Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., the nation's largest provider of dredging services, is relocating its corporate headquarters to Houston next year. 

The company announced the decision to move from the Chicago area last month, calling it the latest milestone for GLDD. The company, which deepens ports, helps maintains waterways, renourishes beaches and restores barrier islands, currently operates on every domestic coastline and throughout many inland U.S. waterways. GLDD's recent projects in the Texas region include maintenance dredging of the Houston Ship Channel (a top priority for Port Houston) as well as deepening of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel from the Gulf of Mexico to Harbor Island.

GLDD said the move to Houston puts the company closer to key regional customers and new markets, especially along the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River. 

"The move to Houston is a testament to the region's extraordinary diversity of talent and competitive landscape and supports our important connections and outreach in geographies that will better serve our customer base," CEO Lasse Petterson said. "Having our main office in Texas and strategically opening new regional offices allows us to engage more effectively with our major customers like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, private energy clients, local communities and others, provide enhanced services and build a more efficient marketplace."

Governor Greg Abbott welcomed the GLDD's move to the state.

"Houston offers a strong business climate and a talented workforce that will help the company grow and strengthen its ability to serve its customers," said Governor Abbott. "We thank Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. for bringing more jobs and economic prosperity to Houston and the entire state of Texas, and we look forward to this partnership."

As the 7th largest economy in the U.S. and with the nation's youngest and most diverse talent pool, Houston is a top headquarters city. Houston is home to more than 20 Fortune 500 company headquarters, ranking fourth in the nation and includes HQ's for Apache, Group 1 Automotive, Halliburton and Waste Management. Houston’s success in this area is driven by its business-friendly climate, high-growth population and proximity to diverse professional and corporate services talent.
 

Click here to learn more about headquarters in Houston and here for more about the area's Fortune 500 companies. Twenty companies on the 2020 Forbes Global 2000 list are headquartered in the Houston metro area. Forty-one Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the Houston region.