Shanel Robinson, County Commissioner Director, Somerset County

From attracting movie productions to workforce development efforts, Somerset County is building a strong foundation for its future. In an interview with Invest:, County Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson highlighted the county’s key partnerships and efforts to stay resilient amid constant economic changes while remaining optimistic for the future. “As we prepare ourselves for the future, we expect more great things to come. We pride ourselves as being a great place to live, work, and play, and we were also voted the No. 1 place to raise a family,” Robinson said.

In the past year, what changes and milestones have most impacted the county?

We continue to be a County that is on the move and where private investment is not just occurring but flourishing. Recently, we welcomed the new global headquarters of Freshpet into our county, as well as seeing the Federal Reserve Bank of New York purchase a 110-acre property to establish its cash processing facility. New investment in the form of groundbreakings to ribbon cuttings, to major leases being signed, reflects our strong economy. We are conveniently located in central New Jersey and foster a talented workforce. 

We also cut the ribbon on a multimillion-dollar expansion of the Workforce Training Center at Raritan Valley Community College. The expansion includes two clean rooms, a biology lab, a mechatronics program, and additional capacity in the advanced manufacturing and electric vehicle programs. The clean rooms are crucial for the development of life-saving cell and gene therapies. RVCC is the first New Jersey community college to offer a clean room training environment, and we are proud it’s in Somerset County. Additionally, we opened the doors on an exciting campus expansion at Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, which will house our new Career and Technical Education building. Both of these investments in education represent our strong commitment to learning and workforce development, helping our residents secure a good job and have a bright future. The programs that will be taught are a direct outcome of listening to our business community and their workforce needs heading into the future. 

How do the county’s extensive economic development efforts align with broader economic trends?

The County has invested time and resources into ensuring we understand and are able to support businesses, especially in a post-COVID environment. We have recognized that people are prioritizing work-life balance and are choosing where they live not only based on their place of employment but other factors they see as important. We are being proactive in recognizing those trends, informing people about all the great things Somerset County offers, while directly supporting employers who can leverage our recently created talent attraction tool, Why Somerset, during their prospecting and recruiting. Why Somerset provides information on our excellent public schools, housing market, safety, things to do, places for trailing, where spouses can work, and more. 

The County also supports our small businesses and recently invested in the creation of the Somerset County Business HUB. Housed in Somerset County Business Partnership’s new offices, the HUB was a direct outcome of how the pandemic created a need to provide business education on marketing, grants, loans, and other essential topics, where the focus was on supporting business growth and entrepreneurship. This focus drove this new multi-conference room space, designed to be used by small businesses. 

What economic sectors are driving investment activity in the county? 

We have spent time truly understanding what industries are here and investing in Somerset County. We are currently focusing on three target sectors: life sciences, cosmetics and personal care, and advanced manufacturing. The County is a valuable resource to our business partners, and we have crafted strategies to ensure we support their retention and expansion, while working hard to attract new companies that would thrive being around the depth of talent that exists here.  

How is the county working on growing its budding agritourism sector?
We are proud of the deep, diverse agricultural experiences that currently exist, including traditional farms, farmers’ markets, and unique farm experiences like picking your own fruits, vegetables, and flowers, to specialty farms that range from alpaca farms and goat yoga.
Recently, we launched “Seeded in Somerset,” a unique agritourism initiative aimed at promoting local farms and food businesses. It connects farmers, growers, and small businesses with residents and tourists seeking authentic local experiences. We have always known we have a rich agricultural heritage, and we are excited to showcase that for everyone.

How have key partnerships with employers helped expand the county’s workforce development strategies?

Relationships matter, and our Office of Economic Development works at that every day. Having direct contact with our largest employers spurred us to develop and launch Why Somerset, which is unique and the first of its kind in New Jersey county government. We heard companies express a need for a variety of information they could share with prospective employees about living here (schools, housing, etc.) Why Somerset was designed with input from employers and is being leveraged by HR teams and corporate recruiters across many sectors, such as photonics and personal care, to recruit talent. 

We also heard directly from manufacturers about how they’re seeing less interest in manufacturing jobs from young people. This motivated us to proactively engage the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program to bring their Makers & Creators tour to Somerset County. We partnered with Hillsborough High School and manufacturers we had relationships with, like L&Z Tool, to give kids hands-on experience utilizing manufacturing machinery. We then developed a marketing piece for students to bring home to their families that provided information on the manufacturing industry: average wages, local places offering internships, popular job titles, and career paths.  

Raritan Valley Community College is an important partner in our work. Our economic development team has been heavily involved in the development of the clean room training program, which has attracted industry support. In January of 2025, we welcomed the CEO of Johnson & Johnson to campus, where he announced the company would become a founding sponsor of the clean room training program. This training program, called NJBioFutures, also includes educational partners Middlesex and Mercer County Colleges, which launched with in-person student cohorts in fall 2025. With the critical support of Johnson & Johnson through the NJBioFutures coalition, there will be an acceleration of the creation of industry-aligned curricula at this state-of-the-art training facility located on the RVCC campus. 

What challenges is the county evaluating, and what opportunities do they represent?

County government plays a pivotal role in providing services throughout our 21 municipalities. We are responsible for providing many public and mental health services. We support our senior citizens and our children in need. We maintain major infrastructure while having a significant role in ensuring public safety. We transport our residents around the County, and we work hard to be good stewards of the environment. We are a hub of essential services that our residents have come to rely upon. We do this against the backdrop of rising fiscal challenges, aging infrastructure, and increased demand for services. We also recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy county economy, reflected in our AAA bond rating, which reflects a strong credit quality and sound financial decisions led by a professional management team. 

What are the priorities for the county in the near term?

Going back to uncertainty with funding, whether at the federal or state level, perceived challenges are also opportunities. There is an opportunity to be creative, collaborate, and learn how to pivot with the changing times. We must stay nimble enough to be able to continue to do the great work that we are already doing. The challenge is finding ways to fund it at the level of excellence we want and give people a great sense of stability and resilience. We have the responsibility to make sure that our residents feel safe, protected, have the needed county services, and that we are great stewards of the funds that are entrusted to us.