Spotlight On: Gerard Velazquez, President & CEO, The Authority (Cumberland County Improvement Authority)
July 2025 — In an interview with Invest: New Jersey, Gerard Velazquez, president and CEO of The Authority (Cumberland County Improvement Authority), discussed the organization’s evolving role in driving economic growth. He also talked about CCIA’s focus on infrastructure, business retention, and positioning Cumberland County as a competitive destination for national and international businesses.
How has the Cumberland County Improvement Authority’s (CCIA) role evolved in recent years to address the changing economic landscape of Cumberland County?
Initially, the Authority was the county’s landfill operator. When I came here 12 years ago, the mission for me and the objective that I was given was to transform the organization from a landfill operator to a redevelopment entity. We started out doing public projects, such as schools, police stations, and fire stations, which we still do. However, our role has evolved and expanded from a redeveloper to an economic arm of the county and an advocate for business in the community. This involves ensuring we have the proper infrastructure and making sure South Jersey, and Cumberland County in particular, is recognized as a place with development opportunities. We aim to demonstrate that we have the same or greater capacity and resources to attract business as other counties in the northern part of the state.
The distinction between north, south, and central New Jersey is fickle. When I attended Montclair State College, people would ask where I was from. I would say South Jersey, and they would respond, “You mean Tom’s River?” No, Tom’s River is not South Jersey. We work hard to clarify what South Jersey truly represents. Over the last several years, we have made significant strides in our role as advocates and economic development influencers in Cumberland County. We are truly a one-stop resource center for existing and incoming businesses.
Now, we are at a point where our impact as an organization and the county’s ability to rise have allowed us to be much more selective with the businesses coming here. Many international businesses, such as Swiss, Italian, and other European entities, have located here due to our outreach and stewardship of the community.
What strategies is CCIA implementing to attract new businesses and industries to the region?
Our strategy revolves around ensuring that our existing businesses are satisfied and that we provide them with efficient development timelines. Happy businesses become our best advocates. For example, one Italian company’s success leads to another, and now we have three Italian companies here, with another considering relocation due to the relationships we have built.
From an international perspective, businesses communicate with each other, so our focus is on delivering the best possible experience for incoming clients. Choose New Jersey, the state’s leading non-profit business attraction organization, has been a valuable resource. Over the last year and a half, we have worked closely with them to bring businesses to Cumberland County.
They have a broader reach and more resources than we do, so we leverage their network to identify potential businesses. Once those businesses arrive, our job is to ensure they stay.
With Lassonde Pappas committing to a $200 million expansion in Upper Deerfield, how is The Authority supporting this significant investment?
Our role is to serve as the point of contact for businesses like Lassonde Pappas. They were considering leaving the county. We received a referral from Choose New Jersey for a project codenamed “Project Aerie.” It is common for businesses exploring location and relocation to use codenames to maintain confidentiality. Through Choose New Jersey, we receive proposals labeled “Project Horizon,” “Project Aerie,” and others. They do not want competitors or local stakeholders to know their plans prematurely. So, at the time, we did not know it was Lassonde Pappas as they did not want their identity disclosed.
Our job was to meet with them, work through their concerns, and convince them that Cumberland County was the right place to stay. Initially, I thought we were recruiting a new business, but we later realized we were trying to retain an existing one.
Part of the challenge was countering misleading cost comparisons. Site selectors were using North Jersey and New York City numbers to argue that South Jersey was more expensive than Pennsylvania. Our role was to demonstrate that South Jersey’s costs, including land, construction, and labor, are competitive with Pennsylvania’s suburbs.
Additionally, we emphasized our strong labor pool due to our proximity to Philadelphia, Delaware, and Baltimore. The conversation shifted from retention to growth, ultimately leading to their $200 million investment. We are proud of this outcome, especially since we did not initially know who we were working with.
Considering the ongoing development projects in South Jersey, how is The Authority positioning Cumberland County to benefit from these trends?
Cumberland County is focused on food processing, manufacturing, and logistics, specifically those tied to production, not just warehousing. While neighboring counties emphasize logistics, we prioritize manufacturing, particularly in food and refrigeration.
We have seen exponential growth in freezer and refrigeration space; in fact, several million square feet was recently built, with more approved for development. Another key focus is data center development. Our proximity to major urban centers makes us an ideal location, though infrastructure, particularly electrical, has been a hurdle to these developments.
Recently, we overcame this with the construction of an initial 130,000-square-foot facility, the first phase of a 1 million sf data center now under construction in Vineland. This breakthrough opens doors for more data center projects, which, while not labor-intensive, elevate our profile.
Additionally, COVID-19 unexpectedly boosted our food manufacturing sector. While tourism-dependent areas suffered, our manufacturers adapted and grew. The pandemic also shifted perceptions as remote work made our open spaces and affordability more attractive. People now recognize that Cumberland County offers quick access to major cities while providing a lower-cost, high-quality, socially distanced lifestyle. This new dynamic presents opportunities for second homes, remote work hubs, and further economic diversification.
What are the main challenges in Cumberland County in terms of workforce development, infrastructure, and rural development?
Infrastructure remains a challenge, as well as connectivity from a broadband and fiber infrastructure perspective. Our cities are connected fairly well, but our rural areas are not. We have been working closely with Cumberland and Salem County to create a partnership that allows us to expand our internet infrastructure and connectivity to the outer, more rural areas of our two counties. That is something we have been working on for a long time.
We received one of the few broadband grants from the federal government a couple of years ago to implement middle-mile infrastructure. We are working on some last-mile activities now. During COVID, that was one of the things highlighted, especially in the areas of health, telemedicine, education, and similar needs. We need to do a better job in that area. We need to keep the pressure on Atlantic City Electric, which provides our infrastructure for electricity, to ensure they continue to deliver the necessary services.
Transportation is another issue for us because we are rural. Our public transportation is limited and is connected to particular locations, so it is more of a destination-based system rather than a way to get around the county. We are trying to figure out how to better utilize our existing resources to help people get from place to place, particularly for job opportunities.
Soon, immigration will also impact industry and our economy as we try to find workers for our manufacturing facilities. We still have a heavy concentration of the farm industry here, specializing in crops for restaurants, such as fruits and vegetables that require manual labor. Unlike hay, grasses, or soybeans, which can be harvested with machinery, these specialty crops need hands. That will be a challenge as it unfolds over the next couple of years. We have several wineries that have recently opened, and these are similarly dependent on manual labor.
Tourism will also be impacted. We are trying to figure out how to address this, but part of the problem is that we do not yet know the full extent of the issue. The situation changes week to week. From our perspective, we need to be prepared to help our businesses succeed. We are already having conversations with new manufacturers about workforce availability. However, due to the lack of clear direction at the federal level, we will continue working on this as a work in progress. Despite the current global uncertainties, we will be prepared, or at least find a path forward as we have done previously.
What is your outlook for the region for the next two to three years, and what are your main goals moving forward?
The outlook is good. We are the last horizon for development, and people recognize that we are not that far away anymore. We must continue working on infrastructure, transportation, and other long-standing challenges. The more we grow and create opportunities, the easier it will be to address infrastructure needs. Increased business activity makes it easier to convince utility and fiber companies to invest, as it becomes profitable for them.
Tourism is strong, with people staying local benefiting Atlantic County and Cape May County as well. With global travel uncertainties, local tourism will remain important.
Education and social issues in rural communities still need attention. We must improve healthcare and education to support our workforce. We want not only middle- and lower-level workers, but also CEOs and business leaders to become Cumberland County residents.
Trout National, the new golf course developed by John Ruga and Mike Trout, along with Tiger Woods, is already bringing attention to the county. Even if it is a members-only course, it is putting Cumberland County on the map. People are searching for it, discovering our area, and seeking to create new opportunities.
Of course, there are challenges concerning funding uncertainties for education, transportation, and social services, which will require us to be more efficient with resources. We must prioritize and bring in partners to help where necessary. Failure is not an option, and I remain optimistic. We have resources to attract businesses and industries, and collaboration and partnership will be more important than ever, as while we do face shortages and challenges, it will still be easier to manage if we work together.
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