In January 2025, Fortune Brands Innovations announced a sweeping corporate relocation, consolidating its portfolio of home and security brands—including Moen and Master Lock—into a single headquarters outside Chicago. The move required hundreds of employees to relocate or face termination.
The phased relocation was set to begin in late summer 2025, according to then-CEO Nicholas Fink. The announcement sparked widespread concern among employees, many of whom took to LinkedIn to announce their departures rather than relocate. While Fortune Brands reported exceeding industry benchmarks for relocation acceptance rates, it did not disclose specific figures.
In February 2026, amid the relocation process, Fink resigned to become president and CEO of Constellation Brands, the maker of Corona beer. Fortune Brands simultaneously named Amit Banati, a board member and veteran consumer goods executive, as his successor. However, the transition never materialized.
Activist investor Ed Garden had acquired a stake in Fortune Brands and publicly criticized Fink’s leadership, questioning his industry experience and warning of potential missteps with Banati. Banati ultimately declined the role, stepped down from the board, and received an $18.4 million payout, according to Fortune.
In March 2026, Fortune Brands launched a new CEO search and appointed David Barry, a longtime company executive, as interim CEO. Barry had been with the company for over a decade.
Leadership Challenges and Financial Pressures
Under Fink’s five-year tenure, Fortune Brands faced slowing sales growth and declining profit margins as housing demand waned. Competitors like Masco, known for Delta faucets, outperformed the company during this period. Fortune Brands stated that Fink’s departure was unrelated to performance or the relocation controversy, though employees viewed his exit as a sign of deeper issues.
Employee Sentiment and Relocation Backlash
From the outset, the relocation plan was deeply unpopular. Employees described heightened stress, plummeting morale, and a wave of resignations. A Master Lock employee, who requested anonymity, told Fast Company:
“Most people were stressed out. Employee morale did go down. We started to lose people. There was a lot of anxiety, because by then it was clear that the tariffs were negatively impacting the economy. There was a lot of fear.”
Fink acknowledged the personal toll of the decision in a May 2025 interview with Fast Company:
“It’s a big change for a lot of people. There are people who are committed to their communities and their families and aren’t interested in a move. …And then there are people who are very excited to be a part of this.”
The company hired additional staff to manage the transition, though the full scope of its workforce adjustments remains undisclosed.
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