Family-Owned CleanTex Expands in Irvington and Trenton
Industrial Linen and Laundry Service Provider to Create Hundreds of New Jobs
TRENTON, N.J. (December 12, 2017) – CleanTex, a family-owned supplier of industrial linen services, was encouraged to expand and create over 350 new jobs in New Jersey rather than relocate operations to Pennsylvania through the approval of Grow New Jersey (Grow NJ) tax credits at today’s New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) Board meeting. Grow NJ is the primary program for job creation and retention under the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA.)
“Today’s approval for CleanTex demonstrates the ability of the Grow NJ program to assist businesses of all sizes,” said EDA CEO Melissa Orsen. “CleanTex’s continued success in New Jersey is a testament to the ability of family-owned businesses to thrive in the State, and we are thrilled to offer support to help nurture this growing enterprise.”
CleanTex, which has operations in Trenton, Irvington, and Brooklyn, has outgrown both New Jersey facilities and is looking to incorporate the latest material handling systems and larger washer, dryer, and folding systems now available.
If CleanTex chooses to expand in New Jersey, it would enter into a long-term lease at a 96,000-square-foot facility in Irvington, more than doubling its current footprint. The company would create more than 200 new jobs in Irvington, where it would also retain 82 jobs at risk of leaving the State. In Trenton, CleanTex’s 39,000-square-foot facility would be upgraded with newer, more efficient technology and equipment. By adding shifts, the company would be able to add 152 new jobs and retain 166 positions. Total private investment associated with the two facilities is expected to exceed $14.8 million.
The company’s corporate headquarters will remain in Linden. CleanTex’s expansion and related equipment upgrades will better position the company to serve its hundreds of corporate, hospital, and extended care customers throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
“Since CleanTex was founded in 1995, New Jersey has proven to be a strategic location in terms of both logistics and hiring appropriately-skilled workers,” said CleanTex CEO Jacob Zahler. “Today’s approval of Grow NJ tax credits will make our expansion in New Jersey a more viable option. CleanTex is dedicated to the communities where its plants are located and pleased that with the help of the EDA, it cannot only remain, but also grow in Trenton and Irvington.”
Trenton is one of five municipalities designated as a Garden State Growth Zone under the EOA, providing these communities with the highest level of economic incentives in order to better catalyze private investment and employment growth. Enhanced incentives are also available in EOA-defined “distressed municipalities,” which include Irvington. To date, more than 83 percent of tax credits approved under Grow NJ are for projects located in a targeted community.
EDA Board meetings are typically held at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at 36 West State Street in Trenton. The Board meeting schedule, as well as Board agendas and minutes, are available at www.njeda.gov. All Board actions will take effect at the expiration of the statutory period for the Governor’s review and consideration of the meeting minutes.
To learn more about EDA resources, including loans and tax-exempt bonds, call 609-858-6767, visit www.njeda.gov and follow @NJEDAWasHere on Twitter and LinkedIn.
