Vineland, NJ: A Great Place For Food Processing
Selecting the right location is a key component of any strategic business model. Companies have to look for the right blend of resources, workforce, and business climate. The City of Vineland, NJ offers these advantages and more to food production, processing, and related industries looking for a place to expand or relocate.
Home to some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Tyson Foods, Archer Daniels Midland, and Hanover Foods, Vineland food processing operations produce a variety of products, from Italian meatballs, Philly cheese steaks, and European pastries, to soups, foodservice bases, stews, and gravies.
At more than 69 square miles, it is the largest city in New Jersey, with a unique mix of urban and rural settings.
“Vineland offers both an affordable business location and an excellent quality of life,” Mayor Anthony Fanucci said. “Our accessibility to major markets, city-owned municipal utilities, support services, state and local incentives, and competitive operating costs provide the necessary ingredients for a healthy and profitable business climate.”
Vineland offers a prime location between New York and Washington, DC, and easy access to a network of major roadways within a day’s drive of 40% of the U.S. population. With competitive rail service, several well-known third-party logistics and cold storage providers operating from the city, and air freight service and port facilities just a short drive away, food processing companies considering Vineland have cost-effective domestic and international supply chain options.
For companies doing business internationally, FlexXray recently opened a temperature-controlled, USDA- and FDA-registered inspection facility in Vineland that provides the fastest, safest, and most accurate foreign material inspection and QA hold resolution services.
“Our new facility in Vineland was designed in partnership with Americold, an industry leader in cold chain, to provide increased capacity and reduce freight costs for customers and facilities in the Northeast portion of the country,” said FlexXray Vice President Chris Keith.
Vineland Economic Development Director Sandy Forosisky said business development is a “collaborative effort.”
“The Department of Economic Development offers what we like to call, ‘Business Concierge Service,’ which is designed to make expansion and relocation projects easier as we help guide developers smoothly through the permitting process,” Forosisky said.
Most recently, Italy-based Rovagnati opened its first overseas production location in Vineland. The 64,000 square-foot facility, with plans to expand even further, supplies more than 2,000 retail stores with premium Italian specialty meats. According to company officials, the Vineland facility “is capable of preserving and combining Italian quality and tradition with the most innovative technological practices to ensure we always meet the highest standards with our products.”
Existing operations are also growing. Trucco, a globally sourced, nationwide distributor of fresh produce, is nearing completion on a 67,000 square-foot expansion to their Vineland distribution center.
City officials are currently working with representatives from another imported meat distributor, Maestri d’Italia Inc, on a new, two-phased project. Phase One will include construction of a 68,394 square-foot production facility, and Phase Two will add an additional 69,498 square feet.
“Maestri d’Italia Inc, will be a perfect complement to our existing food processing operations,”
Fanucci said. “The business philosophy of building strong, long-lasting relationships is the model we like to follow. We are thrilled that they have selected Vineland to become a hub for their United States distribution.”
For more information, visit www.vinelandcity.org.
