The Food Specialization Center: Improving Cumberland County's Tomorrow

MILLVILLE, N.J., June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Authority has always made it a priority to encourage innovation as it strives toward its goal of "improving your tomorrow." Continuing with this commitment is the new 32,000 square-foot Food Specialization Center (FSC), located within Bridgeton's Food Manufacturing Hub in the Florida Avenue Industrial Park. It will provide developing companies with a full component of incubation space and business services to prepare them for their future independence and growth. Working with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (USEDA), a longstanding partner with The Authority, the USEDA helped to contribute to the project's development.

The FSC features two Tenant Food Production Spaces, 7,100 square-feet each, 14,360 total. The Tenant Food Production Spaces can be configured for hot, dry, wet, clean (HEPA), and/or cold process spaces and are able to be configured to meet each tenant's requirements. The FSC includes 3,300 square-feet of storage—shared or tenant-specific dry, refrigerated, or frozen rooms. The FSC also has a 4,981 square-foot, 26 feet-deep Loading Dock which features up to nine dock positions, and the ability to create private dock spaces for individual tenants. The site also includes 1,645 square-feet of Shared Service Support Spaces and 3,495 square-feet of Shared Office Spaces.

Several tenants set to occupy the recently constructed facility, including the first tenant, Chank's Pizza Cones. It is expected that up to 113 new positions will be created over the life of the project, creating a $13.86M total economic impact to the county.

"The Food Specialization Center was developed to attract and retain food processing businesses to the County," said The Authority President/CEO, Gerard Velazquez, III. "The Authority's very progressive decision to combine public and private financing to bring this project to fruition enforces its role as the economic and redevelopment arm of the County."

The Authority strives to create and support an innovation culture, leading with strong governance and management. The FSC sets Cumberland County up for a future of successful innovation. It embodies The Authority's pillars of strategy such as providing competitive economic infrastructure, developing a stronger economy through quality jobs, skilled workforce, and new business creation, and enhancing its communities and neighborhoods.

Cumberland County's history of deep agricultural roots and central location in the New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore-Washington D.C. metropolitan areas, make it an ideal location for Food and Beverage processing in New Jersey.

Joseph Derella, Director of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners described the new FSC as a "magnet for attracting food processing innovators" stating, "This facility will further strengthen Cumberland County's position as a national center for food production, processing and distribution by providing an incubator for cutting edge businesses looking for the support to be successful."

"The City of Bridgeton is proud to host the Food Specialization, an innovative approach by the Cumberland County Improvement Authority to leverage the Food Innovation Center to create a food industry campus in South Jersey," commented Mayor of Bridgeton, Albert Kelly.

In addition to its environmental related initiatives, The Authority is responsible for the development, financing and project management of projects and programs most vital to sustaining the economic and environmental future of Cumberland County and the state of New Jersey. The Authority works in tandem with the Cumberland County Board of Chosen County Commissioners to foster greater economic growth, business development and quality of life for all Cumberland County residents.

Media Contact: 
Samantha DeFrancisco
Communication and Marketing Intern.
[email protected] 
856-825-3700

SOURCE The Authority