EDISON — An international company recently opened a branch office in the township, making its home in a new building designed specifically with energy efficiency in mind.
The firm, Hellman Worldwide Logistics (HWL), held the grand opening for its newest office in the township’s Raritan Center on Dec. 9. The company will operate in an 89,000-square-foot building, newly constructed about a month ago, most of which is occupied by a 78,000-square-foot warehouse. The business, which employs 35 people at this site, will provide about $100,000 in tax revenue to the township annually. HWL moved into the building about two and a half weeks ago.
The company, based out of Germany, was started in 1871 by one person operating a single horse-drawn cart, according to Jost Hellman, the fourth generation of Hellmans associated with the company. He said he was proud that the firm has expanded so far in its time. The expansion was planned before the recession, but Hellman said he is confident that they will be able to survive whatever difficulties the economy sends their way.
“We are very proud we are still privately owned and not a public company, so we can run it as the family decides to run it, and of course with our worldwide offices and all in 55 countries, and exclusive agents in other countries … . We are very proud of what we have achieved here, and this is, of course, not just an achievement of myself or cousins but of our employees who make it happen every day,” Hellman said during an interview.
The building was designed to be energy efficient. All the lights are long-lasting fluorescent, including the ones in the warehouse, and the structure itself has anti-stratification fans, used to regulate temperatures in buildings with very high ceilings.
Heike Frattalone, the office’s general manager, said that HWL is involved in all aspects of logistics, from airfreight to sea cargo to warehousing. They connect exporters and importers to the supplies they need to do business.
Mayor Jun Choi also attended the grand opening and said he was pleased to see another business move to Edison.
“I am thrilled that the worldwide leaders in logistics, one of the top industries in New Jersey, chose Edison to base their business, despite hard economic times,” said Choi.