Factory closure draws scrutiny of NJ's biz climate

[The Northerner]

BORDENTOWN, N.J. – A stone embedded in the sidewalk outside City Hall commemorates the good will and generosity of Ocean Spray Cranberries, a major economic force since the farmer-owned cooperative opened a 60-acre juice-manufacturing plant here almost 70 years ago. The company is known for the truckloads of juice it donates to local fundraisers, and this city overlooking the Delaware River even hosts a cranberry festival each October.

But the sense of good will has quickly dried up as the community reacts to news that the company will close the plant in September 2013 and move its operations to a new facility in neighboring Pennsylvania. Bordentown, with almost 4,000 residents, will lose about $1 million in tax revenues and utility contributions, according to the city's commissioner.

The factory's 250 employees will have to decide whether to move with the company or find new jobs.

The company's announcement in early May has underscored statewide concerns about the cost of doing business in New Jersey and incensed public officials who say they were led on a wild-goose chase to find ways to keep Ocean Spray in the state. Gov. Chris Christie has made strengthening the state's business climate a central theme of his administration.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110514/ap_on_bi_ge/us_juice_factory_closure

[Angry Dragon]

1. It sounds more like the states should decide if they want to war against each other

[RKP5637]

2. Sometimes I do wonder, seriously, if one day we will see states waring with each other

and corporations becoming openly violent, sort of like in a war lord feudal system.

[OHdem10]

4. That is what Union Busting is all about. Make the States with

Unions Right to Work State with lower wages etc so they
can compete with the present RTW States for jobs.

[IamK]

6. Ocean Spray are non union in NJ

[DBoon]

3. businesses move to a cheaper state en route to China

any business that says it is moving to a lower cost state is implicitly planning to leave the USA altogether

Seeking lower costs is a race to the bottom, where every worker's standard of living drops to that of their cheapest possible replacement

[patricia92243]

5. If I could recommend a response, I would this one!

[WinkyDink]

7. Battle of the Republican Governors. (P.S. It's also cheaper to buy a house in PA.)

I know; I live in a development very near the NJ border.