The Florence Township Economic Development Committee meets in the Municipal Complex on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.

Florence Township is a community wealthy in the resources essential to commercial development. Strategically located within the Northeast corridor, Florence Township is 45 minutes north of Center City Philadelphia and 1½ hours south of New York City. Modern, safe and well maintained roads, highways and interstates provide a seamless link to the many metropolitan markets along the Eastern seaboard.

While US Highway Route 130 intersects the township, Interstate Highway Route 295 parallels the township's eastern border. Interstate Highway Route 1 and Interstate Highway Route 95, as well as, US Highway Route 206 are all accessible within 5 to 15 minutes. The community also provides direct access to both the New Jersey Turnpike and the Pennsylvania Turnpike via New Jersey Turnpike Interchange #6 and the Delaware River Bridge.

Bordering the township on the west, the Delaware River provides a deep-water channel which runs the length of the town. Heavy rail lines also run the length of the community north-south providing shipping and freight service.

Rail service to and through Florence Township will expand in the early spring of 2003, as the Southern New Jersey Light Rail Line will become operational. With two stations in the township, this passenger line will link communities between Camden and Trenton to existing lines at the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden and the Trenton Station.

To ensure the township's readiness for economic expansion, Mayor and Council have recently made a number of infrastructure improvements.

• The installation of water and sewer lines along 1.5 miles of US Hwy. Rt. 130
• The upgrading of the township's water treatment facility
• The installation of a second one million gallon elevated water tank
• The refurbishing of the primary one million gallon water tank
• Gained control of the former John A. Roebling & Sons Wire Mill

Additionally, Florence Township is an active member in the "Route 130 Corridor Revitalization Project." This program is under the direction of the Burlington County Board of Freeholders and is administered by the Burlington County Office of Land Use and Planning.

The objective of this program is to assist communities along Route 130 with economic development and redevelopment projects by combining the resources of a county government with those of a local municipality. At present, Florence Township is working in conjunction with Burlington County officials to redevelop the former Roebling Steel Mill Site.

The steel mill site is comprised of a total of 232 acres. Inclusive in this is 52 acres in a riparian area with 7,200 feet along the Delaware River. Also within the site is 2,133 feet of CSX/Conrail freight line. And upon completion of the Light Rail Line, a passenger station will also be on site.

Florence Township is also the home of the Haines Industrial Center and the River Terminal Development Company.

The Haines Industrial Center is a master-planned, 700 acre, rail served business complex. The center was planned to offer a wide variety of building sites from 5 to 200 acres. Also available are state of the art warehousing and distribution facilities from 80,000 square feet and up. For further information visit www.whitesellco.com.

The River Terminal Development Company site consists of 100 acres with 430,000 square feet of prime warehouse and multi-user facilities. With land available for further development, another 1,000,000 square feet of building space is possible. For further information, visit www.riverterminal.com.

These businesses have already realized the benefit of our workforce, which is comprised of highly skilled, well educated, people. Generation after generation have worked and built to make Florence Township businesses grow and prosper. From its humble beginnings as a foundry town creating pipes and fittings for the cities of the world to its most recent endeavors creating steel wire for the building industry, Florence Township workers have long passed on the grit and determination of success through hard work.