SECAUCUS AND BEYOND — If Secaucus-based Panasonic ultimately decides to ditch the town for another municipality, as the company is contemplating, perhaps Secaucus could convince Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories to move in.
New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie might even lend a hand. The governor today launched an ad campaign in the Midwestern state to attract Illinois-based businesses to the Garden State. Under the campaign, dubbed “New Jersey Means Business,” the Christie administration is “asking Illinois businesses to relocate and invest in New Jersey,” according to a release issued today by his office.
According to the release, the governor decided that Illinois-based businesses are ripe for recruitment because the state allegedly passed a 67 percent income tax increase and a 46 percent increase on corporate property taxes, according to the release. The campaign, which will include radio and print advertisements in six Illinois media outlets, targets both large and midsize corporations headquartered in that state, presumably including Abbott Laboratories.
“In New Jersey, we mean business. We’ve said ‘enough is enough’ and made the tough choices to cut spending,” Christie said in a released statement Tuesday. “By providing a positive, pro-growth climate we are making it easier for businesses to choose New Jersey and welcoming jobs and economic growth for our residents with open arms.”
Should the governor’s campaign succeed it could conceivably benefit Secaucus, which is currently in danger of losing Panasonic, one of the largest companies in town. Earlier this month Secaucus learned that Panasonic might seriously be considering a move elsewhere. In addition to Newark, NJ, the company is also considering sites in California, New York, Georgia, and, ironically, Illinois. — E. Assata Wright
Our Digital Archive from 2000 – 2016
