By Joshua Burd
Commercial real estate and business leaders have a launched new coalition to promote the benefits of New Jersey’s logistics sector and defend against rhetoric that has stalled a growing number of warehouse development projects in recent years.
Known as Circulate NJ, the organization includes more than 35 members ranging from dock workers and trucking companies to developers and Amazon. The group is making its debut alongside a formal education campaign on how the transportation, logistics and distribution industry supports the state’s economy and workforce, while helping to clean up highly contaminated sites from Jersey City to Lower Alloways Creek.
Greek Real Estate Partners’ David Greek will chair the coalition.
“Circulate NJ represents the logistics industry’s essential role as the life force behind New Jersey’s economy,” said Greek, a managing partner with the East Brunswick-based firm. “This coalition will lead productive conversations with residents and stakeholders to inform them about the industry and address misconceptions. From tackling environmental issues, to strengthening the communities in which we operate, logistics industry members are working to uplift New Jersey’s economy and workforce.”
In announcing the campaign, Circulate NJ cited data from the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development that shows many of the transportation, logistics and distribution or TLD industry’s benefits, including:
- Supporting more than 400,000 jobs
- Employing 12 percent of the state’s private workforce and providing 12.7 percent of New Jersey private-sector wages
- Providing an average $75,000 annual industry salary
- Contributing $62.5 billion, or 10 percent, to New Jersey’s overall GDP
“The logistics industry contributes so much to the state and its residents, from economic growth to personal development to environmental rehabilitation,” said Dan Kennedy, CEO of NAIOP New Jersey. “Circulate NJ is here to demonstrate how New Jersey’s logistics industry is more than moving goods. We’re driving brownfield remediation, providing job training opportunities and powering the state’s growing digital economy to make a real difference in our communities.”
Developers of large warehouse projects have faced increasingly hostile and organized resistance in recent years from residents of many towns in New Jersey, despite continued demand for same-day and next-day delivery. But the coalition said its campaign will amplify independent studies and reliable data on how the industry tackles climate change by incorporating sustainable and clean energy and using modern infrastructure, engagement with local communities and partnerships with organized labor to ensure long-lasting infrastructure for sustained job opportunities.
“A sustainable robust supply chain is the fuel that feeds the economic engine of the region and is necessary to meet the current and future demands of the consumer,” said John J. Nardi, president of the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey.
Lisa Yakomin, president of the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers, added: “The stability of our supply chain hinges on the successful coordination and collaboration of the business operations that comprise each link of that chain. Our port supports the needs of millions of consumers throughout the region, and the logistics involved in moving those goods are complex and dynamic. We look forward to increasing awareness on the role that each of Circulate NJ’s coalition partners serves in that vital process.”
Circulate NJ’s member organizations include NAIOP New Jersey, Amazon, Crow Holdings Development, Federal Business Centers, Forsgate Industrial Partners, Greek Real Estate Partners, The Hampshire Cos., J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc., NAI James E. Hanson; Prologis Inc., Russo Development, Sitex Group, Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer PA, Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey, Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
“New Jersey’s logistics industry keeps America moving — and Circulate NJ keeps New Jersey moving,” said Michael Egenton, executive vice president for government relations at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “Circulate NJ’s members truly are the life force of our state’s economy, supporting thousands of critical workers, and improving the lives of millions of New Jerseyans. Although logistics work often occurs behind the scenes, this coalition will bring to light the countless ways in which our state relies on the industry to thrive and help grow a strong economy in New Jersey.”
New Jersey supply chain expert Anne Strauss-Wieder added: “New Jersey has been a national leader in production and distribution since Alexander Hamilton established the first industrial park in Paterson. New Jersey’s historic strength in the logistics industry continues today, serving the region, nation and the world, while producing a full range of job opportunities and revenue benefits for the state’s residents.”
