the years. A lot of retirement parties here,” said Austin’s Steakhouse owner, Daniel Campbell.
Campbell’s restaurant is about two minutes' driving distance from Progressive’s main headquarters.
For as many years as they’ve been here, the restaurant says that it has served as a private area in a public space for those employees.
“This place would be packed every day of the week,” said Campbell.
But because of the pandemic, Campbell says that culture has looked a lot different.
“You can’t be angry about it. It happened, so we’re making the best of it,” said Campbell.
In a statement, a Progressive spokesperson says the company has offered flexible work options where most people work from home versus going into an office.
The company learned their employees are successfully working remotely and will continue to provide their people the option of where they choose to work.
As a result, Progressive said it made the difficult but important decision to consolidate some of its office locations in several areas across the country, including here in Mayfield Village.
The insurance company, which is known for bundling policies together, will use this same approach by shifting staff from Wilson Mills Road to their Campus Two office on North Commons Boulevard.
While this news is unfortunate, experts at Case Western Reserve University tell News 5 this has become the reality for large corporations like Progressive.
“What we're seeing, whether it's in the central business district of Cleveland, downtown or Progressive that's out in the suburbs of Mayfield Heights. A lot of these corporate offices are pretty empty, and corporations, if they are renting the space, don't want to continue that, to have that cost,” said Michael Goldberg, who’s an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University’s Design and Innovation at the Weatherhead School.
As Progressive gets ready for its Wilson Mills Road departure, which has yet to be determined, Austin’s Steakhouse prepares to say goodbye to their friends who have become family.
“Progressive has been a great company to have as a neighbor,” said Campbell.
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