Company and territory : so near and yet so far

The presence of a large organisation in a particular area initially makes itself apparent by the location of its premises. It is therefore a natural step for the directors of these establishments to conduct and maintain good relations with local organisations and authorities (such as elected representatives, French departmental councils and associations). However, over the past few decades, the bargaining power of these directors has diminished, while at the same time corporate teams have expanded, and there has been an increasingly high turnover in the number of directors of these sites. The noticeable reduction of investment in establishments in these regions has sometimes resulted in the creation of regional corporate delegations attached to the company headquarters. Their objective of liaising with various local authorities is a job which the site director no longer has the time to do himself. For both the establishments which are already there and the local authorities who manage them, this new arrangement of economic power has led to confusion. It has become more difficult to identify the economic decision-maker and, in general, the judicial structure that affects the activity located in the area.