MORE THAN 600 U.S. jobs that could have gone elsewhere are going to remain in the greater Cincinnati area as a result of recent location decisions-albeit for different strategic reasons-by two global companies: Chiquita Brands International Inc. and Siemens AG.

Despite relocation bids from Atlanta and South Florida, Chiquita Brands, best known for bananas, is keeping its 100,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and more than 300 employees in Cincinnati. Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita Brands' chairman and CEO, made the decision not to relocate so the food-products company could concentrate on its top three business priorities, explains Michael Mitchell, director of corporate communications. Chiquita Brands' business priorities are to digest some recent changes in European tariffs on bananas, to improve the company's profitability in North America and to continue the integration of last June's acquisition of Fresh Express, a producer and distributor of fresh salads, fruit and vegetables.