Message from the Director
Job opportunities abound
Mercer County continues to prosper as a great place to open and start a business. In a recent economic development report by the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Mercer County boasts the fifth lowest unemployment rate in New Jersey at 3.5 percent. Job openings in the pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industries continue to lead the way, followed by employment opportunities at our local colleges, universities and professional schools.
To foster a strong and growing Mercer County economy, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes has sought to better inform the local business community about incentives and programs. Through the Mercer County Office of Economic Development, we have implemented free and informative business workshops. Our office began hosting these events in the fall of 2018, bringing government and business officials together for topics ranging from grants and training assistance by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to duty and logistics incentives offered by our Foreign Trade Zone.
In September 2019, we have scheduled a business seminar on clean-energy savings programs offered through the State of New Jersey, and, in partnership with the Mercer County Department of Finance, we will host a workshop, “Doing Business with Mercer County.” More information on these two events can be found below.
-- Anthony P. Carabelli Jr., Director, Office of Economic Development
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First Industry Update -- chambers merge
In March, the County, in partnership with the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, brought together some of the leading industries in our region for the first Mercer County Industry Update. The event featured welcoming remarks from County Executive Brian M. Hughes and presentations by representatives in the Healthcare, Insurance, Financial and Pharmaceutical sectors.
A major announcement also took place: Two regional chambers of commerce, the Princeton Regional Chamber and the MIDJersey Chamber, would merge to become the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce. Leaders of the two chambers took questions and explained the details of the merger and what it means for the Mercer County business community.
Pictured, from left, are Anthony Carabelli Jr., Director, Mercer County Office of Economic Development; Peter Crowley, President and CEO, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber; Bernie Flynn, former President and CEO, NJM Insurance Group; County Executive Brian M. Hughes; Brenda Ross-Dulan, Board Chair-elect, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber; and John Goedecke, Board Chair, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber.
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Office Program Spotlight: Site Selection Service
The Mercer County Office of Economic Development can be at the forefront of your commercial property search. Our site selection services can assist you in finding the most advantageous location for your business. If you are interested in buying or leasing space within Mercer County, please contact the Business Advocate at 609-989-6912.
Through our site selection resource, we will conduct research for you from the largest and most comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We can then compile reports that will enable you to analyze, interpret and gain insight into commercial property values, market conditions and current availabilities.
We will also reach out to commercial real estate agents in our region in order to provide you with as complete a list of available properties as possible. The Mercer County Office of Economic Development can be a great asset as you look to find the right location here in our County.
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Upcoming event: Clean Energy Program Workshop
On behalf of the Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, the Mercer County Office of Economic Development invites you to come learn of the energy resource programs that will help you become more energy efficient and improve your business’s bottom line!
New Jersey Clean Energy Program Workshop
Sept. 19, 2019 from 8 to 10 a.m.
The Boathouse at Mercer Lake
334 South Post Road, West Windsor, NJ
The workshop will feature presentations from the Mercer County Office of Economic Development, the Board of Public Utilities, the New Jersey Clean Energy Program and the Direct Install Program.
This event is hosted by Mercer County and is free of charge. A continental breakfast will be served.
For more information or to reserve your seat, please contact Ed Kemler at the Mercer County Office of Economic Development, 609-989-6555 or ekemler@mercercounty.org.
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Upcoming event: Doing Business with Mercer County
Are you interested in learning about bid opportunities at the County of Mercer? Would you like to become a registered vendor of the County and receive procurement opportunities that could be available for your products and services? Are you a registered as a small or women-, minority- or veteran-owned business?
In partnership with the Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey, Mercer County will host an evening workshop to discuss County Procurement procedures and policies related to the formal bidding process; how to become a registered Mercer County vendor; and how to participate in the Mercer County Set-Aside Program.
Doing Business With Mercer County
Sept. 25, 2019 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, NJ
For more information or to reserve your seat, please contact Ed Kemler at the Mercer County Office of Economic Development, 609-989-6555 or ekemler@mercercounty.org.
County Economic Development Activity
West Windsor Transit Village development moving forward. West Windsor Township has announced a settlement agreement with Avalon Bay Properties for the redevelopment of a 25-acre site adjacent to the Princeton Junction train station. This agreement increases the percentage of affordable housing units in the development from 12.5 percent to 16.5 percent, thus contributing 32 more affordable housing units to the township’s affordable housing stock than originally envisioned, for a total of 132. The 37,000 square feet of retail space included in the project will help increase the community’s commercial ratables and shopping options. The promenade and open pavilion will provide places for residents to gather. The concept plan as envisioned will provide better traffic control near the train station and will make the adjacent section of Washington Road safer.
Princeton Theological Seminary redevelopment project. The Princeton Theological Seminary is planning an expansion of its campus to provide for additional housing for its married-student population. The municipality has designated parts of the seminary campus as an Area in Need of Redevelopment. This designation gives the town greater control over the development than conventional zoning would, and facilitates greater public participation in the process by neighbors and the larger Princeton community.
Major redevelopment project on horizon following sale of Hamilton PSEG generating plant. The former PSEG coal plant may have closed, but a new opportunity for redevelopment has opened in Hamilton. A year-and-a-half after the coal generating station along the Delaware River was retired, PSEG announced the sale of the Hamilton-based facility to a developer that is seeking to create a regional warehouse-distribution hub. The new owner, Chicago-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners, hopes to meet the region’s growing warehouse-distribution needs with a “state-of-the-art” industrial park. PSEG selected Hilco Redevelopment Partners from more than two-dozen proposals based on the company’s “strong environmental track record” and successful redevelopment projects that included the revitalization of former coal plant sites.
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