Exodus bad for Santa Barbara, good for companies.

By Frank Nelson, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Feb. 20--Decisions by Fidelity National Financial and Tenet Healthcare Corp. to move their respective headquarters out of Santa Barbara may have significance beyond the direct effect on their bottom lines, said company location consultant John Boyd.

"It signals fiscal responsibility and discipline. It sends a very positive message," said Mr. Boyd, who is based in New Jersey with the Boyd Co. Inc. and was briefly in Buellton last week to meet with existing and potential clients.

Mr. Boyd said that years ago, a company's identity was synonymous with the corporate office location -- the headquarters was a "sacred cow" that could never be moved.

Fidelity shifted to Jacksonville, Fla., almost two years ago, while Tenet is in the process of relocating to Dallas, …