Out of what I assume was fear of local protest over selling one of Baltimore's signature companies to Stanley Works, Black & Decker's board has seen fit to schedule Friday's shareholder vote on the deal not at the company's Towson headquarters but near Dulles Airport in Virginia. I've asked the company to explain the site decision, but no other reason comes to mind, except maybe a shorter limo drive for Black & Decker CEO Nolan Archibald. (He lives in Potomac.)
In any event, the proceedings will probably be perfunctory and the attendance sparse, just as the company wants them. But if you can't make it to the meeting, feel free to leave comments here. I'll pass them along to Archibald and company. I'm not necessarily looking for criticism of the company or the deal. True, Baltimore is losing a 100-year-old corporate headquarters, and it's a sad day for the area. On the other hand, the stock has tripled since March 2009 and is performing better than anybody had a right to expect in the worst-ever housing crash.
There are two sides to the story. But moving to Virginia to sell out one of Maryland's premier companies suggests that the Black & Decker's board is worried about the negative side.