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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview With Robert Guida

Aired September 20, 2003 - 07:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: After the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero, thousands of New Yorkers were jobless. Well now, two years later, it seems that the job market in the Big Apple is finally rebounding. Robert Guida is CEO of Guidance Corporation, a global staffing search firm. He joins us now. His company moved out of Wall Street, just so you know, after 9/11. And now, they are back in business down there.
Robert, great to have you with us. And congratulations on getting back down. I understand it was Thursday evening when you guys reopened the new offices?

ROBERT GUIDA, CEO, GUIDANCE CORP.: Well, actually, Tom, we never moved out of lower Manhattan. We were at 63 Wall Street in the Brown Brothers Harriman Building. And we were there. And our lease expired. And decided that we had the option to leave lower Manhattan or to stay. And we decided that we were going to commit to another 10 years.

The roots of our organization and the history of our organization are on Wall Street. And we're committed to the area. And we would like to stay there for another 10 years.

ROBERTS: And Robert, a lot of people weren't as committed as you. Did move out, go to midtown and further uptown. I guess if you took a snapshot, though, of Wall Street now two years later, what would it look like?

GUIDA: Well, you know, Wall Street is - you know, there are few places in the world quite like lower Manhattan. History, location, vitality, the seamless blending of old world charm and 21st century technology. It's - it's a great place to work. And there are opportunities down there now that weren't there in the '90s.

What we're seeing is companies are starting to move into the area. And these are companies from very, very diverse industries. We're seeing architectural firms. We're seeing hospitality. We're seeing hotels. We're seeing insurance companies. We're seeing advertising agencies.

So there are opportunities downtown in diverse industries that weren't there in the '90s. And so, what we're seeing is a lower Manhattan that is now being rebuilt in a much more efficient fashion.

What we're going to find in the future is that the area's going to be much, much more recession proof. And therefore, when we have another downturn, the area will not be so dependent on the finance industry and we'll fare much better than it did in the last recession.

I think we basically have taken a little bit of an example from Seattle, when they were so dependent on the Boeing industry.

ROBERTS: Yes. And so Robert, are you saying in your opinion then that there are a lot of businesses that are taking to lower Manhattan, that really wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for 9/11?

GUIDA: Well, actually, you know, there are a lot of incentives right now down in lower Manhattan. There's the Commercial Revitalization Package. There's the tax abatement package. There are - it's a very affordable place to do business.

It's probably one of the most affordable places in the country to do business right now. So there are opportunities. There are opportunities for employees. There are career opportunities. And there are opportunities for young businesses and small and large businesses.

ROBERTS: Good news for lower Manhattan, that's for sure. Robert Guida of the Guidance Corporation. Robert, thanks very much.

GUIDA: Thank you, Tom.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 20, 2003 - 07:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: After the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero, thousands of New Yorkers were jobless. Well now, two years later, it seems that the job market in the Big Apple is finally rebounding. Robert Guida is CEO of Guidance Corporation, a global staffing search firm. He joins us now. His company moved out of Wall Street, just so you know, after 9/11. And now, they are back in business down there.
Robert, great to have you with us. And congratulations on getting back down. I understand it was Thursday evening when you guys reopened the new offices?

ROBERT GUIDA, CEO, GUIDANCE CORP.: Well, actually, Tom, we never moved out of lower Manhattan. We were at 63 Wall Street in the Brown Brothers Harriman Building. And we were there. And our lease expired. And decided that we had the option to leave lower Manhattan or to stay. And we decided that we were going to commit to another 10 years.

The roots of our organization and the history of our organization are on Wall Street. And we're committed to the area. And we would like to stay there for another 10 years.

ROBERTS: And Robert, a lot of people weren't as committed as you. Did move out, go to midtown and further uptown. I guess if you took a snapshot, though, of Wall Street now two years later, what would it look like?

GUIDA: Well, you know, Wall Street is - you know, there are few places in the world quite like lower Manhattan. History, location, vitality, the seamless blending of old world charm and 21st century technology. It's - it's a great place to work. And there are opportunities down there now that weren't there in the '90s.

What we're seeing is companies are starting to move into the area. And these are companies from very, very diverse industries. We're seeing architectural firms. We're seeing hospitality. We're seeing hotels. We're seeing insurance companies. We're seeing advertising agencies.

So there are opportunities downtown in diverse industries that weren't there in the '90s. And so, what we're seeing is a lower Manhattan that is now being rebuilt in a much more efficient fashion.

What we're going to find in the future is that the area's going to be much, much more recession proof. And therefore, when we have another downturn, the area will not be so dependent on the finance industry and we'll fare much better than it did in the last recession.

I think we basically have taken a little bit of an example from Seattle, when they were so dependent on the Boeing industry.

ROBERTS: Yes. And so Robert, are you saying in your opinion then that there are a lot of businesses that are taking to lower Manhattan, that really wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for 9/11?

GUIDA: Well, actually, you know, there are a lot of incentives right now down in lower Manhattan. There's the Commercial Revitalization Package. There's the tax abatement package. There are - it's a very affordable place to do business.

It's probably one of the most affordable places in the country to do business right now. So there are opportunities. There are opportunities for employees. There are career opportunities. And there are opportunities for young businesses and small and large businesses.

ROBERTS: Good news for lower Manhattan, that's for sure. Robert Guida of the Guidance Corporation. Robert, thanks very much.

GUIDA: Thank you, Tom.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com