Camden County

PATCO Riders Enjoy New Found "Freedom"

Getting around the region just got a little easier for South Jersey residents. PATCO’s recently introduced "Freedom Card," a smart card fare collection system, has been embraced by PATCO riders. The cards were introduced in February; in that time, 70 percent of riders have begun using the Freedom Card, enabling them to wave their card at Speedline stations in favor of paying by swiping their old plastic cards.

Montgomery County

Colorcon Plans New Headquarters

Colorcon Inc, makers of coatings for candy and medicine, is set to begin construction on an 89,000 square-foot building in Lower Salford, Montgomery County. The building will house the company’s headquarters, data center, and research and development facilities.

Construction of the facility is expected to be completed by September 2009.

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Bucks County

Bristol Office Space to be Reborn as Life Sciences Laboratories

Keystone Redevelopment LLC announced a $19 million project to restore a Bristol Township office building. The plan involves the conversion of 170,000 square feet of existing lab and office space for reuse by life sciences companies.

The project could potentially generate 250-300 jobs and solidify the site as a first-class research complex. The site is located within a Keystone Innovation Zone, offering tax breaks and other incentives for businesses to locate there.

Bucks County

Samax Enterprises Moves Into Region

Samax Enterprises Inc., maker of restoration products, will relocate its operations from Newark, N.J., to Falls Township, Bucks County. The 177,000-square-foot building sits on 14 acres.

The company says it chose the Falls location in part because the building is located within a Keystone Innovation Zone, which will provide tenants with breaks on various state and local taxes until 2018.

The company, will have 50 employees at the site.

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Chester County

Play Ball?

The Chester County Economic Development Council is pitching in to help the effort to bring a minor league baseball stadium to the County. The CCEDC is helping to find a site for the Chester County Stadium Project, and also is working to secure funding for a feasibility study. Officials believe the explosion in popularity of minor league baseball may be a perfect fit for the booming population of Chester County.

The proposed project would be a multi-purpose facility that will house a minor league baseball team and play host to the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame, and be available for other civic events.

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Delaware County

Delco CC Gets Funding for Applied Engineering Technology Program

The U.S. Department of Labor has delivered a three-year, $1.9 million dollar grant to Delaware County Community College for the development of applied engineering technology curriculum. The program will help to fulfill the need for evolving science and engineering education.

College officials will also use the money for scholarships to increase their current applied engineering technology program and to help other academic institutions expand AET programs.

The college is constructing a $59 million, 105,000-square-feet science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) facility expected to open next year.

Salem County

Beef Importer Comes In From the Cold

Garden State Freezers & Cold Storage, one of the largest Australian beef importers in the country, will begin construction on an 110,000 square-foot office, storage, and distribution center late this summer at the Gateway Business Park in Oldman’s Township.

The park provides immediate access to Interstate 295 and its close proximity to the New Jersey Turnpike, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.