By Amy Batista, Special Writer
FLORENCE — Burlington Coat Factory is a month into the beginning of its project to build a new 215,000 square-foot corporate headquarters on Route 130.
Last month, Burlington Coat Factory executives and Florence and state officials gathered in Burlington Township, at a nearby BCF facility, to participate in an official groundbreaking ceremony.
”Welcome and thank you all for joining us here to celebrate the ground breaking of our new corporate headquarters,” said Thomas Kingsbury, Burlington Coat Factory’s president and CEO.
Acting Governor Kim Guadagno, Congressman Jon Runyan, Assemblymen Herb Conaway Jr. of the 7th Legislative, Assemblymen Troy Singleton of the 7th Legislative, Florence Mayor Craig Wilkie and council members — Council President Jerry Sandusky, Paul Ostrander, David Woolston, and Ted Lovenduski, as well as Township Administrator Richard Brook, were among the dignitaries present April 5.
”I’m so delighted to participate in this exciting ceremony which was made possible by the State of New Jersey along with support from our local government,” Mr. Kingsbury said.
”What you see here could have happened today in Pennsylvania but for the bipartisan support for business incentive programs in New Jersey,” said Acting Governor Guadagno.
She spoke of the fight to keep Burlington Coat Factory in New Jersey rather than letting it move to Pennsylvania.
”Two years ago we heard that Burlington Coat Factory had one foot on a bar of soap and another one in the State of Pennsylvania,” Acting Governor Guadagno said.
Yet, she said, “It just wasn’t going to happen.”
”Burlington Coat Factory was not going to leave Burlington County on my watch,” the acting governor stated.
Other communities have not been so lucky. North of Florence, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. is moving its production operations — by autumn — from Bordentown City to a brand new Macungie facility in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
Congressman Runyan agreed that, “Burlington Coat Factory needs to stay in Burlington.”
”Our new headquarters will accommodate 800 corporate associates who buy the products we sell and support our stores,” Mr. Kingsbury said.
The facility has room for growth as “we look to add more great talent to our team,” said a Burlington Coat Factory spokesperson April 8 who declined to share her name for publication in The Register-News.
The new “state-of-the-art, multi-tier” office building will be built on 50 parcels of undeveloped land at 2006 Route 130 North.
The cost of the project is not being disclosed.
The new multi-tier building will feature an open and collaborative office layout, as well as a fitness center, conference space, a large multi-purpose training area, outdoor meeting and lunch space, and café, said KKS Architects — the firm managing the building project
Burlington Coat Factory was founded in 1972 and was just a “handful” of stores then.
”In fact, our first store was just a mile south on Route 130,” Mr. Kingsbury said.
Today, Burlington Coat Factory has grown to more than 500 retail stores in 44 states and Puerto Rico. The company has approximately 28,000 employees across America.
”Our existing offices will continue to function as a warehouse and we will maintain our Edgewater Park Distribution Center located just a few miles down the road,” Mr. Kingsbury said.
Governor Christie signed into law last January the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program to provide at least $200 million in incentives to create and retain Jersey jobs.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority awarded more than $40 million in tax credits to Burlington Coat Factory through the grant — enabling the giant retailer to stay in-state, as previously reported.
”The GrowNJ program, a Christie administration initiative, duplicates and expands the success of existing incentive programs while embracing innovative ideas to spur job growth and economic expansion,” the Burlington Coat Factory spokesperson said.
”It is a good program,” Acting Governor Guadagno said. “We don’t always win these challenges.”
”The ability for people to sit down ultimately at the end of the day and communicate and say I’m having a problem and we need some help,” Congressman Runyan said.
”That lack of communication sometimes from a corporate aspect to the state to the federal is lacking and we have a lot of people just closing up shop,” Congressman Runyan added.
”We are just very please to play our part, Assemblyman Singleton and I, for helping bring this project here to Florence and keeping it in the district saving 780 jobs,” said Assemblymen Conaway, of the of the 7th Legislative.
”It shows what happens when you get smart legislation and a committed administration in Trenton and here locally . . . working hand in hand across parties trying to get the work done for New Jerseyians,” Assemblyman Conaway added.
According to Mr. Conaway, Burlington Coat Factory is an “anchor business” in Burlington County.
”We want to make sure it is in a position to grow and thrive,” Assemblyman Conaway said.
Florence Mayor Wilkie said he made the phone calls — including one to Acting Governor Guadagno — when Burlington Coat Factory expressed a concern during the process.
”I was grateful to have phone call from you in June saying we got the money,” Mayor Wilkie said, adding thanks for the letters of support from the local assemblymen.
”We listened,” Mayor Wilkie said.
Other Florence officials also weighed in at the ground breaking ceremony April 5.
”This is a day for the taxpayers of Florence Township,” said Mr. Sandusky. “This is a blessing. This is really good.”
”We have all waited a long time for something to happen,” Mr. Sandusky added. “Now we have Subaru and now we have Burlington Coat and I look forward to move businesses coming into the Route 130 corridor.”
The council members are hoping this is the start of something bigger on the Route 130 corridor.
”We’ve created an environment where we want businesses to come to Florence and this is the second large development starting,” said Mr. Ostrander. “It’s a real positive for the taxpayers.”
”This is going to filter down to our other businesses that are in town now,” Mr. Sandusky said. “These businesses should start prospering also.”
”We are very proud of the work we all did on this project,” Acting Governor Guadagno said as she “thanked” everyone for coming.
”Let’s do some digging,” Mr. Kingsbury said.
The new facility is scheduled to open between the spring and fall of 2014.
