Hudson County : Gateway to Profits (1980s)

[Music] you wanted to see me Mr walon yes Bob give in and have a seat the president of the company asks Bob Tori to search for a new location their expanding business needs a prime site close to its major markets that provides good transportation services low operating costs a supply of skilled labor financial assistance and fine living conditions for its employees and their families during Mr tor's research he obtains a copy of the New Jersey Factbook a phone call to the Hudson County Private Industry Council results in an invitation to visit companies located there his first stop is at the headquarters of Goya Foods in SE caucus he meets with the firm's President Joseph yunano Mr unano why did Goya Foods decide to relocate in Hudson County we had decided to expand our operation because uh we needed additional space so uh we looked at several sites in the area and we decided to uh move to the Sea cus area here in the meal lands the reason that we found this area to be advantageous is because it's near the uh major arteries uh such as New Jersey Turnpike Route 3 Route 46 Route 4 uh because our Market consists mostly of the area between Boston and uh and uh Washington DC I noticed several sea ports in the area are these important to your company oh yes they're very helpful to us because uh we import a lot of merchandise from uh Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Spain Argentina and different uh areas in the world and uh this merchandise comes in uh into the docks and we send our trucks down to pick them up and uh it's very comfortable to have them so close by as Goya has expanded have you found a good supply of labor in the area yes we have when we first moved in uh we had very little difficulty because uh most of our people moved over with us but since then we have expanded and we have been able to find a good labor pool in uh Jersey City Union City Hoboken in nearby areas with Mr Yan's help Bob Tori visits the Panasonic company he talks with Natt Gilbert Executive Vice President Mr Gilbert Panasonic considered several locations for their world headquarters why did you finally select Hudson County well there were a number of factors uh in the decision to relocate from New York City uh we did not want to lose our access to what is still our Major Market area uh we wanted a location that would be suitable for employees to commute to easily and third perhaps less important uh we wanted a location that was within the interstate commerce free trade zone and those three factors taken together pointed us towards Hudson County since this is the world headquarters for Panasonic it must involve a great deal of executive travel is this a convenient site for that kind of travel I've taken uh 72 trips in the last 12 months and I think I'm representative of the many of the executives of the company and having Newark Airport just 20 minutes away from here has proved a great Advantage has the relocation improved the efficiency of Panasonic's operation well it certainly has Bob uh we certainly uh have enjoyed the uh advantage of having all our Executives Under One Roof and with the ready and easy access to them we can call meetings at very short notice and uh this has helped our management flexibility I think a testimonial to the fact that we are enjoying our location here is the fact that we've um added 190,000 Square ft that construction is now in uh progress us and uh when it's completed we will have over 900,000 sare ft in this one location the fact that over 100 companies have relocated to Hudson County within the past few years is solid evidence that here businesses of all kinds and every size prosper and grow there are important reasons why so many established firms have selected this particular area in which to locate it provides an unequal Central Market location the greatest concentration of Market wealth in the world lies within a 250 Mi radius in which more than 60 million people live outstanding Transportation facilities expedite shipments to customers saving time and money within a few miles of any company in the county our modern deep water shipping terminals that connect with every part of the globe the efficiency of containerization enable ships arriving at this port to unload incoming cargo and reload and be underway again within 24 hours New Jersey has more track per square mile than any other state large volumes of freight move in and out of the county each day on major Rail lines truckers operating out of the many terminals within the county make good use of the New Jersey Turnpike US routs 1 and N three and Interstate 280 onethird of the nation is within overnight truck delivery from here the Holland and Lincoln tunnels provide direct access to Manhattan and Long Island being only minutes away from two of the country's major airports makes for convenient business travel and Air Freight shipments Newark International is one of the most modern and best designed airports in the world cheeter borough is the busiest airport in the United States serving executive and private aircraft the path Transportation Center in Journal Square is a showcase commuter system operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey air conditioned trains carry passengers from Jersey City to the World Trade Center in 10 minutes and from Hoboken to 33rd Street in mid Manhattan in only 13 minutes Robert Franklin general manager of area development for public Public Service Electric and Gas Company shows a plant site to Bob Tori Bob here's another site in Hudson County that I think could meet your needs as you can see it's in the right in the middle of New York New Jersey Harbor the largest General cargo port in the world one of the advantages of locating here is that you're in the commercially exempt or free zone that means you can ship your truck your goods back and forth between New York and New Jersey without coming under ICC regulation and that can save you a lot of money very good how about our general operating costs would we find them lower in a site like this than in other places in the area I think that you'll find that this site is a completely reasonable site cost wise for example if you went across the harbor there into New York City your utility cost would be 30% higher here you're going to get reasonable taxes as compared to across the bay I think overall you're going to find this is a very Equitable place to do business the fact that many companies establish facilities here decades ago and continue successful operations is proof that in Hudson County businesses prosper and grow Colgate palom Olive a world famous producer of personal and home care products has had a major manufacturing complex here since 186 United States testing company America's leading independent laboratory has made its headquarters in Hoboken since 1926 over 450 skilled scientists and technicians perform rigorous product tests in special chemical textile and Engineering labs for industrial and governmental [Music] clients the CF meller company in Jersey City is the country's largest producer of specialty pasta its well-known food products are shipped to 26 States from this modern Distribution Center in Port Jersey Bob Tory meets with Mueller's chairman of the board l r thirston Jr Mr thirston how long has meller company had its operations in Hudson County we've been located at this location in Jersey City since 1914 but the business uh was launched in 1867 in other areas of the county there must have been significant advantages to remaining in Jersey City well there were Bob when the uh when the business was originally established in this area obviously it was because this is where its Market was but that goes back to 1867 by the time this plant was originally constructed in 1914 uh the business had grown substantially and the basis for that decision at that time was uh the the transportation the uh Workforce and other characteristics which have continued to make Jersey City a very ATT active location for the continuing business how many employees do you have here employ about 500 people here at the Jersey City location between production and administrative facilities do you find your Workforce reliable and productive yes indeed we do we have uh second and third Generations from the same family that are employed here a unique manufacturing facility is the American industrial center 32 small to mediumsized companies manage profitable operations in this integrated complex of over 1 million square ft there are many opportunities for smaller firms to prosper in Hudson County Bob Tori asks president owner Ron Mount about this facility what are the advantages of an urban location well one of the advantages is a proximity to New York City we're within a few miles of the Lincoln and the Holland tunnels so that if you off operate your business here or locate your business here you can easily gain access to the New York City Market we have the low cost of utilities and operating cost in in this area compared to New York City so you actually have a Manhattan location with lower costs uh the labor pool available here in both skilled semiskilled even up to Executive is very good and the transportation network is here and available to bring them to your place of business so you've got proximity to New York City lower operating cost and a good labor force available in addition to that the government agencies and the political um people in this area are very cooperative and very anxious to have industry in the town and in the community and will do whatever they can to help you to locate here and to run and operate a profitable business a business expansion or relocation often requires financial assistance the area is fortunate in having many excellent financial institutions Bob Tori calls on Thomas J Stanton Jr chairman of the board first jersey National Bank and Robert Powell director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Mr Stanton if my company decides to relocate in Hudson County what kind of banking services can first jersey and the rest of the financial Community offer us well I really think the the best in first service we could do is get you in the right place we have an area Development Department which is the oldest in the state of New Jersey and we know this County and this Southern New Jersey area intimately we would like to find out what you need where you want to BU and we would try to match that up with known sites then after we found those sites we could assist you with construction with permanent mortgages we could help your people on your relocation for their own personal mortgages their own personal requirements is there any kind of financial assistance outside of the private sector that we might uh be able to look towards for Help The Economic Development Authority uh can provide businesses with very low interest financing to provide an incentive to invest in New Jersey in The Last 5 Years Tom we've provided something like $110 million of incentive financing through the agency uh to businesses and industries that are growing and relocating here in the county we can also provide credit guarantees and other types of financial assistance and cooperation with the banks and uh what this all means really for the business uh is a much lower rate and lower cost uh of financing your projects here a company moving into a new area is always concerned about the red tape of permits and so forth uh can we uh get some help in this area well there are areas in both the city and the county where uh the bank could be helpful any of the banks could be helpful too but New Jersey also has a Department of Business advocacy which operates out of trend which is designed strictly to cut red tape highly motivated reliable skilled workers are a key ele El in the successful operation of any business this area has been a center of manufacturing and commerce since colonial times attracting the bright and ambitious to rewarding careers and employment opportunities here worker productivity is exceptionally High expanding or relocating companies are assured a supply of skilled labor qualified technicians and experienced Executives the Hudson County and Jersey City CA programs provide job training classes which are conducted at the Hudson County Community [Music] College all courses are designed to provide employers with men and women possessing practical job skills [Music] administrator of the Hudson County Private Industry Council Anthony Cory discusses his organization's role in helping employers one of the council's primary objectives is to um ensure an adequate supply of trained skilled Personnel for companies wishing to relocate or expand in Hudson County I prepare a list of the approximate number and typee of job skills that we'd have to fill if we were to relocate here well looking over this list and for your company's needs we can offer you what we call a customized classroom training program basically your company can be given a role in the uh designing of the training curriculum in the selection of the training site either at your own company's facility or at one of our local vocational schools we would also ask you to recommend the training equipment and supplies and also in the recommendation of the training instructor and the final screening of trainees who pays for a program like that A Private Industry Council can reimburse you up to 100% of all the allowable training expenses the Private Industry Council is composed primarily of leaders from business and industry plus representatives from labor education Community organizations and local government its purpose is to plan and work together on programs that furnish quality job training and suitable employment opportunities for maximum productivity employees must have pride in their work and their company employees and their families also want Pleasant living conditions Hudson County in the surrounding areas have much to to offer those seeking the good life good housing is essential you will find elegant high-rise Apartments overlooking the Hudson River and New York skyline throughout the county there are many attractive single family homes in Pleasant neighborhoods [Music] Condominiums and unique tow houses are creating a new community called Harmon Cove on the hackensac river it has its own Commuter Rail station Racket Club General Hospital theater luxury hotel and a marina for boating enthusiasts the nearby industrial park is also a center for Shoppers who take full advantage of the many discount Outlets located [Music] here neighborhood preservation programs and The Brownstone revitalization movement in Jersey City and Hoboken have attracted middle class families back to the inner cities [Music] Joseph Fury manager of area development and urban Affairs for the first jersey National Bank gives Bob Tori a tour of the Brownstones Bob there is a genuine Brownstone Renaissance going on in the urban centers of Hudson County this home that we're in is a typical example of a brownstone revitalization it's a beautiful home is there financing available for a place like this yes uh the banks of Hudson County are committed to revitalizing these Urban centers and then again there are many federal and local financial aid programs available to the homeowner is a brownstone a good Financial investment yes by all means uh this home has more than tripled in value in the past several [Music] years Bob this is another uh revitalized Brownstone in the Jersey City area you know what's very interesting is a number of these Brown Stone owners organized into associations and as an association they have a real voice in the community as far as issues that concern education Park renovation or uh any Civic activity uh who are these people that choose Brownstones to live in it seems to be mostly professional people or business Executives that see it as a very fine investment and then there are a number of uh young married couples who uh like to rent here because the buildings contain one to four units and they find it very close to their work or to cultural activities a good education is the key to the Future for young people and adults alike Hudson County places a high priority on education at all [Applause] levels the modern County Vocational Technical High Schools us use the latest equipment in their many shops instructors experienced in their trade Specialties teach courses such as Electronics cosmetology air conditioning machine [Music] repair graphic arts and Computer Sciences new courses are added to meet changing labor requirements Stevens Institute of Technology located in Hoboken is renowned for its courses in The Sciences Engineering Systems planning and management other fine four-year colleges in Hudson County are St Peters and Jersey City State College which offer excellent programs in Liberal Arts education and business Christ Hospital in Jersey City is pioneering an occupational health task force $30 million Diagnostic and treatment facility staffed by doctors and Specialists trained to serve the health needs of area employers and employees outdoor activities are always fun this region can truly boast of a mild poor seasoned climate combine good weather with a wide variety of area attractions Sports and recreational events and you will find healthful activities for everyone to enjoy in less than an hour you can be enjoying the peaceful Countryside [Music] many cultural events take place in the [Music] county within an hour's Drive North Jersey ski slopes challenge both the novice and expert [Music] skier the world famous Jersey Shore with its 127 miles of wide safe beaches and Amusements make a day trip or a week-long vacation a delight for the entire [Music] family fishing goes on 12 months a year Anglers can always find a place to wet a line Atlantic City is less than 3 hours away by car or bus the Miss America Pageant is world renowned new casinos are here for those anxious to give Lady Luck a run or to see an exotic show Great Adventure a fascinating theme park with over a 100 different rid shows and attractions is a short drive down the New Jersey Turnpike it also includes the largest safari park outside of Africa New York City is only minutes away for those who enjoy attending opera or ballet like to browse in famous museums or art galleries or see a Broadway show jerseyans are proud of the Garden State Arts Center which features well-known entertainers and cultural festivals representing various ethnic groups [Music] bordering the county is the finest Sports Complex in the country giant stadium is the setting for both professional and college football games including the Garden State bowl it's also the home of the champion Cosmos North American soccer [Music] team those who follow follow the sport of Kings come to the beautiful meand racetrack which features both harness and thoroughbred [Music] racing Bob Tori presents his findings to the company's board of directors I'm pleased to report to all of you that I've located a site that meets all of our needs for both the present and the future and has a number of outstanding benefits which include an ideal location this site borders on New York City and is in the center of the Boston to Washington DC Carter it has excellent Transportation facilities by locating here will'll have direct access to Deep Water ports major Rail lines interstate highways and a Turnpike for our truck shipment two nearby airports are convenient for executive travel and Rush shipments by [Music] air financial assistance I have been assured by a major Banker in the area and the executive director of the state Economic Development Authority that money is available for companies that expand or relocate in the form of long-term low interest interest loans skill labor this area has been a major manufacturing center for many years and it has several good job training programs that will assure us a plentiful supply of skill labor good living conditions the region offers fine housing in every budget range excellent schools and colleges many cultural attractions exciting recreational activities plus a mild fourseason climate I'm happy to tell you that the place that has all of these benefits the place that I recommend strongly as the site for our new headquarters is Hudson County New Jersey Hudson County welcomes you and your company to join us here at the Gateway to profits [Music]