Translate
Facebook
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
Youtube
MEDIA CONTACT
Press Release
October 11, 2011
3 minute read

PARTNERSHIP FOR ACTION WORKS TO KEEP GOYA FOODS IN NEW JERSEY


TRENTON, N.J. (Oct. 11, 2011) – The Board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) today approved an award to Goya Foods under the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Program to encourage the company to remain and grow in New Jersey. With support from the New Jersey Partnership for Action, the nation’s largest Hispanic-owned food company may expand operations to a new $127 million warehouse and distribution center in Jersey City, preserving more than 315 jobs and creating an estimated 175 new, permanent positions in the state.  

“When you remove the roadblocks that stifle job creation and private investment, you start to see world-class companies such as Goya Foods taking a closer look at New Jersey,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno.  “While the company continues to explore options in other states, the Partnership for Action has worked hard to keep Goya and its hundreds of employees in New Jersey. We are hopeful that today’s action by the EDA will be the linchpin of our efforts.”  

Goya Foods is celebrating a major milestone this year as it marks its 75th anniversary.  Founded in 1936, family-owned Goya Foods has established itself as the leader in Latin American food products, and manufactures, packages and distributes more than 1,600 high-quality food products from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. The company employs over 3,000 and has 13 facilities across the United States.  This year, and as part of its 75th anniversary celebration, Goya has donated more than two million pounds of food to multiple nonprofit organizations to help ensure the continuation of their services, and has funded scholarship programs nationwide. 

“Today’s decision is an important step for Goya Foods as we consider staying in New Jersey with what would be our largest facility in the U.S.,” said Goya Foods Executive Vice President Peter Unanue.  “We are very excited about moving forward with this process, and look forward to making our decision official once it is completed.  In the meantime, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Governor Christie, Lt. Governor Guadagno and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for their partnership and support as we all work to the future creation of jobs in the Garden State.”    

Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Guadagno, the Partnership for Action has worked with Goya over the last year to encourage the company to remain and expand in New Jersey.  The Business Action Center provided advocacy services to the company, and the tax credit of up to $81.9 million over ten years through the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Program is another key factor in making the expansion financially viable for Goya.  

“The collective efforts of the Partnership for Action, together with the enhanced Hub program, are producing the results we envisioned as we sought to strengthen the state’s ability to revitalize communities and advance redevelopment projects that create jobs, spur private investment and improve the quality of life for businesses and residents,” said Caren Franzini, EDA CEO. 

The Christie Administration’s New Jersey Partnership for Action is a three-pronged public-private approach to economic development and the starting point for all initiatives, policies and efforts to grow New Jersey’s economy and create quality, sustainable jobs in our communities. The three elements of the Partnership include Choose New Jersey, an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation created to encourage and nurture economic growth throughout New Jersey; the Business Action Center, which reports directly to the Lt. Governor and provides the business community with a single point of contact, applying a proactive, customer-service approach to businesses’ interactions with State government; and, the EDA, serving as the state’s “bank for business.”   

To learn more about New Jersey’s expertise and incentives to attract and support business growth, call the Business Action Center at (866) 534-7789 or visit the State’s Business Portal at www.newjerseybusiness.gov.

SHARE