(Camden, NJ) – The Freeholder Board, along with the City of Camden and Coopers Ferry Partnership, submitted a proposal making Camden County and specifically Camden City the best site for Amazon’s second North American headquarters. The Freeholder Board and the Camden County Improvement Authority believe the 197-page document will provide the facts and metrics behind why the city is the most fertile ground for the tech giant to land.
Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli talked about the unique position the city and county are in to attract a technology company the size and scope of Amazon.
“We have done our homework and believe our team has put together the best submission in the nation to make Camden an Amazon town,” Cappelli said. “As I said in September when we started this journey, I believe the city brings a comprehensive variety of tangible and intangible assets and amenities that many localities cannot compete with. Furthermore, our infrastructure and geography are second to none.”
Amazon has redefined digital sales throughout the world going from a website that focused on selling books to a global e-commerce leader for the largest variety of products anywhere. The eight million-square-feet of proposed office space that will be Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos’s, second headquarters will be transformative for any landscape. Also, the thousands of new employees working within those offices will bring local economic benefits to the community.
Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd talked about the past and the city’s bright future in which Amazon can become part of.
“I am confident and believe this is the right time for Camden,” Redd said. “This is yet another opportunity for the city to build upon its renowned industrial past and rich legacy of innovation. I believe the city has put together a very competitive application. Camden has done a good job of attracting more than $2 billion in investment and other forward thinking industry leaders like Subaru, Holtec and American Water, among others. We see Amazon as an excellent fit. Simply put, Camden’s location is second to none in terms of distribution and logistics. Our City and region has the assets needed to support Amazon and it would be a tremendous boost for Camden, the state and the entire regional economy.”
Camden City and the county has seen an unprecedented amount of private investment over the last three years including the $320 million Holtec International Technology campus and several other new corporations encompassing more than $2 billion in total. Construction continues at Knight’s Crossing as car manufacturer, Subaru of America, gets closer to finishing its new national headquarters and training facility and on the waterfront where American Water builds its new campus. In addition, the $8 billion, international food and beverage company, Campbell Soup, has called the city home for more than 140 years.
“Make no mistake, this is not an exercise, this is a process that we and our partners are passionately committed to. We believe a consolidated effort will make Camden and South Jersey stand out in the proposal competition,” Cappellli explained. “From Denise Morrison at Campbell’s to Kris Singh at Holtec our business community knows the benefits of operating in Camden, and now it’s time for Jeff Bezos to call the city home as well.”