Legislative Manufacturing Caucus Holds Public Hearing in South Jersey

Mount Laurel – The New Jersey Legislative Manufacturing Caucus conducted a public hearing at Rowan College at Burlington County today, where the bipartisan legislators focused on the state of manufacturing in South Jersey. The caucus, chaired by Senator Linda Greenstein, is working to identify ways to support the expansion and retention of manufacturing in New Jersey.

“I look forward to working collaboratively to develop an agenda that will promote the viability and expansion of the manufacturing sector that is so critical to New Jersey’s economic competitiveness and growth,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Middlesex/Mercer). “We should structure our tax incentive programs to ensure that manufacturers receive the help they need to expand and stay in New Jersey. We recognize that the average manufacturer has just 33 employees, but that those employees tend to be high-paid, and that manufacturing is a capital-intensive business.”

Today’s hearing is one of a series of regional meetings with manufacturers that will be continued in the coming months to review ideas to spur the growth of manufacturing in New Jersey, Senator Greenstein said.

“New Jersey has a proud history as a manufacturing hub, and production can once again fuel our economy,” said Senator Steve Oroho (R-Sussex), the co-chair of the caucus. “Our state’s prime location, potential for innovation, and highly skilled workforce can appeal to all manufacturers. We also heard about the need for better tailored tax credits for manufacturers to make New Jersey more affordable for them and support their heavy capital investment in technology and automation to put people to work, bring New Jersey-made products to market and spur the whole economy.”

The themes of the meeting were improving workforce development, supporting an innovation ecosystem and infrastructure improvements, reducing burdensome over-regulation, lowering the cost of doing business and tax incentives.

The hearing included the participation of manufacturers and other businesses in South Jersey.

“Our eight-county Southern New Jersey region is home to approximately 2,400 manufacturing companies, which design, engineer and produce products that are sold to companies nationally and internationally,” said John W. Kennedy, CEO of the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program. “We look forward to working with our elected officials to help create a supportive climate for business growth throughout the State of New Jersey and see legislation pass that will help our businesses and workers compete and win in the global economy.”

Among the actions already taken by the Senate are passage of the Vo-tech bond issue, a plan for a regulatory review committee to address red tape delays, and approval of a 10-bill package to expand apprenticeship programs.

“NJBIA supports the priorities discussed today as they are keenly aligned to our mission of strengthening and growing the manufacturing industry, which is so essential to New Jersey’s economy,” said Michael Wallace, vice president of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. “We look forward to working with the Legislature to achieve the much-needed goals of improving workforce development, reducing burdensome regulations, lowering the overall cost of doing business and supporting an innovation ecosystem.”