Cumberland County, New Jersey CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Building, Growing, Living... Cumberland County Planning & Economic Development Department ▪ 1‐866‐866‐MORE ▪ www.co.cumberland.nj.us Come… Help Us Grow For More Information: Cumberland County Planning & Development Department 1‐866‐866‐MORE www.co.cumberland.nj.us Quick Facts 2010 Population: 158,434 2010 Labor Force: 65,642 Freeholder Board County Municipalities Bridgeton City Louis N. Magazzu, Director Commercial Township Joseph Pepitone, Deputy Director Deerfield Township Rev. James A. Dunkins Downe Township Jane Jannarone Fairfield Township Thomas L. Sheppard Greenwich Township Nelson Thompson Hopewell Township William Whelan Lawrence Township Maurice River Township Millville City Economic Development Board Shiloh Borough Stow Creek Township Adalberto (Bert) Lopez, Chairman Upper Deerfield Township Paige Desiere, Vice Chair Vineland City Anthony Stanzione, Secretary Savanah Carmen Acosta Major Corporations and Employers Don Ayres Boeing Darlene Barber General Mills/Progresso Mel Brody Durand Manufacturing George Garrison Gerresheimer Glass Mariluz Gonzalez F&S Produce Jody Hirata Seabrook Brothers & Sons Dr. Thomas Isekenegbe South Jersey Hospital System Ron Kincaid Tri‐County Community Action Agency James Lelli Omni Baking Jeannine MacDonald Rich Foods Assemblyman Matthew Milam Jack Narbut Educational Institutions Bill Nardelli Cumberland County College Donald Rainear CC Technical Education Center Dante Rieti Local School Districts Douglas Smithson Director Louis N. Magazzu, Co ‐ Liaison Utilities Freeholder William Whelan, Co ‐ Liaison Freeholder Jane Jannarone, Alternate Atlantic City Electric Vineland Electric South Jersey Gas Cumberland County Utilities Authority Landis Sewerage Authority July 2010 CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY About Cumberland County Cumberland County is a growing community of fourteen small cities and towns located in southern New Jersey on the shores of the Delaware Bay. It is a place rich in history and culture. Its industrial heritage was built around the natural resources of the region and rooted in glass manufacturing, textile production, and food processing. Today its businesses encompass all the elements of a modern and diverse economy, including state‐of‐the‐art health care, new technologies, national retail opportunities, and a wide range of logistical, service, and other industries. Nationally and internationally recognized businesses and corporations call Cumberland County home, including Boeing, General Mills, Purdue, Burberry and numerous national retailers, restaurants and hoteliers. Major retailers including Boscov’s, Target, Best Buy, K‐Mart, Sears, Walmart, J.C. Penny are located in and around the County’s population centers. The County has an expanding tourism and hospitality base. The New Jersey Motorsports Park is part of a range of destinations that includes such nationally recognized resources as the Museum of American Glass, the Wheaton Arts & Cultural Center, the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail, the Glasstown Arts District, the Wild & Scenic Maurice River; and fishing and boating on the Delaware Bay. New hotels have been constructed and more are planned to accommodate this growing demand. Signature names such as Wingate, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Ramada Inn, Country Inn and others are located throughout the County. There are 155,000 people who call Cumberland County home. Its largest municipality is the City of Vineland, with 62,000 people. Bridgeton is the County seat and Millville is central to many of the area’s tourism and recreation destinations. Each of these three cities provide a full range of public and municipal services including access to industrial park space, public sewer and water, good highway access and transportation facilities. The Cumberland County Utilities Authority is a regional public sewage system that serves not only Bridgeton but portions of Fairfield, Hopewell, and Upper Deerfield Townships as well. Millville and Vineland each have independent sewage authorities. The graphic on the following page illustrates the location of sewer and water lines in the County. Millville also has a municipal airport, managed by the Delaware River & Bay Authority that can accommodate planes as large as 727s and other jet and propeller driven aircraft. Businesses and organizations in the County provides jobs in a full range of industrial sectors, with significant concentrations of the resident labor force in manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, transportation, retail trade, health care and public administration. The County has a long history of agri‐business and boasts one of the State’s premier agricultural industries which includes the Vineland Produce Auction; the Rutgers Food Innovation Center; a sizeable nursery industry; vegetable and fruit production; and specialty plant and produce operations. Its workforce is ready and experienced. County businesses draw labor from a six‐county, southern New Jersey region that includes Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester and Salem counties. The region also encompasses a number of educational, residential, and shopping opportunities. Cumberland County College anchors a network of post‐secondary programs. The College offers programs leading to Certificate and Associate degrees in Arts and Science as well as an Associate degree in Applied Science. The College has partnerships with Colleges and Universities that enable students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the on‐campus Shirlee and Bernard Brown University Center. The College’s Division of Professional and Community Education provides educational and training services to community residents and employers both on and off campus. Cumberland County has a good Quality of Life. Affordable homes as well as high‐end housing can be found throughout the County and region. Shopping at the Cumberland Mall and other regional centers is complemented by unique retail outlets such as Dutch Neck Village and the Millville Arts District. And of course, there is world‐class entertainment and shopping at the gaming venues of Atlantic City, less than an hour away. The County has a good network of roads and highways and a transit system that is on the brink of a major expansion. Rail freight service is offered throughout the County by both Conrail and the Winchester & Western Short Line Railroad. Highway access to the County and region is provided by NJ Route 55 – a four‐lane limited access highway and a host of regional State arteries. New Jersey Transit operates three bus routes that traverse the County, linking the area with Atlantic City, Cape May, Philadelphia and points in between. The County’s close proximity to Philadelphia and its strategic location in the New York to Washington corridor is a significant strength. CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Both New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority Transportation Corporation (PATCO) have been developing plans to expand mass transit services in southern New Jersey. Rapid Transit, Express Bus Service is being proposed for the Route 55 Corridor. The PATCO light rail network is actively extending service to Woodbury and will link Glassboro and other nearby communities to Philadelphia in the near future. Ultimately, the intent is to extend this service to Cumberland County. This document is a planning tool that builds on the existing foundation of the Cumberland County economy and the characteristics of the community. It establishes a vision of the future and outlines those concepts and priorities that will be the basis for the County Economic Development Board’s strategic decisions over the coming five years. Plans and Partners to Promote Growth One of the great strengths of Cumberland County is the partnerships that have been formed to promote economic growth and development. This is one of the things that distinguishes Cumberland’s team of economic development experts from other areas of the region. Partnering agencies work together to assure new companies that they have the assistance they need to locate in the County; that existing businesses have the resources to expand; and that jobs and economic growth are an integral part of the County’s agenda. The easiest way for any firm to get the help it needs is to contact the County Department of Planning & Development at 1‐856‐453‐2211 or call the County’s Toll Free Hotline at 1‐866‐866‐MORE. That will enable the caller to get in touch with someone who can answer questions about: South Jersey Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center is located on Sherman Avenue in Vineland. • Bringing a new business or industry to the County; • Expanding an existing operation; • Finding financing and development incentives; • Dealing with regulatory or permitting issues; • Meeting labor force needs; • Relocating to the County; • Finding a place to live, or Planning a Visit. Interested parties can also access the County Website at: www.co.cumberland.nj.us Share the County’s PRIDE... Partners in the Why the PRIDE in Cumberland County? Revitalization, Investment and PRIDE in the County means recognition of the strengths and assets that exist. Development of the Cumberland County Cumberland PRIDE is a commitment to a set of beliefs, and a determination to Economy implement them. PRIDE means demonstrating actions that enable the next generation of Cumberland County residents to have new opportunities and places to work. It also involves