BY Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
The Township gained 16 new businesses in August alone, according to officials.
Township spokesman Ron Schmalz said the new businesses came into the township in August alone, bringing the total number of new businesses for 2012 to 173 so far.
”It is a good trend,” Mr. Schmalz said last week. “Hopefully, it helps our local economy.”
Mr. Schmalz said the Township Council and professional staff have been working very hard to streamline the permitting process for new businesses to come into the municipality.
”We have changed the way we operate (with business),” Mr. Schmalz said.
The two largest companies of the new group now calling the township home are Preferred Freezer Services on Tower Road, occupying 167,812 square feet of warehouse space and Cherryman Industries Inc., occupying 103,881 square feet in a facility on Thatcher Road, according to Mr. Schmalz.
Mr. Schmalz said he did not know how many workers the firms would be taking on, but that they are hiring.
”They are using existing warehouse space,” Mr. Schmalz said.
Mr. Schmalz said that while much of the warehouse space open in the township was built as recently as the 1980s, they must be retrofitted for the new building codes.
Another three of the new companies are also taking up more than 30,000 square feet for operations, according to the township.
Mr. Schmalz said the township is in the ideal location for such businesses due to its proximity to both the New York and Philadelphia markets, and that Mayor Frank Gambatese and others on the governing body have been meeting regularly with interested parties to bring more commerce to the township.
”We hope more will come,” Mr. Schmalz said.

