FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 14, 2008

County encourages companies to relocate here
Promotional video to appear on Web, included in mailings

FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Department of Economic Development & Tourism has launched a new promotional video to lure businesses to the county. The video touts the many resources Monmouth County offers, from park and recreational facilities to office complexes and education.

“Monmouth County is changing, as evidenced by the impending closure of Ft. Monmouth, one of the county’s largest employers,” said Freeholder John D’Amico Jr., who oversees the county’s Department of Economic Development & Tourism. “Fueling economic development is the best way of making sure we maintain the ratable base to support the quality of life we all enjoy. Monmouth County has the best workers, great corporate and industrial parks, as well as the best location – between New York and Philadelphia. Encouraging businesses to relocate to Monmouth County makes sense.”

Bea Duffy, director of Economic Development & Tourism, said employers will be pleasantly surprised if they choose to relocate to Monmouth County.

“The Department has seen steady and progressive growth in inquiries from business outside the county that are considering relocation,” Duffy said. “Monmouth County has one of the finest workforces in America. It is among the best educated, most experienced and diverse. They create and produce some of the most advanced medical, computer and communications products in the world.”

In addition to the video, the Department offers a variety of services that can be found on its Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com. There is an office space locator, which shows businesses what office space is available around the county. Department staff also assists these businesses in finding the right space. There is also a corporate listing of major employers and their contacts, statistics on the county, utilities that serve the area, shopping outlets and transportation information.

While business executives expressed pessimism about the near-term outlook for the state and national economies – and to a lesser extent, Monmouth and Ocean counties – companies still plan on investing in their businesses and employees, according to the 2008 Business Outlook Survey conducted by the Monmouth-Ocean Development Council.

Sixty-nine percent of those who participated in the survey view the bi-county region as a good location for new or expanded facilities.

 The New Jersey Business and Industry Association’s 2007 Business Outlook Survey found that 74 percent of the respondents said they feel the quality of life is better in Monmouth and Ocean counties than in other regions in the state. Additionally, 53 percent said they considered the public schools to be better, 47 percent ranked the Monmouth-Ocean region better for promoting economic development, and 32 percent said officials in the region do a better job of protecting the environment.

The promotional video was produced in-house and is posted on the county’s Web site and also will be sent to businesses inquiring about relocation.

“Not only is it important to preserve the jobs we have now, but we need to be vigilant in our efforts to create new ones,” D’Amico said. “Monmouth County has a lot to offer. We want business decision-makers everywhere to give us a close look then locate, expand or remain here.”

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