BLACK BEAR DISTRIBUTION BRINGS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY AND NEW JOBS TO DELANCO
Trenton, N.J. (September 16, 2009) – State officials today visited the Cold Storage and Distribution Facility of Black Bear Distribution, LLC to tour the company’s ultramodern building and mark the 90 jobs it has created in New Jersey. Black Bear, which distributes nationally for Dietz & Watson, was awarded a Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP) grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA). The project also included a capital investment of $20 million. Attracting jobs and encouraging private investment remains critical to ensuring the State emerges from the national recession better and stronger than ever,” said Governor Jon S. Corzine. “We’ve taken several important measures to stimulate business growth during these challenging economic times and Black Bear’s decision to invest and create jobs in New Jersey is great news.” The BEIP grant, which will amount to an estimated $175,500 over 10 years, was a major incentive for Black Bear to open its facility in Delanco. “Between the outstanding labor market in southern New Jersey, the facility’s ideal location for our storage and distribution customers who need to reach various markets, and the support we received from the EDA, we could not be happier about our decision to locate in Delanco,” said John Tsigounis, vice president & general manager of Black Bear. “We expect operations to continue to expand and we look forward to growing and creating even more jobs in New Jersey.” According to Tsigounis, the Black Bear Cold Storage and Distribution Facility houses over 266,000 square feet of the newest, technologically superior refrigerator/freezer foods storage and handling environment in the Delaware Valley and tri-state areas. Over 7.6 million cubic feet are configurable to over 36,000 pallet positions. Black Bear’s services include import/export related to United States Department of Agriculture inspections, frozen meat tempering, and customized storage and shipping, including on-line inventory and transaction visibility. Black Bear utilizes RF technology for all shipping transactions and is implementing a signature tablet to allow for all shipping transactions and electronic document sharing throughout the storage and distribution process. The facility, which also features 40 foot high ceilings and 30 truck loading docks with levelers and seals, came about as a result of Dietz & Watson’s need for additional refrigerated warehousing and distribution space to support its growth. Dietz & Watson was founded in 1939 by Gottlieb Dietz and continues to be run by the third generation of the Dietz family. The company produces premium deli meats and artisan cheeses and has grown to become one of the most requested deli brands in the United States. BEIP grants are available to businesses expanding or relocating their workforce in the Garden State. Grants may be awarded for up to 10 years and can range between 10 percent and 80 percent of the total amount of state income taxes withheld by the company during the calendar year from the salaries of the new employees hired. The EDA is a state financing and development agency that works to strengthen New Jersey’s economy by retaining and growing businesses through financial assistance, by renewing communities, and by promoting the state’s strategic advantages to attract domestic and international business. For more information on Black Bear, visit www.bbdistribution.com. For more information on BEIP, visit www.njeda.gov. To learn more about opportunities for business growth throughout New Jersey, visit the state’s business portal at www.NewJerseyBusiness.gov.